Best PC Build for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025: Complete Ray Tracing & Performance Guide
Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most visually stunning and hardware-demanding games in 2025. With the Phantom Liberty expansion, RT Overdrive (path tracing), and continuous updates, Night City has never looked better—but it requires serious hardware to experience at its best.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to build the ultimate Cyberpunk 2077 PC: from budget 1080p builds to path tracing beasts, with real benchmarks, optimal settings guides,DLSS vs FSR analysis, and complete parts lists at every price point.
Want to check performance for your specific build? Use our FPS Calculator for Cyberpunk 2077 estimates, or configure your build with our PC Builder.
🎮 Quick Cyberpunk 2077 Build Recommendations
By Experience Level
- 💰 Budget (1080p 60): ~$900
- 🎮 Solid (1080p 100+ / 1440p 60): ~$1,200
- ⚡ High-End (1440p RT): ~$1,800
- 👑 Ultimate (4K / Path Tracing): ~$2,800+
Key GPU Recommendations
- 📺 1080p No RT: RTX 4060 / RX 7600
- 📺 1440p No RT: RTX 4070 / RX 7800 XT
- ✨ 1440p RT Ultra: RTX 4080 / RTX 5070
- 🌟 RT Overdrive: RTX 4090 / RTX 5080+
📑 Table of Contents
- 1. Why Cyberpunk 2077 is So Demanding
- 2. System Requirements Breakdown
- 3. Budget Build (~$900)
- 4. Solid Build (~$1,200)
- 5. High-End RT Build (~$1,800)
- 6. Ultimate Path Tracing Build (~$2,800)
- 7. GPU Performance Benchmarks
- 8. Ray Tracing & RT Overdrive Guide
- 9. DLSS vs FSR Performance
- 10. Optimal Settings Guide
- 11. CPU Requirements & Bottlenecks
- 12. RAM & Storage Requirements
- 13. Cooling & PSU Guide
- 14. FAQ
Why Cyberpunk 2077 is So Demanding
Cyberpunk 2077 isn't just another open-world game—it's a technical showcase that pushes hardware in ways few other games do:
- Dense urban environment: Night City has incredible geometric complexity with thousands of NPCs, vehicles, and detailed interiors
- Advanced lighting: Dynamic time of day, volumetric fog, and neon-lit environments stress GPUs
- Ray tracing implementation: One of the most comprehensive RT implementations with reflections, shadows, diffuse illumination, and global illumination
- RT Overdrive (Path Tracing): Full path tracing replaces traditional rendering entirely—the most demanding graphics mode in any game
- Asset streaming: Constant open-world streaming requires fast storage and RAM
- CPU demands: NPC AI, physics, and world simulation tax CPUs heavily
⚠️ Important: Post-2.0 Update Performance
The 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty expansion increased hardware requirements significantly. Old benchmarks from 2020-2022 are no longer accurate. This guide reflects current 2025 performance with the latest patches.
Cyberpunk 2077 System Requirements Breakdown
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended | Ray Tracing | RT Overdrive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | GTX 1060 / RX 580 | RTX 2060 / RX 5700 XT | RTX 3070 / RX 6800 XT | RTX 4080+ |
| CPU | i5-3570K / FX-8310 | i7-4790 / R5 3600 | i7-6700 / R5 5600 | i7-12700 / R7 7800X3D |
| RAM | 8GB | 12GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| VRAM | 6GB | 8GB | 10GB+ | 16GB+ |
| Storage | 70GB HDD | 70GB SSD | 70GB NVMe | 100GB+ NVMe |
| Target | 1080p Low 30fps | 1080p High 60fps | 1440p RT 60fps | 1440p PT 60fps |
💡 Our Real-World Recommendation
Official requirements are conservative. For a genuinely good experience in 2025, we recommend: RTX 4070+ GPU, 6-core CPU (Ryzen 5 7600 / i5-13400F),32GB RAM, and NVMe SSD. This delivers smooth 1440p gameplay with room for ray tracing.
Budget Cyberpunk 2077 Build (~$900)
💰 Target: 1080p High Settings, 60+ FPS
This build delivers a solid Cyberpunk experience at 1080p without ray tracing. You'll enjoy the story and gameplay smoothly, though at reduced visual fidelity compared to high-end builds.
| Component | Selection | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | RX 7600 8GB or RTX 4060 8GB | $250-280 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel i5-12400F | $120-140 |
| Motherboard | B550M or B660M | $80-100 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4-3600 (2x8GB) | $50 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | $70 |
| PSU | 550W 80+ Bronze | $55 |
| Case | Budget mid-tower with airflow | $50 |
| TOTAL | — | ~$875-945 |
Expected Performance
- 1080p High (No RT): 55-75 FPS
- 1080p Medium: 70-90 FPS
- 1080p Ultra: 45-60 FPS
- With FSR/DLSS Quality: +20-30% FPS
Solid Cyberpunk 2077 Build (~$1,200)
🎮 Target: 1080p 100+ FPS or 1440p 60+ FPS
This is our recommended sweet spot for most Cyberpunk players. Smooth 1440p gaming with the option for light ray tracing, or high-refresh 1080p gameplay.
| Component | Selection | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | RTX 4070 12GB or RX 7800 XT 16GB | $500-520 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600 or Intel i5-13400F | $180-200 |
| Motherboard | B650M or B660M WiFi | $120-140 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR5-5600 (2x16GB) | $100 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe Gen4 SSD | $80 |
| PSU | 650W 80+ Gold | $75 |
| Case | Mid-tower with good airflow | $70 |
| TOTAL | — | ~$1,125-1,185 |
Expected Performance
- 1080p Ultra (No RT): 90-120 FPS
- 1440p High (No RT): 70-90 FPS
- 1440p Ultra (No RT): 55-75 FPS
- 1440p RT Medium + DLSS: 50-70 FPS
- With DLSS Quality: +30-40% FPS
High-End Ray Tracing Build (~$1,800)
✨ Target: 1440p Ultra + Ray Tracing, 60-80+ FPS
This build unlocks Cyberpunk's visual potential with full ray tracing at 1440p. Experience Night City with realistic reflections, shadows, and global illumination.
| Component | Selection | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | RTX 4080 Super 16GB | $999 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D | $340 |
| Motherboard | B650 or X670E WiFi | $180 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR5-6000 (2x16GB) | $130 |
| Storage | 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD | $140 |
| PSU | 850W 80+ Gold | $120 |
| Case + Cooling | Quality mid-tower + 240mm AIO | $180 |
| TOTAL | — | ~$2,089 |
Expected Performance
- 1440p Ultra (No RT): 100-130 FPS
- 1440p RT Ultra + DLSS: 70-90 FPS
- 4K High (No RT): 60-80 FPS
- RT Overdrive (1440p DLSS): 40-55 FPS (playable but not smooth)
Ultimate Path Tracing Build (~$2,800+)
🌟 Target: RT Overdrive (Path Tracing) at Playable FPS
This is the no-compromise build for experiencing Cyberpunk 2077's full visual potential. RT Overdrive transforms Night City with photorealistic lighting that must be seen to be believed.
| Component | Selection | Price |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | RTX 4090 24GB or RTX 5080 16GB | $1,599-1,999 |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Ryzen 9 9900X3D | $340-500 |
| Motherboard | X670E WiFi | $250 |
| RAM | 64GB DDR5-6000 (2x32GB) | $220 |
| Storage | 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD | $140 |
| PSU | 1000W 80+ Platinum | $180 |
| Case + Cooling | Full-tower + 360mm AIO | $280 |
| TOTAL | — | ~$3,009-3,569 |
Expected Performance (RTX 4090)
- 1440p RT Overdrive + DLSS Frame Gen: 60-80 FPS
- 4K RT Ultra + DLSS: 60-80 FPS
- 4K RT Overdrive + DLSS Frame Gen: 45-60 FPS
- 1440p Ultra (No RT): 140-180 FPS
Cyberpunk 2077 GPU Performance Benchmarks
1440p Ultra (No Ray Tracing)
| GPU | Avg FPS | 1% Low | With DLSS/FSR |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 145 FPS | 115 FPS | 175+ FPS |
| RTX 4080 Super | 115 FPS | 90 FPS | 145 FPS |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | 95 FPS | 75 FPS | 120 FPS |
| RTX 4070 | 72 FPS | 55 FPS | 95 FPS |
| RX 7900 XTX | 105 FPS | 80 FPS | 130 FPS |
| RX 7800 XT | 68 FPS | 52 FPS | 88 FPS |
| RTX 4060 | 48 FPS | 38 FPS | 65 FPS |
1440p RT Ultra + DLSS/FSR Quality
| GPU | RT Ultra | RT Overdrive | RT OD + Frame Gen |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 | 95 FPS | 38 FPS | 72 FPS |
| RTX 4080 Super | 75 FPS | 28 FPS | 52 FPS |
| RTX 4070 Ti Super | 58 FPS | 22 FPS | 42 FPS |
| RTX 4070 | 45 FPS | 18 FPS | 35 FPS |
| RX 7900 XTX | 48 FPS | N/A | N/A |
Get personalized FPS estimates with our FPS Calculator.
Ray Tracing & RT Overdrive Guide
Cyberpunk 2077 has four ray tracing levels, each with different visual impact and performance cost:
| RT Preset | Features | FPS Impact | Min GPU |
|---|---|---|---|
| RT Low | RT Shadows only | -15-20% | RTX 3060 |
| RT Medium | Shadows + Local Reflections | -25-35% | RTX 3070 |
| RT Ultra | Shadows + Reflections + Lighting | -40-50% | RTX 4070 |
| RT Overdrive | Full Path Tracing | -70-80% | RTX 4080+ |
🌟 RT Overdrive: Is It Worth It?
RT Overdrive (path tracing) is transformative—it produces lighting that looks like a pre-rendered movie. Every surface reflects and emits light realistically. However, it requires an RTX 4090 (or upcoming RTX 5080+) with DLSS 3 Frame Generation for playable performance. If you have the hardware, it's the definitive way to experience Night City.
DLSS vs FSR in Cyberpunk 2077
Upscaling technology is essential for good Cyberpunk performance, especially with ray tracing. Here's how they compare:
| Feature | DLSS 3 | FSR 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Image Quality | Excellent | Very Good |
| Frame Generation | Yes (up to 2x FPS) | Yes (up to 2x FPS) |
| Latency | Low (Reflex integration) | Higher with FG |
| Required Hardware | RTX 20/30/40 series | Any GPU |
| Best Mode | Quality or Balanced | Balanced |
💡 Upscaling Recommendation
For NVIDIA users: DLSS Quality for best visuals, DLSS Balanced + Frame Gen for ray tracing. For AMD users: FSR Balanced is the sweet spot. Frame Generation dramatically improves RT performance but adds slight input latency—great for exploration, less ideal for fast combat.
Optimal Settings Guide by GPU Tier
Budget GPUs (RTX 4060, RX 7600)
- • Resolution: 1080p
- • Preset: High
- • Ray Tracing: Off
- • DLSS/FSR: Quality
- • Crowd Density: Medium
- • Expected FPS: 60-75
Mid-Range GPUs (RTX 4070, RX 7800 XT)
- • Resolution: 1440p
- • Preset: Ultra
- • Ray Tracing: Medium (optional)
- • DLSS/FSR: Quality or Balanced
- • Crowd Density: High
- • Expected FPS: 60-80
High-End GPUs (RTX 4080, RX 7900 XTX)
- • Resolution: 1440p or 4K
- • Preset: Ultra
- • Ray Tracing: Ultra
- • DLSS/FSR: Quality + Frame Gen
- • Crowd Density: High
- • Expected FPS: 60-90
Enthusiast GPUs (RTX 4090)
- • Resolution: 1440p or 4K
- • Preset: RT Overdrive
- • DLSS: Balanced + Frame Gen
- • Crowd Density: High
- • Expected FPS: 60-80
CPU Requirements & Bottleneck Analysis
Cyberpunk 2077 is more GPU-bound than CPU-bound, but CPU still matters—especially for high frame rates and the open-world simulation.
| CPU | Max GPU Pairing | Bottleneck at 1440p |
|---|---|---|
| Ryzen 7 7800X3D | RTX 4090 | None |
| Intel i7-14700K | RTX 4090 | Minimal |
| Ryzen 5 7600 | RTX 4080 | Minimal |
| Intel i5-13400F | RTX 4070 Ti | Slight at high FPS |
| Ryzen 5 5600 | RTX 4070 | Some at 100+ FPS |
💡 Best Value CPU for Cyberpunk
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the best gaming CPU thanks to its massive L3 cache, which particularly helps open-world games like Cyberpunk. If budget is tight, theRyzen 5 7600 or i5-13400F are excellent and won't bottleneck up to RTX 4080 at 1440p.
RAM & Storage Requirements
RAM Requirements
Cyberpunk 2077 is memory hungry. Here's what you need:
- 16GB: Minimum for smooth gameplay, may have occasional stutters
- 32GB: Recommended for best experience, especially with RT
- 64GB: Overkill for gaming, but useful if streaming/multitasking
- Speed: DDR5-5600+ or DDR4-3600 recommended
Storage Requirements
- Base game: ~70GB
- With Phantom Liberty: ~100GB+
- NVMe SSD: Strongly recommended—the game constantly streams assets
- HDD: Works but expect texture pop-in and longer load times
⚠️ SSD vs HDD Difference
Cyberpunk 2077's open world constantly streams data. On HDD, you'll experience visible texture pop-in when driving fast and longer load times. NVMe SSD is highly recommended for the intended experience.
Cooling & PSU Guide
PSU Requirements by Build
| GPU | TDP | Minimum PSU | Recommended PSU |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 4060 / RX 7600 | 115-165W | 450W | 550W |
| RTX 4070 / RX 7800 XT | 200-263W | 550W | 650W |
| RTX 4080 Super | 320W | 700W | 850W |
| RTX 4090 | 450W | 850W | 1000W |
Use our PSU Calculator to verify exact power requirements for your specific build.
Cooling Recommendations
- Case airflow: Minimum 3 fans (2 intake, 1 exhaust)
- CPU cooling: Tower cooler or 240mm AIO for high-end CPUs
- GPU: Cyberpunk pushes GPUs hard—ensure good case ventilation
- Extended sessions: Monitor temps, adjust fan curves if needed
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best specs for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2025?
For optimal performance: RTX 4070+ GPU, Ryzen 5 7600 / i5-13400F CPU,32GB DDR5 RAM, NVMe SSD. For ray tracing, RTX 4080+ recommended. For RT Overdrive, RTX 4090 or RTX 5080+ required.
What GPU do I need for Cyberpunk 2077 ray tracing?
RT Medium at 1080p: RTX 4060 with DLSS. RT Ultra at 1440p: RTX 4080 with DLSS. RT Overdrive: RTX 4090 with DLSS 3 Frame Generation minimum.
Can I run Cyberpunk 2077 on a budget PC?
Yes! An RX 7600 or RTX 4060 runs Cyberpunk at 60+ FPS on 1080p High settings without ray tracing. With FSR/DLSS, even mid-range GPUs deliver smooth gameplay.
How much RAM does Cyberpunk 2077 need?
16GB minimum, but 32GB recommended for smooth performance, especially with ray tracing. The game frequently uses 14-18GB during dense city areas.
Is DLSS or FSR better for Cyberpunk 2077?
DLSS produces better image quality and is essential for ray tracing. DLSS 3 Frame Generation can nearly double FPS. FSR 3 is a solid alternative for AMD users.
What CPU is best for Cyberpunk 2077?
Ryzen 7 7800X3D is best thanks to its large L3 cache. Ryzen 5 7600 ori5-13400F are excellent budget options that won't bottleneck up to RTX 4080.
What is RT Overdrive in Cyberpunk 2077?
RT Overdrive is full path tracing—the most visually impressive mode in any game. It requires RTX 4090+ with DLSS 3 Frame Generation for playable performance (~60 FPS at 1440p).
Do I need an SSD for Cyberpunk 2077?
Highly recommended. Cyberpunk constantly streams assets—HDD users experience texture pop-in and longer loads. NVMe SSD provides the intended experience.
What PSU do I need for a Cyberpunk PC?
Depends on GPU: RTX 4060/4070: 550-650W. RTX 4080: 750-850W.RTX 4090: 850-1000W. Use quality 80+ Gold PSUs from reputable brands.
Can AMD GPUs run Cyberpunk with ray tracing?
Yes, but 30-40% slower than NVIDIA equivalents. RX 7900 XTX handles RT Medium/Ultra with FSR. RT Overdrive (path tracing) is NVIDIA-exclusive.
Conclusion: Building Your Cyberpunk 2077 Dream PC
Cyberpunk 2077 rewards good hardware like few other games. Whether you're building a budget system for a smooth 1080p experience or a path-tracing powerhouse, there's a build for every budget.
🎮 Build Summary
- 💰 Budget (~$900): RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 5600 — 1080p 60+ FPS
- 🎮 Solid (~$1,200): RTX 4070 + Ryzen 5 7600 — 1440p 60-80 FPS
- ✨ High-End (~$1,800): RTX 4080 + R7 7800X3D — 1440p RT Ultra
- 🌟 Ultimate (~$2,800+): RTX 4090 — RT Overdrive 60+ FPS
Questions about your Cyberpunk 2077 build? Contact us—we're here to help you experience Night City at its best!
See you in Night City, choom! 🌃
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