NVIDIA DLSS 5 Neural Rendering Gets a Major Speed Boost, Early Tests Show Up to 40% Higher FPS
NVIDIA’s latest DLSS 5 Neural Rendering update is now making waves in the PC gaming community, and early results suggest it could be one of the most important performance upgrades for the technology so far. The new model officially arrived through the latest NBA 2K27 update, but PC modders have already managed to test it in games that do not yet support it natively.
The updated DLSS Neural Rendering file, version 310.9.16.0, replaces the older 310.8.x versions and includes the optimizations NVIDIA recently detailed. These improvements are designed to reduce system overhead while keeping image quality close to the previous model.
According to NVIDIA’s own figures, the new DLSS 5 Neural Rendering model is 24% smaller, uses 20% less VRAM at 4K resolution, and can process Neural Rendering workloads up to two times faster. In ideal scenarios, this can result in frame rate gains of up to 40%, depending on the game, settings, and hardware configuration.
While NBA 2K27 is currently the only game with official access to the updated model, the PC modding community wasted no time experimenting with it elsewhere. Early unofficial tests are already showing impressive gains across multiple games.
One test using an RTX 4060 system compared the older and newer DLSS 5 Neural Rendering models in Forza Horizon 6 with identical settings, including 100% intensity and full model resolution. The updated model delivered close to 40% higher performance, while visual quality appeared largely similar at first glance.
Another test in Resident Evil Requiem showed a performance increase of around 30%, again suggesting that the new model is not just a minor update but a meaningful step forward for DLSS 5 Neural Rendering.
A separate benchmark using an RTX 4080 SUPER at 4K with Path Tracing, DLSS Super Resolution set to Performance mode, and 4x modded Multi Frame Generation also produced striking results. With the older DLSS 5 Neural Rendering model, the system delivered around 108 FPS. After switching to the new 310.9.16.0 model, performance jumped to roughly 150 FPS, representing a 39% increase.
The same test also noted some visual differences. The newer model appeared to produce softer colors and a less aggressive Neural Rendering effect compared to the older version. That may be seen as an improvement by some players and a change worth further testing by others.
What makes these early results especially interesting is that they were achieved through unofficial implementations rather than native game support. Modders are using experimental tools to inject DLSS 5 Neural Rendering into games that do not officially include the feature. Modified runtimes are also helping expand compatibility to older RTX graphics cards, giving more players a chance to test the technology.
The updated DLSS Neural Rendering file reportedly includes two presets. Preset A represents the previous model, while Preset B uses the newer optimized version and is selected by default. These Neural Rendering presets are separate from DLSS Frame Generation presets, so users should not confuse the two when testing performance or image quality.
Of course, these are still early community tests. Performance can vary from game to game, and unofficial implementations may introduce bugs, visual differences, or compatibility issues. Native support from developers is still the best way to experience DLSS features as intended.
Even so, the first results are highly promising. DLSS 5 Neural Rendering has delivered impressive visual enhancements, but its performance cost has been one of the biggest concerns since launch. This new model appears to address that issue directly by reducing overhead, lowering memory usage, and delivering significantly higher frame rates.
If these gains carry over to more officially supported games, NVIDIA DLSS 5 Neural Rendering could become much more practical for everyday PC gaming. For players using RTX graphics cards, especially those gaming at 4K or with demanding ray tracing and path tracing effects, this update may offer a major boost in both performance and usability.
The arrival of the new DLSS 5 Neural Rendering model shows that NVIDIA is continuing to refine AI-powered graphics technology at a rapid pace. With modders already proving its potential outside official support, the next wave of DLSS 5 updates could be very exciting for PC gamers looking for smoother frame rates without sacrificing visual quality.
