Nvidia DLSS 5 Tested on an RTX 5090 Laptop: Big Visual Ambitions, Big Performance Cost
Nvidia DLSS 5 has arrived earlier than many gamers expected, and its first real-world showing raises an important question: is the new neural rendering technology ready for everyday gaming, or is it still waiting for future hardware to fully shine?
To get an early look, DLSS 5 was tested in NBA 2K27 on a high-end Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16IAX10H gaming laptop equipped with an RTX 5090 laptop GPU. This is one of the strongest mobile gaming setups available, making it a fitting platform for an early DLSS 5 performance test.
The results are interesting, but not entirely straightforward. DLSS 5 can improve visual presentation, but it also introduces a heavy performance penalty. Nvidia’s Multi Frame Generation helps recover much of that lost performance, pushing displayed frame rates into triple-digit territory at both 1440p and 4K. However, higher frame generation multipliers also increase latency, which may matter in timing-sensitive games.
DLSS 5 arrives with a few surprises
Nvidia’s DLSS upgrades have usually been tied closely to new GPU generations. DLSS 3 launched with RTX 40 series graphics cards, while DLSS 4 arrived alongside the RTX 50 series. Because of that pattern, DLSS 5 appearing this early immediately sparked debate among PC gamers.
The current implementation is also limited. NBA 2K27 is the only game officially supporting DLSS 5 neural rendering at the moment, so it is too early to judge the technology across the broader PC gaming landscape. Fast shooters, cinematic adventure games, RPGs, competitive titles, and sports games all stress rendering technology in different ways.
Another limitation is control. Earlier leaks suggested DLSS 5 might include more detailed sliders or quality controls, but the current version does not offer that level of adjustment inside the game settings. Instead, DLSS 5 is enabled or disabled through a hotkey.
Testing setup and method
The test was performed using NBA 2K27 on a Lenovo Legion Pro 7 gaming laptop with an RTX 5090 laptop GPU. Nvidia supplied compatible drivers for the test.
Since NBA 2K27 does not include a built-in benchmark, performance was measured by repeating a similar 30-second gameplay sequence multiple times. Testing was carried out at 1440p and 4K, with different Multi Frame Generation settings enabled.
The key focus was simple: how much performance does DLSS 5 cost, and how much can frame generation recover?
1440p results: DLSS 5 is demanding, but frame generation helps
At 1440p with DLSS 5 disabled and no frame generation, NBA 2K27 averaged 149.6 FPS. The 1% low was 98.7 FPS, while the 0.1% low reached 75.9 FPS. That is a strong native result and shows the RTX 5090 laptop GPU has no trouble running the game smoothly without DLSS 5 neural rendering.
Turning DLSS 5 on without frame generation changed the picture dramatically. Average performance dropped to 56.8 FPS, with a 1% low of 46.6 FPS and a 0.1% low of 26.4 FPS. That is a major performance hit.
Once Multi Frame Generation was enabled, the displayed frame rate climbed quickly.
At 1440p with DLSS 5 and 2x frame generation, the game averaged 96.7 FPS.
With 3x frame generation, the average rose to 134.3 FPS.
With 4x frame generation, it reached 164.3 FPS.
With 5x frame generation, the average climbed to 197.2 FPS.
With 6x frame generation, the game hit 217.4 FPS on average.
That looks impressive on paper, especially compared with the 56.8 FPS result from DLSS 5 without frame generation. The 6x mode delivered a 282.5% gain over DLSS 5 with no frame generation.
However, average FPS is only part of the story. The 0.1% lows show occasional sharp drops, especially when frame generation is disabled or set to lower multipliers. In a sports game like NBA 2K27, where timing matters, sudden drops can feel more disruptive than the average frame rate suggests.
4K results: DLSS 5 needs frame generation to feel playable
At 4K, the performance cost of DLSS 5 becomes even more obvious.
With DLSS 5 disabled and no frame generation, NBA 2K27 averaged 104.8 FPS. The 1% low was 79.4 FPS, and the 0.1% low was 55.7 FPS.
With DLSS 5 enabled and no frame generation, average performance fell to just 28 FPS. The 1% low dropped to 24.3 FPS, while the 0.1% low landed at 17.1 FPS. At this point, the game is technically running, but the experience is far from ideal for responsive play.
Frame generation changes that dramatically.
At 4K with DLSS 5 and 2x frame generation, the average frame rate increased to 50.9 FPS.
At 3x frame generation, it rose to 73.3 FPS.
At 4x frame generation, it reached 92.2 FPS.
At 5x frame generation, the game averaged 115.2 FPS.
At 6x frame generation, the result climbed to 130.9 FPS.
That means 6x frame generation improved displayed FPS by 368.1% compared with DLSS 5 running without frame generation. The jump is huge, but latency also rises as the multiplier increases.
At 4K, average PC latency was measured at 101.9 ms with 2x frame generation, 117.8 ms with 3x, 117.2 ms with 4x, 120.6 ms with 5x, and 126.6 ms with 6x. For slower-paced or cinematic games, this may be acceptable. For competitive play, it could be more noticeable.
DLSS Performance mode at 4K shows mixed gains
Testing was also performed using DLSS Performance mode at 4K. The average frame rates were similar, but the lows changed in interesting ways.
With DLSS 5 enabled and no frame generation, the game averaged 27.5 FPS.
With 2x frame generation, it reached 51.3 FPS.
With 3x frame generation, it climbed to 76.2 FPS.
With 4x frame generation, it rose to 97 FPS.
With 5x frame generation, it reached 113.3 FPS.
With 6x frame generation, it averaged 131.1 FPS.
The gains are strong, but diminishing returns appear at the higher multipliers. The 1% and 0.1% lows also vary noticeably, showing that smoothness is not always as consistent as the average FPS suggests.
Visual quality and artifacts
The good news is that no obvious DLSS-related artifacts were noticed during testing. NBA 2K27 looked clean, and the neural rendering improvements can enhance the presentation in subtle ways.
That said, visual quality is difficult to judge from one game alone. NBA 2K27 is useful for a first look, but DLSS 5 still needs to prove itself across more demanding and varied games. A fast-paced shooter, a dense open-world RPG, and a cinematic ray-traced title will all reveal different strengths and weaknesses.
The main takeaway is that DLSS 5 appears to be aiming for higher visual fidelity, but that fidelity currently comes at a steep cost to raw performance.
The big question: is the trade-off worth it?
DLSS was originally known as a way to improve performance, especially on demanding titles or aging hardware. DLSS 5 feels different in its current form. Instead of simply boosting FPS, it adds a computationally expensive neural rendering layer that can reduce performance significantly unless paired with Multi Frame Generation.
That does not mean the technology is a failure. It means DLSS 5 is clearly early. It may be designed with future GPUs in mind, and current RTX 50 series hardware may only be the starting point.
Nvidia has also indicated that DLSS 5 is its most computationally demanding model so far. The company says it has already achieved a 5x performance improvement since the technology was first announced in March, with more optimization still to come. Nvidia’s current focus is tuning DLSS 5 for GeForce RTX 50 series GPUs, with plans to expand official support to GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards later.
That statement is important because it suggests DLSS 5 performance may improve significantly through model updates and driver refinements.
Early verdict
DLSS 5 is impressive, but it is not yet effortless.
In NBA 2K27, enabling DLSS 5 without frame generation causes a major performance drop, especially at 4K. Multi Frame Generation can recover that performance and push displayed frame rates well beyond 100 FPS, but higher multipliers bring higher latency and do not always guarantee perfect frame pacing.
For players focused on image quality, DLSS 5 has promise. For competitive or timing-sensitive gameplay, the current trade-offs require more careful consideration.
Right now, DLSS 5 feels like a glimpse of where Nvidia wants gaming visuals to go next. It is ambitious, demanding, and clearly still developing. Whether it becomes a must-have feature will depend on future optimization, wider game support, and how well it performs beyond a single sports title.
For now, DLSS 5 is not perfect, but it has potential. Gamers may just need to give Nvidia more time to refine it.
