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The reliable way to improve Cyberpunk 2077 on PC is to measure the problem first, compare your hardware with CD PROJEKT RED’s target specifications, then work through driver, game-file, overlay and background-app checks before changing graphics settings. Use an upscaler when the GPU is the bottleneck, treat frame generation as an add-on to an already smooth base frame rate, and move the game to an SSD if it is on a hard drive. These steps can identify whether you need a setting change, a software repair or a hardware upgrade; no single preset fixes every PC.
1. Establish a repeatable baseline before changing anything
Do not start by buying a graphics card or enabling every performance feature. First capture the conditions under which the slowdown occurs. Cyberpunk 2077 includes an in-game benchmark; run it with the same resolution, preset and ray-tracing options you use in the problem area, and record the result. Repeat the test after each meaningful change so you can tell which action helped.
- Record the hardware: CPU model, GPU model and memory capacity. Note whether the game is installed on an SSD or HDD.
- Record the render configuration: display resolution, graphics preset, ray tracing or Overdrive status, upscaler mode, frame-generation mode and any custom settings.
- Record the symptom: low average FPS, uneven frame delivery, brief hitches, or pauses while the game loads and streams a new area.
- Run the built-in benchmark: save the average and minimum figures and write down where the worst hitch occurs. A short video of the benchmark or the affected scene is useful when you need support.
- Repeat under the same conditions: changing resolution, scene, driver, preset and background programs at the same time makes the result impossible to interpret.
CD PROJEKT RED’s performance support page asks players with continuing problems to provide benchmark results and, where relevant, a video and a save file. Keep those files and notes rather than relying on a subjective impression of smoothness.
CD PROJEKT RED’s performance troubleshooting guidance uses the terms low frame rates and slow or choppy performance, but those symptoms can have different causes. The next sections separate them.
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2. Compare your PC with the official targets
The requirements published by CD PROJEKT RED are expected targets, not guarantees for every combination of motherboard, driver, display and in-game setting. The current requirements page and the studio’s 2023 update describe several profiles. The figures below are the studio’s stated expectations, not independent benchmark results.
| Profile | Resolution and quality | Expected result | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum, non-ray-traced | 1080p, Low | 30 FPS | Published by CD PROJEKT RED in 2023; this is a minimum target. |
| Recommended, non-ray-traced | 1080p, High | 60 FPS | Recommended configuration, not a promise that every PC will hold 60 FPS in every scene. |
| Ray-tracing minimum | 1080p, ray tracing Low | 30 FPS | Separate from the non-ray-traced minimum. |
| Ray-tracing recommended | 1080p, ray tracing Ultra | 60 FPS | Uses the recommended ray-tracing hardware tier. |
| Overdrive target | 2160p, ray-tracing Overdrive | 60 FPS | The requirements-page measurement had DLSS Frame Generation enabled. |
For the current non-ray-tracing 1080p High/60 target, the requirements list a Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X3D, a GeForce RTX 2060 Super, Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A770, 16 GB of RAM and SSD storage. Verify the complete table for your chosen ray-tracing or Overdrive target on the current Cyberpunk 2077 system-requirements page. The studio’s 2023 requirements update supplies the 30-FPS and 60-FPS expectations shown above.
If your PC is below the CPU, GPU, memory or storage class for the resolution and preset you want, software changes may make the game more playable but cannot turn that configuration into a higher hardware tier. Conversely, meeting the recommended list does not eliminate every hitch: background processes, a damaged driver installation, overlays, a particular patch or a streaming bottleneck can still affect frame pacing.
3. Decide which performance problem you actually have
Low average FPS
The image is consistently slower than your target, especially during the benchmark. This usually points to a rendering limit: the GPU may be overloaded by resolution, ray tracing or a demanding preset, or the CPU may be limiting performance in a busy scene. Test a lower-cost render option and watch whether the frame rate changes. A large response to a resolution or ray-tracing reduction suggests a GPU limit; little response suggests that the CPU, software or another cap deserves investigation.
Stutter or poor frame pacing
The average FPS can look acceptable while individual frames arrive irregularly. The result feels like pauses, judder or a camera hitch rather than a uniformly slow image. Record minimum performance or frame-time behavior in the benchmark and note whether overlays, a new driver or a background task coincides with the hitch. Frame generation can increase displayed frame counts without repairing a weak or uneven base rate, so diagnose the underlying pacing first.
Loading and world-streaming pauses
Hitches that occur when entering a new district, driving quickly or loading a save can involve storage and asset streaming. CD PROJEKT RED requires SSD storage and warns that an HDD’s lower bandwidth may prevent new content from streaming properly. Storage can therefore be relevant even when the GPU is powerful, but an SSD is not a guaranteed increase to average FPS.
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CPU-limited scenes
If reducing output resolution barely changes the benchmark result, the CPU, game-thread workload or a background process may be limiting the frame rate. Close unnecessary programs, check CPU utilization and compare the result after a clean driver and file check before deciding that a processor upgrade is necessary.
4. Follow the developer’s software repair sequence
Perform these checks in order. Run the benchmark after each stage; a result that improves after one step tells you more than a dozen simultaneous tweaks.
Step 1: Clean-install the graphics driver
Install the current driver for your GPU and choose the clean-install option offered by the driver package. A clean installation removes or replaces damaged display components that a normal update can leave behind. Reboot when the installer requests it, then run the same benchmark again.
If the low FPS or stutter began immediately after a driver update, CD PROJEKT RED advises trying the previous driver version and reporting the problem. Keep the version that produces the more consistent result rather than assuming the newest release is always best for a specific build.
Step 2: Verify the game files
Use the repair or verify-files command in your game launcher. The launcher compares installed files with its server copy and replaces missing or corrupted data. Let the process finish, restart the launcher if requested, and repeat the benchmark from the same save or test route.
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Turn off in-game overlays from the game launcher, chat clients, recording tools and GPU utilities for one test run. Overlays hook into the render path and can introduce conflicts, capture overhead or inconsistent frame delivery. If the hitch disappears, re-enable overlays one at a time to identify the conflicting component.
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Step 4: Close nonessential background applications
Exit browsers with many tabs, launchers you are not using, hardware-monitoring utilities, synchronisation clients and other nonessential programs. Do not disable security software or system services indiscriminately; the goal is to remove unnecessary workload and hooks while keeping the system safe. Check the benchmark again after the desktop is quiet.
Step 5: Re-test before changing hardware
When the driver, files, overlays and background applications are clean, rerun the benchmark and compare the notes. If performance is still unexpectedly poor relative to the official target, you now have a useful reproducible baseline for support and a more reliable basis for a hardware decision.
5. Tune graphics settings methodically
Change one variable at a time and keep a written result. There is no universally best preset because the right compromise depends on your display resolution, GPU, CPU, visual-quality preference and desired frame rate. The sources for this guide establish the official targets and supported technologies, but they do not establish universal FPS gains for each individual setting.
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| Setting or choice | What to test | What the result tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Output resolution | Run the same benchmark at your target resolution and at a lower test resolution. | A substantial change points toward a GPU or pixel-throughput limit; little change points toward CPU, software or a frame-rate cap. |
| Graphics preset | Compare High, Medium or Low while leaving resolution and scene unchanged. | Use the highest preset that meets your frame-time goal, then restore individual visual options only if the benchmark remains stable. |
| Ray tracing | Test ray tracing disabled, then the desired ray-tracing level. | Ray tracing changes the hardware target substantially; compare its visual value with the FPS cost on your GPU. |
| Overdrive | Test Overdrive only when your hardware and upscaler/frame-generation plan are appropriate for it. | The official 2160p/60 Overdrive expectation includes DLSS Frame Generation; it is not a baseline for every GPU. |
| Upscaler | Choose a mode supported by your hardware and compare image quality and frame pacing. | An upscaler can reduce the work rendered at native resolution, but it cannot repair CPU limits or severe base-rate stutter. |
| Frame generation | Leave it off while establishing base FPS, then test it only after the baseline is smooth. | Generated frames improve perceived motion when the underlying frames are sufficiently regular; they are not a substitute for adequate base performance. |
Use the in-game benchmark rather than judging a single busy street or combat encounter. Once a change passes the benchmark, test a real save in the location where you noticed the problem. A setting that helps average FPS but produces distracting artifacts or uneven pacing is not a successful fix for that player.
6. Select an upscaler and frame-generation feature that your hardware supports
Patch 2.3 notes list FSR 3.1 Frame Generation and Intel XeSS 2.0, including XeSS Frame Generation on compatible hardware. The same notes list FSR 4 for compatible AMD GPUs when the supporting driver is installed. Check the feature’s in-game availability rather than assuming that a menu option works on every GPU.
| Technology | Availability described by CD PROJEKT RED | How to use it responsibly |
|---|---|---|
| FSR 3.1 Frame Generation | Listed in the 2.3 patch notes. | Establish a stable base rate first and follow the studio’s baseline and display guidance. |
| Intel XeSS 2.0 | Listed in the 2.3 patch notes; XeSS Frame Generation requires compatible hardware. | Use only when the game exposes it for your GPU, then compare image quality and frame pacing. |
| FSR 4 | Listed for compatible AMD GPUs with the supporting driver installed. | Confirm both GPU compatibility and driver support before selecting it. |
| DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation | CD PROJEKT RED’s support article specifies RTX 50-series cards. | Do not treat a DLSS 4 option as evidence that an older RTX card supports the same feature. |
Read the Update 2.3 patch notes for the feature list and the DLSS 4 support article for the RTX 50-series qualification. Driver support and the GPU generation determine which choices appear and function.
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FSR Frame Generation’s baseline rules
CD PROJEKT RED recommends a baseline of at least 60 FPS before enabling FSR Frame Generation: “It’s recommended to run the game at a baseline of minimum 60 FPS before enabling Frame Generation for it to work properly.” The studio warns that lower rates can make artifacts and frame-pacing problems more noticeable. It also advises using a display with a 120 Hz or higher refresh rate and enabling hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling.
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Apply those conditions in this order:
- Disable frame generation and make the base game as smooth as possible.
- Confirm that the benchmark and your normal play session reach at least the recommended 60-FPS baseline.
- Use a 120 Hz-or-higher display if you want to follow the studio’s display guidance.
- Enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows, then restart if Windows requests it.
- Enable FSR Frame Generation and repeat the same benchmark and real-world route.
- Turn it off again if artifacts, input feel or frame pacing are worse than the non-generated result.
The complete guidance is in CD PROJEKT RED’s AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 support article. A higher displayed counter does not prove that the game’s base simulation is running at that rate; keep base FPS, generated FPS and perceived smoothness as separate observations.
7. Install the game on an SSD
SSD storage is an official requirement for Cyberpunk 2077. CD PROJEKT RED describes SSDs as faster for loading and better for streaming and advises against an HDD because its lower bandwidth may prevent new content from streaming correctly. If the game is on an HDD, move or reinstall it to an SSD, ensure the drive has adequate free space, and rerun the same route that produced the hitch.
An SSD can reduce loading and asset-streaming delays, but do not promise yourself an automatic increase in average FPS. Rendering limits remain rendering limits. The studio’s Update 2.0 information and the requirements pages explain the storage requirement and streaming rationale.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.8. Decide whether a hardware upgrade is justified
Upgrade only after the benchmark identifies a limiting component and you have chosen a target resolution, preset and ray-tracing level. A graphics-card purchase is most defensible when lowering resolution or GPU-heavy options produces a clear improvement, the current card is below the official target for your chosen profile, and the desired visual settings justify the cost.
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|---|---|---|
| Large FPS increase when resolution or ray tracing is reduced | Compare a faster gaming GPU with your case, power supply, budget and target resolution. | The GPU is responding to render workload; a faster card addresses that bottleneck more directly than a generic optimizer. |
| Little change after lowering resolution, but CPU use or busy scenes limit the result | Check CPU capability, temperatures, power limits and background processes before considering a processor/platform change. | A GPU replacement may not improve a CPU-limited frame rate. |
| Hitches coincide with loading or the game is on an HDD | Move the installation to an SSD. | This addresses the official storage and streaming requirement, not every rendering limit. |
| Performance changed after a driver or patch | Clean-install the driver, verify files and test the previous driver when appropriate. | Repairing the software state costs less and produces clearer evidence than buying hardware immediately. |
| Base FPS is low but generated FPS looks high | Improve the base rate first; do not use frame generation to conceal an inadequate baseline. | Frame generation can magnify artifacts and pacing problems when the input frames are too slow. |
When shopping for a GPU, match the card to the desired resolution, ray-tracing mode, power supply, case clearance and budget. The official requirements name several GPU families, but they do not identify one universally best model for every PC. A component that fits the published target at 1080p may be a poor value for a 4K Overdrive goal, and vice versa.
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9. Troubleshoot common symptom patterns
The benchmark is consistently below 60 FPS at 1080p High
Confirm that the CPU, GPU, 16 GB memory level and SSD storage are comparable to the current recommended profile. Clean-install the driver, verify files and disable overlays before reducing settings. If the GPU is the clear limiter, test an appropriate upscaler and lower-cost graphics or ray-tracing options. If the CPU is limiting, reducing resolution may do little; close background applications and examine CPU behavior instead.
The average FPS is acceptable but the game hitches every few seconds
Disable overlays and recording hooks, close nonessential applications, verify files and test a clean driver installation. Check whether the hitch occurs during streaming from an HDD. Keep frame generation disabled while diagnosing; generated frames can make an irregular base stream feel worse. Compare frame pacing in the benchmark and in the exact save where the problem appears.
The problem started directly after a driver update
Repeat the clean installation with the current package. If the timing still points to the update, install the previous driver as CD PROJEKT RED suggests, test the benchmark and report the issue with both driver versions and your captured results.
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Run the benchmark to separate general performance from a location-specific issue. Capture video, retain the affected save and record your settings. If the issue persists after the software checks, include those files when contacting support so the studio can reproduce the location and conditions.
Frame generation introduces artifacts or an uneven feel
Turn it off and measure the non-generated base rate. For FSR Frame Generation, verify the 60-FPS baseline, 120 Hz-or-higher display and hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling guidance. If the base rate does not meet the recommended threshold, use an upscaler or lower-cost settings first rather than forcing generated frames.
10. Prepare a useful support report if the problem remains
A vague report saying that the game feels bad is difficult to act on. Include:
- CPU, GPU, RAM amount and driver version.
- Game version, operating-system version and launcher.
- Drive type and free space where the game is installed.
- Resolution, preset, ray-tracing or Overdrive status, upscaler and frame-generation settings.
- The benchmark result, including the route or test conditions.
- A description of whether the issue is low FPS, uneven frame pacing, loading/streaming hitching or a repeatable location-specific pause.
- A short video when possible and the affected save file when the issue is tied to one location.
- The exact change that preceded the problem, such as a driver or game update.
Submit the information through the studio’s performance-issues support page. Keeping the benchmark conditions identical makes your report more useful and prevents support from having to guess which setting produced the result.
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11. A concise order of operations
- Run and record the in-game benchmark with your normal settings.
- Compare your CPU, GPU, RAM and storage with the official target for your resolution and preset.
- Clean-install the graphics driver; if the issue began after an update, test the previous driver as advised by the studio.
- Verify the game files, disable overlays and close unnecessary applications.
- Ensure the game is installed on an SSD, especially when hitches occur during loading or traversal.
- Change one setting at a time: resolution, preset, ray tracing, Overdrive or a compatible upscaler.
- Measure base FPS and frame pacing before enabling frame generation.
- Use FSR, XeSS or DLSS features only when your GPU, driver and game version support them; follow the 60-FPS baseline guidance for FSR Frame Generation.
- Consider a GPU upgrade only when the measured bottleneck and desired resolution/settings justify it.
- If the problem remains, send the benchmark, settings, video and save file requested by CD PROJEKT RED.
The practical goal is not the largest number on an FPS counter. It is a stable base frame rate at the resolution and visual quality you actually want, with frame generation used only when its compatibility and baseline requirements are satisfied.
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