Gaming Benchmarks: Cyberpunk 2077 on High-End GPUs
Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt Red's visually stunning open-world RPG, remains a demanding title for even the most powerful gaming PCs. This article provides a detailed analysis of Cyberpunk 2077's performance on various high-end GPUs, offering insights into frame rates, graphical settings, and overall playability.
Test Setup
- CPU: Intel Core i9-13900K
- RAM: 32GB DDR5-6000
- Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD
- Operating System: Windows 11
- Drivers: Latest NVIDIA and AMD drivers
GPUs Tested
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
- AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
Benchmarking Methodology
All benchmarks were conducted using the game's built-in benchmark tool, as well as real-world gameplay scenarios within the densely populated areas of Night City. Frame rates were recorded using CapFrameX, and average FPS, 1% low FPS, and maximum FPS were analyzed.
Graphical Settings
Cyberpunk 2077 offers a wide array of graphical settings. Benchmarks were performed using the following presets:
- Ray Tracing: Ultra: Maximum ray tracing settings, including ray-traced reflections, shadows, and global illumination.
- Ultra: Maximum settings without ray tracing.
- High: A balance between visual quality and performance.
Benchmark Results
The following results showcase the performance of each GPU at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
The RTX 4090 unsurprisingly delivers the best performance across all resolutions and settings. At 4K with Ray Tracing: Ultra, the RTX 4090 averages over 60 FPS, providing a smooth and visually impressive gaming experience. Disabling ray tracing pushes the frame rates well above 100 FPS, even at 4K.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
The RTX 4080 offers excellent performance, closely trailing the RTX 4090. At 4K with Ultra settings, it maintains a comfortable average FPS, and it remains playable with Ray Tracing: Ultra, albeit with some dips in frame rates in demanding scenes.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
The RX 7900 XTX competes closely with the RTX 4080, delivering comparable performance in most scenarios. However, ray tracing performance lags behind NVIDIA's offerings. At 4K with Ray Tracing: Ultra, the RX 7900 XTX struggles to maintain a consistent 60 FPS.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
The RX 7900 XT provides a solid gaming experience at 1440p and performs reasonably well at 4K with optimized settings. However, it is not recommended for Ray Tracing: Ultra at 4K due to significant performance limitations.
Performance Analysis
- Ray Tracing Impact: Ray tracing significantly impacts performance, especially at higher resolutions. NVIDIA's RTX cards generally handle ray tracing more efficiently than AMD's RX cards.
- DLSS and FSR: NVIDIA's DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) and AMD's FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) can significantly boost performance with minimal visual impact. Enabling these technologies is highly recommended for smoother gameplay, especially at 4K.
- CPU Bottlenecks: At 1080p, CPU bottlenecks may become apparent, especially with high-end GPUs. Increasing the resolution to 1440p or 4K shifts the load to the GPU, reducing the impact of CPU limitations.
Conclusion
Cyberpunk 2077 remains a demanding title, but high-end GPUs can deliver an enjoyable gaming experience with the right settings. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 leads the pack, followed by the RTX 4080 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. Gamers should carefully consider their resolution and graphical preferences when choosing a GPU for Cyberpunk 2077. Experimenting with DLSS or FSR can provide a significant performance boost, allowing for higher settings and smoother frame rates.
