Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most visually impressive open-world games, but it’s also demanding on hardware. Whether you’re facing low FPS, stuttering, input lag, or long loading times, optimizing your settings and system can make a huge difference. This guide covers everything you need to boost performance, from graphics settings tweaks to hardware upgrades and advanced optimizations.
Can Your PC Handle Cyberpunk 2077? Check the Requirements
Before adjusting settings, ensure your PC meets or exceeds Cyberpunk 2077’s system requirements. Running the game on outdated hardware can result in poor performance no matter how much you tweak the settings.
Minimum Requirements (1080p Low, 30 FPS)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K / AMD FX-8310
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 780 / AMD Radeon RX 470
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 70GB SSD recommended
Recommended Requirements (1080p High, 60 FPS)
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4790 / AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
- GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1060 6GB / AMD Radeon RX 590
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage: SSD required
Ray Tracing Ultra Requirements (4K Ultra, 60 FPS)
- CPU: Intel i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4080 / AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- RAM: 32GB
- Storage: NVMe SSD
If your hardware falls below the recommended specs, consider upgrading key components like your GPU, RAM, or SSD for smoother performance.
Best Graphics Settings for Maximum FPS in Cyberpunk 2077
Adjusting Cyberpunk 2077’s graphics settings can significantly improve performance while maintaining good visuals. Here are the best settings to tweak:
- Resolution – If you’re struggling with FPS, lower the resolution from 1440p to 1080p for a big boost.
- Ray Tracing – Disable ray tracing unless you have an RTX 3080 or higher. It’s extremely demanding on performance.
- DLSS/FSR – If you have an NVIDIA RTX GPU, enable DLSS in Performance Mode. AMD users should enable FSR for improved FPS.
- Texture Quality – If you have less than 8GB VRAM, lower it to Medium or Low to avoid stutters.
- Crowd Density – Reducing crowd density improves CPU performance in populated areas.
- Volumetric Fog & Clouds – These are heavy on performance; set to Medium or Low for a smoother experience.
- Screen Space Reflections – Setting this to Low or Medium can boost FPS by 5-10%.
To apply these settings, go to Settings → Graphics → Advanced Graphics Settings and make the necessary changes.
Advanced Tweaks for Performance Improvement
If you’ve optimized Cyberpunk 2077’s in-game settings but still struggle with low FPS, stutters, or input lag, applying system-level tweaks can significantly improve performance. These advanced techniques help your PC allocate more resources to the game, reduce latency, and increase overall efficiency.
Some of these tweaks involve Windows settings, BIOS adjustments, and minor overclocking, so be sure to follow the steps carefully.
1. Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling
Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling allows your graphics card to manage its own memory directly, reducing CPU bottlenecks and improving FPS stability. This setting is particularly beneficial for systems with mid-range CPUs that struggle to keep up with high-end GPUs.
How to Enable Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling:
- Open Windows Settings and go to System > Display.
- Scroll down and click on Graphics Settings.
- Under Graphics Performance Preference, toggle Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling to On.
- Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.
This setting reduces input lag and improves GPU efficiency, making Cyberpunk 2077 run smoother, especially in CPU-intensive areas.
2. Enable Resizable BAR (For NVIDIA & AMD GPUs)
Resizable BAR (Base Address Register) is a BIOS feature that allows the CPU to access the GPU’s full VRAM instead of small chunks at a time, improving performance in games that support it, including Cyberpunk 2077.
How to Enable Resizable BAR:
- Update your GPU drivers using GeForce Experience (NVIDIA) or AMD Radeon Software.
- Enter your BIOS settings (usually by pressing DEL or F2 at startup).
- Locate the Advanced PCIe settings section and enable Resizable BAR.
- Save changes and restart your PC.
With Resizable BAR enabled, Cyberpunk 2077 can load textures and assets faster, reducing stutters and improving FPS, especially at higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K.
3. Overclock Your GPU & CPU (If Safe)
Overclocking your GPU and CPU can provide a 5-15% performance boost, allowing Cyberpunk 2077 to run at higher FPS. However, improper overclocking can lead to overheating and system instability, so proceed with caution.
How to Overclock Your GPU Using MSI Afterburner:
- Download & install MSI Afterburner (or AMD Radeon Software for AMD GPUs).
- Gradually increase Core Clock and Memory Clock by +50 MHz at a time.
- Run Cyberpunk 2077 or a stress test (like FurMark) to check for stability.
- If the game crashes or shows artifacts, lower the clock speeds slightly.
How to Overclock Your CPU (For Advanced Users):
- Open BIOS settings and locate the CPU Overclocking section.
- Increase the CPU multiplier slightly (e.g., from 3.5GHz to 3.8GHz).
- Monitor temperatures using HWMonitor or CoreTemp to avoid overheating.
Overclocking can improve Cyberpunk 2077’s frame pacing and responsiveness, especially on older CPUs and GPUs.
4. Increase Cyberpunk 2077’s Priority in Task Manager
By default, Windows assigns equal priority to all running applications, which can lead to Cyberpunk 2077 not utilizing your CPU resources effectively. Manually increasing its priority forces Windows to allocate more processing power to the game.
Steps to Set Cyberpunk 2077 to High Priority:
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
- Go to the Details tab.
- Find Cyberpunk2077.exe, right-click it, and choose Set Priority → High.
- Keep Task Manager open while playing to ensure the setting stays active.
This tweak improves performance by ensuring your CPU prioritizes Cyberpunk 2077 over background applications, leading to smoother gameplay and better frame times.
Disable Background Processes
Unnecessary background apps can consume CPU, RAM, and disk resources, leading to stutters and FPS drops in Cyberpunk 2077. Disabling theseprocesses frees up system resources, allowing the game to run more efficiently.
How to Disable Background Processes Before Playing:
- Close all unnecessary apps (Chrome, Discord, Spotify, OneDrive, etc.).
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and go to the Processes tab.
- Right-click high CPU-usage applications and select End Task.
- Open Windows Settings → Privacy → Background Apps and disable unnecessary ones.
Additionally, disabling Windows Game Bar & Xbox Game DVR can further improve performance:
- Go to Settings → Gaming → Xbox Game Bar and toggle it Off.
- In the Captures tab, turn Off “Record in the background.”
By stopping these background processes, Cyberpunk 2077 can fully utilize your CPU and RAM, leading to a more stable frame rate and reduced input lag.
SSD vs. HDD: Does It Affect Cyberpunk 2077 Performance?
Using an SSD instead of an HDD significantly improves performance in Cyberpunk 2077.
✔ Faster loading times – An SSD reduces loading screens from minutes to seconds.
✔ Fewer texture pop-ins – Textures load instantly instead of appearing blurry or delayed.
✔ Smoother gameplay – HDD users experience more stutters and frame drops.
If you’re still using an HDD, upgrading to an NVMe SSD can drastically improve performance in Cyberpunk 2077 and other modern games.
NVIDIA & AMD Performance Enhancements
Here’s how you can optimize Cyberpunk 2077 for better performance using NVIDIA and AMD settings.
For NVIDIA Users:
- Enable NVIDIA Reflex – Reduces input lag.
- Use DLSS (Performance Mode) – Increases FPS while maintaining image quality.
- Disable Low Latency Mode in the NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Update NVIDIA Drivers using GeForce Experience.
For AMD Users:
- Enable Radeon Anti-Lag for lower latency.
- Use AMD FSR to improve performance.
- Set Texture Filtering Quality to Performance Mode in AMD Radeon Software.
- Update AMD Drivers for better GPU optimization.
Fixing Cyberpunk 2077 Stuttering & Lag
Here’s how to fix stuttering and lag in Cyberpunk 2077 for smoother gameplay.
✔ Reduce in-game resolution for smoother performance.
✔ Turn off background recording in Windows Game Mode.
✔ Set Power Plan to High Performance in Windows settings.
✔ Disable CPU throttling in BIOS for consistent frame rates.
If you experience frame pacing issues or microstutters, lowering the crowd density and background effects can also help.
Console Performance Tips (PS5 & Xbox Series X/S)
✔ Enable Performance Mode – This allows 60 FPS gameplay instead of quality mode.
✔ Clear cache and rebuild database – Improves overall stability.
✔ Install the game on internal SSD – External HDDs can cause slow loading and stuttering.
✔ Disable motion blur and film grain – Reduces visual clutter and improves clarity.
Common Mistakes That Hurt Performance
❌ Running Cyberpunk 2077 on an HDD instead of an SSD.
❌ Not using DLSS/FSR when available.
❌ Keeping unnecessary apps open while playing.
❌ Forgetting to update GPU drivers.
❌ Using max settings on mid-range GPUs.
Avoiding these mistakes ensures smoother gameplay, higher FPS, and fewer crashes.
Conclusion & Final Performance Tips
Boosting performance in Cyberpunk 2077 requires a mix of settings adjustments, system upgrades, and software tweaks. By lowering demanding graphics settings, enabling DLSS/FSR, closing background tasks, and using SSD storage, you can enjoy a smooth and immersive experience without frame drops or lag.
If this guide helped you, share your experience in the comments. Let us know if you’ve found any other optimizations that worked for you!