Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator places unusual demands on both processor and graphics hardware, and the measured results for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER illustrate how this combination handles the load. The CPU, a 14-core Arrow Lake-S part with 14 threads, works in tandem with a 16 GB Ada Lovelace GPU to deliver frame rates that scale predictably with resolution and quality settings. Across the twelve measured data points, the combo demonstrates a clear pattern: at 1080p the system is capable of very high frame rates, while at 4K Ultra it remains playable but noticeably more constrained. The data shows a configuration that is well-balanced for this simulator, though the limiting factor shifts depending on the resolution selected.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is built on the Arrow Lake architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process. It features 14 cores and 14 threads, meaning there is no hyper-threading; each core handles a single thread. The base clock is 3.50 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, and the processor draws a 65 W TDP. For a flight simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded and lightly threaded workloads in its simulation logic, the boost clock of 5.10 GHz is a critical asset. The data supports this: the single-core Cinebench R23 score is 4648, and the single-thread PassMark score is 4394. These numbers are strong, though not class-leading, and they translate directly into the game's ability to process flight physics and scenery data efficiently.

The processor's cache hierarchy also plays a role. It has 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. In a simulator that streams terrain and aircraft systems data, the larger L3 cache helps reduce memory latency. The memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient for feeding the GPU, but in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's ability to quickly process draw calls and simulation state is more critical than raw memory throughput. The CPU's PassMark multithread score is 38706, and its average benchmark score is 48995, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is essentially on par with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (deltaPct -0.4) and AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5), while being slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (0.6) and Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8). This indicates that in purely computational terms, the CPU is competitive with these alternatives, and its performance in this game is consistent with its benchmark standing.

In the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 194 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately without becoming a bottleneck. However, as settings increase to Ultra at 1080p, the frame rate drops to 108 FPS, which is a 44% reduction. This drop is not purely a CPU limitation; the GPU is also working harder. But the fact that the CPU's single-thread performance is in the 90th percentile suggests that it is not the primary constraint at 1080p. The data indicates that the CPU is more than capable of driving this simulator, and its 14 cores provide headroom for background tasks and the simulator's multi-threaded rendering pipeline.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, with the AD103 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process. It has 8448 shading units, 264 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU's base clock is 2340 MHz, with a boost clock of 2610 MHz. Memory is a crucial aspect for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which loads vast amounts of texture data. The card has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of VRAM, and the data shows it is not a limiting factor in the measured scenarios; even at 4K Ultra, the simulator does not appear to run out of memory, as the frame rates remain stable.

The GPU's compute performance is represented by its FP32 throughput of 44.10 TFLOPS, and its PassMark G3D score is 31811, placing it in the 76th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (deltaPct -0.4), NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (deltaPct -0.4), NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (deltaPct -1.4), and NVIDIA TITAN RTX (deltaPct -1.9). The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER's average benchmark score is 31087, which is slightly below these rivals, but in the context of this game, the specific architecture features matter more. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is essential for the simulator's rendering features. The boost clock of 2610 MHz is high, and it allows the GPU to maintain good performance even under load.

In the measured data, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the frame rate is 114 FPS, but at 4K High it drops to 68 FPS. This 40% reduction from 1080p to 4K is a clear sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The VRAM capacity of 16 GB is more than sufficient, but the raw fill rate and shading power are what drive the frame rate down. The GPU's pixel rate is 250.6 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 689.0 GTexel/s, which are solid figures, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K demands more from the shaders. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a capable GPU for this simulator, but at 4K Ultra, it is working near its limits, delivering 64 FPS.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how the system scales across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 194 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 157 FPS, a 19% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 116 FPS, which is a 40% reduction from 1080p. This pattern shows that even at Low settings, the GPU is being taxed more as resolution increases, but the CPU is still able to keep up. For Medium settings, the frame rates are 151 FPS at 1080p, 122 FPS at 1440p, and 90 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 40%, which is consistent with the Low settings trend. This indicates that the scaling is primarily GPU-bound, as the relative performance drop is similar across these settings.

For High settings, the frame rates are 114 FPS at 1080p, 92 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 40% again. This consistency suggests that the limiting component is the GPU, as the CPU's performance is not changing with resolution. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 108 FPS at 1080p, 87 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 41%, which is slightly higher, indicating that the GPU is even more stressed at the highest settings. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in any scenario; if it were, the frame rates would not scale so consistently with resolution. The conclusion is that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the limiting factor, especially at 4K, where the pixel count overwhelms the GPU's shading capabilities.

The scaling also reveals that the difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution is significant. At 1080p, the difference between Low (194 FPS) and Ultra (108 FPS) is 44%. At 1440p, the difference is 45% (157 FPS vs 87 FPS). At 4K, the difference is 45% (116 FPS vs 64 FPS). This shows that the GPU's workload increases proportionally with settings, and the CPU is not preventing the GPU from reaching its maximum performance. The data suggests that for a smoother experience, lowering settings has a larger impact than lowering resolution, but the system is well-matched for 1440p gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 194. With Medium settings, the average FPS is 151, with a minimum of 129 and a maximum of 174. At High settings, the average FPS is 114. At Ultra settings, the average FPS is 108. This shows a clear progression: as settings increase, frame rates decrease, but even at Ultra, the system maintains over 100 FPS at 1080p, which is excellent for a flight simulator.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still strong. Low settings yield an average of 157 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 122 FPS, with a minimum of 104 and a maximum of 140. High settings drop to 92 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 87 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p is a sweet spot for this combo; even at Ultra, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS, which is playable for a simulator that often has complex scenery.

At 3840x2160, the system is more constrained. Low settings deliver an average of 116 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 90 FPS, with a minimum of 77 and a maximum of 104. High settings drop to 68 FPS. Ultra settings result in an average of 64 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, the system is still capable of 60+ FPS on Ultra, but the margin is thinner. The minimum FPS for Medium at 4K is 77, which indicates that even in demanding scenes, the system stays above 60 FPS. This suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is adequate, but users should expect frame rates in the 60-70 range on the highest settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER combination ranks 272nd out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 9% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, and the data indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of other systems tested. The fact that it ranks 272nd out of 2996 means that it is in the 91st percentile of all combos, which is consistent with the CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 76th percentile ranking.

The rank is particularly notable given that the GPU's percentile is lower than the CPU's. This suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in the overall ranking, but the CPU's strong performance helps push the combo higher. The data shows that the combo is well above the median, and it is likely that many of the combos ranked higher feature more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4080 or RTX 4090. However, for a mid-to-high-end configuration, this rank is impressive. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, have similar computational scores, but the combination with the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER yields a rank that reflects the GPU's capabilities. The data indicates that this combo is a solid choice for Microsoft Flight Simulator, offering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, and playable performance at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 194, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: At what resolution and settings does the combo maintain a 60+ FPS average?

A: The combo maintains a 60+ FPS average at all tested settings up to 3840x2160 Ultra, which has an average of 64 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 has an average of 49228, a delta of -0.5%, meaning the Ryzen is slightly ahead.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the combo?

A: The minimum FPS recorded is 77, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top 10% of all tested configurations?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 272nd out of 2996 tested combos, placing it in the top 9% of all configurations.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings yield an average of 157 FPS, while Ultra settings yield 87 FPS, a difference of 70 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data shows that the optimal settings depend on the user's priority for visual fidelity versus frame rate. At 1920x1080, the combo can achieve 194 FPS on Low, but even on Ultra, it maintains 108 FPS, which is well above the typical 60 FPS target. For 1080p users, Ultra settings are recommended, as the frame rate remains very high, and the visual quality is maximized without a significant performance penalty.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that High settings offer a good balance, with an average of 92 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 87 FPS, which is still playable, but the difference between High and Ultra is only 5 FPS, so users can opt for Ultra without sacrificing much performance. Medium settings at 1440p provide 122 FPS, which is excellent for users who prefer higher frame rates, but High or Ultra are recommended for a more immersive experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is more constrained. Ultra settings yield 64 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but the data shows that Medium settings provide 90 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS. For 4K users, Medium settings are recommended to ensure a stable frame rate above 60 FPS, as the minimum FPS is higher. High settings at 4K produce 68 FPS, which is also acceptable, but Medium offers a larger margin for demanding scenes. The best experience per the measured rows is at 1440p with High settings, which balances visual quality and performance, but for 4K, Medium settings are the safest choice to avoid frame rate dips.