Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator pairs the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, a combination that produces a clear pattern of GPU-bound behavior across all tested resolutions. The measured data shows a system that delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly on higher presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, examines the role of each component, and contextualizes the combo’s standing against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a classic GPU-limited scenario. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 111 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of approximately 40%. This scaling pattern intensifies at higher presets: at High settings, the drop is from 65 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 40% decrease as well. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, moving from 86 FPS at 1080p down to 51 FPS at 4K, with the minimum FPS at 4K dropping to 44.

The data implies that the RTX 2070 SUPER’s rendering pipeline becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely saturated at 4K, especially with the game’s detailed terrain and aircraft models. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing: at Ultra settings, the average FPS falls from 50 at 2560x1440 to 37 at 3840x2160, a 26% loss. This non-linear scaling suggests that memory bandwidth and fill rate limits are being hit hard at the highest resolution.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (111 FPS) and Ultra (62 FPS) is 49 FPS, while at 4K the gap shrinks to 29 FPS (66 vs 37). This convergence indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so constrained that even lowering settings yields diminishing returns, as the fundamental pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor rather than specific graphical features.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo, but only at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers an average of 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS, which is comfortably smooth for a flight simulator where precise control inputs matter. The jump to High at 1080p reduces the average to 65 FPS, still playable but with less headroom for complex scenery.

At 2560x1440, Medium produces 70 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum, which remains acceptable for most users. The High preset at 1440p drops to 52 FPS, which may feel less fluid during fast maneuvers or dense urban flyovers. For 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings (66 FPS) provide a consistently smooth experience, while Medium (51 FPS) and High (39 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold that many players target.

The Ultra preset is the least recommended option across all resolutions. At 4K, it averages only 37 FPS, and even at 1080p it reaches just 62 FPS. Given that the game’s visual differences between High and Ultra are often subtle in real-world flight scenarios, the performance cost is not justified by the measured results. The data indicates that players should prioritize Medium at 1080p or 1440p, and Low at 4K, to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS where possible.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the dominant factor in this combo’s gaming performance, as evidenced by the consistent FPS drops with increasing resolution. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU’s base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz are modest by modern standards, and the 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power reflects its Turing architecture from 2019.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Arc B570 and Arc A750, which shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is competitive with newer budget offerings despite its age. In this game, the GPU’s 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs handle the rasterization workload, but the 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are largely unused in standard flight simulation rendering.

The 12 nm process node and 13,600 million transistors result in a 545 mm² die, which is large and power-hungry by today’s standards. The 215 W TDP and suggested 550 W PSU indicate that this GPU requires substantial power delivery. The data shows that the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached at 4K with high settings, where the average FPS falls to 39. This suggests that for this game, the RTX 2070 SUPER is best paired with 1080p or 1440p monitors, where its memory bandwidth and compute resources are sufficient.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 111 FPS, which is exceptional for a flight simulator. Medium settings average 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 99 FPS, providing a smooth experience with room for occasional dips. High settings average 65 FPS, which is playable but less consistent. Ultra settings average 62 FPS, showing that the GPU can still hold near-60 FPS at 1080p even on the highest preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 89 FPS, which remains smooth. Medium settings average 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, indicating that the system can hold near-60 FPS in most scenarios. High settings average 52 FPS, which is borderline for fast-paced sections. Ultra settings average 50 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the results are challenging. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is the only preset that stays above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS, which can feel stuttery during complex scenes. High settings average 39 FPS, and Ultra settings average 37 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo beyond Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1697 out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems. This rank reflects the RTX 2070 SUPER’s mid-range positioning in 2025, as the GPU is now two generations old. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, is a high-end processor with a 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs, but its strength is largely wasted in this game due to the GPU bottleneck.

The combo’s rank suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, the overall experience is limited by the graphics card. For comparison, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s nearest GPU rivals include the Intel Arc B570 and Arc A750, which have similar average benchmark scores. This indicates that the combo’s performance is typical for a mid-range GPU from 2019, and users seeking higher frame rates would need to upgrade the GPU rather than the CPU.

The rank also implies that many other tested combos with newer GPUs outperform this pairing, particularly at 1440p and 4K. However, the 1080p results are competitive, and the combo still delivers acceptable performance for users who prioritize resolution over frame rate. The data suggests that this pairing is best suited for 1080p gaming, where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance can help maintain high FPS.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides the best experience, averaging 86 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium averages 70 FPS, while 4K only reaches 66 FPS on Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 20282, which is 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% lower than the RTX 3070 Mobile, 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570, and 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc A750.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck, as FPS drops significantly with increasing resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 111 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 37 FPS, indicating the RTX 2070 SUPER is limiting performance.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings average 89 FPS, while Ultra settings average 50 FPS. This 39 FPS difference shows that the GPU has headroom at lower settings but struggles with the highest preset.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 66 FPS. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS, and High/Ultra fall below 40 FPS, making 4K impractical for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has an average benchmark score of 93785, which is essentially tied with the Intel Xeon 6520P (0% delta), and 1.5% lower than the AMD EPYC 4564P, 1.9% lower than the EPYC 9175F, and 2.1% lower than the EPYC 4565P.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a formidable processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.50 GHz provide excellent single-thread performance, which is critical for flight simulator physics and AI calculations. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439 place it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, indicating top-tier processing power.

Despite this strength, the CPU’s role in this game is secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, where CPU load is highest relative to GPU, the combo achieves 111 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is not a constraint in most scenarios. The CPU’s 36 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 115.2 GB/s bandwidth provide ample data throughput for the game’s streaming world.

The CPU’s nearest rivals are all server-class processors, including the Intel Xeon 6520P and AMD EPYC series, which highlights its high multi-threaded performance. However, in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the game’s engine primarily relies on single-thread performance, where the CPU’s 5.50 GHz boost clock shines. The combination of high clock speeds and 24 cores ensures that the CPU can handle the game’s simulation logic without bottlenecking, even when the GPU is under heavy load at higher resolutions. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield larger FPS gains than upgrading the CPU for this specific game.