Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a notoriously demanding title, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT shows a system that is firmly capable of delivering a smooth experience, provided you make the right compromises. The benchmark results reveal a clear hierarchy where resolution and settings directly dictate the playability, with the combo ranking in the 56th percentile of all tested configurations. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to determine the optimal way to fly.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is classic behavior for a GPU-bound title at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 127 FPS, indicating a very high level of headroom. However, this frame rate is not sustainable as you move up the resolution ladder. When the resolution is increased to 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings drops to 102, a 20% reduction. Pushing further to 4K (3840x2160) at Low settings brings the average down to 75 FPS, which is another 26% drop from the 1440p figure.

This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The frame rate penalty for moving from 1080p to 4K is substantial, even on the lowest settings, which indicates the GPU's rendering pipeline is being saturated. At 1080p, the CPU has more room to feed frames, but as the pixel count increases, the GPU's workload expands exponentially, and the FPS drops accordingly. The difference between 1080p Low (127 FPS) and 4K Low (75 FPS) is a 41% reduction in performance, a clear sign that the graphics card's 12 GB of memory and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are being pushed to their limits.

The trend holds true across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS falls from 74 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, and then down to 44 at 4K. This consistent drop-off across the board confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its 14 cores and 5.10 GHz boost clock, is likely not the constraint here; if it were, we would expect to see a more significant plateau in performance at lower resolutions where the CPU has to work harder to keep up with the GPU. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution in a predictable manner, pointing directly at the Radeon RX 6750 XT as the component that determines the final frame rate in this simulation.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT holds a rank of 1304 out of 2996 combos. This places it in the upper half of all systems tested, which is a respectable position for a mid-range configuration. The combo's rank is a direct reflection of the GPU's performance class, as the Radeon RX 6750 XT sits in the 71st percentile of all GPUs, a solid but not top-tier position. The CPU, on the other hand, is a strong performer on its own, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, showing that the processor has significant headroom and is not the bottleneck in this pairing.

The data indicates that this system is positioned well for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming or a solid 60 FPS experience at 1440p, but it will struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The CPU's performance is comparable to other strong processors; its average benchmark score of 48995 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has a deltaPct of -0.5. This means the Ultra 5 245 offers processing power on par with that high-end Ryzen part, ensuring that the GPU is fed with enough data to work with. However, the GPU's average benchmark score of 26011 is close to that of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile, which has a deltaPct of 1.1, indicating that while it is a capable card, it is not in the same league as high-end desktop GPUs.

This ranking suggests that the system is well-balanced for its intended purpose. The CPU is powerful enough to avoid holding the GPU back, but the GPU is the limiting factor for the highest resolutions and settings. The combo is not a top-tier 4K powerhouse, but it is a very competent performer for 1080p and 1440p, and its rank reflects that capability. It outperforms 56% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing, but it also means there is a significant segment of more powerful systems, likely with higher-end GPUs, that can push higher frame rates at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay is found at the Medium settings preset. This is the only preset where the combo consistently maintains a playable frame rate across all resolutions, with minimum FPS data available to confirm stability. At 1080p, the Medium preset yields an average of 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113 FPS, providing a very smooth and responsive experience. Moving to 1440p, the average is 79 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS, which is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for a fluid simulation. Even at 4K, the Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS, which is playable, though it may not be ideal for all users.

The High preset is a viable option for users with 1080p monitors. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 74, which is a good experience. However, at 1440p High, the average drops to 60 FPS, which is right on the edge of what many consider to be the minimum for smooth gameplay. At 4K High, the average falls to 44 FPS, which is not recommended for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, where smooth camera panning is important. The Ultra preset is only playable at 1080p, where it averages 71 FPS, but at 1440p it drops to 57 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 42 FPS, making it unsuitable for all but the most demanding scenarios.

The Low preset is the only way to achieve very high frame rates, with 127 FPS at 1080p and 102 FPS at 1440p. However, the visual compromise is significant. The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the "best experience" as it provides a stable 60+ FPS experience at 1440p and a nearly locked 60 FPS at 4K, while still retaining a reasonable level of graphical detail. For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1440p is an excellent choice, but for the best overall balance, Medium is the clear winner in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows an average of 75 FPS at 4K Low and 59 FPS at 4K Medium. At High and Ultra settings, the average drops to 44 and 42 FPS, respectively, which is below the ideal threshold for a smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data indicates that 1440p is the sweet spot. It provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining high frame rates. The average FPS at 1440p Medium is 79, which is excellent, and even at High it averages 60 FPS.

Q: Is the processor or the graphics card the main bottleneck?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops by 41% when moving from 1080p to 4K on Low settings, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245, with its high percentile ranking, has enough headroom to not be the primary constraint.

Q: How does the CPU compare to other processors in the database?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct of -0.5) and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct of 0.8). This shows it is a very competitive processor for gaming.

Q: What settings should I use for a consistent 60 FPS experience?

A: For a consistent 60 FPS at 1440p, the Medium preset is the best choice, as it averages 79 FPS. If you want to play at 4K, you will need to use the Medium preset to stay near 60 FPS, as it averages 59 FPS.

Q: Is the 12 GB of VRAM on the GPU sufficient for this game?

A: The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory appears to be sufficient for the settings tested. The data shows that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is a more likely limiting factor than capacity, as frame rates scale down consistently with resolution, indicating the rendering pipeline is the constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the defining component in this system's gaming performance. Its role is to render the complex 3D environments of Microsoft Flight Simulator, and its capabilities directly determine the FPS at each resolution and settings level. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6 memory is a key feature, providing enough capacity for the high-resolution textures used in the game. However, the memory's 192-bit bus width and 432.0 GB/s bandwidth are more critical to the performance scaling seen in the data. As the resolution increases, the demand for memory bandwidth grows, and the consistent FPS drops suggest that this bandwidth is a limiting factor.

The card's specifications, such as its boost clock of 2600 MHz and 2560 shading units, place it in the mid-to-high range of the Radeon RX 6000 series. Its compute power of 13.31 TFLOPS is solid, but not exceptional for 4K gaming. The benchmark results confirm this, showing that the GPU can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher settings. The GPU's percentile rank of 71 versus all other GPUs puts it in a good position, but its nearest rivals include mobile parts like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile, which indicates it is not a top-tier desktop card. The data shows that the GPU is the primary reason why the combo ranks at 1304 out of 2996, as its performance ceiling is the main factor preventing higher frame rates in the most demanding scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 serves as the central processor, responsible for game logic, physics calculations, and feeding the GPU with draw calls. Its role in Microsoft Flight Simulator is crucial, as the simulation is known to be demanding on the CPU, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is less of a bottleneck. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, provide substantial processing power. Its performance in synthetic benchmarks is impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

The data from the measured FPS suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration. If it were, we would expect to see frame rates that are similar across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload is less dependent on resolution. Instead, the FPS scales strongly with resolution, indicating that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's high average benchmark score of 48995, which is comparable to an AMD Ryzen 9 7900, shows that it has the headroom to support a more powerful GPU in the future. The processor's strong single-thread performance, indicated by the Cinebench R23 single-core score, is particularly important for a flight simulator, which often relies on a single main thread for core simulation tasks. This ensures that the CPU can keep up with the simulation's demands, allowing the GPU to work to its full potential without being starved of data.