News Cyberpunk 2077 System Requirements: Ray Tracing Recs Revealed

[BulkZerker]

" and by that we mean you'll want at least a GeForce RTX GPU."

Ah, so this is a nVidia sponsored article.

Tried to pull a fast one on us didn't you Vox?

 

[hotaru.hino]

" and by that we mean you'll want at least a GeForce RTX GPU."

Ah, so this is a nVidia sponsored article.

Tried to pull a fast one on us didn't you Vox?

So is that free game to accuse every build article is sponsored by the manufacturers of the hardware included in said build? Or if someone says "you should run this on an AMD GPU" is sponsored by AMD?

How far down this rabbit hole can we go? 🤣

 

[hannibal]

This game is developed for last gen consoles... so it run on potatoes. If you rank up graphic options, the deman rices ofcourse, but the game engine is really light to run last gen console cpus!

 

[cryoburner]

" and by that we mean you'll want at least a GeForce RTX GPU."

Ah, so this is a nVidia sponsored article.

You are missing something though. He said "at least" a GeForce RTX GPU. That implies there will be something better. AMD sponsored article confirmed? : P

 

[Juan_Bijero]

Frankly, I don't understand the outrage. There is a lot of terrible stuff - in the real world - to be outraged about! If I'm driving a six year-old econobox, I'm not going to put the highest octane fuel in the tank, because it absolutely is not necessary. I will definitely keep up with oil changes, but probably not pour in the most expensive oil. Maintaining a computer isn't all that much different for me - I've got a decent set up already - so no need for me to run out and purchase a $1500 + graphic card just to play a game. I've played Far Cry 5 at 1600 X 900 resolution (on a WQHD monitor) - and it was fine. Obviously, it wasn't perfect, but it was more than acceptable - the lower resolution didn't bother me at all. I will probably buy Cyber Punk 2077 - and make compromises in the setup options as necessary. What I won't do is act in a condescending manner on this forum or any other. To the editor's credit - he didn't pull a Linus Sebastian! That said, I will probably wait a week or so to see how well Cyber Punk 2077's code is optimized before making said purchase. We all have our experts and I suspect that those of us who are interested in this game will seek them out - and come to our own conclusions.

 

[NP]

So is that free game to accuse every build article is sponsored by the manufacturers of the hardware included in said build? Or if someone says "you should run this on an AMD GPU" is sponsored by AMD?

How far down this rabbit hole can we go? 🤣

It is not a rabbit hole. It is not a conspiracy theory. If you write that this game should be played with an nvidia RTX (with or without "at least"), then you are doing it wrong. Simple as that. It is not that I think he gets money from nvidia for saying that. The problem is that writing that, nevermind the reason, exhibits a clear bias, regardless of his intention or any monetary compensation. Plus, it is also very uninformative, particularly with the "at least".

A professional writer should not write that. Period.


EDIT: And the same applies for passages such as "you should run this on an AMD GPU".

 

[hotaru.hino]

It is not a rabbit hole. It is not a conspiracy theory. If you write that this game should be played with an nvidia RTX (with or without "at least"), then you are doing it wrong. Simple as that. It is not that I think he gets money from nvidia for saying that. The problem is that writing that, nevermind the reason, exhibits a clear bias, regardless of his intention or any monetary compensation. Plus, it is also very uninformative, particularly with the "at least".

A professional writer should not write that. Period.


EDIT: And the same applies for passages such as "you should run this on an AMD GPU".

The game appears to make heavy use of ray tracing effects. Currently the only video cards that can do ray tracing via the API that the game uses (DXR) are from NVIDIA. Jarred can't make any recommendations for an AMD cards simply because no AMD card on the market right now will even run the ray tracing path.

If it's of Jarred's opinion that the best way to enjoy this game is to have everything turned on, including ray tracing, then there's only one solution as of the time of the article's writing that can do that: NVIDIA's. And we don't even know if AMD will release an RDNA2 card in time for game's launch.

If you're upset that games are using features only available to NVIDIA that makes people only recommend NVIDIA cards, then maybe you should direct your anger towards those companies who are "biased" against AMD.

 

[drivinfast247]

I think this article is BS. First of all, no game requires 1800$ PC. 1200$ is the max you need to have a proper experience with literally any game. You don't need an overpriced intel CPU or motherboard, and you don't need 3080, 3600 processor on B450 motherboard with 3070 graphic card is more than enough to handle anything you throw at it.

Secondly, minimal system requirements are definitely not a lie. You mentioned Witcher 3, and let me tell you, I played this game on Radeon HD 5000 series graphic card with 1Gb of graphic memory. Yes, it was minimum settings and 30 FPS, but the game didn't have any lags and ran smoothly on 1080p, I 100% finished it, clearing literally everything, and didn't have any negative experience with it, and it looked good even on minimal settings. After all, we are here for the gameplay, and not just to look at beautiful pictures. You absolutely don't need Ray Tracing or DLSS 2.0 to properly enjoy the game, those things are just nice to haves.

That's why CD Project red are most likely saying the truth, the recommended setup is more than enough for comfortable gaming experience, because comfortable gaming experience doesn't include Ray Tracing to begin with, and I'm completely sure that the minimal requirements are enough to run the game smoothly on 1080p 60 FPS at low settings, which is all most people ever need (because again, people are here for experience, and not the beautiful animations).

As for your "minimal rat tracing build", it's even worse. 2060 Super is a garbage graphic card, it's only formally capable of ray tracing, but costs like actual ray tracing card. If you have a decent graphic card with 6-8 GB of video memory, it's more than enough to run Cyberpunk 2077 comfortably, and they cost half of what 2060 Super costs.

Overall this is just plain marketing post, trying to sell people stuff they don't actually need, and I'm completely disappointed people are falling for it.

If you have spare money to purchase a PC with 700$ graphic card and 400$ processor, sure, go for it, you will have a bit more FPS and slightly better graphics. If you don't, don't bother, you can build a great PC with just 600-700$, which will still provide you with great gaming experience without any problems. If you don't compare it with ray tracing side to side, trust me, you won't even notice a difference, and even if you do, the difference isn't that big.

That's why you shouldn't worry, as long as you meet CD Project Red's recommended requirements.

All this rambling and yet not one mention of resolution.

 

[NP]

If it's of Jarred's opinion that the best way to enjoy this game is to have everything turned on, including ray tracing, then there's only one solution as of the time of the article's writing that can do that: NVIDIA's. And we don't even know if AMD will release an RDNA2 card in time for game's launch.

I don't think TH readers are (nor should they be) particularly interested in opinions in general, Jared's included, but the justification for those opinions. This applies especially for opinions that cannot possibly be based on anything real. And that opinion cannot be, because difference in enjoyability between different graphics settings is, firstly, highly subjective, and secondly, unknown at this point.

It just makes so little sense to read articles about people's opinions, and even less about what some people think their opinions might be in the future. This is not the level or rigour of analysis we have grown to enjoy in TH.

 

[sx57]

The game appears to make heavy use of ray tracing effects. Currently the only video cards that can do ray tracing via the API that the game uses (DXR) are from NVIDIA. Jarred can't make any recommendations for an AMD cards simply because no AMD card on the market right now will even run the ray tracing path.

If it's of Jarred's opinion that the best way to enjoy this game is to have everything turned on, including ray tracing, then there's only one solution as of the time of the article's writing that can do that: NVIDIA's. And we don't even know if AMD will release an RDNA2 card in time for game's launch.

If you're upset that games are using features only available to NVIDIA that makes people only recommend NVIDIA cards, then maybe you should direct your anger towards those companies who are "biased" against AMD.

This is a facts site not opinions.the article is written as if it is a fact.this article is full of emptiness and bias.cdpr has spended big time and money developing the game and now someone on tomshardware allows himself to say don't trust them,i know better!what a useless and cheap article.

 

[sx57]

I don't think TH readers are (nor should they be) particularly interested in opinions in general, Jared's included, but the justification for those opinions. This applies especially for opinions that cannot possibly be based on anything real. And that opinion cannot be, because difference in enjoyability between different graphics settings is, firstly, highly subjective, and secondly, unknown at this point.

It just makes so little sense to read articles about people's opinions, and even less about what some people think their opinions might be in the future. This is not the level or rigour of analysis we have grown to enjoy in TH.

Articles like this make me less trustful of tomshardware man.the article does't have any sign of truth.it's just advertising nvidia.i am with you on this,we are not here for opinions.

 

[dcpc]

I agree that the headline is worded a bit too strongly, perhaps, but nonetheless: a great article. As an enthusiast who's been watching all this Cyberpunk 2077 video with ray tracing enabled, etc., it's enlightening to see a cautionary article such as this. Well reasoned. Thanks.

 

[tigerskin48]

By far the worst article i read in this ever!! like "look we don't know anything on what these specs means but hey buy a 800 usd gpu and hey we still don't know what they mean but sure you can run it with RTX effects on" who made this? Jen Hsu Huang???

 

[King_V]

By far the worst article i read in this ever!! like "look we don't know anything on what these specs means but hey buy a 800 usd gpu and hey we still don't know what they mean but sure you can run it with RTX effects on" who made this? Jen Hsu Huang???

I'm so glad you joined the forum just for the purposes of posting this well-thought-out, insightful, factually-based in depth analysis.

 

[hotaru.hino]

By far the worst article i read in this ever!! like "look we don't know anything on what these specs means but hey buy a 800 usd gpu and hey we still don't know what they mean but sure you can run it with RTX effects on" who made this? Jen Hsu Huang???

The problem is that CDProjektRed gave zero context as to what to expect with their requirements listing other than it targeted 1080p Low for the minimum and 1080p High for the recommended. So they can't make a guess as to how much performance to expect. That's why they said "while we don't know exactly how demanding Cyberpunk 2077 will be."

Granted they could've put out some performance numbers from an assumption (which appears that's what happened on the minimum RTX requirement), but otherwise, most of the time requirements listings on games offer little to no context as to what to expect. The day a developer tells me "the minimum requirement is X, Y, and Z, and you can expect 30 FPS at 1080p on the lowest quality preset" is going to be a helluva day.

 

[cylentstorm]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I had to share my thoughts on the matter. The recommended specs seem targeted at 1080p...because that's the 1060's home court. In fact, 1080p @30-60fps is the de facto standard for system requirement targets. Frame rates and targets may vary, but most toe that line. I understand the skepticism, and even agree that the requirements seem a little tame and loose. We should also remember that Cyberpunk is going to be playable on PS4 & XBOX (standard and 2K versions,) so perhaps the specs aren't as far off as you imagine them to be...especially since those will likely be targeting dynamic resolutions at 30fps.

Still, it's relatively common knowledge (among PC gamers) that you should always exceed the recommended specs for the best experience. It isn't always about sheer performance, but a smooth 30 (with proper frame pacing) looks far better than an erratic 60--in my eyes, anyway. Cheers.

 

[cylentstorm]

I think this article is BS. First of all, no game requires 1800$ PC. 1200$ is the max you need to have a proper experience with literally any game. You don't need an overpriced intel CPU or motherboard, and you don't need 3080, 3600 processor on B450 motherboard with 3070 graphic card is more than enough to handle anything you throw at it.

Secondly, minimal system requirements are definitely not a lie. You mentioned Witcher 3, and let me tell you, I played this game on Radeon HD 5000 series graphic card with 1Gb of graphic memory. Yes, it was minimum settings and 30 FPS, but the game didn't have any lags and ran smoothly on 1080p, I 100% finished it, clearing literally everything, and didn't have any negative experience with it, and it looked good even on minimal settings. After all, we are here for the gameplay, and not just to look at beautiful pictures. You absolutely don't need Ray Tracing or DLSS 2.0 to properly enjoy the game, those things are just nice to haves.

That's why CD Project red are most likely saying the truth, the recommended setup is more than enough for comfortable gaming experience, because comfortable gaming experience doesn't include Ray Tracing to begin with, and I'm completely sure that the minimal requirements are enough to run the game smoothly on 1080p 60 FPS at low settings, which is all most people ever need (because again, people are here for experience, and not the beautiful animations).

As for your "minimal rat tracing build", it's even worse. 2060 Super is a garbage graphic card, it's only formally capable of ray tracing, but costs like actual ray tracing card. If you have a decent graphic card with 6-8 GB of video memory, it's more than enough to run Cyberpunk 2077 comfortably, and they cost half of what 2060 Super costs.

Overall this is just plain marketing post, trying to sell people stuff they don't actually need, and I'm completely disappointed people are falling for it.

If you have spare money to purchase a PC with 700$ graphic card and 400$ processor, sure, go for it, you will have a bit more FPS and slightly better graphics. If you don't, don't bother, you can build a great PC with just 600-700$, which will still provide you with great gaming experience without any problems. If you don't compare it with ray tracing side to side, trust me, you won't even notice a difference, and even if you do, the difference isn't that big.

That's why you shouldn't worry, as long as you meet CD Project Red's recommended requirements.

I concur.

 

[jeremyj_83]

Right now the best PSUs for the buck in the USA are the LEADEX III

While the Super Flower Ledex II are a good PSU, by no means are they the best bang for your buck. The 650W & 550W 80+ Gold versions are currently the cheapest one you can get with both costing $119.99. In the 550W range you can get the Phanteks AMP, Fractal Design Ion+, Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, and Seasonic Focus GX all for under $100. In the 650W+ range the competition is a bit better with the Fractal Design Ion+, Corsair RM (2019) Corsair RMx (2018), Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, & Seasonic Focus GX all being the same price to ~$5 less than the Leadex III and the Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum and Seasonic Focus PX coming in $5-$10 more expensive.

 

[bigdragon]

I don't have an RTX GPU, so I guess I can't play. 🙃

There seems to be a big marketing push from Nvidia on connecting 30-series GPUs with Cyberpunk today. I got a couple of spam emails about this in addition to articles like this showing up all over the internet. Honestly, the whole situation sours me on the game a bit. Sure, CDPR has the issue of horrific crunch, but now Nvidia is dumping salt on the wound by advertising products that cannot be bought. I'll excuse delays, but worker abuse, infuriating advertising, and a big press release blitz really make me want to ignore Cyberpunk. There are plenty of other games to play.

 

[damric]

While the Super Flower Ledex II are a good PSU, by no means are they the best bang for your buck. The 650W & 550W 80+ Gold versions are currently the cheapest one you can get with both costing $119.99. In the 550W range you can get the Phanteks AMP, Fractal Design Ion+, Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, and Seasonic Focus GX all for under $100. In the 650W+ range the competition is a bit better with the Fractal Design Ion+, Corsair RM (2019) Corsair RMx (2018), Seasonic Focus Plus Gold, & Seasonic Focus GX all being the same price to ~$5 less than the Leadex III and the Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum and Seasonic Focus PX coming in $5-$10 more expensive.

Best bang for your buck of "things I'd be willing to risk putting into MY OWN computer"

 

[waltc3]

nVidia is paying CDPR to promote them with this game--it's a TWIMTBP game, apparently. So it's no wonder that CDPR is promoting nVidia ray-tracing over AMD's. However, it's very surprising to me that CDPR has been so lackluster in building in console RDNA2 support for RT, thus far, at least! What I've seen of the game running on the new consoles was not impressive--well, to me, anyway--I'm not a console person... I wonder if they even asked AMD for a 6800 or XT to use--they didn't say. Indeed, all they've said is that RDNA2 will be supported right after launch--whatever that means. No matter, I was iffy on this game to begin with because the colors are gaudy in the extreme, the characters are sleazy beyond belief, and worst of all I absolutely loathe rap music. But this announcement from CDPR now guarantees that I will not buy the game, if ever, until CDPR deigns to properly support the 6800XT--as soon as I can buy one, that is... I play at 4k--all I want out of my next GPU is a decent frame-rate at 4k--and so something like DLSS scaling a lower-resolution render up to 4k is not something that interests me at all...!

 

[nitrium]

I don't get why people are obsessed with "maxing out settings" in these games. There is almost no discernible difference between "High" and "Ultra" in almost every game I've seen. You can stare at the screenshots for for hours, even with the horizontal slider control and often can't even see how it's "better" only that it's very slightly different and you usually specifically need to know exactly what to look for. In any case, it ain't going to affect your experience whatsoever, gameplay-wise. However, the system requirements for going from "High" to "Ultra", are often astronomical. If you got the money, sure, why not, but to give a "recommended system" based around "maxed settings" is utter nonsense relative to the gains you make in appearance imo.

 

[BeedooX]

The only thing that irks me is that we all know AMD is slow with drivers, while Nvidia is well invested here - resulting (as we all know from experience), Nvidia always achieving more optimal performance from their release day products.

DLSS aside, what I want to know is how competent the AMD RX6000 hardware actually is. Out of the box- at least in rasterization, it looks pretty good; but how good is that hardware? I've tried to ingest a lot of information - and there were some good reads about how well AMD's hardware was thought out - not leaving parts idle, and discussing rendering pipelines vs CU's etc. 1/triangle intersection per CU per clock etc.

But where does the potential of the RX6000 really lay - is it held back by drivers; what is the full potential of RX6000 series vs Ampere. While they are different architectures, it shouldn't be hard for some 'more engaged' people to estimate if they've got the numbers at hand.

People say this is AMD's first generation RT - but IMO that's irrelevant. Ray tracing has been available on RTX cards for a couple of years, so it's not like there wasn't a target to aim for - much like AMD delivered ~2x RDNA1 in one stroke. I doubt AMD would have aimed just for 2080Ti performance - so I'd imagine drivers or other optimizations will draw quite a bit more performance out of the hardware.

 

[itzmec]

Worst article I have read in ages from TH.

• Suggesting you need and Nvidia gpu for the game to look good.
• Saying we have no idea about the fps these setups would yield, and then pulling literally from thin air ideas about what fps these setups would yield.
• Trying to sell new hardware, even with prices listed.
• No actual new information about absolutely anything.
• Don't even get me started with "processors from 2012"... Like, its about a decade since we lived in an era where 8 years of processor technology actually meant something in GPU intensive games (especially ones to be gamed at high resolutions).

Just a load of crap that may only make sense if you care about tech as such. If you focused on how much your tech investment brings you gaming performance, then you'd realize that you constantly get less and less for the same money. A decade ago a top notch gpu was max 600e, now 1000e or more (and no, its not about inflation, inflation would make that 600e card in 2010 be equivalent of 690e in 2020).

So. Stop saying some recommended specs are wrong if you have nothing concrete to back your claims up with. Stop suggesting you need an nvidia RTX card to enjoy games. Stop blowing hot air in new tech, when purchasing new tech gives you increasingly diminishing returns with every passing year. Thanks.

"and then pulling literally from thin air ideas about what fps these setups would yield. "

can you edit this please. you misused the word literally. We all know the ideas didn't come from the thin air. thanks in advance.

 

[kyzarvs]

The required/recommended hardware listings are kinda of pointless anyway since they don't tell me what I can expect.

For all I know the required hardware is to run the game at low settings at 1024x768 to get 30FPS.

You missed the "1080p Ultra", "1440p Ultra" "4k Ray Tracing" headings throughout the article huh?