How to Enable NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and Use DLSS for Better Visuals and Performance

First, everyone complained about AI upscaling and frame generation. Now, it seems that every upgrade seems to have people more and more excited. While there are cost reasons involved in the change in sentiment, you can't really argue with some of the performance and visual gains with DLSS 4.5. While visual quality is noticeably better, early testing shows that DLSS 4.5 comes with a measurable performance cost, especially on RTX 2000 and RTX 3000 GPUs. If you want to try DLSS 4.5 right now, here’s how to enable it, which GPUs benefit most, and what trade-offs to expect.

What Is DLSS 4.5?

DLSS 4.5 is the latest iteration of Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling technology. Announced at CES 2026, it introduces a second-generation transformer architecture designed to improve:

• Fine detail reconstruction
• Texture stability
• Edge clarity
• Temporal consistency (less shimmer and ghosting)

According to Nvidia, DLSS 4.5 uses up to five times more compute than DLSS 4. This makes it more demanding, but RTX 4000 and RTX 5000 GPUs benefit from accelerated FP8 processing in their Tensor Cores, helping offset the extra workload.

Should You Use DLSS 4.5?

Use DLSS 4.5

• You own an RTX 4000 or RTX 5000 GPU
• You prioritise image quality over raw FPS
• You play at 4K or with heavy ray tracing

Use DLSS 4

• You’re on an RTX 2000 or RTX 3000 GPU
• You’re CPU- or GPU-limited already
• You prefer higher frame rates over marginal visual improvements

NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 System Requirements

Before enabling DLSS 4.5, make sure your system meets the following requirements:

Hardware

• Minimum: Nvidia RTX 2000-series GPU
• Recommended: RTX 4000 or RTX 5000 GPU for the best balance of visuals and performance

Software

• Latest Nvidia Game Ready or Developer driver that includes DLSS 4.5 support
• A DLSS-enabled game that allows manual DLSS model selection or accepts DLSS file overrides

How to Enable DLSS 4.5

DLSS 4.5 is not always exposed directly in in-game menus yet, but it can still be enabled manually.

• Install the newest Nvidia driver that includes DLSS 4.5 support. Without it, the new transformer model won’t function correctly.
• DLSS 4.5 can be enabled by replacing a game’s existing DLSS DLL file with the newer version. Many users are already doing this to test the improved visuals ahead of the official rollout.

Note: Always back up the original DLSS files before replacing them.

• Find the game’s DLSS folder (usually in the main install directory) and replace the existing DLSS DLL with the DLSS 4.5 version.
• Launch the game and enable DLSS as usual from the graphics settings menu. DLSS 4.5 will run automatically if the new DLL is detected.

How to Enable DLSS 4.5 in the NVIDIA App

You can enable DLSS 4.5 via the NVIDIA app by doing the following./p>

• Make sure you have the latest version of the NVIDIA app. As well as the latest GPU drivers.
• Go to Graphics > Global Settings.

• Scroll down to DLSS Override - Model Presets and set it to Latest.

• Restart your computer, and you're done.

Note: This isn't the best option, as some games on some hardware work better on 4.0 and not 4.5. Setting global options will force DLSS to 4.5

What are the Best DLSS 4.5 Settings?

Nvidia recommends using DLSS 4.5 primarily in the following modes:

• Performance Mode (Preset M – default)
• Ultra Performance Mode (Preset L – best suited for 4K and above)

For DLAA, Quality, and Balanced modes, Nvidia suggests continuing to use DLSS 4.0 presets (J and K), as the performance impact of DLSS 4.5 is more pronounced in higher-quality modes.

Performance Impact of DLSS 4.5?

Early community benchmarks highlight the visual gains, but also the cost. These figures come from TechSpot

RTX 3080 Ti (Cyberpunk 2077, RT Ultra, 4K)

• DLSS 4: 42 FPS
• DLSS 4.5: 32 FPS
• Performance drop: ~24%

1440p Results

• With ray tracing: ~14% drop
• Without ray tracing: ~20% drop

The Last of Us Part II (1440p, High, DLSS Quality)

• DLSS 4: 154 FPS
• DLSS 4.5: 135 FPS
• Performance drop: ~14%

Nvidia has stated that DLSS 4.5 is only 2–3% slower on RTX 5000 GPUs, but some RTX 4000 and 5000 users are reporting drops closer to 14–16%, depending on the title.