Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a notoriously demanding title, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveal a configuration that is well-balanced across a wide range of settings and resolutions. The data indicates that this combination is capable of delivering smooth, playable frame rates even at the highest presets in 4K, while also offering headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy of performance tied directly to the graphics preset and resolution, with the system consistently adapting to the workload without any single component becoming an obvious bottleneck in the mid-range of settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4070 SUPER handle the graphical demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator. For players targeting the highest visual fidelity, the Ultra preset is viable, but with a caveat. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset yields an average of 61 FPS, which is at the threshold of smoothness for many users but may not be consistently fluid in dense scenarios. Dropping to High at this resolution provides a modest but significant improvement, raising the average to 64 FPS, a 4.9% increase over Ultra. This suggests that the Ultra preset is pushing the system to its limits at 4K, and the High preset offers a safer margin for maintaining performance.

The most compelling recommendation for a balanced experience appears to be the Medium preset. At 3840x2160, Medium produces an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. This represents a substantial 33% improvement over the Ultra preset's average, while likely retaining a significant portion of the visual quality. The min FPS of 72 is particularly noteworthy, as it indicates the system maintains a playable frame rate even in demanding moments. This pattern holds across lower resolutions as well. At 2560x1440, Medium achieves 115 FPS (min 98, max 132), and at 1920x1080 it reaches 143 FPS (min 121, max 164). The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a balanced blend of visual fidelity and performance that ensures the frame rate remains consistently high, avoiding the potential for stutters or drops that can occur with more demanding presets.

For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the Low preset offers exceptional performance, especially at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low produces a staggering 183 FPS average, and even at 2560x1440, it maintains a high 148 FPS. This data suggests that for competitive or fast-paced play, the Low preset can unlock the full potential of a 144Hz or even 165Hz display. However, given the nature of a flight simulator, where visual immersion is often a priority, the medium preset's balance of performance and graphical quality makes it the most sensible default recommendation for most users based on the measured data.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a central figure in this configuration's performance. The data shows that its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, is sufficient for the demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator at the tested settings. The direct correlation between the graphics preset and FPS at every resolution underscores the GPU's dominant role in this title. For instance, at 3840x2160, there is a significant performance delta between the Low (109 FPS) and Ultra (61 FPS) presets, a difference of 48 FPS or approximately 44%. This wide gap indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER's compute capabilities and memory bandwidth are being heavily utilized as visual complexity increases.

The GPU's internal specifications, such as its 7168 shading units and 80 ROPs, help explain its ability to process the complex geometry and textures of a flight simulator. The boost clock of 2475 MHz, up from a base of 1980 MHz, allows the card to dynamically increase its performance within its 220 W TDP. The benchmark results show the card is capable of maintaining high frame rates, but the performance drop from Medium to Ultra at 4K (85 FPS to 61 FPS) suggests that the GPU is nearing its limit at the highest settings. This is further supported by the fact that at 1080p, the difference between Ultra (102 FPS) and Medium (143 FPS) is still substantial, indicating that even at lower resolutions, the Ultra preset's demands are significant enough to impact the GPU's output. The GPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223, places it as a high-end performer, though its nearest rivals show it is only slightly behind the RTX 4090 Mobile and Quadro M6000. This context reinforces that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a strong, but not top-tier, component that excels when paired with a balanced CPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a critical, albeit secondary, role in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The benchmark data shows that while the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, the CPU's performance is sufficient to prevent it from becoming a major bottleneck in most scenarios. The CPU's specifications include 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz that can boost up to 5.10 GHz. This architecture, built on a 3 nm process, provides the single-thread performance that flight simulators often rely on for game logic and physics calculations. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 4648 for single-core and 32924 for multi-core demonstrate strong processing capabilities.

The evidence for a balanced system is most apparent in the scaling of FPS with resolution. When lowering the resolution from 4K to 1080p at the same settings, the frame rate increases, but not proportionally. For example, at High settings, the FPS increases from 64 at 4K to 107 at 1080p. This 67% increase shows that the GPU is being relieved of work, but the CPU's ability to feed it frames is still a limiting factor. If the CPU were entirely sufficient, one might expect an even larger jump. However, the data suggests that the Core Ultra 5 245 is capable of keeping up. It ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48995, and is closely matched with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 and Intel Core i5-14600K. The CPU's performance is adequate to support the GPU's output, ensuring that the system delivers consistent frame rates across the board, particularly at the higher resolutions where the GPU is more likely to be the primary constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand context of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER holds a strong position. The data shows that this pairing ranks 425th out of 2996 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it within the top 14.2% of all configurations tested, indicating a high level of performance. This ranking confirms the synergy between the CPU and GPU, as both components are in the top percentiles of their respective categories (90th for CPU, 83rd for GPU). The high ranking suggests that for this specific game, the components work well together to deliver a smooth experience. It is not a top-tier, ultimate-enthusiast combination, but it sits comfortably in the upper echelon of gaming systems, capable of handling the game at high settings and resolutions. The fact that it ranks this highly among nearly 3000 other combos, many of which may feature more expensive or higher-end parts, highlights the efficiency and balance of this pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo for a 60+ FPS experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the RTX 4070 SUPER and Core Ultra 5 245 can achieve 60+ FPS at all tested resolutions and settings. At 4K, the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, while the High preset achieves 64 FPS. Lowering to Medium at 4K provides a more comfortable 85 FPS average.

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

A: Yes. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the system is capable of running the game. The Ultra preset averages 61 FPS, which is playable. However, for a more stable and higher frame rate, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides an average of 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by lowering settings from Ultra to Low at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate increases from 102 FPS on the Ultra preset to 183 FPS on the Low preset. This represents an approximate 79% increase in performance, highlighting the significant impact of the graphics preset on the GPU's workload.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 SUPER?

A: The data does not indicate a significant bottleneck. The FPS scales well with resolution, and the system ranks in the top 15% of all tested combos. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and strong Cinebench scores suggest it is well-matched to support the GPU's performance in this game.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between 1440p and 4K on the High preset?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 86. When moving up to 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS drops to 64. This is a 22 FPS difference, or roughly a 26% decrease in performance when moving from 1440p to 4K.

Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM of the RTX 4070 SUPER limit performance in this game?

A: The measured results do not show that VRAM capacity is a limiting factor at the tested settings. The system achieves playable frame rates even at the Ultra preset in 4K, which suggests the 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for the game's demands at these configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--------- |:------- |:------ |:------ |:------ |

| 3840x2160 | High | 64 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 109 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 85 | 72 | 98 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 61 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 86 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 148 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 115 | 98 | 132 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 82 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 107 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 183 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 143 | 121 | 164 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 102 | - | - |

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions provides valuable insight into which component is the primary driver of frame rates. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all settings drops by a consistent margin. For example, on the High preset, the FPS goes from 107 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, a 21 FPS decrease. This scaling continues when moving from 1440p to 4K, where the High preset drops from 86 FPS to 64 FPS. This consistent decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor across these resolutions. The workload on the GPU increases significantly with each resolution step, and the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance scales accordingly.

The data also reveals how the performance gap between settings changes with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (183 FPS) and Ultra (102 FPS) is 81 FPS. At 4K, this gap narrows to 48 FPS (109 FPS vs 61 FPS). This narrowing suggests that as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes so heavily loaded that the settings-based performance differences become relatively less impactful on the overall frame rate. The CPU, with its strong single-thread performance, appears to be sufficient to feed the GPU at all resolutions, as the frame rates are primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering load. The data shows a system where the RTX 4070 SUPER is the clear performance ceiling, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 provides a stable and capable foundation that prevents it from holding the GPU back.