NVIDIA DLSS 5 October update improves neural rendering performance by up to 94 percent

NVIDIA has released an updated DLSS 5 neural rendering model that significantly improves performance across the GeForce RTX 50 series. The "October update" reduces the model's footprint by 24 percent and VRAM usage by 20 percent, leading to rendering speeds nearly twice as fast as the initial release. In benchmarks using NBA 2K27, the new model increased frame rates by approximately 47 percent at 4K on an RTX 5080 and up to 57 percent on an RTX 5060. While these gains make DLSS 5 more viable on mid-range hardware like the RTX 5060 at 1440p, the technology still incurs a substantial performance penalty compared to traditional rendering. Despite the speed improvements, visual artifacts from the original model persist. Testing revealed ongoing issues with lighting flicker, inconsistent skin tones at varying camera distances, and halo-like disocclusion artifacts around moving characters. The update appears focused primarily on computational efficiency rather than resolving these image quality concerns. NVIDIA plans to integrate this optimized model into future titles, including an upcoming update for Hogwarts Legacy. The rapid release of this optimization suggests the initial DLSS 5 launch may have been premature, as the improved model arrived only six weeks later.

Tech4K Staff20:22 watch

NVIDIA has released an updated DLSS 5 neural rendering model that significantly improves performance across the GeForce RTX 50 series. The "October update" reduces the model's footprint by 24 percent and VRAM usage by 20 percent, leading to rendering speeds nearly twice as fast as the initial release. In benchmarks using NBA 2K27, the new model increased frame rates by approximately 47 percent at 4K on an RTX 5080 and up to 57 percent on an RTX 5060. While these gains make DLSS 5 more viable on mid-range hardware like the RTX 5060 at 1440p, the technology still incurs a substantial performance penalty compared to traditional rendering. Despite the speed improvements, visual artifacts from the original model persist. Testing revealed ongoing issues with lighting flicker, inconsistent skin tones at varying camera distances, and halo-like disocclusion artifacts around moving characters. The update appears focused primarily on computational efficiency rather than resolving these image quality concerns. NVIDIA plans to integrate this optimized model into future titles, including an upcoming update for Hogwarts Legacy. The rapid release of this optimization suggests the initial DLSS 5 launch may have been premature, as the improved model arrived only six weeks later.

The DLSS 5 October update reduces neural rendering time by up to 94 percent at 1440p on some GPUs. VRAM usage for 4K neural rendering is reduced by 20 percent compared to the previous model.

Performance gains allow the RTX 5060 to achieve over 60 FPS at 1440p with DLSS 5 enabled. Visual artifacts such as lighting flicker and skin tone shifts remain unresolved in the new model.

Disocclusion artifacts create a halo effect around characters that may be more visible in the update. The RTX 5090 remains the most capable GPU for DLSS 5, showing only an 18 percent performance loss at 1440p.

Future DLSS 5 titles, including Hogwarts Legacy, will utilize the optimized October model by default.

Chapter guide

DLSS 5 October Update OverviewNVIDIA claims the new neural rendering model runs twice as fast with a smaller footprint.Performance ClarificationThe 2x speedup refers to the rendering cost of DLSS 5, not overall game frame rates.Sponsor: ASUS Neo MotherboardsA look at the new ASUS X870 and B850 motherboard lineup for AMD Ryzen.RTX 5080 and 5070 Ti BenchmarksTesting the performance impact of the new model at 4K and 1440p resolutions.Mid-Range GPU PerformanceBenchmarking the RTX 5070, 5060 Ti, and 5060 with the updated DLSS 5 model.Entry-Level and Flagship ResultsPerformance data for the RTX 5050 and the discontinued RTX 5090 workstation GPU.Measured Render Time AnalysisA detailed comparison of DLSS 5 render times between the original and October models.Visual Quality and ArtifactsExamining persistent issues with lighting, skin tones, and disocclusion halos.Community Feedback and Modded ModelsDiscussion of user reports regarding toned down effects in the new model.Future Outlook for DLSS 5Why the optimized model was not the initial release and what to expect in upcoming titles.

Worth noting

  • The video is sponsored by ASUS.
  • Performance data is based on a single game, NBA 2K27, which may not represent all future DLSS 5 implementations.
  • The RTX 5090 is noted as a workstation GPU that was reportedly discontinued.
  • Some visual quality observations are subjective and based on specific scenes in one title.

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