Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator — Intel Core Ultra 7 155H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the measured data showing a clear progression from strong 1080p performance to marginal 4K results. The combo ranks 1564th out of 2996 tested configurations, placing it just above the median in the database, and the frame rates across all measured settings and resolutions indicate a system where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution climbs, while the CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads provide adequate headroom for the simulation's workload.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario in Microsoft Flight Simulator. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 119 FPS, but this falls to 96 FPS at 1440p and 71 FPS at 4K — a reduction of 23 FPS from 1080p to 1440p and another 25 FPS from 1440p to 4K. This pattern of approximately 20-25 FPS losses per resolution step indicates that the RTX 4070's rendering workload scales nearly linearly with pixel count, and the game is not being held back by the CPU at these lower settings.

The scaling behavior becomes even more pronounced when examining the High settings preset. At 1080p High, the system produces 70 FPS, which drops to 56 FPS at 1440p and then 42 FPS at 4K. The percentage losses here are notable: moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 20% of the frame rate, while the jump to 4K costs another 25%. This consistent degradation across resolution steps strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component throughout the High preset, as a CPU bottleneck would typically show diminishing FPS differences at higher resolutions when the CPU becomes less stressed.

The Medium settings data provides additional insight into the scaling curve. At 1080p Medium, the system records 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and maximum of 86 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 63 FPS. The minimum frame rates show the same proportional decline as the averages, indicating that the frame time consistency is maintained even as resolution increases — there is no sudden stutter or hitch that would suggest a CPU or memory bottleneck appearing at higher resolutions.

Ultra settings exhibit the most severe resolution scaling, with 66 FPS at 1080p dropping to 54 FPS at 1440p and then 40 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS is right at the edge of playability for a flight simulator, and the 26 FPS gap between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra represents a 39% performance loss. This data collectively indicates that the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, but the GPU's raw compute throughput at 29.15 TFLOPS becomes the binding constraint as pixel count rises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H brings 16 cores and 22 threads to this configuration, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its complex simulation logic and world-streaming requirements, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing and handle the game's background simulation threads. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 119 FPS, which is high enough that the CPU is likely contributing to the ceiling, but the fact that FPS continues to scale down proportionally with resolution suggests the CPU is not the primary limiter even at this low settings preset.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its expected gaming performance. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and single-core score of 1743 indicate a capable mobile processor, and the PassMark single-thread score of 3468 confirms solid per-core performance. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth should be adequate for feeding the GPU in this simulation. The CPU's percentile ranking of 83rd among all tested CPUs puts it well above average, and its average benchmark score of 32697 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-14600T, which scores 32707 with a 0% delta, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 at 32662 with a 0.1% delta.

In terms of this game specifically, the CPU's 22 threads are likely beneficial because Microsoft Flight Simulator can utilize multiple cores for different simulation subsystems, such as weather, traffic, and physics. The boost clock of 4.80 GHz provides the single-thread performance needed for the main rendering thread, and the measured FPS data at 1080p — where CPU load is relatively higher compared to GPU load — shows the system can deliver 119 FPS at Low settings, which implies the CPU is not severely limiting the experience. However, the fact that the 4K Ultra result drops to 40 FPS demonstrates that even with a strong CPU, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best measured performance this combo achieves in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 119 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The best Ultra settings result is 66 FPS at 1920x1080, and the best 4K result is 71 FPS at Low settings.

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

A: At 4K, the measured averages are 71 FPS on Low, 55 FPS on Medium, 42 FPS on High, and 40 FPS on Ultra. Only the Low preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS at 4K; the Medium preset's 55 FPS and the 47 FPS minimum indicate playable but not perfectly smooth performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Core Ultra 7 155H has an average benchmark score of 32697, which is 0% different from the Intel Core i5-14600T (32707), 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (32662), and 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F (32750). It is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32812).

Q: What is the GPU's general performance ranking relative to other graphics cards?

A: The RTX 4070 sits in the 81st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 37648. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, scores 37628 with a 0.1% delta, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 with a 0.4% delta.

Q: Does the system maintain consistent frame times at Medium settings?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the range is 79 to 107 FPS with a 93 average; at 1440p it is 64 to 86 FPS with a 75 average; and at 4K it is 47 to 63 FPS with a 55 average. The spread between minimum and maximum is consistent across resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combination ranks 1564th out of 2996 tested combos, placing it in the 52nd percentile of all tested systems for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 119 FPS, Medium settings yield 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107, High settings reach 70 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 66 FPS. This represents a 53 FPS spread between the lowest and highest quality presets, with the step from Low to Medium costing 26 FPS, Medium to High costing 23 FPS, and High to Ultra costing only 4 FPS. The relatively small difference between High and Ultra at 1080p suggests that the Ultra preset's additional graphical features have diminishing returns at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages shift downward across the board. Low settings record 96 FPS, Medium settings average 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 and maximum of 86, High settings reach 56 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 54 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 21 FPS, Medium to High is 19 FPS, and High to Ultra is just 2 FPS. The narrowing gap between High and Ultra at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU's compute resources become more constrained, and the visual differences between these two presets have less impact on the final frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings average 71 FPS, Medium settings average 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 and maximum of 63, High settings reach 42 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 40 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 31 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p (53 FPS) or 1440p (42 FPS). This convergence indicates that at 4K, the GPU is operating near its limits even at Low settings, and the relative cost of higher quality presets diminishes because the pixel throughput dominates the rendering time. The 4K Medium result of 55 FPS with a 47 FPS minimum is the most balanced 4K option, while 4K High and Ultra both fall below 45 FPS, which may be marginal for a flight simulator where smooth panning is important.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 1564th out of 2996 tested configurations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects the measured frame rates across all settings and resolutions, and it indicates that while this system is capable of running the game, it does not approach the top-tier configurations that would appear in the upper percentiles. The rank of 1564 means there are 1432 tested combos that perform worse, but also 1563 that perform better, suggesting a balanced but not exceptional position.

The CPU's individual standing is stronger than the combo ranking might suggest. With an 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 32697, the Core Ultra 7 155H is a solidly above-average processor. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking with an average score of 37648 similarly places it well above the median. However, the combo's 52nd percentile position in this game indicates that Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that brings even above-average hardware down to a more middling position. The gap between the component rankings and the combo ranking suggests that the game's specific workload characteristics — likely its heavy reliance on both CPU simulation and GPU rendering — prevent this system from achieving the same relative standing in-game as it does in synthetic benchmarks.

The nearest rival comparisons for the CPU show how close the Core Ultra 7 155H is to its competition in general benchmarks. It sits within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H and within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F, meaning that in synthetic tests these processors are effectively interchangeable. For the GPU, the RTX 4070 is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, with the RTX 4080 Mobile being 1.3% faster. These tight margins explain why the combo ranking is so close to the median — small differences in component performance translate to meaningful shifts in the overall ranking for this simulation title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth flight simulation and leaves headroom for the occasional complex scenery or weather event. At 1440p, Medium averages 75 FPS with a 64 FPS minimum, which remains comfortably playable on most displays. Even at 4K, Medium achieves 55 FPS with a 47 FPS minimum — the only preset at 4K that maintains an average above 50 FPS other than Low.

The Low preset is the only option that guarantees high frame rates at all resolutions, with 119 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. For users who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity, particularly in a flight simulator where rapid camera movements can occur during approach and landing, Low settings provide the most consistent experience. However, the visual compromise is significant, and the game's detailed cockpit instruments and terrain rendering benefit substantially from higher quality settings.

The High preset occupies an awkward middle ground. At 1080p it delivers 70 FPS, which is playable but 23 FPS lower than Medium. At 1440p it drops to 56 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 42 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal — only 4 FPS at 1080p, 2 FPS at 1440p, and 2 FPS at 4K — which suggests that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not significantly more demanding than High in this game. Given this small gap, users who can run High can also run Ultra with negligible performance loss, making Ultra the better choice between those two presets. The recommended configuration is Medium for the best overall experience, with Ultra as a viable alternative at 1080p where the 66 FPS average remains playable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant factor in this system's Microsoft Flight Simulator performance, as evidenced by the consistent FPS scaling with resolution. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for the game's texture streaming and terrain data at 4K. The measured 4K results, ranging from 71 FPS on Low to 40 FPS on Ultra, demonstrate that the GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate become the binding constraint at higher resolutions.

The GPU's 81st percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 37648 place it in the upper tier of graphics cards, but its nearest rivals show how competitive this segment is. The RTX 4070 is only 0.1% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 and 0.4% faster than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, while the RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% faster. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores support the game's DirectX 12 Ultimate features, though the measured data does not isolate ray tracing or DLSS impact. The 200 W TDP and dual-slot design indicate a power-hungry mobile implementation, but the performance data shows that the GPU's thermal and power headroom is being used effectively to deliver the measured frame rates.

The 4K Ultra result of 40 FPS highlights the GPU's limitations in this title. With 5888 shading units and 64 ROPs, the RTX 4070 must process over 8 million pixels per frame at 4K, and the 40 FPS average suggests that the pixel fill rate and shader throughput are nearly exhausted. The fact that 4K Low achieves 71 FPS — 78% higher than Ultra — indicates that the GPU has substantial headroom when graphical effects are reduced, but the simulation's core rendering demands still require significant compute resources. The GPU's role in this combo is therefore clear: it determines the ceiling for quality settings at each resolution, and the measured data shows that users must choose between high frame rates at lower settings or playable frame rates at higher settings, with Medium offering the best compromise.