NVIDIA's faster DLSS 5 boosts frame rates by up to 40%

By the ComputerScout team · 29 October 2026

An October update makes NVIDIA's AI neural rendering model twice as fast with 20% less VRAM use at 4K, and a new frame generation option speeds up RTX 40 and RTX 50 cards too.

NVIDIA's faster DLSS 5 boosts frame rates by up to 40%

NVIDIA has released a lighter, faster version of DLSS 5, its AI neural rendering technology, just a month after it launched. The company says the updated model halves the performance hit of the original September release, uses 20% less graphics memory at 4K, and lifts frame rates by up to 40% in NBA 2K27, the first game to support it.

What's changed

DLSS 5 uses what NVIDIA calls 3D-Guided Neural Rendering: an AI model that improves the look of each frame the game draws, on top of the familiar DLSS upscaling and frame generation. When it arrived in NBA 2K27 in September it looked impressive, but it came with a heavy performance cost.

The October update, announced on 13 October, tackles that. NVIDIA has shrunk the model by 24%, to roughly 118 million parameters, and says the result is:

- **Twice as fast** as the September version, with "half the GPU overhead"
- **20% less VRAM** used at 4K
- **Up to 1.4x higher frame rates** in NBA 2K27
- **"Comparable visual fidelity"** to the original model

NVIDIA says the model is now 10 times faster overall than when DLSS 5 was first shown off in March.

Two caveats. A model that runs twice as fast doesn't mean twice the frame rate, because DLSS 5 is only one part of the work your graphics card does for each frame. And "up to 1.4x" is a best case: NVIDIA hasn't said which card or resolution that figure comes from, so expect smaller gains in many situations. Until independent reviewers have tested it, NVIDIA's own word is all we have on image quality, and reviews of the September version may no longer reflect how it looks now.

Which games and graphics cards get it

The faster model arrived in NBA 2K27 on 16 October and will be the default in future DLSS 5 games. Officially, DLSS 5 needs a GeForce RTX 50 series graphics card, one of the new RTX Spark laptops, or NVIDIA's GeForce NOW cloud gaming service.

More games are on the way:

- **Hogwarts Legacy:** an update on 5 November adds DLSS 5
- **Where Winds Meet:** due in late November
- **RTX Remix:** NVIDIA's modding toolkit for classic games added DLSS 5 on 23 October

Modders have already pulled the new model out of NBA 2K27 and added it to games that don't officially support it, with reports of frame rates up to 40% higher. That's unofficial and unsupported, so we wouldn't recommend it for most people.

A faster frame generation option for RTX 40 owners too

Alongside the new model, NVIDIA has released a beta of a new frame generation setting called **Preset C**. It replaces one of the two AI models used in frame generation with a simpler, faster algorithm. NVIDIA admits this means "minor trade-offs in image quality", but says it's up to 35% faster on a GeForce RTX 5060.

Unlike DLSS 5, Preset C also works on RTX 40 series cards, and it applies to DLSS Frame Generation, Multi Frame Generation and Dynamic Multi Frame Generation. It's most useful on entry-level cards, where frame generation itself takes up a bigger share of the card's power.

To try it:

1. Update the NVIDIA app, then go to **Settings > About** and tick **Opt in to access Beta or experimental features**, and install the beta.
2. Open **Graphics**, and choose a game or **Global Settings**.
3. Under **Driver Settings**, click **DLSS Override - Model Presets**, then **Custom**.
4. In the **Frame Generation** drop-down, choose **Preset C** (restart your PC if it doesn't appear) and click **Apply**.

What it means if you're buying a graphics card

DLSS 5 is still in only a handful of games, so it shouldn't be the main reason you choose a graphics card. But it's a sign NVIDIA is serious about making it practical, not just a showcase. And it's an RTX 50 series feature: if you want it, an RTX 40 card won't get it officially.

If you're shopping now, the GeForce RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti are the sweet spot for 1440p gaming, and the RTX 5060 is where Preset C should help most. AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT remains a strong alternative if you don't care about DLSS: see our RTX 5070 Ti vs RX 9070 XT comparison, or browse our pick of the best graphics cards.