Capture Card Buying Guide 2026: How to Choose the Right One
A capture card buying guide should start with the source device and the gameplay signal you want to preserve. If
Cyberpunk 2077’s current minimum system requirements target 1080p Low at an expected average 30 FPS. CD Projekt Red lists a Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600 with 12GB RAM. The minimum GPU is a GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, Radeon RX 580 8GB, or Intel Arc A380.
The recommended PC specs target 1080p High at 60 FPS. They specify 16GB RAM and stronger Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA graphics hardware.
Ultra settings target 4K at 60 FPS. Ray-tracing requirements extend from RT Low to the path-traced RT Overdrive preset.
The official RT Overdrive target uses an RTX 4080 with DLSS Frame Generation switched on.
Cyberpunk 2077 requires DirectX 12 and 70GB storage. These requirements cover the base game and Phantom Liberty from Update 2.0 onward.
Cyberpunk 2077 Minimum, Recommended, and Ultra Requirements
Cyberpunk 2077 has 3 official non-ray-tracing PC tiers: Minimum, Recommended, and Ultra. Each tier defines its graphics preset, resolution, expected FPS, memory, and storage target.
| Component | Minimum | Recommended | Ultra |
| Graphics preset | Low | High | Ultra |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 | 1920×1080 | 3840×2160 |
| Expected FPS | 30 FPS | 60 FPS | 60 FPS |
| OS in published table | 64-bit Windows 10 | 64-bit Windows 10 | 64-bit Windows 10 |
| Intel CPU | Core i7-6700 | Core i7-12700 | Core i9-12900 |
| AMD CPU | Ryzen 5 1600 | Ryzen 7 7800X3D | Ryzen 9 7900X |
| NVIDIA GPU | GeForce GTX 1060 6GB | GeForce RTX 2060 Super | GeForce RTX 3080 |
| AMD GPU | Radeon RX 580 8GB | Radeon RX 5700 XT | Radeon RX 7900 XTX |
| Intel GPU | Arc A380 | Arc A770 | — |
| VRAM | 6GB | 8GB | 12GB |
| RAM | 12GB | 16GB | 20GB |
| Storage | 70GB SSD | 70GB SSD | 70GB NVMe |
| DirectX | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
CD Projekt Red requires the latest DirectX 12 for the current Windows PC requirements.
What Are the Cyberpunk 2077 Minimum Requirements?
The minimum system requirements target 1080p Low at an expected average 30 FPS.
The minimum CPU is an Intel Core i7-6700 or AMD Ryzen 5 1600.
Graphics options include a GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, Radeon RX 580 8GB, or Intel Arc A380.
The minimum configuration also specifies 12GB RAM, 6GB VRAM, DirectX 12, and 70GB SSD storage.
These specifications replace the older minimum hardware used before Update 2.0.
What Are the Recommended Requirements for 1080p High?
The recommended specification targets 1080p High at an expected 60 FPS.
CD Projekt Red lists a Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
Supported graphics cards include the GeForce RTX 2060 Super, Radeon RX 5700 XT, and Intel Arc A770.
The recommended configuration requires 16GB RAM, 8GB VRAM, and 70GB SSD storage.
The 60 FPS value represents CD Projekt Red’s expected target for this defined hardware tier.
What Are the Ultra Requirements for 4K?
Cyberpunk 2077’s Ultra tier targets 4K Ultra at an expected 60 FPS.
CD Projekt Red lists a Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X.
GPU options include the GeForce RTX 3080 or Radeon RX 7900 XTX with 12GB VRAM.
The tier also requires 20GB RAM and 70GB NVMe storage.
Ultra covers non-ray-tracing max settings. RT Ultra and RT Overdrive use separate official hardware tiers.
Current OS support: CDPR’s Update 2.0 table still shows Windows 10 64-bit. CDPR now identifies Windows 11 as the minimum supported Windows OS.
Cyberpunk 2077 Ray Tracing System Requirements
Cyberpunk 2077 has 3 official ray-tracing tiers: RT Minimum, RT Recommended, and RT Overdrive. Ray tracing increases GPU, VRAM, RAM, and storage requirements.
| Component | RT Minimum | RT Recommended | RT Overdrive |
| Graphics preset | Ray Tracing Low | Ray Tracing Ultra | Ray Tracing Overdrive |
| Resolution | 1080p | 1080p | 2160p / 4K |
| Expected FPS | 30 FPS | 60 FPS | 60 FPS |
| CPU | Core i7-9700 / Ryzen 5 5600 | Core i9-12900 / Ryzen 9 7900X | Core i9-12900 / Ryzen 9 7900X |
| GPU | RTX 2060 / RX 6800 XT / Arc A750 | RTX 3080 Ti / RX 7900 XTX | RTX 4080 |
| VRAM | 8GB | 12GB | 16GB |
| RAM | 16GB | 20GB | 24GB |
| Storage | 70GB SSD | 70GB NVMe | 70GB NVMe |
What Are the Ray Tracing Minimum Requirements?
Ray Tracing Minimum targets 1080p RT Low at an expected 30 FPS.
The tier specifies a Core i7-9700 or Ryzen 5 5600.
Compatible GPUs include the GeForce RTX 2060, Radeon RX 6800 XT, and Intel Arc A750.
It also requires 8GB VRAM, 16GB RAM, and 70GB SSD storage.
What Are the Ray Tracing Recommended Requirements?
Ray Tracing Recommended targets 1080p RT Ultra at an expected 60 FPS.
The processor requirement rises to a Core i9-12900 or Ryzen 9 7900X.
The GPU requirement rises to a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti or Radeon RX 7900 XTX.
This tier requires 12GB VRAM, 20GB RAM, and 70GB NVMe storage.
What Does RT Overdrive Require?
RT Overdrive targets 4K path tracing at 60 displayed FPS with a GeForce RTX 4080.
CD Projekt Red specifies 16GB VRAM, 24GB RAM, and 70GB NVMe storage for this tier.
RT Overdrive uses full ray-traced rendering, also known as path tracing. CDPR introduced the technology through Patch 1.62.
Its GPU demand places it within the hardware class associated with High-End Gaming PCs configured around flagship graphics hardware.
CD Projekt Red measured the published 4K/60 result with DLSS Frame Generation switched on.
The result therefore does not represent 60 fully native-rendered frames each second.
A Dolby Atmos-compatible PC audio solution is required only for a Dolby Atmos experience. It is not required to run the game.
Why Do Some Websites Show Different Cyberpunk 2077 Requirements?
Some websites show older requirements because CD Projekt Red replaced Cyberpunk 2077’s previous hardware table with Update 2.0 specifications.
The current requirements apply to both Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty.
Patch 1.63 used a lower minimum configuration:
- Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
- 8GB RAM
- 3GB VRAM
- 70GB HDD storage
- SSD recommended
CD Projekt Red still publishes these older specifications for historical reference.
The current minimum increases system RAM from 8GB to 12GB.
It also changes the GPU baseline to a GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580 8GB, or Arc A380.
HDD support belonged to the older requirement set. CDPR discontinued HDD support when the new requirements became active.
CDPR states that SSDs provide faster loading, smoother asset streaming, and improved overall performance compared with HDD storage.
Older articles, screenshots, and boxed copies can therefore display different specifications.
CD Projekt Red specifically warns that physical copies may contain outdated minimum or recommended requirements.
Current PC comparisons require the Update 2.0 requirements. Patch 1.63 specifications represent an older hardware baseline.
What Do the Cyberpunk 2077 Requirements Mean for Modern Hardware?
Cyberpunk 2077’s requirements show that CPU, GPU, VRAM, and resolution affect different parts of PC performance.
CD Projekt Red describes the game as both graphics-intensive and processor-intensive.
What Do the Cyberpunk 2077 CPU Requirements Mean?
Cyberpunk 2077 requires stronger CPUs as official performance targets increase from 30 FPS to demanding 60 FPS settings.
Minimum hardware lists a Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600.
Recommended hardware rises to a Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X3D.
CPU performance depends on architecture, cache, core resources, and thread behavior rather than GHz alone.
Higher frame rates can expose processor limitations because the CPU prepares more frames each second.
Cyberpunk also includes a Hybrid CPU Utilization option for compatible processors.
CD Projekt Red added this setting in Patch 2.11. It controls how threads are distributed across hybrid CPU cores.
What Do the GPU and VRAM Requirements Mean?
GPU requirements increase with resolution, graphics quality, ray tracing, and path tracing.
The minimum tier starts at 6GB VRAM.
Recommended and RT Minimum require 8GB.
Ultra and RT Recommended require 12GB.
RT Overdrive specifies 16GB VRAM.
GPU processing performance and VRAM capacity are separate attributes.
The graphics processor performs rendering calculations. VRAM stores textures, frame buffers, and other graphics data.
Higher resolutions, including 1440p and 4K, increase GPU pixel workload.
Ray tracing adds lighting calculations. RT Overdrive adds the heavier path-tracing workload.
VRAM capacity alone does not determine graphics-card performance.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 CPU-Heavy or GPU-Heavy?
Cyberpunk 2077 can become CPU-limited or GPU-limited depending on its resolution, settings, and target frame rate.
Lower resolutions can expose CPU limits as the graphics workload decreases.
Higher resolutions increase GPU load by increasing the number of rendered pixels.
Ray tracing increases graphics demand further.
RT Overdrive creates the highest official GPU requirement because it uses path tracing.
The limiting component therefore changes with the selected PC hardware and performance target.
Cyberpunk 2077 RAM, VRAM, and Storage Requirements
Cyberpunk 2077 requires 12GB–24GB RAM, 6GB–16GB VRAM, and 70GB storage across its official PC tiers.
How Much RAM Does Cyberpunk 2077 Need?
Cyberpunk 2077 requires 12GB RAM at minimum and 24GB for the official RT Overdrive target.
| Performance tier | RAM |
| Minimum | 12GB |
| Recommended | 16GB |
| RT Minimum | 16GB |
| Ultra | 20GB |
| RT Recommended | 20GB |
| RT Overdrive | 24GB |
A 32GB system exceeds every current published Cyberpunk 2077 RAM requirement.
CD Projekt Red does not list 32GB RAM as required for any official tier.
Additional RAM can provide capacity for launchers, browsers, recording tools, and communication applications.
Additional system RAM does not replace insufficient CPU or GPU performance.
How Much VRAM Does Cyberpunk 2077 Need?
Cyberpunk 2077 requires 6GB to 16GB VRAM across its current official performance tiers.
| Performance tier | VRAM |
| Minimum | 6GB |
| Recommended | 8GB |
| RT Minimum | 8GB |
| Ultra | 12GB |
| RT Recommended | 12GB |
| RT Overdrive | 16GB |
The GTX 1060 6GB establishes the minimum NVIDIA VRAM baseline.
The RTX 4080 establishes the 16GB RT Overdrive target.
Higher-resolution textures and ray-traced workloads can use more graphics memory.
However, VRAM capacity does not independently establish expected FPS.
Does Cyberpunk 2077 Require an SSD?
Yes. Current Cyberpunk 2077 PC requirements specify SSD storage across every official performance tier.
Minimum, Recommended, and RT Minimum specify 70GB SSD storage.
Ultra, RT Recommended, and RT Overdrive specify 70GB NVMe storage.
Players replacing an older game drive can compare PCIe generations and capacities in the gaming NVMe SSDs guide before selecting storage.
HDD support belongs to the older Patch 1.63 requirements.
The official storage capacity remains 70GB across all current Windows PC tiers.
Cyberpunk 2077 FPS Guide: 1080p, 1440p, and 4K
Cyberpunk 2077 FPS depends on resolution, graphics preset, ray tracing, upscaling, frame generation, CPU, and GPU performance.
CD Projekt Red publishes current official targets for 1080p and 4K.
What FPS Can Cyberpunk 2077 Reach at 1080p?
CD Projekt Red targets 30 FPS minimum and 60 FPS recommended performance at 1080p.
Minimum targets 1080p Low at 30 FPS.
Recommended targets 1080p High at 60 FPS.
RT Minimum targets 1080p RT Low at 30 FPS.
RT Recommended targets 1080p RT Ultra at 60 FPS.
High-refresh performance above 60 FPS does not have a dedicated current CDPR hardware tier.
Higher frame rates can increase CPU pressure because more frames require preparation each second.
Performance can also change between different Night City scenes.
What FPS Can Cyberpunk 2077 Reach at 1440p?
CD Projekt Red does not publish a dedicated current 1440p hardware tier.
The previous Patch 1.63 requirements contained a 1440p High tier, but Update 2.0 removed that dedicated target.
1440p performance therefore requires measured results rather than an invented official FPS target.
The resolution contains approximately 3.69 million pixels, compared with 2.07 million at 1080p.
That represents about 78% more pixels per frame.
Players comparing complete 1440p systems can review Gaming PCs Under $2000 while evaluating CPU, GPU, and memory combinations.
The 1080p vs 1440p comparison also explains how increased resolution changes GPU workload.
Cyberpunk includes a built-in benchmark for controlled performance measurements.
Patch 1.62 expanded benchmark results with PC specifications, GPU driver information, and selected settings.
What FPS Does Cyberpunk 2077 Target at 4K Ultra?
The official Ultra tier targets 4K Ultra at an expected 60 FPS without RT Overdrive.
CDPR lists an RTX 3080 or RX 7900 XTX with 12GB VRAM.
The tier also specifies 20GB RAM and 70GB NVMe storage.
4K contains approximately 8.29 million pixels, four times the pixel count of 1080p.
This additional pixel workload increases graphics-card demand.
4K Ultra and RT Overdrive remain separate performance targets.
What Does Cyberpunk 2077 Require for 100+ FPS?
Cyberpunk 2077 has no official 100 FPS hardware tier.
A 100+ FPS result depends on resolution, graphics preset, CPU performance, GPU performance, and ray tracing.
Upscaling and frame generation also change reported FPS.
Every performance comparison therefore requires the resolution, preset, ray-tracing setting, and frame-generation status.
How Do Ray Tracing and Path Tracing Change Cyberpunk 2077 Requirements?
Ray tracing increases GPU workload, while RT Overdrive adds the game’s heavier path-tracing workload.
What Is the Difference Between Ray Tracing and RT Overdrive?
Standard ray tracing applies selected ray-traced effects, while RT Overdrive uses full path-traced rendering.
CD Projekt Red describes RT Overdrive as a fully ray-traced rendering mode. Patch 1.62 added the preset on PC.
Conventional ray tracing calculates selected lighting, reflection, and shadow effects.
Path tracing expands the number of lighting calculations across the rendered scene.
Players adjusting these workloads can use the ray tracing optimization guide for deeper graphics, driver, cooling, and monitoring changes.
The larger workload explains the substantial jump from RT Minimum hardware to RT Overdrive hardware.
How Do Upscaling and Frame Generation Change Cyberpunk FPS?
Upscaling and frame generation change displayed FPS through different rendering processes.
Upscaling renders from a lower internal resolution before reconstructing the final output.
Frame generation creates additional displayed frames between traditionally rendered frames.
NVIDIA states that DLSS Frame Generation uses AI-generated frames while NVIDIA Reflex supports responsiveness.
Cyberpunk 2077 also supports AMD FSR 3.1 Frame Generation and Intel XeSS 2.0.
CD Projekt Red added those technologies through Update 2.3.
Generated FPS therefore differs from fully native-rendered FPS.
Benchmarks require the same resolution, preset, ray-tracing level, upscaling mode, and frame-generation status for valid comparison.
Can My PC Run Cyberpunk 2077?
A PC meets Cyberpunk 2077’s official baseline when its hardware reaches the current minimum requirements.
Higher hardware tiers correspond to higher settings, ray-tracing levels, resolution targets, and expected FPS.
How Do You Check Your Cyberpunk 2077 PC Specs?
Check the CPU, GPU, VRAM, RAM, Windows version, storage type, and free space before comparing requirements.
Microsoft lists Windows Settings, Task Manager, System Information, and DxDiag as methods for checking PC hardware.
Use these 4 checks:
- Task Manager: Review CPU, RAM, GPU, and disk information.
- DxDiag: Review DirectX version and graphics information.
- Windows Settings: Confirm Windows version and 64-bit system type.
- File Explorer: Confirm free storage capacity on the game drive.
CDPR requires DirectX 12 and 70GB storage across the current published tiers.
How Do You Match Your PC to the Correct Performance Tier?
Compare the complete configuration with the official tier matching your target resolution, settings, and ray-tracing level.
| Hardware position | Relevant official target |
| Around Minimum | 1080p Low / 30 FPS |
| Around Recommended | 1080p High / 60 FPS |
| Above Recommended | Additional performance headroom |
| Around Ultra | 4K Ultra / 60 FPS |
| Around RT Minimum | 1080p RT Low / 30 FPS |
| Around RT Recommended | 1080p RT Ultra / 60 FPS |
| Around RT Overdrive | 4K path tracing / 60 displayed FPS |
CD Projekt Red publishes all six targets in the current requirements table.
A PC meeting Recommended does not automatically meet Ultra or ray-tracing requirements.
One stronger component also does not replace a major component below the selected tier.
Does Cyberpunk 2077 Run on a Low-End PC?
A low-end PC meets official requirements only when its components reach the current minimum baseline.
That baseline includes a Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600 and 12GB RAM.
It also specifies a GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580 8GB, or Intel Arc A380.
CDPR associates this hardware with 1080p Low at an expected 30 FPS.
Hardware below these specifications falls outside the current official minimum tier.
Is a PC Upgrade Necessary for Cyberpunk 2077?
A PC upgrade becomes relevant when installed hardware falls below the intended Cyberpunk performance tier.
The selected resolution, graphics preset, ray-tracing level, and frame rate determine the relevant hardware baseline.
Which Hardware Tier Determines the Upgrade?
The component below the selected target represents the measurable upgrade limitation.
| Hardware limitation | Relevant area |
| GPU below intended tier | Graphics card |
| CPU limits higher FPS | CPU or platform |
| RAM below selected tier | System memory |
| HDD or inadequate SSD | Storage |
| VRAM below RT or 4K tier | Graphics card |
| Several components below target | Complete platform |
A graphics-card upgrade can also affect power, cooling, and case requirements.
The Gaming PC Upgrade Guide covers those compatibility checks when several components change together.
Complete-system replacement becomes relevant when several major components remain below the intended performance tier.
The final decision therefore depends on the target performance tier rather than minimum specifications alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cyberpunk 2077 Require Windows 11?
Windows 11 is now CD Projekt Red’s minimum supported Windows operating system for Cyberpunk 2077.
The Update 2.0 requirement chart still displays 64-bit Windows 10.
However, CDPR stopped Windows 10 testing after Microsoft support ended on October 14, 2025.
Do You Need an RTX GPU to Play Cyberpunk 2077?
No. An NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU is not required for Cyberpunk 2077’s non-ray-tracing minimum tier.
The current minimum supports the GTX 1060 6GB, RX 580 8GB, and Intel Arc A380.
Ray-tracing tiers use stronger RT-capable graphics hardware.
Can Cyberpunk 2077 Run on Integrated Graphics?
CD Projekt Red does not list integrated graphics in Cyberpunk 2077’s current minimum specifications.
The official minimum GPU options are dedicated GeForce GTX, Radeon RX, and Intel Arc graphics cards.
Integrated graphics therefore require model-specific testing against the published minimum performance class.
Is 32GB RAM Necessary for Cyberpunk 2077?
No official Cyberpunk 2077 PC tier requires 32GB RAM.
The current requirements range from 12GB at Minimum to 24GB at RT Overdrive.
A 32GB system therefore exceeds every current published Windows RAM requirement.
Does Phantom Liberty Have Different System Requirements?
Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty use the same current PC requirement table from Update 2.0 onward.
The six tiers cover non-ray-tracing graphics, ray tracing, and RT Overdrive.
Older Phantom Liberty articles can still reference Patch 1.63 hardware, which represents the previous requirement set.
