How Does Cyberpunk 2077 Perform on PC After Update 2.0? Answered

Cyberpunk 2077 has not historically performed well on PC. There have been many videos and articles dedicated to testing its various patches for any signs of improvement. The graphical horsepower it took to run the game serviceably almost became a meme before patch 2.0. Having played for a little over 20 hours on the new update, I can say more than a few things about how the game runs on a fairly beefy rig. Here are my findings.

How Does Cyberpunk 2077 Perform on PC After Update 2.0? Answered

Before patch 2.0, Cyberpunk 2077‘s performance was a janky, stuttery mess. After patch 2.0, it runs remarkably better. I’ve made some improvements to my own PC since I last tested the game, sure. But I’ve also added additional complexity that my better hardware needs to overcome. Here’s the rig I was using to play the game:

• CPU: Intel 13700k (no overclock)
• GPU: Nvidia 3080 Founder’s Edition 10GB
• RAM: 32 GB DDR4
• PSU: 1200W
• OS: Windows 10

The catch? I’m playing on a 21:9 ultrawide monitor at 3840×1600, which the 3080 isn’t necessarily rated for, especially in Cyberpunk. My results are based on those 20 hours and about an hour fiddling outside V’s apartment megabuilding.

• Without DLSS, on a mix of High and Ultra settings: 60-70 FPS in high-demand regions.
• DLSS Quality: 85-100 FPS in high-demand regions.

Performance With and Without Ray Tracing

Note that I wasn’t using Ray Tracing when I was playing. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most demanding ray traced games on the market. I did test it, however, at V’s megabuilding intersection, as that area is fairly demanding, even without movement. My results were not as stellar.

With ray tracing on and only ray-traced lighting active, my FPS was cut to no more than 40. When I turned on any other setting, especially ray traced shadows and reflections, my frames tanked to barely 20 at the best but positively chugged the instant I started moving my camera. To call the experience unplayable is to do a disservice to the word. Unless (or until) I make the jump to an RTX 4090 or a higher-end 5000-series Nvidia card, ray tracing will be off in Cyberpunk.

For most users, I don’t expect that ray tracing is viable at any point. The game runs fantastically without it and looks great, too. I really don’t see a reason to use it unless you have the highest-end hardware available on the market. Or if you want the shiniest, highest-resolution experience possible. Even if you do have a 4090, Cyberpunk 2077 can still eat it alive. I’ve seen tests where Nvidia’s latest flagship struggles to reach 60FPS with ray tracing cranked (at 4K, mind, but still).

In short, Cyberpunk 2077 runs so much better after update 2.0, especially if you use the upscaling tech offered by Nvidia, AMD, or Intel. You don’t need the beefiest PC to run the game, but you will need more than you once did. For more on Cyberpunk 2077, see our guides hub for the game.