Microsoft Flight Simulator

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and it carries 36 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 3 MB of L2 per core and 192 KB of L1 per core. The CPU supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. It also includes integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 execution units, though in this combo the discrete GPU handles rendering.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 51731, and its single-core score is 7303. The Cinebench R20 results show 21727 multi-core and 3067 single-core, while R15 shows 5214 multi-core and 736 single-core. PassMark results reinforce this: a multi-thread score of 60860, a single-thread score of 4823, and notable workloads like floating point math at 214760 and integer math at 166194. The data compression score of 698346 and encryption score of 52563 indicate strong throughput for varied workloads.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is substantial. Flight simulation is known for heavy single-thread dependency in simulation logic, but modern versions also scale across multiple cores for scenery processing, AI traffic, and physics. The 290K Plus's single-core performance — placing it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs — ensures that the simulation loop itself is not a bottleneck at most settings. Its multi-core muscle, while not fully utilized by this title, provides headroom for background tasks, streaming, or recording gameplay without impacting frame rates.

The CPU's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scoring include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% higher average score), the AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% higher), and the AMD EPYC 9135 (1.2% higher), while the AMD EPYC 7F72 trails by 1.3%. These deltas are small, meaning the 290K Plus sits in a tight performance cluster at the top of the desktop CPU stack. In gaming specifically, the high boost clock of 5.80 GHz gives it a clear advantage in lightly threaded titles, which matters for Flight Simulator's frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2058 out of 2996 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. That places this pairing in the lower third of all configurations tested, which initially seems surprising given the flagship-class CPU. The explanation is straightforward: the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, and the ranking reflects overall frame output, not just CPU potential.

The RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card from 2019, built on a 12 nm process with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It has 34 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs is 62, meaning it sits slightly above the median but well below contemporary high-end cards.

In this game, the CPU's strength is wasted in many scenarios because the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot keep up with the simulation's demands at higher settings. The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 56 FPS average; at 1440p Ultra, it drops to 45 FPS; and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS. These numbers are playable but not impressive, and they align with a GPU that is end-of-life in production status and was released on 2019-07-08.

The combo rank of 2058 out of 2996 indicates that many other pairings — likely those with mid-range CPUs and stronger GPUs — achieve better frame rates. For Flight Simulator specifically, the data suggests that a more balanced pairing would yield a higher rank. However, for users who already own the 290K Plus and are upgrading from an older GPU, this combo still delivers acceptable performance at lower settings, as detailed in the resolution scaling section.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows clear resolution scaling patterns across all four settings presets. At 1080p, the combo achieves 101 FPS on Low, 78 FPS on Medium, 59 FPS on High, and 56 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers become 81 FPS on Low, 63 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 45 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the results are 60 FPS on Low, 47 FPS on Medium, 35 FPS on High, and 33 FPS on Ultra.

The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are revealing. On Low settings, the drop is from 101 to 60 FPS, a reduction of about 41%. On Medium, it goes from 78 to 47 FPS, a 40% reduction. On High, it drops from 59 to 35 FPS, a 41% reduction. On Ultra, it falls from 56 to 33 FPS, a 41% reduction. The consistency of this ~40% drop across all settings indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at every preset, not just at high resolutions.

This uniform scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the drop from 1080p to 4K would be less severe because higher resolutions shift the burden to the GPU. Here, the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed across all resolutions, and the 41% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K reflects the GPU's inability to maintain throughput as pixel count increases.

The 1440p results sit roughly halfway between 1080p and 4K, which is expected. For instance, on High settings, 1440p yields 47 FPS compared to 59 FPS at 1080p and 35 FPS at 4K. The linearity of these drops suggests that the game's rendering pipeline scales predictably with resolution, and the limiting component remains the GPU throughout. Users targeting 4K will need to accept lower settings, as even Low at 4K only produces 60 FPS, which is borderline for a flight simulator where smooth panning matters.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus overkill for this GPU?

A: Yes, in aggregate benchmark terms. The CPU ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER ranks in the 62nd percentile among GPUs. The measured FPS data shows the GPU constrains performance at all resolutions, meaning the CPU's high single-thread score of 7303 in Cinebench R23 is not fully utilized in this title.

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

A: Based on measured data, 1080p provides the most comfortable frame rates, with 101 FPS on Low and 59 FPS on High. At 1440p, only Low (81 FPS) and Medium (63 FPS) exceed 60 FPS. At 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS; the best is Low at 60 FPS exactly.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score is 18093. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with an average score of 18159, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% higher, the AMD Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% higher, and the Intel Arc A770M is 1.6% higher. These deltas are minimal, placing the card in a tight performance band.

Q: Does this CPU support overclocking?

A: Yes, the multiplier is unlocked. The CPU has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, and being unlocked allows users to adjust the multiplier for higher clocks, though the measured results here use stock configuration.

Q: What is the CPU's memory bandwidth and does it matter for this game?

A: The CPU supports dual-channel DDR5 with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. For Flight Simulator, which streams scenery data, this bandwidth is sufficient to avoid bottlenecks, especially since the GPU's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is the more constrained resource in this pairing.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM enough for 4K in this game?

A: The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo produces 33 FPS, and at 4K High, 35 FPS. These low frame rates suggest the GPU is both VRAM- and compute-limited. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for smooth 4K performance in this title, as evidenced by the 41% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the TU106 chip using Turing architecture and a 12 nm process at TSMC. It contains 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die. The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The card has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it technically capable of modern rendering features.

In Flight Simulator, the GPU's role is to render terrain, aircraft models, weather effects, and lighting. The game is visually demanding, and the RTX 2060 SUPER's performance metrics reflect its mid-range positioning. Its PassMark G3D score is 16462, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2011. Geekbench results show 76957 for OpenCL and 77402 for Vulkan. These scores place the card at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, which aligns with its measured in-game performance.

The GPU's pixel rate is 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate is 224.4 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 7.181 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 14.36 TFLOPS (2:1). These figures indicate a card that was competitive at its 2019 release but is now outpaced by newer hardware. The GPU's TDP is 175 W, with a suggested PSU of 450 W and a single 8-pin power connector. It is a dual-slot card measuring 229 mm in length, 113 mm in height, and 35 mm in width.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER's limits become apparent as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 56 FPS, which is playable but not smooth for a flight sim where camera movements can expose frame drops. At 4K Ultra, the 33 FPS average is marginal at best. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a concern at 4K, where texture-heavy scenes in Flight Simulator can exceed this capacity, causing stutter or texture pop-in.

The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are all within 1.6% of its average score of 18093. This tight clustering means the RTX 2060 SUPER performs similarly to the RTX 3060 Mobile and AMD Radeon Pro 5700. Users should not expect significant variation among these cards in real-world gaming. For Flight Simulator specifically, the GPU's limitations are more pronounced than in less demanding titles because the game's rendering load is consistently high across all resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on your target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 101 FPS, which is far above what Flight Simulator requires for smooth gameplay. Medium at 1080p produces 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and maximum of 90 FPS, which is a comfortable range. High at 1080p yields 59 FPS, and Ultra at 1080p drops to 56 FPS. For most users at 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, as it provides nearly 80 FPS while maintaining visual quality that is noticeably better than Low.

At 1440p, the picture changes. Medium delivers 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS, which is playable but with occasional dips. High at 1440p drops to 47 FPS, which is borderline for a flight simulator. Low at 1440p gives 81 FPS, but the visual compromise may be too severe for a game that relies on scenery detail. The recommended choice at 1440p is Medium, as it keeps the average above 60 FPS while preserving some visual fidelity.

At 4K, all settings struggle. Low produces 60 FPS exactly, which is the only setting at 4K that reaches this threshold. Medium at 4K yields 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS. High at 4K gives 35 FPS, and Ultra gives 33 FPS. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, but even then, the 60 FPS average is not a guarantee of consistent performance across all scenes. Users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate might choose Medium at 4K, accepting the 47 FPS average and potential drops to 40 FPS.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting component at every resolution and preset. The CPU's high percentile ranking does not translate into higher frame rates because the GPU cannot keep pace. Therefore, the settings recommendations focus on GPU-friendly configurations. For the best overall experience, 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium are the sweet spots, providing frame rates above 60 FPS while maintaining acceptable visual quality. At 4K, only Low is recommended for smooth performance, and even that is marginal. Users with 4K displays should consider lowering resolution or upgrading the GPU to achieve better results.