Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most demanding titles in the Action RPG genre, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the Intel Arc B570 produces a specific performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution. The data shows a system where the graphics card is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strong multi-threaded capabilities ensure consistent frame pacing at lower settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to determine how these components interact.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and clearly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 76 FPS at 1920x1080 to 56 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 20 FPS. Pushing further to 3840x2160 drops the average to 37 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a graphics card that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as the pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the same trend is visible but with a more compressed range. The average FPS goes from 56 at 1080p to 42 at 1440p, and finally to 27 at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K is 15 FPS, which suggests that the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are becoming limiting factors at the higher resolution. The 4K Medium result also has a minimum FPS of 23 and a maximum of 32, indicating some frame time variance under load.

The High and Ultra presets show the most severe degradation at 4K. High settings produce 41 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and only 20 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings follow a similar curve with 39, 29, and 19 FPS respectively. The difference between 1440p and 4K for these presets is around 10-11 FPS, which is a significant loss. The data suggests that at 4K, the system is entirely GPU-limited, and the CPU’s capabilities are largely irrelevant for improving frame rates.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is more moderate, with a loss of roughly 25-30% of the frame rate across all presets. This indicates that the Arc B570 still has enough headroom at 1080p to provide a playable experience, but the transition to 1440p requires a noticeable reduction in settings to maintain a smooth 60 FPS target. The jump from 1440p to 4K is more brutal, halving the frame rate again, which confirms that 4K gaming is not a practical target for this GPU in Cyberpunk 2077 without aggressive upscaling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark results show a strong multi-threaded presence, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 19429. The single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2116 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4333.

In the context of Cyberpunk 2077, this processor is unlikely to be the bottleneck in any of the measured scenarios. The game is known to scale well with multiple cores, and the 13700K’s 24 threads provide ample headroom for the game’s AI, physics, and streaming systems. The Passmark multi-thread score of 45887 and the 3DMark max threads score of 12412 suggest that the CPU can handle the game’s background tasks without impacting frame rates.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 76, which is a high frame rate that still leaves the GPU as the primary driver. If the CPU were limited, we would expect the frame rate to plateau or drop significantly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less stressed. Instead, the FPS scales predictably with resolution, indicating that the 13700K is delivering frames faster than the Arc B570 can render them. The processor’s percentile ranking of 89 vs all CPUs and its average benchmark score of 46881 position it well above the requirement for this title.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the 13700K is effectively in a dead heat with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (deltaPct -0.2) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (deltaPct -0.3). It is slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535, both by 0.5%. This means that for Cyberpunk 2077, the specific choice of this processor versus those alternatives is unlikely to produce a measurable difference in the average FPS, as the GPU is the limiting factor in the measured configurations.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed for the architecture. The GPU is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the performance scaling observed.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, such as 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32 and a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s, are moderate for a modern card. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2649. These numbers place the Arc B570 in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival is the Intel Arc A750, which has a deltaPct of -0.1, meaning the B570 is essentially equivalent in performance to its predecessor.

The VRAM capacity and bandwidth are the most likely limits at higher resolutions. At 4K, the game requires more memory for textures and geometry, and the 160-bit bus can become a bottleneck. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is only 19, which is barely playable. The 10 GB frame buffer is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU is likely swapping data to system memory, causing the significant frame rate drop.

The clock speed of 2500 MHz is consistent across base and boost, which suggests that the card is not experiencing thermal throttling in a standard test scenario. Instead, the performance is limited by the raw shading power and memory throughput. The GPU’s 18 ray tracing cores are present, but the measured data does not include ray tracing settings, so their impact cannot be assessed from this pack. The FP16 performance of 23.04 TFLOPS (2:1) indicates a capable compute unit, but this is not a significant factor in standard rasterization workloads like the ones measured.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Arc B570 provides a range of experiences depending on the preset. Low settings deliver an average of 76 FPS, which is smooth and responsive for a fast-paced Action RPG. Medium settings reduce this to 56 FPS, with a minimum of 47 and a maximum of 64, indicating a stable frame time distribution. High settings drop to 41 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 39 FPS. For a 60 FPS target, Low is the only preset that consistently exceeds it, while Medium is borderline.

At 2560x1440, the performance ceiling lowers. Low settings produce an average of 56 FPS, which is still playable but requires a compromise on visual fidelity. Medium settings average 42 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 48. High settings fall to 31 FPS, and Ultra settings to 29 FPS. The 1440p results suggest that players will need to use the Low or Medium presets to avoid significant stuttering, as the minimum FPS values for Medium are close to the 30 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles across the board. Low settings yield an average of 37 FPS, which is below the standard 60 FPS target but technically playable on a high-refresh-rate monitor. Medium settings average 27 FPS, with a minimum of 23 and a maximum of 32. High settings drop to 20 FPS, and Ultra settings to 19 FPS. The 4K data clearly shows that this combination is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a stable 40 FPS average.

The overall combo rank in game is 2316 out of 2920 combinations, which places this pairing in the bottom 20% of tested configurations. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU’s performance, as the CPU is well above average. The data indicates that while the 13700K is a top-tier processor, it cannot compensate for the Arc B570’s limitations in this specific title.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average FPS of 41 at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is playable but will not hit a 60 FPS target consistently, so a lower preset is recommended for a smoother experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo?

A: Based on the data, 1920x1080 is the most suitable resolution. At Low settings, it achieves 76 FPS, and at Medium settings, it achieves 56 FPS. Higher resolutions result in sub-60 FPS averages, with 4K being particularly poor.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B570?

A: No. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745, are far higher than what this game needs. The FPS scaling across resolutions matches GPU limitations, not CPU ones, so the 13700K is not the limiting factor.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to the Arc A750 in this game?

A: The average benchmark scores for the two GPUs are nearly identical, with the B570 having a deltaPct of -0.1 relative to the A750. In practical terms, they should perform very similarly in Cyberpunk 2077, given the same CPU and settings.

Q: Will 10 GB of VRAM be enough for Cyberpunk 2077?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 10 GB frame buffer is sufficient, as shown by the moderate frame rates. At 4K, the performance drops significantly, suggesting that the VRAM capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution textures and geometry.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The data records a minimum FPS of 35 at 2560x1440 with Medium settings. This is the only 1440p preset with a listed minimum, and it indicates that frame pacing can dip below 40 FPS during intense scenes.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting 60 FPS at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only option that delivers a comfortable margin, with an average of 76 FPS. The Medium preset at 56 FPS is also viable for those who prefer better visuals, as the minimum of 47 FPS is still within a playable range. High and Ultra presets are not recommended for a smooth experience, as they drop below 45 FPS and do not provide a significant visual uplift that justifies the performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the best choice, offering an average of 56 FPS. This allows for a playable experience without excessive stuttering. Medium settings at 42 FPS are acceptable for slower-paced exploration but may feel sluggish in combat sequences. High and Ultra settings should be avoided, as they fall below 32 FPS, which will likely result in noticeable input lag and frame drops.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets provide a consistently playable experience. The Low preset at 37 FPS is the highest average, but it still falls short of a smooth 60 FPS target. Medium settings at 27 FPS are borderline, but the minimum of 23 FPS can cause noticeable hitches. For 4K gaming, users should consider either lowering the resolution to 1440p or accepting that the game will run at console-like frame rates, with the Low preset being the only reasonable choice if 4K is a requirement.

The most balanced experience for this hardware is 1080p with Medium settings, which provides an average of 56 FPS and a minimum of 47 FPS. This configuration offers a good mix of visual quality and performance, ensuring that the game remains responsive while still looking detailed. If higher fidelity is desired, the High preset at 1080p is acceptable, but players should be prepared for frame rates that occasionally dip below 40 FPS. Ultimately, the data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p requiring a compromise on quality for playable frame rates.