How to Fix Cyberpunk 2077 Lag, Stuttering, and FPS Drops

Cyberpunk 2077 is a demanding game that can suffer from lag, stuttering, and FPS drops even on capable hardware. Here are all the methods to optimize performance and get smooth gameplay, including tips for the Phantom Liberty expansion.

Method 1: Update GPU Drivers

GPU manufacturers release driver updates specifically optimized for Cyberpunk 2077 performance.

1. For NVIDIA: Open GeForce Experience and install the latest Game Ready driver.
2. For AMD: Open AMD Software and install the latest driver.
3. Restart your PC after installing new drivers.
4. Launch Cyberpunk 2077 and check for performance improvement.

Method 2: Enable DLSS or FSR

DLSS (NVIDIA) and FSR (AMD) use AI upscaling to render the game at a lower resolution and upscale it, dramatically improving FPS with minimal visual quality loss.

1. Open Cyberpunk 2077 and go to Settings, then Graphics.
2. Find the Upscaling option.
3. Select DLSS if you have an NVIDIA RTX card, or FSR 2.1 for AMD and older NVIDIA cards.
4. Set the quality mode to Quality or Balanced for the best tradeoff between visuals and performance.
5. Enable Frame Generation if your GPU supports it (RTX 40 series) for even higher FPS.

Method 3: Lower Graphics Settings

Reducing demanding graphics settings can significantly improve frame rates and reduce stuttering.

1. Go to Settings, then Graphics.
2. Use the Quick Preset and select Medium or High instead of Ultra.
3. Set Crowd Density to Low or Medium to reduce CPU load in busy areas.
4. Reduce Volumetric Fog Resolution to Medium.
5. Set Screen Space Reflections Quality to Medium.
6. Disable Film Grain and Chromatic Aberration as they add processing overhead without visual benefit.

Method 4: Disable Ray Tracing

Ray tracing provides realistic lighting and reflections but is extremely demanding on GPU resources.

1. Go to Settings, then Graphics, then Ray Tracing.
2. Toggle Ray Tracing off.
3. If you want some ray tracing, set it to Medium instead of Ultra and enable only Ray Traced Reflections.
4. This alone can improve FPS by 30 to 50 percent on most GPUs.

Method 5: Close Background Applications

Background apps consume CPU and RAM resources that Cyberpunk 2077 needs for smooth performance.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click the CPU and Memory columns to sort by usage.
3. Close any unnecessary applications, especially web browsers, streaming software, and other games.
4. Disable Discord and Steam overlays as they can cause micro-stutters.

Method 6: Increase Virtual Memory

Cyberpunk 2077 can use over 16GB of RAM in demanding scenes. Increasing virtual memory prevents stutters caused by running out of memory.

1. Search for “Advanced system settings” in the Start menu.
2. Click the Advanced tab, then Settings under Performance.
3. Click the Advanced tab, then Change under Virtual Memory.
4. Uncheck Automatically manage paging file size.
5. Select your system drive and set Initial size to 8192 and Maximum size to 16384.
6. Click Set, then OK, and restart your PC.

Method 7: Update the Game

CD Projekt Red continues to release patches that improve performance and fix stuttering issues.

1. Open Steam or GOG Galaxy and check for Cyberpunk 2077 updates.
2. Install any available updates.
3. Launch the game and test performance.

Method 8: Verify Game Files

Corrupted game files can cause performance issues, stutters, and frame drops.

1. On Steam: Right-click Cyberpunk 2077, Properties, Installed Files, Verify integrity of game files.
2. On GOG: Click the game, then Manage installation, then Verify / Repair.
3. Wait for the process to complete and fix any corrupted files.
4. Launch the game and test.