What we saw yesterday is also confirmed by a YouTuber. Apparently, only the RTX 40 and RTX 50 series can utilize the latest transformer model.
RTX 2060 Loses Nearly 7% Performance in Cyberpunk 2077 Using DLSS Preset M Compared to Native TAA; RTX 40 and RTX 50 Series Have Minimal Impact
There's no doubt that the latest DLSS 4.5, which is based on the 2nd gen Transformer model, creates significantly sharper images than DLSS 4.0. Also, when compared to FSR 4 Redstone, user @NikTek showed how sharper the image quality is with DLSS 4.5 in Performance mode. But the issue is that it needs a lot more computer power to ensure vivid images can be rendered. DLSS Preset M, which is what NVIDIA recommends for good quality visuals, has already been tested by many users on GPUs ranging from RTX 20 to the latest RTX 50 series, and as expected, the older RTX GPUs struggle a lot.
The performance becomes even worse when you choose to run the Preset M on budget RTX 20/30 series, since they both lack sufficient raw power as well as VRAM capacity to meet the demands of the preset M. Daniel Owens has demonstrated a comparison between DLSS Preset K (1st-gen Transformer mode) and DLSS Preset M by using various RTX GPUs such as the GeForce RTX 2060, RTX 3060 Ti, and the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB. The results are conclusive and confirm that the Preset M isn't going to be an ideal one for older RTX series GPUs, particularly due to the lack of FP8 precision.
The RTX 2060 suffered pretty badly since it only features 6 GB VRAM and is the slowest RTX GPU in the lineup. We know from NVIDIA's documentation that DLSS 4.5 can gobble up nearly twice the VRAM capacity on RTX 20/30 series cards vs the RTX 40/50. In Cyberpunk 2077, at 1080p, Ultra Settings and DLSS set to Quality, the Preset M on RTX 2060 was 7% slower than the Native TAA. On the other hand, the Preset K delivered a roughly 20% performance boost. Of course, the visual quality was inferior as well, but considering Preset M couldn't match even the performance or the visual quality of Native, it's useless for RTX 20 series GPUs.
Remember that budget and mid-range GPUs from RTX 20 and RTX 30 series usually take more time to render the frame vs the higher-end models such as the RTX 2080 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti. So, we can expect maybe equivalent performance in this scenario with the RTX 2080 Ti. Coming to the RTX 3060 Ti, with Balanced DLSS preset at 1440p, the Preset M is now noticeably faster than Native, but there is a visual downgrade due to not using Quality DLSS mode. We can expect the performance to be on par with the Native if we put it to DLSS Quality, and that's because it's faster than the RTX 2060 and brings more VRAM.
Moving to the RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB, we have sufficient hardware to render frames faster (and FP8 precision), and therefore, the difference between the DLSS Preset K and M is just 7% at 1440p. Daniel didn't compare it to Native, but one can easily expect higher performance than native. With the RTX 5090, the gap further shrinks at 4K resolution, but it should be kept in mind that Daniel used the Performance mode in this one, which is still much better in visuals than Preset K.
| GPU | Settings | Native TAA FPS | Preset K FPS | Preset M FPS |
| RTX 2060 | 1080p Ultra, DLSS Quality | 60 (100%) | 72 (120%) | 56 (93%) |
| RTX 3060 Ti | 1440p Ultra, DLSS Balanced | 55 (100%) | 77 (140%) | 62 (113%) |
| RTX 4060 Ti 16 GB | 1440p Ultra, DLSS Balanced | - | 86 (100%) | 80 (93%) |
| RTX 5090 | 4K Ultra, DLSS Performance | - | 176 (100%) | 167 (95%) |
About the author: Sarfraz Khan is a hardware reporter with a focus on PC components and the builder community. With years of experience writing about PC hardware and laptops, his work has been featured on several reputable technology publications. Sarfraz's hands-on experience is demonstrated through his first-person accounts of using and comparing different hardware configurations, providing practical and relatable insights for everyday users. His technical analysis is respected by peers in the enthusiast community and has been cited by specialized hardware sites such as Germany's Igor's Lab.
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