Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
As the release of Cyberpunk 2077 draws near, player anticipation is at an all-time high. Certain to be one of the biggest video game releases of 2020, the futuristic RPG from Polish developer CD Projekt Red has a lot riding on its holiday release. The game has received overwhelmingly positive reactions each time it has been shown off and though they would probably never admit it publicly, both Microsoft and Sony are counting on the game to help move next-gen consoles. All the big players in the PC hardware market are also expecting an uptick in sales from players planning upgrades and new builds just for Cyberpunk 2077.
Should you want to experience the game at the highest fidelity and frame rates on launch day, PC is clearly the go-to platform. CD Projekt Red got its start on PC and has remained incredibly loyal to its original fanbase, even following the breakthrough popularity of The Witcher 3 on PS4 and Xbox One. The PC version of Cyberpunk 2077 will be the only version at launch to get a graphical presentation enhanced by ray tracing. Using the power of NVIDIA RTX graphics cards and the soon-to-be-unveiled AMD Radeon RX 6000 series, PC gamers will be able to enjoy Night City with maximum immersion and graphical fidelity.
If you are new to PC gaming or haven’t been following PC hardware trends closely over the last couple of years, we have prepared a handy guide that will help you assemble or order a machine capable of delivering outstanding performance and turning heads with its sharp looks. To add to the fun, the build will feature a budget of $2077 (or somewhere very close as PC part pricing can change hourly).
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor ($294.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H115i RGB Pro XT ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK ATX ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair RGB Pro 32 GB DDR4-3600 CL18 ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro 2 TB NVME ($249.99 @ Amazon)
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 3070 8 GB VENTUS 3X OC ($519.99)
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic ATX ($134.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair RM (2019) 750W ($124.99 @ Corsair)
Case Fans: Corsair iCUE QL120 120mm Fan 3-Pack ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Fan/RGB Controller: Corsair Fan Controller Commander Pro ($74.29 @ Amazon)
RGB Strips: Corsair RGB LED Lighting Pro Expansion Kit ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Keanu Figure: McFarlane12-inch Scale Johnny Silverhand ($37.63 @ Amazon)
Total: $2046.82 (*as of the time of writing) PC Part Picker list
The heart of any gaming PC build, the CPU handles all of the dirty work. I went with the Zen 2-based 3700X due to its mix of price and performance. AMD does have Zen 3-based CPUs arriving very soon, but availability and pricing are still murky and there is no guarantee that you will be able to secure stock ahead of Cyberpunk 2077’s launch. This 8-core CPU has 16 threads and shares much of the architecture of the chip found in the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It will ensure you are ready to roll with all the upcoming games of the next generation, plus the ability to quickly encode videos should you have the desire to capture or stream gameplay.
While the Ryzen 7 3700X comes with a serviceable cooler in the box, any Cyberpunk PC worth its salt needs a beefy cooling solution and the H115i RGB Pro fits the bill. It has a big radiator that ensures your system will keep its cool under the heaviest loads and that the CPU will be capable of boosting itself to the highest clocks as much as possible. The included Corsair RGB fans can also be synchronized with the RAM, case fans, and LED strips included in this build.
MSI has produced some of the most popular boards for Ryzen CPUs over the years and the B550 Tomahawk is no exception. It has a strong VRM for clean power delivery to the CPU and 2 m.2 slots for future NVME SSD expansion. An onboard USB 3.2 Gen 2 type-C header pairs up nicely with the front panel port on this build’s Lian Li case.
This memory kit was chosen for the build for a few reasons, primarily because 3600Mhz memory kits are the sweet spot for the Ryzen 3000 series. They offer the best boost to speed without breaking the bank. This 32GB kit from Corsair also features iCUE-controllable RGB lighting built into the heat spreaders.
You need to have something to install your operating system and Cyberpunk 2077 onto. This ADATA NVME SSD offers lightning-fast performance comparable to drives at nearly double the price. Plus, with 2TB of space on deck, there is an outside chance you may be able to install Call of Duty and Cyberpunk 2077 at the same time (no promises).
The GPU does all the heavy graphics lifting in your system and the recently-announced RTX 3070 is up to the task of offering stunning ray-traced graphical effects in Cyberpunk 2077 with solid frame rates. The use of NVIDIA DLSS will likely allow 4K gameplay with the settings cranked up. The RTX 3070 is expected to offer RTX 2080 Ti speed at a price of around $500. If the availability of the 3070 is anything like its bigger siblings, you may want to start making plans to camp outside your local retailer very soon.
The case I selected for the Cyberpunk 2077 build will be a real showpiece. Lian Li’s O11 Dynamic chassis has been a smash hit with builders for nearly two years now and for good reason. It is intelligently laid out and its tempered glass panels make your hardware look really good. Why hide a box under your desk when it can light up a room?
You need a quality power supply to run your hardware and there are few better options at any price point than Corsair’s RM series. This 750 watt 80+ Gold certified power supply will deliver clean power to your CPU and GPU and is robust enough to handle future expansion. Its fully modular design reduces cable clutter and makes swapping in custom-sleeved cables a breeze.
You’re gonna need fans to circulate air within your PC’s chassis and these Corsair units are a perfect match for the triple-fan intake on the Lian Li O11 Dynamic. The included RGB lighting can be synchronized with the Corsair AIO cooler and RAM.
While it is possible to control your system fans via motherboard headers, the software provided by motherboard OEMs is mostly functional at best. The Corsair Commander Pro will act as a central hub for the Corsair fans and RGB strips in the Cyberpunk 2077 PC build and is controlled through the same iCUE software interface used by the H115I AIO cooler and Corsair RAM in the build.
The real star of the show here will be the Johnny Silverhand figure that will take up permanent residence inside the Cyberpunk 2077 PC. The 12-inch scale figure will stand nicely on the bottom of the Lian Li chassis and flank the GPU while being backlit by the trio of Corsair RGB fans. The iCUE software will allow you to customize a light show that would impress any citizen of Night City.
Make sure you keep it tuned to Shacknews for all the latest news on Cyberpunk 2077. Additionally, you can find videos, guides, previews, and reviews for just about any game you could imagine.