Microsoft Flight Simulator

The benchmark data for Microsoft Flight Simulator, captured with the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, reveals a title that is heavily influenced by both resolution and graphical preset. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three primary resolutions and four quality settings provide a clear picture of system scaling and component limitations. This analysis walks through the data step by step, interpreting what the scores mean for the user experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and follows a predictable pattern for a simulation title. At the "High" preset, the average frame rate falls from 95 FPS at 1920x1080 to 76 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 56 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 20% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 26% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The total performance loss from 1080p to 4K is 41%, indicating that pixel count has a significant impact on the rendering workload.

The scaling behavior is even more pronounced at the "Low" preset. At 1080p, the system achieves 162 FPS, which drops to 131 FPS at 1440p and then to 96 FPS at 4K. The relative decrease is similar in percentage terms, but the absolute FPS loss is larger because the starting point is much higher. This suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the frame rate consistently drops when more pixels are pushed.

At the "Ultra" preset, the pattern continues with 90 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 40%, nearly identical to the High preset's 41% reduction. This consistency across presets indicates that resolution scaling is not heavily influenced by the quality settings themselves; the GPU's rendering load scales almost linearly with pixel count regardless of the visual complexity.

The data points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions. The RTX 5080's frame rates at 4K are significantly lower than at 1080p, which is expected for a graphics-intensive title like Microsoft Flight Simulator. However, the CPU also plays a role, as the frame rates at 1080p are not as high as they might be with a more powerful processor. The 1080p Low preset's 162 FPS is respectable but suggests that the CPU is beginning to cap performance, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher frame rates at the lowest resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS values, the "Medium" preset offers the most balanced experience across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. This is a highly playable frame rate for a flight simulator, which typically benefits from smooth, consistent performance. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, which remains smooth and responsive.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset yields 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. The 64 FPS minimum is the only data point that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, but the average of 75 FPS is still solid for 4K gaming. This makes Medium the recommended preset for users who want a good balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset is also viable, with 95 FPS at 1080p and 76 FPS at 1440p, but the 4K average of 56 FPS is borderline for users who prefer a strict 60 FPS target.

The Low preset is not recommended for most users, as the visual quality degradation is likely too severe for a game that emphasizes scenery and cockpit detail. However, it does provide the highest frame rates, with 162 FPS at 1080p and 96 FPS at 4K, making it an option for competitive or high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset offers the best visual experience, but the frame rates drop to 90 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is the lowest measured in the entire dataset, making Ultra a less desirable choice at that resolution.

The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this combination of CPU and GPU. The measured minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset provide a more complete picture of performance stability, and the averages are consistently high enough for a smooth simulation experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a 16 GB GDDR7 graphics card with a 256-bit memory bus and a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2295 MHz, with a boost clock of 2617 MHz. These specifications are relevant to the game's performance, as Microsoft Flight Simulator is known to be demanding on both memory capacity and bandwidth, especially at higher resolutions.

The 16 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's high-resolution textures and detailed scenery. The measured FPS data does not indicate any memory-related stuttering or frame drops, as the minimum FPS values for the Medium preset at 1440p and 4K are 86 FPS and 64 FPS, respectively. These are reasonable minimums that suggest the GPU is not running out of memory.

The GPU's clock speeds also play a role in the performance results. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 162 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the dataset. This indicates that the GPU is capable of high frame rates when the CPU can keep up. However, the fact that the 1080p results are not significantly higher than the 1440p results at the same preset suggests that the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The RTX 5080's benchmark scores further contextualize its performance. The GPU has a passmark G3D score of 36565 and an average benchmark score of 56083, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S with a score of 55757 and a deltaPct of 0.6, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB with a score of 55698 and a deltaPct of 0.7. These comparisons show that the RTX 5080 is a top-tier graphics card, but its performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator is still subject to the game's specific optimization and the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 162 FPS, the Medium preset delivers 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS, the High preset delivers 95 FPS, and the Ultra preset delivers 90 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 44% reduction in frame rate, which is significant but not unexpected for a flight simulator.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 131 FPS, the Medium preset averages 102 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 117 FPS, the High preset averages 76 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is minimal, with only a 3 FPS gap, suggesting that the Ultra preset may not be worth the extra visual cost for the small performance hit.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 96 FPS, the Medium preset averages 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS, the High preset averages 56 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 54 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is even smaller, at just 2 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution, or that the GPU is already reaching its performance ceiling.

The minimum and maximum FPS values are only available for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the range is 107 to 145 FPS, which is a spread of 38 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 86 to 117 FPS, a spread of 31 FPS. At 4K, the range is 64 to 86 FPS, a spread of 22 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that the frame times become more consistent as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, which can actually improve perceived smoothness despite lower average frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 738th out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the top 25% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result for a mobile processor paired with a high-end desktop GPU.

The combo rank is influenced by both the CPU and GPU's performance. The RTX 5080's 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs is a major contributor, as the graphics card is clearly capable of delivering high frame rates in this game. The CPU's 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs is also a positive factor, but the mobile processor's performance may be slightly lower than a comparable desktop CPU.

The fact that this combo ranks in the 738th position out of 2996 suggests that there are many other configurations that perform better, likely with more powerful desktop processors or higher-tier GPUs. However, for a mobile CPU, the result is commendable. The data shows that the combo is well-balanced, with neither component being a severe bottleneck in most scenarios. The CPU's 16 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide adequate processing power for the game's simulation logic.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a 16-core, 16-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 3, built on the Panther Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 2.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 25 watts. The CPU's cache configuration includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 2.5 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is to handle the simulation logic, including physics, flight dynamics, and AI traffic. The game is known to be CPU-intensive, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS data supports this, as the frame rates at 1080p are significantly higher than at 4K, but they do not scale linearly with the GPU's capabilities.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its performance. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28221 and a single-core score of 3984. The Passmark multithread score is 32956, and the single-thread score is 4005. These scores place the CPU in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40518. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 7 253PE with a deltaPct of -0.1 and the Intel Core 5 223PE with a deltaPct of -0.2, indicating that the Ultra X7 368H is very close in performance to these other mobile processors.

The CPU's single-thread performance is particularly important for Microsoft Flight Simulator, as the game's main thread often becomes the bottleneck. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3984 is strong, and the boost clock of 5.00 GHz likely helps maintain high frame rates in less GPU-bound scenarios. However, the fact that the 1080p Low preset achieves 162 FPS while the 1440p Low preset achieves 131 FPS suggests that the CPU can still limit performance at the lowest resolution, as the GPU is capable of much higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS is 162, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: At which resolution and preset does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS?

A: The only configuration that drops below 60 FPS is 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which averages 54 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, which is also below 60 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the High and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 76 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, a difference of only 3 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1920x1080?

A: The minimum FPS for the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is 107, with a maximum of 145 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 8060S, in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083, while the AMD Radeon 8060S has a score of 55757, a deltaPct of 0.6, meaning the RTX 5080 is slightly ahead.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 738th out of 2996 total tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator.