Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a robust, high-refresh experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, though the game’s demanding nature means absolute maximum settings still require compromises. The data shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets, with the combination ranking in the 69th percentile of tested systems. This pairing leverages a 16-core mobile processor with a high-end desktop-class GPU to achieve playable frame rates even at 4K, while excelling at 1440p and 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that users prioritizing smoothness should consider medium presets, while those chasing visual fidelity can still maintain acceptable performance at high settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, it delivers 71 FPS, while the Ultra preset still holds 68 FPS. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS, which is playable but less fluid.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1080p?

A: The measured results show a modest difference: High achieves 88 FPS while Ultra reaches 84 FPS. The 4 FPS gap suggests the graphical uplift from Ultra may not justify the performance cost at this resolution.

Q: Is the RTX 4080’s 16 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate VRAM limitations at any tested setting. Given the GPU’s 16 GB GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, the frame rates observed are consistent with compute-bound performance rather than memory capacity issues.

Q: What frame rate can users expect at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This provides a consistent experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold in most scenarios.

Q: How does the CPU’s 16-core configuration affect performance?

A: The Core Ultra 7 155H’s multi-threaded capabilities support the simulation’s complex physics and AI. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 indicates strong parallel performance, which helps maintain steady frame rates in dense environments.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among tested systems?

A: It ranks 917 out of 2996 tested combinations, placing it in the top third. This suggests the pairing is well-balanced for this title, though not at the extreme top tier where higher-end desktop CPUs might offer marginal gains.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo achieves a rank of 917 out of 2996 tested combinations, positioning it in the 69th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong result, indicating that the pairing of the Core Ultra 7 155H and RTX 4080 is well-suited for Microsoft Flight Simulator’s demanding workload. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 32697 places it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU’s average score of 54247 puts it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs; the combined performance in this game is slightly lower than those individual percentiles, reflecting the title’s specific optimization patterns.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 155H performs nearly identically to the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, with delta percentages of 0% and 0.1% respectively. The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a mere 0.2% faster, and the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H is 0.4% faster. These tiny margins mean the CPU is unlikely to be a bottleneck in most scenarios. For the GPU, the RTX 4080 is effectively tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER, which is 0.1% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower and the RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower. This suggests the GPU is performing at the expected level for its class.

The gap between this combo’s game rank and its component percentiles highlights that Microsoft Flight Simulator is particularly sensitive to memory bandwidth and cache efficiency. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and the GPU’s 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are both substantial, but the game’s streaming-heavy nature means that sustained throughput matters more than peak scores. In practice, the 917th rank out of 2996 means users are getting a top-third experience, with most high-end desktop combos from the same generation scoring slightly better due to higher sustained clocks.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 151 FPS, which is far beyond what the simulation requires for smooth play. High yields 88 FPS, offering a substantial visual upgrade for only a 42% performance hit. Ultra reaches 84 FPS, which is nearly identical to High, making Ultra the preferred choice at this resolution for users with high-refresh monitors. The 4 FPS penalty for Ultra is negligible, and the visual improvements are worthwhile.

At 2560x1440, the picture changes. Ultra drops to 68 FPS, while High holds 71 FPS. The difference is only 3 FPS, so Ultra remains viable, but High provides a slightly more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium achieves 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS, offering the best balance for competitive or fast-paced flying. For users prioritizing smoothness, Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides a consistently high frame rate with only modest visual compromises compared to High.

At 3840x2160, the choices become more critical. Low achieves 90 FPS, but this is visually unappealing for a simulator that relies on terrain detail. Medium delivers 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is the best playable option for 4K. High drops to 53 FPS, while Ultra falls to 50 FPS, both of which are below the ideal 60 FPS threshold. The data suggests that 4K users should select Medium, as it provides the best combination of visual quality and performance, with the minimum frame rate only occasionally dipping below 60.

The best overall experience is at 2560x1440 with Medium or High settings. Medium provides a minimum of 81 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutters, while High offers 71 FPS with better shadows and textures. For users with G-Sync or FreeSync displays, High at 1440p is the recommended choice, as it balances visual fidelity with a fluid experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its strength. Low settings produce an average of 151 FPS, indicating that the CPU and GPU are not stressed at this resolution. Medium delivers 118 FPS, with a minimum of 100 FPS and a maximum of 135 FPS, showing excellent consistency. High achieves 88 FPS, while Ultra reaches 84 FPS, maintaining playability even at maximum settings. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 44% reduction in frame rate, from 151 to 84 FPS, but all presets remain above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales predictably. Low yields 122 FPS, which is still exceptionally high for a flight simulator. Medium produces 95 FPS, with a tight range of 81 to 109 FPS, indicating stable performance. High drops to 71 FPS, while Ultra holds 68 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional effects, such as higher shadow quality and detailed water, are not overly taxing. The minimum frame rate for Medium is 81 FPS, which is 10 FPS higher than the average for High, underscoring Medium’s consistency.

At 3840x2160, the resolution demands become apparent. Low achieves 90 FPS, which is respectable for 4K. Medium reaches 70 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS, providing a playable experience with occasional dips below 60. High drops to 53 FPS, while Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The 4K results show a clear cliff between Medium and High, with a 24% performance drop. This indicates that the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM and 256-bit memory bus are sufficient for Medium, but the higher presets require more compute throughput than the 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 performance can sustain at this resolution.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced experience. At 1080p, it offers 118 FPS; at 1440p, 95 FPS; and at 4K, 70 FPS. The minimum frame rates are also the highest for Medium at each resolution, with 100 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 59 FPS at 4K. This demonstrates that Medium is the most optimized preset for this hardware combination, avoiding the diminishing returns of High and Ultra at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly influence the measured results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams terrain and scenery data continuously, this bandwidth is critical. The data shows that at 4K Medium, the GPU maintains 70 FPS, suggesting the memory system is adequate for the asset streaming load.

The GPU’s clock speeds are 2205 MHz base and 2505 MHz boost, with a memory clock of 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). These clocks are consistent with the Ada Lovelace architecture’s performance characteristics. The 9728 shading units and 304 texture mapping units process the game’s geometry and textures efficiently. The 112 ROPs handle pixel output, which becomes a bottleneck at 4K Ultra where the average FPS drops to 50.

The RTX 4080’s 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are relevant for the game’s optional ray-traced shadows and DLSS capabilities, though the measured data does not specify whether these features were enabled. The FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS is substantial, but the 4K High and Ultra results (53 and 50 FPS) indicate that the GPU is compute-limited at these settings. The pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s are high, yet the simulation’s draw calls and physics calculations still tax the GPU heavily.

The GPU’s 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, manufactured on TSMC’s 5 nm process, contribute to its efficiency. The TDP of 320 W is significant, but the measured frame rates suggest the power is well-spent at Medium settings. The GPU’s 86th percentile rank among all GPUs aligns with the observed performance, which is within 2.7% of its nearest rivals, including the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% faster) and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.6% slower). This confirms the RTX 4080 is performing at its expected level, with the game’s engine favoring its memory bandwidth over raw compute.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H plays a supporting but essential role in this combination. The CPU features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache is crucial for the simulation’s complex flight models and AI traffic. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and single-core score of 1743 indicate balanced performance that handles both the game’s main thread and background tasks.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU is responsible for physics calculations, flight dynamics, and world generation. The 16-core configuration ensures that the game’s multi-threaded processes, such as terrain loading and AI aircraft management, do not bottleneck the GPU. The PassMark multi-thread score of 24873 and integer math score of 86870 show strong parallel processing capability, which is necessary for maintaining consistent frame rates.

The CPU’s 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, achieved via dual-channel DDR5, is a potential limiting factor. The game’s need to stream large scenery files benefits from this bandwidth, but it is lower than the GPU’s 716.8 GB/s. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the CPU can push 151 FPS, indicating it is not the primary bottleneck at lower settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the 50 FPS result suggests that the CPU’s memory bandwidth and cache hierarchy are sufficient to feed the GPU, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

The CPU’s 83rd percentile rank among all CPUs places it in the top tier, but its nearest rivals show that performance is tightly clustered. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H is only 0.4% faster, and the Intel Core i5-14600T is exactly 0% different. This means the Core Ultra 7 155H is not providing any significant advantage over similar mobile processors in this game. The 28 W TDP is low for a 16-core chip, but the 4.80 GHz boost clock helps maintain responsiveness.

The CPU’s integrated Arc Xe-LPG 128EU graphics are not used for gaming, but the processor’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 8 lanes ensures the RTX 4080 can communicate at full PCIe 4.0 x16 speeds. The CPU’s 7 nm process and Meteor Lake architecture provide efficient power delivery, which is important for sustained performance in long flight sessions. The PassMark single-thread score of 3468 indicates that the CPU’s single-core performance is adequate for the game’s main thread, which often limits frame rates in dense urban areas.