The short version
- Nvidia says its new DLSS 5 model is about twice as fast as September's and uses 20% less VRAM at 4K.
- The model is 24% smaller, at around 118 million parameters, and Nvidia says it's 10x faster than when it was shown in March.
- A new Frame Generation "Preset C" beta comes to RTX 40 and RTX 50 cards and RTX Spark laptops.
- The faster model arrives in NBA 2K27 on October 16, with Hogwarts Legacy following on November 5.
What DLSS 5 actually is
Older DLSS versions upscale a lower-resolution image and add generated frames. Our DLSS explainer covers how that works.
DLSS 5 goes further. Nvidia calls it neural rendering: an AI model runs as the last step of the graphics pipeline and adds lighting and material detail that games normally cut to hit their frame rate.
It has been controversial. Nvidia's March demo was criticised for changing how characters' skin looked. When it launched in NBA 2K27 in September, TechSpot reported frame rates falling by at least 60% with it on.
What changed in October
Nvidia says the new model halves the GPU cost at similar image quality and lifts frame rates by up to 1.4x in NBA 2K27. These are Nvidia's own numbers, not independent tests.
Preset C is the other change. It swaps the AI model that tracks movement between frames, used for things like UI and ray-traced effects, for a faster, simpler algorithm. Nvidia admits it costs a little image quality, but says it's up to 35% faster on an RTX 5060. You switch it on in the NVIDIA app beta, under DLSS Override.
Who can use it
DLSS 5 neural rendering is still limited to RTX 50 series cards, RTX Spark laptops and GeForce NOW. Preset C is wider, covering RTX 40 cards too.
On paper, a cheaper DLSS 5 matters most on lower-end RTX 50 cards like the RTX 5060, where September's cost was hardest to justify. If you're shopping for a laptop in India, our RTX Spark laptops post covers the models that support it.
What to watch: independent tests of NBA 2K27 with the new model, and whether RTX 40 cards ever get DLSS 5 itself.
