Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 produces a predictable set of performance characteristics. The measured frames per second reveal a system that is capable of smooth flight at 1080p with adjusted settings, but which struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data shows that this combination is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, where it offers a solid experience, while 1440p is viable if you are willing to compromise on visual fidelity. The benchmark results indicate a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but which also shows signs of CPU headroom at the lowest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this hardware combination is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration achieves an average frame rate of 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. This is a significant jump from the High preset, which only manages 59 FPS, and it provides a much smoother experience that is better suited for the consistent frame pacing that flight simulators need. The 1080p Medium preset is the sweet spot because it offers a playable frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold while retaining enough visual detail to be immersive.

If you have a 1440p monitor, the Medium preset also provides a playable experience, with an average of 63 FPS. However, the minimum frame rate drops to 54 FPS, which indicates that there will be occasional dips below 60 FPS during complex scenes. For a more stable experience at 1440p, you would need to consider the Low preset, which delivers an average of 81 FPS but with a noticeable reduction in visual quality. The High preset at 1440p is less ideal, as it only averages 48 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a game that benefits from a steady frame rate.

At 4K, the data shows that this GPU is not powerful enough for high settings. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 yields an average of 47 FPS, which is borderline playable but will be subject to noticeable stutters. The Low preset at 4K is the only option that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, hitting exactly 60 FPS on average. However, the visual compromise is substantial. Therefore, the practical recommendation is to stick to 1080p Medium for the best balance of performance and image quality, or 1440p Medium if you can tolerate occasional frame rate dips. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it only manages 56 FPS at 1080p and drops to 33 FPS at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable baseline of performance. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at most settings, as the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is substantial, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. However, the processor's single-thread performance is crucial for simulation logic, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 suggests it handles this task well.

The CPU's overall performance, as measured by its 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 48995, places it in a strong position. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which has an average score of 49228 and a deltaPct of -0.5, and the Intel Core i5-14600K, which scores 48618 with a deltaPct of 0.8. This means the Core Ultra 5 245 is essentially on par with these processors, trailing the Ryzen 9 7900 by a negligible 0.5% and leading the i5-14600K by 0.8%. This performance parity suggests that in a CPU-heavy scenario, such as flying over a dense city with many objects, it would not be the limiting factor compared to the GPU.

The fact that the CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads is notable for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to utilize multiple cores for various simulation tasks. The high boost clock of 5.10 GHz is also beneficial for the main game thread, which often cannot scale across all cores. The data shows that even at the 1080p Low preset, where the GPU load is at its lowest, the average frame rate reaches 101 FPS. This suggests that while the CPU is providing enough power for high frame rates, the GPU is still the primary constraint on overall performance. The CPU's 65-watt TDP and support for DDR5 memory further indicate a modern platform that is well-suited for this title.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600, based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and the Navi 33 chip, is the clear limiting factor in this configuration at higher resolutions. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is 2655 MHz, with a game clock of 2250 MHz. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the average frame rate drops significantly, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At the High preset, the frame rate falls from 59 FPS at 1080p to 48 FPS at 1440p and then to 35 FPS at 4K.

The GPU's overall performance ranking is modest, sitting at the 57th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15171. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, which scores 15199, representing a deltaPct of -0.2, meaning the RX 7600 is 0.2% behind. It also compares closely to the integrated AMD Radeon 680M, which scores 15270, and the RX 7600 trails that by 0.7%. This indicates that the RX 7600 is a mainstream graphics card, not a high-end performer, and its 8 GB VRAM buffer is a key constraint for a game that can be demanding on memory at higher settings.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it becomes a bottleneck at 4K. The measured data supports this, as the 4K Medium preset has a minimum frame rate of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, showing less consistency than at lower resolutions. The card's 2048 shading units and 32 ray accelerators are part of the RDNA 3.0 architecture, but for this specific title, the raw rasterization performance and memory bandwidth are the dominant factors. The data suggests that while the GPU can deliver high frame rates at 1080p Low, it lacks the headroom to maintain those rates when the resolution and settings are increased.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Microsoft Flight Simulator with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution for this setup. At the Medium preset, it achieves an average of 79 FPS, which is the highest playable average frame rate above 60 FPS across all resolutions. 1440p is playable on Medium, but the 54 FPS minimum frame rate makes it less consistent.

Q: Is the Ultra preset viable with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 7600?

A: No. The benchmark results show the Ultra preset only reaches an average of 56 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. These frame rates are too low for a smooth experience in a flight simulator, and the visual quality gains do not justify the significant performance loss.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there between the Low and High presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 81 FPS, while the High preset averages 48 FPS. This represents a substantial drop of 33 FPS, or roughly a 41% reduction in average frame rate, when moving from Low to High settings.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. It is 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (score 49228) and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K (score 48618). It also trails the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (score 49196) by 0.4%.

Q: What is the frame rate consistency like at 4K with the Medium preset?

A: The 4K Medium preset has an average frame rate of 47 FPS, but the measured minimum is 40 FPS and the maximum is 54 FPS. This wide range indicates inconsistent performance, which could lead to noticeable stuttering during gameplay.

Q: Is the system more limited by the CPU or the GPU in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates a GPU limitation. As the resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the average frame rate drops dramatically at the same settings. For example, on High, the frame rate goes from 59 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 4K, which is a classic symptom of a graphics card being the primary bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly demonstrates that the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the dominant constraint. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 59 FPS at 1920x1080 to 48 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 11 FPS. When moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate falls to 35 FPS, which is a 24 FPS drop from the 1080p result. This represents a 41% reduction in average frame rate when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings. This kind of scaling is expected from a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 128-bit memory interface, as the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth demands increase dramatically with resolution.

At the Low preset, the scaling is slightly different. The average frame rate is 101 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 81 FPS at 1440p and then to 60 FPS at 4K. While the 4K result is playable, the 41 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K shows that even the lowest settings cannot escape the GPU's resolution limitations. The Medium preset shows the most linear scaling: 79 FPS at 1080p, 63 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K. This consistent drop pattern is a clear indicator that the GPU is being saturated at higher resolutions. The data suggests that if the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see similar frame rates across different resolutions, but that is not the case here. The limiting component is unequivocally the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 101 FPS, making it the only setting to break the 100 FPS barrier. The Medium preset provides a strong 79 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 90 FPS. The High preset is still playable at 59 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 56 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset is the clear winner, offering a substantial performance boost over High with minimal visual compromises.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops across all settings. The Low preset averages 81 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73 FPS, making it the most balanced choice for 1440p. The High preset falls to 48 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 45 FPS, both of which are less desirable for a flight simulator. At this resolution, users will need to stick to Low or Medium settings to maintain a consistent frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. The Low preset is the only one that achieves an average of 60 FPS, which is the minimum for a smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 54 FPS, indicating noticeable frame time spikes. The High preset drops to 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 33 FPS. These results show that 4K gaming is only viable on the Low preset, and even then, it is at the borderline of playability. The data confirms that this combination of CPU and GPU is designed for 1080p and 1440p gaming, not 4K.