Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is an exceptionally demanding title, and the pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a predictable bottleneck profile. The data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial headroom ensures that even at 1080p, the experience remains fluid. This combination ranks in the 1086th position out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, a position directly attributable to the GPU's age and performance class.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 112.9 FPS. This drops to 89.5 FPS at 1440p, a 20.7% reduction, and then to 63.9 FPS at 4K, a further 28.6% reduction from the 1440p figure. The scaling is aggressive, indicating that the render resolution is the primary stressor on the system.

This pattern becomes more pronounced at higher settings. Moving from 1080p to 4K on the High preset sees the average frame rate fall from 64.3 FPS to 35.9 FPS. This 44.2% performance loss is substantial and confirms that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are being saturated. The data suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU; the processor is not holding the system back at any resolution, as evidenced by the relatively high frame rates at 1080p Low, where CPU overhead is most likely to surface.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with frame rates plummeting from 65.1 FPS at 1080p to 52.1 FPS at 1440p and finally to 36.5 FPS at 4K. The incremental cost of moving from 1440p to 4K is a 29.9% drop in performance. This indicates that for a smooth experience at 4K, the settings must be drastically reduced, as the GPU simply lacks the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates at that pixel count with demanding visual loads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive factor in this combo's performance. Its median benchmark score of 22206 places it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700, which are separated by margins of -0.5% and 2.5% respectively. This places it as a mid-range performer in the current landscape, a fact that is reflected in the measured frame rates.

The GPU's specifications—8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s—are the key constraints. The measured results show that at 4K Ultra, the system produces 36.5 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data suggests that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for the highest fidelity textures and effects at 4K, forcing the system into a state where it must compromise on visual quality to maintain playable frame rates. The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz and 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are the compute resources that must handle the simulation's complex rendering, and they are clearly taxed.

Comparing the 4K results across settings reveals the GPU's scaling capabilities. The jump from Low (63.9 FPS) to Medium (49.7 FPS) is a 22.2% drop, and from Medium to High (35.9 FPS) is another 27.8% drop. These large performance penalties for incremental quality increases highlight that the GPU is operating near its limits, and each additional graphical feature has a significant impact on the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For a target of 60 FPS, the data indicates that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it achieves 65.1 FPS. At 1440p, the High preset averages 51.8 FPS, which is close to but not reaching the 60 FPS target. To achieve a locked 60 FPS experience at 1440p, the Medium preset, with an average of 70.5 FPS, is the optimal choice, offering a significant performance buffer over High while still providing a substantial visual upgrade over Low.

At 4K resolution, the situation is more critical. The High preset yields 35.9 FPS, and even the Medium preset only manages 49.7 FPS. The data suggests that for a playable 4K experience, the Low preset, which delivers 63.9 FPS, is the only viable option. This preset sacrifices most visual fidelity but provides the necessary performance headroom. The measured results show that the system is not capable of a high-fidelity 4K experience, and users must prioritize frame rate over graphical detail at this resolution.

The 1080p results show that the High preset (64.3 FPS) and Ultra preset (65.1 FPS) are nearly identical in performance, differing by only 1.2%. This suggests that at this resolution, the CPU is providing enough data to keep the GPU feed, and the cost of the highest quality settings is minimal. Therefore, for users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides the best visual experience with a negligible performance cost.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1086 out of 1795 tested combinations places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems for this game. This ranking is a direct consequence of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER's performance ceiling. The GPU's average benchmark score of 22206 and its 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs are the primary determinants of this position. The CPU, in contrast, is a high-end part, with an average benchmark score of 79102 and a 97th percentile ranking among all CPUs.

This disparity between the CPU's high percentile (97th) and the GPU's lower percentile (65th) creates an imbalance. The data implies that the processor is not a limiting factor, and the combo's overall rank is essentially capped by the GPU's capabilities. If the GPU were a stronger part, the combo's rank would likely be significantly higher, as the CPU has ample headroom to support a more powerful graphics card. The measured FPS results confirm this, as the system is consistently GPU-bound across all tested resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is a powerful processor that provides a strong foundation for this system. Its 20 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, deliver exceptional multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 50009 and single-core score of 7060 place it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs. In terms of its rivals, it trails the Intel Core i9-14900K by a negligible 0.9% and the AMD EPYC 7413 by 1.2% in average benchmark score.

In this game, the CPU's role is to handle the simulation's complex physics and AI calculations. The data shows that it performs this task without becoming a bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 112.9 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would not be possible if the CPU were struggling. The processor's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 4904, is particularly important for a flight simulator, which often relies on a single main thread for core game logic. The 30 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory also contribute to its ability to feed the GPU efficiently.

The fact that the performance drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is only 20.7% (from 112.9 to 89.5 FPS) indicates that the CPU is able to maintain high frame rates even as the GPU load increases. This shows that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing, and that its performance headroom is more than sufficient for the RTX 2070 SUPER.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, but not on the highest settings. The Medium preset averages 70.5 FPS, while the High preset averages 51.8 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 52.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming?

A: The Low preset is the only one that averages above 60 FPS at 4K, with a score of 63.9 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 49.7 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets are in the mid-30s.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is in the 97th percentile, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile. The frame rates scale heavily with resolution, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1086th out of 1795 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is minimal. The High preset averages 64.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 65.1 FPS, a difference of only 1.2%.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p on the Low preset?

A: The system achieves an average of 112.9 FPS at 1080p with the Low preset, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

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

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

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

| 1920x1080 | Low | 112.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 86.5 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 64.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 65.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 89.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 70.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 51.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 52.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 63.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 49.7 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 35.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 36.5 |

The data shows a clear hierarchy. The 1080p Low result of 112.9 FPS is the performance ceiling for this combo. From there, every increase in resolution or settings reduces the average frame rate. The 4K High and Ultra results are nearly identical (35.9 and 36.5 FPS), suggesting that at that resolution, the GPU has hit a hard performance wall regardless of minor settings changes. The 1440p High and Ultra results are also close (51.8 and 52.1 FPS), reinforcing that the GPU's computational limits are the primary constraint at these higher resolutions, with the CPU providing ample support.