Quick Answer

For Cyberpunk 2077 with the Phantom Liberty expansion on a R25,000 SA budget, target an RTX 4070 12GB, a Ryzen 5 7600, 32GB DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe. Expect 80-100 fps at 1440p High with DLSS Quality, and playable ray tracing at 1440p.

Why Phantom Liberty needs the RTX 4070

The Dogtown district added in Phantom Liberty is the most demanding area in the game, with dense crowds and heavy effects. An RTX 4070's 12GB VRAM and extra horsepower hold 80-100 fps at 1440p High with DLSS Quality, where 8GB cards start to strain. A Ryzen 5 7600 keeps CPU-heavy crowd scenes smooth, and 32GB DDR5 covers gaming plus any streaming or recording.

Ray tracing in Dogtown

The RTX 4070 can run RT reflections and RT lighting at 1440p with DLSS Quality and frame generation, landing in the 60-80 fps range in Dogtown. Full path tracing is playable at 1080p with DLSS Performance but drops sharply at 1440p. For most players, High raster with selective ray tracing and frame generation is the sweet spot.

Build balance and monitor

A 27-inch 1440p 144Hz or 165Hz monitor (around R4,500) is the natural match. The 12GB VRAM is the key spec here -- it is what keeps Phantom Liberty's high-resolution textures stutter-free. A 650-750W 80+ Bronze PSU gives clean power and a clear path to a stronger GPU if you later chase 4K.

FAQ

Is Phantom Liberty harder to run than base Cyberpunk?

Yes. The Dogtown district is the most demanding part of the game, with dense crowds and effects. An RTX 4070 with 12GB VRAM handles it at 80-100 fps at 1440p High with DLSS Quality.

Can a R25,000 PC run Cyberpunk ray tracing?

Yes. The RTX 4070 runs RT reflections and lighting at 1440p with DLSS Quality and frame generation around 60-80 fps. Full path tracing is best at 1080p with DLSS Performance.

How much VRAM does Phantom Liberty need at 1440p?

12GB is comfortable and is why the RTX 4070 is recommended here. Cards with only 8GB can stutter on Dogtown's high-resolution textures at 1440p with ray tracing enabled.

TIP

Pro Tip

For Phantom Liberty's Dogtown, the RTX 4070's 12GB VRAM is the deciding spec -- it prevents the texture stutter that 8GB cards hit at 1440p with ray tracing on.