author: Bart Swiatek
RTX 3090 is Not Enough to Run Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K
Techspot published an extensive analysis that illustrates how Cyberpunk 2077 works on different GPUs. CD Projekt RED's new game requires really powerful hardware - without cutting down on details, not even the RTX 3090 is enough to play in 4K.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- Cyberpunk 2077 is a very demanding game;
- Not even the RTX 3090 is enough to play in 4K on Ultra details, without ray tracing, and with constant 60+ fps;
- By lowering level of details we gain a lot of fps, but older chipsets (like the GTX 1060) aren't doing too well anyway;
- Ray tracing looks great, but requires powerful hardware;
- DLSS makes it easy to achieve acceptable smoothness.
Yesterday, first Cyberpunk 2077 reviews appeared online (you can read about ours here). Some tech websites have also published their impressions, focusing on the game's visuals and optimization. Thanks to the extensive analysis published by Techspot, we already know how CD Projekt RED's new game is performing on various graphics cards.
Test rig:
- CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K (in some tests half of the cores were turned off to simulate a weaker processor)
- Motherboard: MSI MEG Z390 Ace
- Memory: Corsair 2x16 GB DDR4-3600 CL16
- Drive: XPG SX8200 Pro T2B
- Power supply: Seasonic Focus 850 Platinum
- Cooling: Corsair Hydro H150i Pro RGB
- Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro M
Cyberpunk 2077 - Ultra settings
You need at least a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti class GPU - and only if you disable ray tracing - to run the title in 1080p without any compromise in detail. Owners of mid-shelf Turing cards - such as the GeForce RTX 2060 - have to reckon with drops to 42-43 fps. In the chart below we can see the performance of individual chipsets; RTM and RTU refer to ray tracing (reduced settings, i.e. Medium, and full - Ultra), while green and light blue indicate the results with DLSS enabled (green - DLSS Quality; light blue - DLSS Performance).
Only chipsets like the GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6800 XT can handle 1440p without problems. It's worth noting that the RTX 3070 was omitted in the tests, but looking at the results of the RTX 3060 Ti, it can be assumed that the slightly stronger mid-range Ampere model will offer an average of 55-60 fps. Unfortunately, you will have to reckon with some drops.
4K resolution is beyond the reach of modern graphics cards - unless we decide to activate DLSS without ray tracing (more on this later).
Cyberpunk 2077 - Medium settings
The good news is that on medium settings Cyberpunk 2077 performs noticeably better. We're dealing with a very demanding title, but responding well to fiddling with level of details. And so, in 1080p resolution, the GeForce RTX 2060 or Radeon 5600 XT is sufficient for smooth gameplay (owners of the latter GPU are likely to see drops to around 53-54 fps).
In 1440p resolution and medium detail settings, the GeForce RTX 3060 Ti should be able to handle the game, while RTX 3090 will handle the job in 4K (the RTX 3080 should also pull it off, but in both cases we have to except fps drops - owners of the weaker model will notice them more often).
Unfortunately, we don't have good news for gamers who still own the good, old GeForce GTX 1060 (according to Steam's data it's still the most popular GPU on the market). Even on medium details and in 1080p, this card will achieve an average of about 37-38 fps (with drops to 30). While it's possible to play the game like this... it is also probably time to consider an upgrade.
Cyberpunk 2077 - ray tracing and DLSS
As you know, CD Projekt RED's new game supports both ray tracing and DLSS. Both functions are currently only available on Nvidia graphics cards, but the first one should also work on the latest Radeons over time. It's worth noting that ray tracing offers a noticeable change in terms of visual experience, as Michal Mabka stressed in his review.
"So far, ray tracing has been just a curiosity for me, which did not add much to the game itself. I have not seen too many RT cases that would significantly affect the game experience. Also in this case, using it will change little in some locations. However, there are places where Cyberpunk shows what can be achieved with this technology. The main advantage of ray tracing is another layer of detail, which appears in the game world and simulates for example real reflections on surfaces or real light scattering. This, of course, comes with a cost - enabling high-level ray tracing can put an incredible load on the hardware, although DLSS can make wonders here, assuming it is properly set up. Ultimately, however, the technology is so fresh that you have to fiddle with the DLSS and RT settings a bit to achieve the optimum mix for your hardware," we read in the review.
Unfortunately, to enjoy such visual bells and whistles, you need a really powerful GPU, although DLSS makes it easy to enable these effects on a wider range of chipsets.
Finally, it is worth noting that the reviewed copies of Cyberpunk 2077 use the Denuvo anti-piracy system, which will not be present in the version sold to customers. The developers have warned that this solution may have a negative impact on the game's performance, so the game you'll be playing in two days' time may work slightly better than the graphs above suggest. We also remind the official system requirements.
