DLSS 4 – A shockingly great update
LSS 4, or Deep Learning Super Sampling 4, is the latest iteration of NVIDIA’s groundbreaking AI-powered technology designed to enhance graphical performance without compromising on visual quality. Leveraging the robust machine learning capabilities of the Tensor cores found in NVIDIA’s RTX series, DLSS 4 intelligently upscales lower-resolution images to higher resolutions in real-time.
This means games can run at lower native resolutions while being output at higher resolutions, significantly boosting frame rates and making gameplay smoother. The technology analyzes each frame, and using a deep neural network, it predicts and constructs high-quality images that are crisper and cleaner, effectively mimicking the output of much higher native resolution settings.
For users of the RTX 5090, DLSS 4 is particularly important because it allows them to maximize the potential of their high-end hardware. In demanding titles and resolutions, such as playing games in 4K, DLSS 4 enables the GPU to deliver fluid frame rates without taxing the hardware unnecessarily. This is crucial for maintaining the longevity of the GPU while also providing an ultra-high-quality gaming experience. Additionally, DLSS 4 includes improvements such as reduced ghosting and sharper images, which are pivotal for competitive gaming where clarity and frame rate can influence the outcome of fast-paced action. By employing DLSS 4, gamers with an RTX 5090 can enjoy cutting-edge visual fidelity combined with performance efficiency, making it a key feature in today’s graphically intensive gaming landscape.
AI may not be everyone’s future, especially for the purist gamers out there. We appreciate that and love raw power but this technology is great and the future is exciting. Here is an explainer of this technology from Nvidia:
I had to double check my numbers with another editor, but the performance uplift of the AI generated frames are quite large and as advertised. This is a killer feature and a massive reason to jump to the 50 series, especially if you are on an older generation of cards. However, its not perfect and moving rapidly in scenes can have some text issues but they are very hard to decipher in gaming with the new transformer model.
| 3840×2160 Benchmarks | RTX 4080 | RTX 4080 SUPER | Performance Difference (FPS) | RTX 5090 | Performance Difference (FPS) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra | 58.6 | 59.4 | 0.8 | 102.6 | 43.2 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra + DLSS 4, 4x, Quality + RT | – | – | 241.5 | 138.9 | |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 61.7 | 62.4 | 0.7 | 90.2 | 28.5 |
| Hogwarts Legacy, Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame gen | – | – | 492.5 | 402.3 | |
| Alan Wake 2 | 57.8 | 59.1 | 1.3 | 103 | 43.2 |
| Alan Wake 2 Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame Gen | – | – | 222.4 | 119.4 | |
| 1440p Benchmarks | RTX 4080 | RTX 4080 SUPER | Performance Difference | RTX 5090 | Performance Difference (FPS) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra | 124.6 | 125.8 | 1.2 | 186.38 | 60.58 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra + DLSS 4, 4x, Quality + RT | 388.2 | 201.8 | |||
| Hogwarts Legacy | 110.1 | 110.9 | 0.8 | 147.8 | 36.9 |
| Hogwarts Legacy, Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame gen | – | – | 504.6 | 356.8 | |
| Alan Wake 2 | 91.6 | 92.8 | 1.2 | 122.9 | 30.1 |
| Alan Wake 2 Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame Gen | 375.1 | 252.2 | |||
| 1080p Benchmarks | RTX 4080 | RTX 4080 SUPER | Performance Difference | RTX 5090 | Performance Difference (FPS) |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra | 172.1 | 173.8 | 1.7 | 205.3 | 31.5 |
| Cyberpunk 2077 Ultra + DLSS 4, 4x, Quality + RT | – | – | 314.3 | 109 | |
| Hogwarts Legacy | 151.6 | 153 | 1.4 | 190.2 | 37.2 |
| Hogwarts Legacy, Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame gen | – | – | 491.8 | 301.6 | |
| Alan Wake 2 | 126.1 | 131.3 | 5.2 | 165.7 | 34.4 |
| Alan Wake 2 Ultra + DLSS 4, x4 Frame Gen | – | – | 514.2 | 348.5 |
Synthetic Tests
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