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The release of DLSS 4.5 by NVIDIA has generated more attention than usual. There is a clear reason for this: rather than focusing solely on incremental improvements in visual quality, this iteration appears to expand in scope – emphasizing optimization, broader functionality, and additional features. At this stage, DLSS already delivers sufficiently consistent image quality to be widely usable across different scenarios, including multiplayer titles where such technologies are often avoided.
The release of version 4.5 also coincided with more than just the expected claims of up to 6× FPS improvement. Two additional presets, L and M, were introduced, along with a new transformer-based model, and dynamic frame generation is scheduled for March 31. Taken together, these changes – especially when combined with titles such as Resident Evil 9 that feature advanced implementations of path tracing – suggest the potential for a significant improvement in rendering results.
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Video about DLSS 4.5
Key Focus
The new L and M presets result in lower performance compared to earlier options. This is due to their emphasis on improving image quality rather than reducing it for the sake of higher frame rates. This distinction is central to the discussion. This is not intended as a full review, but rather as an illustration of a broader point: starting with version 4.5, DLSS is no longer just a simple toggle for increasing performance.
It functions as a separate graphics option that improves image quality at the cost of performance. In this respect, it is comparable to increasing shadow quality or enabling higher levels of anti-aliasing, where improved visual output comes with additional system load.
Not entirely, however. Enabling higher shadow quality typically reduces frame rate, whereas activating DLSS 4.5 in the M or L presets can improve image clarity, reduce flickering, and still maintain or even increase performance.
Important Clarification
At this point, it is worth addressing a potential misunderstanding. Initially, I assumed that the performance cost being discussed was relative to the baseline frame rate – i.e., the performance without DLSS enabled. Using Resident Evil 9 as an example, this would imply that enabling DLSS 4.5 might reduce FPS compared to native rendering. In other words, the new presets could be interpreted as conventional graphics settings that improve visual quality at the expense of GPU load.
No. The new presets are slightly less performant only in comparison to the previous DLSS modes, not relative to native rendering. They impose higher hardware requirements, including increased video memory usage, which can lead to reduced performance on older GPUs compared to earlier models. At the same time, image quality improves, which is a notable shift in how DLSS operates compared to its earlier iterations.
With newer GPUs, such as the ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 12 ГБ, image quality improves while the performance impact becomes negligible, approaching the margin of measurement error. This is also why I chose not to pursue a full review of DLSS 4.5. Producing a meaningful comparison would require a representative sample across multiple GPUs, which is not feasible in this case.
Ray Tracing vs Path Tracing
This is particularly relevant given that DLSS 4.5 remains a practical recommendation. There are games such as Resident Evil 9 – single-player titles with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and lighting – where path tracing can be utilized more effectively.
For context, path tracing can be considered an advanced version of ray tracing. Traditional ray tracing calculates reflections and lighting primarily for individual objects relative to light sources, without further propagation. Path tracing, in contrast, accounts for both the light hitting an object and how that light interacts with the surrounding environment, producing more realistic illumination and reflections.
In other words, if a light ray hits a vase, ray tracing will show the vase as illuminated, while path tracing will also account for the light reflected from the vase onto the surrounding environment. This effect is particularly noticeable in horror games, where subtle lighting and reflections significantly enhance the atmosphere.
In Resident Evil 9, enabling path tracing is practical primarily when used in combination with DLSS 4.5. This applies not only to the new presets but also, in the future, to dynamic frame generation. The latter will help reduce the input latency associated with DLSS – a factor that increases with the number of generated frames – but not to a degree that would diminish the single-player experience.
This is particularly relevant given the support from NVIDIA Reflex. According to the company, Reflex can reduce input latency in Resident Evil 9 by up to 46%. In practical terms, the effect is impressive, almost like black magic.
DLSS 4.5 Summary
The main point is that NVIDIA has achieved what rebranding attempts like Facebook’s name change could not. DLSS 4.5 represents a significant repositioning of one of its most important software products for gamers. It is no longer merely a “fake frame generator” – a term I personally avoid, since all frames are, in a sense, generated by the system.
With the new presets, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 functions as a graphics option that can now improve both performance and image quality simultaneously. This marks a notable shift: unlike technologies such as PhysX, DLSS is positioned as a core, lasting part of the gaming ecosystem and appears set to remain a standard feature moving forward.