Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, depending on the resolution and settings selected. For the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, the measured data reveals a system that is well-balanced at 1440p and 4K, but becomes increasingly CPU-bound at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics from the FACT PACK, interpreting how this specific hardware pairing handles the simulator's workload across various configurations, and how it stacks up against other tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable trend as resolution increases, but the rate of change tells a significant story about system bottlenecks. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 164 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops performance to 132 FPS, a 32 FPS or approximately 19.5% decrease. At 4K Low, the average falls to 97 FPS, which is another 35 FPS decrease from 1440p, or about 26.5%. This pattern shows that even at Low settings, the scaling from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the GPU is still a major factor, though the CPU is also being heavily utilized.

The scaling behavior changes more dramatically when looking at higher settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 96 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p (a 19 FPS drop) and then to 57 at 4K (a 20 FPS drop). The consistent ~20 FPS loss per resolution step at High settings suggests a more uniform load balancing between the CPU and GPU. However, the most revealing data point is the difference between the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap between Low (164 FPS) and Ultra (91 FPS) is 73 FPS. At 4K, this gap narrows to 43 FPS (97 FPS vs 54 FPS). This compression of the performance range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor, as the additional pixel shading workload at 4K has a relatively larger impact than the CPU-bound simulation logic.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 can feed frames quickly enough that the RTX 3080 Ti becomes the primary bottleneck, especially at lower settings where the CPU overhead is less of a constraint. Conversely, at 4K, the GPU's rendering load dominates, and the performance difference between settings presets shrinks, highlighting that the RTX 3080 Ti is the limiting component in this scenario. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings is particularly telling: the drop from 74 FPS to 54 FPS is a 27% reduction, which is a typical sign of a GPU-bound workload where the number of pixels is the primary driver of performance.

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 Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its heavy single-threaded simulation logic, this CPU's high boost clock is crucial. The benchmark data shows that the CPU's single-core performance is a strong point, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648. This is reflected in the game's performance at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck. The fact that the combo achieves 164 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU's 5.10 GHz boost clock is sufficient to drive high frame rates when the GPU is not overwhelmed.

However, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities also play a role in handling the game's background tasks, such as terrain loading and AI traffic. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 is strong, and the CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data access patterns common in simulation games. The data shows that at 1440p Medium, the combo maintains 103 FPS, and at 4K Medium it drops to 76 FPS. This indicates that the CPU is not the primary limiter at these settings; the GPU is. The CPU's performance relative to its nearest rivals is competitive. According to the FACT PACK, the Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is only 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p. The 164 FPS at Low versus 91 FPS at Ultra shows a 73 FPS difference, which is primarily due to the increased GPU workload at Ultra settings, but the CPU must also handle more draw calls and physics calculations. The fact that the frame rate does not double when dropping from Ultra to Low suggests that the CPU is still providing a solid foundation, but it is not the sole determinant of performance. In scenarios where the CPU is fully utilized, such as at 1080p Low, the data suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is waiting on the CPU, as the GPU is capable of much higher frame rates in other titles. The CPU's 65W TDP and 14 threads are adequate for this simulator, but the data implies that a higher-clocked CPU could push frame rates even higher at 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 77 FPS at 2560x1440 resolution with the High settings preset.

Q: How does the combo's performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 54 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 91 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This represents a 40.7% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K at the highest settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low settings?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p Low. The combo achieves 164 FPS, and the GPU is likely capable of more, but the CPU's ability to process the simulation logic and feed the GPU becomes the bottleneck at these lower resolution and settings.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 164 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 245 compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900's score of 49228. This places the two processors very close in performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 87 FPS, with a maximum of 118 FPS and an average of 103 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the performance ranges from a peak of 164 FPS at Low settings to 91 FPS at Ultra settings. The High preset delivers 96 FPS, while Medium yields 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 and a maximum of 146 FPS. This demonstrates that the RTX 3080 Ti is capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p, but the frame rate is heavily influenced by the settings preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce 132 FPS, High settings drop to 77 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 74 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows an average of 103 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, as it balances the GPU load while still allowing the CPU to keep up, resulting in playable frame rates even at Ultra settings.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3080 Ti's 12 GB of VRAM and 912.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth are put to the test. Low settings yield 97 FPS, but this drops to 76 FPS at Medium, 57 FPS at High, and 54 FPS at Ultra. The minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset, which shows a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the combo is playable but not ideal for high refresh rate displays, especially at higher settings presets where the average dips below 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 665th out of 2996 tested combos. This places the combo in the top 22.2% of all tested systems, indicating that it delivers above-average performance for this particular game. The rank is a reflection of the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU, and the data suggests that while the RTX 3080 Ti is a powerful graphics card, the Core Ultra 5 245 provides a solid foundation that does not hold it back significantly.

The combo's rank is influenced by the fact that the RTX 3080 Ti, despite being an end-of-life product, still performs well in this simulator. The GPU's average benchmark score is 41187, which places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. However, the rank of 665 suggests that many other combos, likely with newer or higher-end CPUs, are able to extract more performance from the same or similar GPUs. The CPU's rank is also a factor; the Core Ultra 5 245 is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, which is strong, but its performance is not top-tier when compared to the absolute best processors available.

The data shows that this combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as it consistently delivers frame rates above 70 FPS even at Ultra settings. At 4K, the combo is capable of smooth gameplay at Medium settings, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at High and Ultra presets. The rank of 665 out of 2996 confirms that this is a capable system, but there is room for improvement, likely by pairing the RTX 3080 Ti with a higher-end CPU to push performance further at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's resolution and performance priorities. For 1080p displays, the High settings preset offers a good balance between visual fidelity and performance, delivering an average of 96 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the Ultra preset's 91 FPS, with only a minor visual downgrade. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the Medium preset at 127 FPS is a viable option, but the Low preset at 164 FPS is recommended for competitive or maximum smoothness scenarios.

At 1440p, the High settings preset is the recommended choice for most users, as it provides an average of 77 FPS, which is playable and visually appealing. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also acceptable, but the marginal visual gains over High may not justify the slight frame rate drop. For users seeking higher frame rates, the Medium preset at 103 FPS is an excellent compromise, offering a substantial boost in performance with only a moderate reduction in visual quality.

At 4K, the data suggests that the Medium settings preset is the best option for a smooth experience, with an average of 76 FPS and a minimum of 64 FPS. The High preset at 57 FPS and Ultra at 54 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold, which may result in noticeable stuttering for some users. The Low preset at 97 FPS is playable, but it significantly reduces the visual quality that makes the simulator immersive. Therefore, for 4K users, the Medium preset is the recommended choice to maintain a consistent and smooth frame rate while still enjoying a decent level of detail.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end graphics card based on the Ampere architecture, with 10,240 shading units and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus. This configuration provides a memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s, which is crucial for Microsoft Flight Simulator's large textures and complex scenery data. The GPU's boost clock of 1665 MHz and 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are significant factors in its ability to handle the simulator's rendering workload, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution, where the performance difference between settings presets is more pronounced. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 54 FPS, which is limited by the GPU's raw rendering power. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game at 4K, as the data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering or performance drops. The GPU's percentile rank of 83rd vs all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 41187, place it as a strong performer, but it is not the fastest card available.

The GPU's role is also evident when comparing the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p. The RTX 3080 Ti is capable of much higher frame rates than the 164 FPS seen at Low settings, but the CPU limits it. However, at 4K, the GPU is fully utilized, and its performance is the determining factor. The data indicates that the RTX 3080 Ti is a capable card for this simulator, but it is not powerful enough to maintain 60+ FPS at 4K Ultra. For users wanting to play at 4K with maximum settings, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, but for 1440p and 1080p, this card provides excellent performance.