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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe best Cyberpunk 2077 settings depend on your resolution, graphics card, processor, VRAM and tolerance for upscaling artifacts. For most PCs, start with the High preset, use an upscaler before cutting major image-quality options, and treat path tracing (Ray Tracing: Overdrive) as an enthusiast mode. Establish a stable rendered frame rate first; only then enable frame generation.
At 1080p, a sensible target is a steady 60–120 FPS with ray tracing off or set to Low. At 1440p, High or conventional ray tracing paired with DLSS or FSR 3 is the practical balance. Overdrive/path tracing is a separate class of workload: CD PROJEKT RED recommends an RTX 4070 Ti or faster RTX 40-series card, with an RTX 3090 listed for 1080p at 30 FPS.
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Quick recommendations by hardware and resolution
| Use case | Starting preset | Ray tracing | Upscaling | First settings to reduce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p, mid-range GPU | High | Off, or Ray Tracing Low if the benchmark remains comfortably above your display target | DLSS Quality/Balanced on supported NVIDIA hardware; FSR 3 Quality/Balanced on compatible AMD hardware | Volumetric fog, crowd density, then screen-space reflections |
| 1440p, upper-mid-range GPU | High or Ray Tracing Medium | Conventional ray tracing; avoid Overdrive unless performance is proven | DLSS Quality/Balanced or FSR 3 Quality/Balanced | Volumetric fog and screen-space reflections before textures |
| 4K, enthusiast GPU | High with a tuned RT profile | Overdrive/path tracing only on hardware in the recommended class or better | DLSS Super Resolution; add generation after checking the base rate | Fog, crowd density and screen-space reflections |
These are starting points, not guaranteed frame-rate results. Patch versions, drivers, CPU load, GPU memory and the exact scene can change performance substantially.
What makes Cyberpunk 2077 so demanding?
Cyberpunk 2077 combines a large streaming city, dense crowds, complex lighting and reflections. Ray tracing adds extra work for shadows, reflections and global illumination. Overdrive, also called path tracing, traces far more of the scene’s lighting and is dramatically heavier than the standard ray-tracing modes.
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The processor becomes important in crowded districts. A graphics card can have spare capacity while the CPU struggles to prepare pedestrians, traffic and simulation data. This is why reducing Crowd Density can improve performance in busy streets even when lowering a GPU-heavy option appears more obvious.
Overdrive is an enthusiast setting
CD PROJEKT RED’s current recommendation is NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards from the RTX 4070 Ti upward. The same guidance lists an RTX 3090 for 1080p at 30 FPS. That is a requirement-style recommendation for a specific target, not a promise that every RTX 3090 system will hold 30 FPS in every scene.
If your card is below that class, use conventional ray tracing, lower the ray-tracing preset, or turn RT off. A stable image at a higher frame rate is usually preferable to an unstable Overdrive presentation.
Before changing settings: establish a repeatable baseline
- Update the game and graphics driver. Record the game build and driver version because patches can change frame times and image quality.
- Choose your target. Decide whether you are optimizing for 60, 90, 120 or another refresh-rate target at 1080p, 1440p or 4K.
- Disable frame generation temporarily. You need the rendered, or base, frame rate to judge real GPU and CPU performance.
- Run the built-in benchmark. Use the same preset and upscaler for several runs, noting average FPS and 1% low FPS. Then play a busy city area for a practical check.
- Change one group of settings at a time. This makes it clear whether a gain came from fog, crowds, reflections, ray tracing or resolution scaling.
Use the benchmark as a comparison tool rather than an absolute guarantee. A benchmark can miss a particular district, mission or traversal stutter, so verify the final profile during normal play.
Upscaling: preserve quality before cutting settings
Upscaling renders the game at a lower internal resolution and reconstructs an image at your display resolution. It generally preserves more detail than lowering several quality settings, although the result depends on the mode and scene.
DLSS Super Resolution
On supported NVIDIA hardware, start with DLSS Quality at 1440p when performance allows. If the GPU is still short of the target, test Balanced; at 4K, Balanced or Performance may be appropriate when Quality is not fast enough. Inspect fine geometry, neon signs, hair and movement rather than judging only a static screenshot.
AMD FSR 3
FSR 3 is the AMD-oriented alternative and provides upscaling plus frame generation on compatible hardware. Quality is the first mode to test, followed by Balanced if you need more headroom. FSR 3 can be useful outside AMD systems too, but support and image quality vary by hardware and game configuration.
Choose the mode with the benchmark
There is no universal winner at every resolution. Compare Quality and Balanced at your chosen output resolution, then select the sharpest mode that keeps the base frame rate above your target. Do not use a generated-FPS counter as proof that the underlying render is fast enough.
Frame generation: when it helps and when it hurts
Frame generation creates displayed frames between conventionally rendered frames. It can make camera movement look smoother, but it does not remove the input and simulation work required to produce the base frames. If the base rate is low, generated frames can make controls feel delayed and can expose ghosting or other artifacts.
DLSS Frame Generation requirements
CD PROJEKT RED documents two requirements for DLSS Frame Generation: a GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics card and Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling enabled in the operating system. Turn on that scheduling option before troubleshooting a missing or unavailable frame-generation control.
DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
On RTX 50-series hardware, DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation offers 2x, 3x and 4x choices. Test each level at your normal camera movement and combat speed. Higher multipliers can increase the displayed frame count while also increasing the opportunity for visible artifacts or latency. Keep the option that feels responsive, not merely the one that produces the largest counter value.
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CD PROJEKT RED recommends a minimum baseline of 60 FPS before enabling FSR 3 Frame Generation. Treat that as a practical floor: first obtain roughly 60 rendered FPS with generation off, then enable generation and re-check latency, image stability and frame-time behavior.
The settings that usually recover the most FPS
Volumetric Fog Resolution
Volumetric fog is a meaningful GPU workload, especially in scenes with bright signs, smoke and layered atmosphere. High is a reasonable starting point, but dropping to Medium or Low is one of the most effective recovery steps when the GPU is saturated. Check distant haze and light shafts after each change; these are the areas where the difference is easiest to see.
Crowd Density
Crowd Density is primarily CPU-sensitive. Keep it High if the processor has headroom and city scenes remain smooth. Set it to Medium or Low when frame rates fall in crowded streets while GPU utilization is not consistently near its limit. This setting can change the feel of Night City more than a small texture adjustment, so lower it only as far as needed.
Screen Space Reflections
When conventional ray tracing is off or not handling every reflection, Screen Space Reflections can be expensive. Lower this option one step before reducing textures if the GPU is the bottleneck. Reflections on wet roads and glossy surfaces are the most visible trade-off.
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Keep textures on High when your VRAM capacity is sufficient. Texture quality generally affects memory use and surface detail more than raw FPS. Lower it to Medium when VRAM pressure causes hitching, texture pop-in or inconsistent frame times; it is not usually the first setting to reduce for a purely GPU-bound frame-rate problem.
Ray-traced shadows, lighting and reflections
Ray-traced options have a larger cost than most conventional quality controls. If you need a compromise, use standard ray tracing at Low or Medium and leave Overdrive disabled. Reduce the ray-traced feature that is most expensive in your scene rather than immediately lowering the entire output resolution.
1080p high-FPS profile
For a mid-range system, select the High preset and begin with ray tracing disabled. Enable Ray Tracing Low only if the benchmark remains comfortably above your monitor’s refresh target.
- Set textures to High when VRAM is adequate; use Medium if memory pressure produces stutter.
- Use DLSS Quality or Balanced on compatible NVIDIA hardware, or FSR 3 Quality or Balanced on compatible AMD hardware.
- Leave Volumetric Fog on High initially, then try Medium if the GPU is limiting performance.
- Use Medium Crowd Density when the CPU is limiting performance; retain High if CPU headroom exists.
- Keep frame generation off until the base rate is stable, then test it for latency and artifacts.
As a published reference rather than a guarantee, PC Gamer’s 2023 guide reported well over 60 FPS at 1080p for an RTX 3070 with its recommended non-ray-tracing settings.
1440p ray-tracing profile
Start with High or Ray Tracing Medium. Use DLSS Quality or Balanced, or the equivalent FSR 3 mode where supported. Enable Ray Reconstruction when it is available with your selected ray-tracing path; it is designed to improve the reconstruction of ray-traced effects.
- Run the benchmark with DLSS or FSR Quality and ray tracing at the chosen level.
- If the base rate is below your target, reduce Volumetric Fog one step.
- Reduce Screen Space Reflections one step if the GPU remains saturated.
- Adjust Crowd Density only when busy areas show a CPU limit.
- Keep textures unchanged unless VRAM-related stutter appears.
A 60 FPS base rate is a useful threshold before trying frame generation. Generated frames should supplement a solid render rate rather than disguise a weak one.
4K Overdrive/path-tracing profile
Use Overdrive only on hardware in the official recommended class or better. At 4K, begin with DLSS Super Resolution and choose Quality if it meets your target; move to Balanced or Performance only when necessary.
On RTX 40-series hardware, add DLSS Frame Generation after confirming a strong base rate. On RTX 50-series hardware, evaluate DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation at 2x, 3x and 4x independently. On AMD hardware, FSR 3 can provide both upscaling and frame generation, but follow the 60 FPS baseline guidance before enabling generation.
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If performance is short, reduce Volumetric Fog, Crowd Density and Screen Space Reflections before cutting texture quality. If the base rate remains below a comfortable level after those changes, conventional ray tracing or a lower output resolution is the more dependable solution than stacking more frame-generation modes.
How to set a frame cap and reduce latency
After benchmarking, cap the game near the monitor’s refresh target rather than allowing unrestricted swings. A cap that the system can hold consistently usually produces steadier frame times and leaves a small amount of headroom for busy scenes. Choose the cap from the rendered base rate first; then check the displayed rate with generation enabled.
Keep rendered FPS and generated FPS conceptually separate. A counter showing 120 FPS can represent a much lower base rate with inserted frames. Judge responsiveness from camera movement, aiming and driving, not from the larger number alone.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Low FPS with high GPU utilization
- Lower Volumetric Fog Resolution.
- Reduce Screen Space Reflections.
- Move DLSS or FSR from Quality to Balanced.
- Reduce ray-tracing level or disable Overdrive.
- Use a lower output resolution only after testing those changes.
Low FPS with low or uneven GPU utilization
- Reduce Crowd Density to Medium or Low.
- Check background applications and CPU temperature.
- Test a busy district, where simulation and streaming loads are highest.
- Do not expect texture reductions to fix a CPU limit.
Stutter, hitching or texture pop-in
- Lower textures from High to Medium if VRAM is close to full.
- Close memory-heavy background programs.
- Re-run the benchmark after changing only the texture setting.
- Check that the game and driver are current.
Frame generation looks smooth but feels delayed
Disable generation and compare the controls at the same scene. If the base rate is below about 60 FPS, raise it first by reducing fog, reflections, ray tracing or output resolution. On RTX hardware, verify Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling is enabled for DLSS Frame Generation.
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Ghosting or shimmering
Compare DLSS and FSR 3 at the same internal-quality class. Try a higher-quality upscaling mode if the base rate permits, and inspect moving wires, foliage, signs and reflections. If artifacts remain unacceptable, disable frame generation and use a lower but natively rendered frame rate.
Published performance figures and their limits
NVIDIA reported in 2023 that, at 4K with full ray tracing and maximum settings, a configuration using DLSS 3.5 with Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction, Reflex and Super Resolution was 4.9 times faster on average than native 4K rendering. That is NVIDIA’s configuration-specific comparison, not a universal multiplier for every GPU or preset.
PC Gamer reported in a 2023 settings guide that its recommended non-ray-tracing configuration delivered around 100 FPS at 1440p on an RX 6800 XT or RTX 3080. Your result can differ with CPU model, drivers, game patch, memory configuration and the selected upscaler.
Quick Recap
A practical decision order
- Pick the output resolution and refresh-rate target.
- Start with High, then choose ray tracing Off, Low or Medium according to GPU headroom.
- Select DLSS or FSR 3 Quality.
- Benchmark with frame generation disabled and record average and 1% low FPS.
- Lower fog for a GPU limit, crowd density for a CPU limit, and reflections for additional GPU headroom.
- Lower textures only for VRAM-related instability.
- Enable frame generation only after the base rate is comfortable; re-check latency and artifacts.
- Set a cap near the monitor’s refresh target and verify the profile during normal play.
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