Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 produces a playable but resolution-sensitive experience. The data shows a system that is firmly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while at 1080p the CPU’s strong single-thread performance keeps frame rates respectable. The combo ranks in the 60th percentile (1814th of 2996 tested combinations), indicating a mid-pack position that aligns with the RTX 5050’s 66th percentile standing among all GPUs. This is not a high-end flight simulator rig, but it delivers consistent results across the tested presets, with the most balanced experience found at 1440p Medium.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a steep performance curve as resolution increases, which is the defining characteristic of this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average from 62 FPS to 50 FPS, a 19.4% reduction. The climb to 3840x2160 at High further reduces the average to 37 FPS, representing a 40.3% decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern confirms that the RTX 5050’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus become the limiting factor well before the CPU’s capabilities are exhausted.

The Low preset illustrates the same trend with even greater magnitude. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 106 FPS, which drops to 85 FPS at 1440p (a 19.8% decrease) and then to 63 FPS at 4K (a 40.6% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops—roughly 20% for each resolution step—indicates a purely GPU-bound scenario where the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is never the bottleneck. The CPU’s 14 cores and 14 threads, combined with a 5.10 GHz boost clock, provide ample headroom for the game’s simulation logic, even at the lowest settings where frame rates exceed 100 FPS.

At Ultra settings, the scaling becomes even more pronounced. The 1080p Ultra average of 59 FPS falls to 48 FPS at 1440p and 35 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents a 40.7% drop from 1080p Ultra, nearly identical to the scaling seen at other presets. This uniform degradation across all quality levels strongly suggests that the RTX 5050’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the sole constraints. The GPU’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates at 4K, regardless of the quality preset selected.

The implication for users is clear: this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The 4K results, ranging from 35 to 63 FPS depending on settings, are marginal at best. Even the 4K Low result of 63 FPS, while technically playable, sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a flight simulator where terrain detail and cockpit readability are paramount. The data suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot, offering a 50 FPS average at High settings that can be pushed to 66 FPS at Medium without significant visual compromise.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 provides the best balance of performance and visual quality. At High settings, the combo achieves a 50 FPS average, which is 13 FPS higher than the 4K High result and only 12 FPS lower than the 1080p High result. The 1440p Medium preset offers an even better 66 FPS average, making it the most comfortable experience for sustained play.

Q: How does the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes the primary limiter at 3840x2160. The 4K Ultra average of 35 FPS and 4K High average of 37 FPS are both below the 40 FPS threshold generally considered playable. Even the 4K Low average of 63 FPS suggests the memory subsystem is struggling, as the frame rate is disproportionately low compared to the quality reduction.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data does not support a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 106 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it maintains 59 FPS. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and multi-core score of 32924 place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. The consistent frame rate drops across resolutions indicate the GPU is the limiting component even at 1080p.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1814th out of 2996 tested combinations, placing it in the 60.5th percentile. This is roughly consistent with the RTX 5050’s individual GPU percentile of 66. The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (0.5% higher) and Intel Core i5-14600K (0.8% higher), indicating the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitively positioned.

Q: Which preset offers the most stable frame delivery?

A: The Medium preset provides the only rows with both minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 70-95 FPS with an 82 average; at 1440p Medium, 57-76 FPS with a 66 average; and at 4K Medium, 42-56 FPS with a 49 average. The narrower ranges relative to other presets suggest more consistent frame pacing.

Q: Can this combo handle the Ultra preset at any resolution?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p where the average is 59 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 48 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 35 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result is playable, but the 6 FPS difference between Ultra and High at 1080p makes the High preset a more sensible choice for most users.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured performance patterns. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, paired with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. The 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is the most critical specification for Microsoft Flight Simulator, as the game streams vast amounts of terrain and photogrammetry data. The 4K results, which consistently fall below 40 FPS at High and Ultra settings, demonstrate that this bandwidth is insufficient for the highest resolutions.

The GPU’s 2560 shading units and 80 texture mapping units produce a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K. The 32 ROPs yield a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s, a figure that directly limits fill-rate-bound scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the 35 FPS average suggests the ROP count is a bottleneck, as the pixel workload increases fourfold from 1080p. The GPU’s 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest by modern standards, placing it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

The RTX 5050’s 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores are present but play a minimal role in this game, as Microsoft Flight Simulator does not heavily utilize ray tracing in the tested presets. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 17326 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 confirm its mid-range positioning. The nearest GPU rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% higher average score) and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (1.6% lower), which contextualizes the RTX 5050 as a competent 1080p and entry-level 1440p card. For this game, the GPU’s role is clear: it provides playable frame rates through 1440p, but its 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus prevent any viable 4K experience.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of presets, and the optimal choice depends on the user’s resolution and tolerance for frame rate variation. At 1080p, the High preset offers the best balance with a 62 FPS average. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 59 FPS, a marginal 3 FPS improvement over High, which does not justify the additional visual load. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 82 FPS, making it the best choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize smoothness over fidelity. The Low preset’s 106 FPS is excessive for most displays and unnecessary given the visual compromises.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. The 66 FPS average with a 57-76 FPS range provides both performance and stability. The High preset’s 50 FPS average is playable but approaches the threshold where frame drops become noticeable in a flight simulator’s cockpit view. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 48 FPS, which is below the 50 FPS average most users would consider acceptable for sustained play. The Low preset’s 85 FPS is viable but sacrifices too much terrain detail, which is integral to the flight simulation experience.

At 4K, no preset is ideal. The Medium preset’s 49 FPS average is the highest playable result, though the 42 FPS minimum suggests occasional stutters. The Low preset’s 63 FPS is technically superior but visually barren. The High and Ultra presets at 37 and 35 FPS respectively are below playable thresholds. For users who must play at 4K, the Medium preset is the only reasonable choice, but the data strongly suggests that 1440p Medium or 1080p High provides the best overall experience for this hardware combination. The Medium preset’s availability of both min and max FPS data also indicates it is the most stable configuration tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1814th out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the 60.5th percentile. This ranking is slightly below the CPU’s individual 90th percentile standing and the GPU’s 66th percentile, indicating that the game’s specific demands penalize the GPU more heavily than the CPU. The ranking position suggests that most competing combos achieve higher frame rates, likely due to more powerful GPUs with larger memory buses.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks provide context for its contribution. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 0.5% higher in average benchmark score, while the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 0.8% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G is 0.4% lower. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming, confirming that the Core Ultra 5 245 is not the limiting factor. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and single-core score of 4648 place it in the top 10% of all processors, providing ample compute headroom.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (0.6% higher) and AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1.0% higher), which are older or lower-tier products. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 1.6% lower, while the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile is 1.6% higher. This positioning underscores the RTX 5050’s mid-range status. The combo’s 1814th rank out of 2996 is consistent with a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU, where the GPU limits overall performance in this particular game. Users should expect this combo to outperform entry-level systems but lag behind configurations with higher-tier GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 106 FPS on Low, 82 FPS on Medium, 62 FPS on High, and 59 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset provides the only min/max data at 1080p, with a range of 70-95 FPS. The 44 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates the GPU’s capability at this resolution, where even the most demanding preset remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the results drop to 85 FPS on Low, 66 FPS on Medium, 50 FPS on High, and 48 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s range is 57-76 FPS. The 37 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is narrower than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is beginning to hit its performance ceiling. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical at 50 and 48 FPS, suggesting that the additional visual features in Ultra are not worth the performance cost.

At 3840x2160, the results are 63 FPS on Low, 49 FPS on Medium, 37 FPS on High, and 35 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s range is 42-56 FPS. The 28 FPS spread between Low and Ultra is the narrowest of all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is severely constrained. The 4K Medium result of 49 FPS is the only 4K preset above the 40 FPS playability threshold, and even that has a 42 FPS minimum. The data unequivocally shows that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and users should target 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.