Conclusion
In this article, we spent some time with the newest software release from NVIDIA, DLSS 4.5. One of the benefits of the new second-generation Transformer model is image quality in the Performance and Ultra Performance modes. We set out to evaluate both performance in FPS and image quality. Overall, the new software is quite straightforward to use when coupled with the NVIDIA App. There was a learning curve to the NVIDIA App. We used a number of NVIDIA RTX video cards to evaluate the software and image quality.
FPS Performance
As seen in the performance graphing above, there is a performance penalty to the new DLSS 4.5. This generally ranges from a low of 0% compared to the previous driver set, all the way up to 27%. Of course, there are always outliers in any testing.
Here, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl seemed to be the most glaring of all the games we used as far as the separation between driver 591.44 and 591.74. On average, the performance drop was in the range of 2-6%. Even considering the drop-off in quality versus quality and performance versus performance, the “new” 4.5 performance is faster than the “old” quality without loss of image quality.
In our RTX 3080 testing, unfortunately, the PC setup is a little long in the tooth. The video card is water-cooled and would be a long haul to remove and make ready for air-cooling. The performance was held back by the CPU in this case. However, the results do demonstrate NVIDIA’s claim that this new Transformer model and DLSS 4.5 will function on the older RTX video cards.
Image Quality
It’s a bit difficult to capture in still frames, but overall, we felt that NVIDIA’s claims that image quality was preserved when using Performance Mode versus Quality Mode are quite accurate. We ran quite a number of benchmarks for this article and paid quite close attention to the image details while doing so. There was not much, if any difference between images from Quality and Performance.
We feel it is quite safe to say the new DLSS 4.5 does what NVIDIA says it should do. The images were crisp and clear. There was no image artifact in fast-moving scenes that we could find. Detail was clearly preserved. We did spot some shimmering in water reflections in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, but you really had to be looking hard for it. In Alan Wake 2, there has always been shimmering on the bricks in the central park area in our benchmark, but it was a little more obvious this time. Other than that, nothing looked out of place.
Final Points
In this article, we looked at the newest release in DLSS upscaling, version 4.5. Announced at CES just recently, the first release contains the new generation of Transformer mode with improvements to Frame Generation still to come. This new version of DLSS promised to improve image quality in Performance and Ultra Performance modes to generate more FPS in demanding resolutions and games without losing image quality. We feel that this has been accomplished. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch. There is a small price to pay in the way of an FPS deficit ranging from 2-6% on average. In some instances, the degradation may hit double digits. It remains to be seen if this will change over time. That said, to us it seems like a very reasonable trade-off! Game On.