Older RTX GPUs will require more VRAM to ensure better visual fidelity, but this will cause drastic performance regressions.
RTX 20 and 30 Series Reportedly Require 2X More VRAM with the Latest Transformer Model-Based DLSS 4.5, but Deliver Sharper Visuals
With the introduction of NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, the 2nd-gen Transformer model now takes the place for improved visual quality in games by leveraging the AI capabilities of the Tensor cores present on the latest RTX GPUs, such as RTX 40 and RTX 50.
However, DLSS 4.5 is supported even on older-gen RTX GPUs such as the RTX 20 and RTX 30 series. So, similar to DLSS 4, DLSS 4.5 will also work on all the RTX GPUs ever released.
Now that the latest transformer model is available, users have started to test and compare it with the previous DLSS version, i.e., DLSS 4.0.
As you may expect, the 2nd-gen Transformer model is more demanding than the first one and works to improve the visuals rather than increasing the frame rates. We have already seen how drastically DLSS 4.0 improved the visuals over DLSS 3.5, but it brought some performance regressions, which were quite noticeable on older RTX GPUs.
The latest DLSS 4.5 is reportedly much more intensive and can easily reduce the performance by around 20%. As reported by @mpr_reviews, the RTX 3080 Ti received a staggering 24% performance hit when he ran Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K with RT Ultra presets using DLSS Quality mode.
Here's our own test on an RTX 5090:
NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Performance Evaluation - Cyberpunk 2077 4K (RTX 5090)
| Model | M Preset (FPS / Latency) | L Preset (FPS / Latency) | K Preset (FPS / Latency) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLAA | 134 / 65.4ms | 137 / 69.7ms | 137 / 70.3ms |
| Quality | 235 / 41.1ms | 240 / 42.7ms | 236 / 41.4ms |
| Balanced | 267 / 36.4ms | 270 / 38.2ms | 275 / 35.9ms |
| Performance | 316 / 34.2ms | 316 / 33.8ms | 322 / 35.4ms |
| Ultra Performance | 411 / 29.7ms | 414 / 28.1ms | 417 / 27.0ms |
NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 Performance Evaluation - Doom The Dark Ages 4K (RTX 5090)
| Model | M Preset (FPS / Latency) | L Preset (FPS / Latency) | K Preset (FPS / Latency) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLAA | 165 / 48.3ms | 167 / 47.1ms | 170 / 49.8ms |
| Quality | 269 / 32.5ms | 271 / 32.8ms | 270 / 33.4ms |
| Balanced | 310 / 29.6ms | 304 / 30.0ms | 309 / 30.2ms |
| Performance | 346 / 27.1ms | 347 / 28.1ms | 348 / 28.2ms |
| Ultra Performance | 419 / 22.7ms | 424 / 22.6ms | 427 / 23.9ms |
With DLSS 4.0, the average frame rate was over 40, but DLSS 4.5 cuts it to around 32 FPS. At 1440p with the same presets, there is a 14% performance hit, which is somewhat lower, but without RT, the overall performance hit now increases to 20%.
This is something that other users have confirmed in the thread, including a user with the RTX 4060 laptop GPU, who saw nearly 16% performance hit.
It's expected since, unlike the RTX 50 series, previous-gen RTX GPUs do not natively have the FP4/FP8 precision (RTX 40 does have FP8); however, according to NVIDIA's documentation, the RTX 40 series should consume less VRAM with the latest Transformer model than the earlier generations. Reportedly, the latest DLSS 4.5 will need 40-53% more VRAM on the RTX 40/50 series GPUs, but for the RTX 20 and 30 series, it's a whopping 87-103%.
So, those who already boast an 8 GB GPU will face some real performance bottlenecks, particularly when they are already impacted by the lack of FP8 precision used by the latest Transformer model.
NVIDIA's Jacob Freeman confirms that the new DLSS 4.5 model is 5 times more compute-intensive, and only hardware with FP8 (such as RTX 50 and RTX 40 series) can fully tackle this resource requirement.
On the RTX 50 series, enabling DLSS 4.5 takes a 2-3% performance hit, while the image quality benefits are very big. For the older RTX 20 and 30 series, well, the results are already shared above. DLSS 4.5 can still have a big impact in games that offer extra performance headroom. If users are already getting good FPS in the 100-200 range on RTX 20/30/40 series in older titles, then it makes sense to enable DLSS 4.5, lose some FPS, and gain better image quality.
However, if they have a higher VRAM GPU, such as the RTX 2080 Ti, RTX 3080 Ti, etc., the DLSS 4.5 will bring drastically better image quality, as demonstrated by a user who benchmarked a game using his RTX 4060 laptop. We can clearly see much sharper details overall, including the grass, trees, rocks, and the character. You can already try out DLSS 4.5 RTX AI Super Resolution technology by downloading the latest GeForce drivers which we covered here.
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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