- DLSS 4.5 delivers excellent image quality but comes with a performance trade-off, leading many to believe it won’t be feasible on older cards.
- However, when tested on the RTX 3080, it delivers satisfying results with a minimal FPS drop compared to DLSS 3 and 4.
- We recommend using a low base resolution when enabling DLSS 4.5 on older GPUs to minimize performance loss.
While the new DLSS 4.5 tech may look enticing and all, it doesn’t come free, that’s for sure. Although it delivers image quality better than native when upscaled, the 20-30% performance hit is still pretty noticeable even on the newer RTX 5070.
As such, it was thought that DLSS 4.5 might not be viable on older cards, such as the RTX 20/30 Series. However, that may not be true, since DLSS 4.5 delivers surprisingly good results on the RTX 3080 when running Cyberpunk 2077.
Why it matters: DLSS has come a long way, and it’s no longer meant to increase FPS but to enable high-refresh-rate and 4k gaming. It’s great that newer versions are still supported on older hardware, helping gamers still keep up with modern tech.
YouTuber MxBenchmarkPC tested Cyberpunk 2077 on the RTX 3080 at Ultra settings across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K with Ray Tracing enabled and compared performance with DLSS 3, 4, and 4.5.
The results were surprisingly good, and the FPS drops were around 8-12 when compared to DLSS 4 and 3, respectively.
That said, on older models such as the RTX 20/30 Series GPUs, a 24% performance drop was noted due to high Vram usage. Furthermore, the lack of FP8 support and older Tensor core designs also make it a relatively poor application on these GPUs.
For those still wanting to enable DLSS 4.5 on older models, we recommend using a low base resolution to still enjoy great image quality. Nvidia has listed DLSS 4.5 presets, and only Preset J/K suits cards dating earlier than the RTX 4000 GPUs; the default for DLAA, Quality, and Balanced outputs.
DLSS 4.5 isn’t available at full capacity yet, as the new MFG feature will be released in the coming months. The 6x MFG will produce 5 additional AI-generated frames for every frame rendered by the system, delivering a substantial FPS gain, exclusive to RTX 5000 cards.
What are your thoughts on the DLSS 4.5 tech so far? Let us know in the comments below, or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[Staff Writer]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheerzahid03@gmail.com
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