Cyberpunk 2077 as the Benchmark King: Why Reviewers Rely on Night City

Written By Ryan Hayden

Introduction

Since its release, Cyberpunk 2077 has been more than just a role-playing game; it has become a benchmarking standard for PC hardware reviewers and enthusiasts. With its demanding visuals, ray tracing, and dense urban environments, the game pushes graphics cards and CPUs to their limits. Reviewers such as Linus Tech Tips (LTT), Digital Foundry, and Gamers Nexus frequently use Cyberpunk 2077 to test new GPUs, CPUs, and optimization technologies. This article explores why the game has earned its reputation as the “benchmark king” and what makes it uniquely suited for performance testing.

Historical Context of Benchmark Games

Benchmarking with video games is not new. In 2007, Crysis became infamous for its ability to cripple even the most powerful PCs, leading to the phrase “Can it run Crysis?” as shorthand for hardware stress testing. Later titles, such as Metro Exodus and The Witcher 3, also served as demanding benchmarks. Cyberpunk 2077 has inherited this mantle in the 2020s, combining cutting-edge visuals with sprawling environments to become the modern equivalent of Crysis (PCBench, 2025). Its role as a benchmark reflects a tradition of games that define eras of hardware performance.

Technical Demands of Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 is notorious for its graphical complexity. Features such as ray tracing, path tracing, and massive draw distances create a workload that even the most powerful GPUs struggle to handle. For example, Krounder (2025) demonstrated that even a laptop RTX 3060 could achieve over 100 FPS using DLSS and FSR frame generation in Patch 2.3, highlighting how optimization technologies can dramatically improve performance.

Benchmarking sites such as PCBench (2025) show that Cyberpunk 2077 scales across different CPUs and GPUs, revealing performance differences that depend on resolution, presets, and upscaling technologies. This makes the game a valuable tool for reviewers who want to demonstrate the impact of hardware upgrades or new technologies like DLSS and FSR.

Why Reviewers Use Cyberpunk 2077

Reviewers like Linus Tech Tips often emphasize that if a system can handle Cyberpunk 2077, it can handle almost anything. In their video Running Cyberpunk 2077 at MAX SETTINGS! LTT showcased the game at extreme configurations, including 8K, to demonstrate how demanding it is on even high-end PCs (Linus Tech Tips, 2020). This kind of coverage reinforces the game’s role as a stress test for new hardware launches.

Other reviewers contribute unique perspectives. Digital Foundry focuses on visual fidelity and technical breakdowns, analyzing ray tracing and path tracing in detail. Gamers Nexus emphasizes thermal and power performance, showing how Cyberpunk 2077 stresses cooling systems. Hardware Unboxed highlights value and performance comparisons, using the game to demonstrate differences between mid-range and flagship GPUs. Together, these reviewers confirm Cyberpunk 2077 as a universal benchmark across the industry.

The Impact of DLSS, FSR, and Frame Generation

One reason Cyberpunk 2077 remains a relevant benchmark is that it integrates modern optimization technologies. NVIDIA’s DLSS, AMD’s FSR, and frame generation have transformed the game from an unplayable stress test into a showcase of upscaling innovation. DLSS 3 and FSR 3 allow mid-range GPUs to achieve triple-digit frame rates, while frame generation smooths gameplay even in demanding ray-traced scenes. This makes Cyberpunk 2077 not only a test of raw power but also a demonstration of how modern software solutions extend hardware capabilities (PCBench, 2025).

Phantom Liberty and Patch 2.0

The release of Phantom Liberty and Patch 2.0 marked a turning point in the game’s benchmarking role. While the expansion added new content, it also introduced full path tracing support and improved optimization. Reviewers noted that the game became both more stable and more demanding, offering a consistent platform for testing high-end GPUs. As Krounder’s benchmarking video shows, even mid-range laptops can achieve high frame rates with modern upscaling and frame generation technologies, proving that Cyberpunk 2077 balances demand with accessibility (Krounder, 2025).

Future Benchmarking Potential

While Cyberpunk 2077 currently holds the benchmark crown, future titles may challenge its dominance. Games such as Crimson Desert and the upcoming Witcher 4 promise expansive worlds and advanced graphical features. However, Cyberpunk 2077’s combination of technical demand, optimization, and cultural recognition ensures its continued relevance. It may remain the “Crysis of the 2020s” until another title demonstrates similar ability to stress hardware across the board.

Conclusion

Cyberpunk 2077 has transcended its role as a game and become a benchmark for PC hardware. Its demanding visuals, complex environments, and reliance on advanced technologies make it an ideal stress test for GPUs and CPUs. Reviewers such as Linus Tech Tips, Digital Foundry, Gamers Nexus, and Hardware Unboxed continue to highlight its importance, showing how even the most powerful systems can struggle under their load. With ongoing updates and optimizations, Cyberpunk 2077 remains the benchmark king, a title unlikely to be dethroned anytime soon, though future contenders like Crimson Desert and The Witcher 4 loom on the horizon.

References

 

Ryan Hayden
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