Can Nvidia’s Rtx 5070 Really Deliver Rtx 4090 Performance For $549?

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a bold state onstage astatine CES earlier this week erstwhile he was introducing nan next-generation RTX 50-series GPUs. “The RTX 5070, 4090 capacity astatine $549,” said Huang. It’s a state that’s been echoed connected YouTube, TikTok, and societal media networks and has generated a connection complete nan RTX 50 bid and DLSS 4’s Multi Frame Generation.

So, tin a $549 RTX 5070 really coming nan aforesaid level of capacity arsenic a $1,5999 RTX 4090? The reply is yes and no, and it each comes down to a “fake frames” connection astir DLSS Frame Generation that mightiness not moreover beryllium a ample problem for a batch of PC gamers.

Nvidia’s ample RTX 5070 state is each based connected its latest procreation of DLSS. “Impossible without artificial intelligence,” admits Huang aft promising that nan RTX 5070 tin coming RTX 4090 levels of performance. DLSS 4 has a caller Multi Frame Generation method that tin dress up to 3 further frames per each traditionally rendered frame.

Some PC gamers personification agelong based connected that this technique, which Nvidia introduced primitively pinch DLSS 3, is simply “fake frames” and not reflective of nan existent rasterization capacity of GPUs that we’ve been utilized to for decades.

“Using neural rendering and DLSS 4 we tin scope capacity levels [on an RTX 5070] that were only imaginable pinch an RTX 4090,” explains Lars Weinand, a elder method merchandise caput astatine Nvidia, successful a briefing pinch The Verge. “This does not mean that nan RTX 5070 tin deed an RTX 4090 successful each azygous measurement and successful each azygous configuration.”

When Nvidia says capacity levels, it intends model rates: really galore still images it tin nonstop to your aboveground that adhd up to a moving image — alternatively than whether that moving image looks nan aforesaid quality. Nvidia has already shown what DLSS 4 is tin of successful games for illustration Cyberpunk 2077, boosting model rates from DLSS 3.5 astatine 142fps to 243fps — a ample leap from nan 27fps without DLSS enabled.

“In games for illustration Cyberpunk 2077 aliases Alan Wake 2, you tin lucifer capacity numbers [on an RTX 5070] utilizing DLSS 4 compared to an RTX 4090 utilizing only DLSS 3.5 Frame Generation,” says Weinand. “This is what nan state is based on, you spot capacity levels that were only earlier imaginable pinch an RTX 4090, but of course, that doesn’t mean that successful each azygous configuration and graphics mounting that you mightiness premier that you will personification nan akin performance.”

As expected, you’re simply not going to spot RTX 4090 levels of axenic rasterization capacity connected an RTX 5070. It’s really each down to seeing a value successful games that support DLSS 4. As a result, Nvidia’s state has reignited nan “fake frames” debate. This each started erstwhile Nvidia first announced DLSS 3 Frame Generation, which useful by utilizing an algorithm to insert an further model aft 2 successive images successful bid to soft retired activity successful games and summation model rates.

In DLSS 3, Nvidia generates a caller image utilizing Frame Generation each clip a caller image is rendered, allowing nan GPU to usage its afloat powerfulness to render regular frames and DLSS to utilize dedicated Tensor cores to boost model rates and image quality.

With DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation, Nvidia is now tin to dress up to 3 further frames per each traditionally rendered frame. That intends model rates tin beryllium up to 8x overmuch than accepted rendering. Nvidia has too switched to a caller transformer exemplary for DLSS 4, which it says will make its model procreation exemplary 40 percent faster and usage 30 percent small VRAM. 

There’s still a batch to study astir DLSS 4, but during a Q&A normal astatine CES, Huang said that DLSS 4 “predicts nan future” alternatively than “interpolating nan past.” That intends nan different 2 frames that are generated by DLSS 4 won’t adhd a immense magnitude of latency to nan experience.

Digital Foundry found that DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation has smoother model times contempt adding 2 further frames compared to nan existing Frame Generation. It too recovered that location is astir an further 6ms for nan Multi Frame Generation on the RTX 5080, connected apical of nan existing Frame Generation recovered connected nan RTX 40 series.

“The latency is very mini that we’re adding pinch Multi Frame Generation,” says Weinand. “With nan GPU pacing that we’re doing, we make judge that frames are being displayed astatine a very moreover pace.”

Input latency, aliases nan measurement a crippled feels, is very important successful galore games, and nan results of DLSS 4 will dangle connected your input model rate. DLSS 4 doesn’t look to lick nan rumor of a 27fps crippled still emotion for illustration slow erstwhile DLSS Super Resolution is involved, moreover if Multi Frame Generation tin overmuch than 8x nan model title to 243fps. That’s been 1 of nan main drawbacks of DLSS Frame Generation truthful acold — that though a crippled tin look visually smoother acknowledgment to nan further frames, it still feels slower than if it were really rendering astatine precocious model rates. A batch of group mightiness not moreover announcement nan input latency, but if you’re acquainted pinch nan emotion of dropping from 240fps to 60fps aliases moreover 30fps, past you astir apt will.

I deliberation nan “fake frames” connection really only matters erstwhile these technologies are impacting latency and image worth aliases nan crippled still feels slow contempt nan different generated frames. More games are starting to get afloat ray-tracing support to make them look dramatically different, but it’s difficult to play them without DLSS Frame Generation connected moreover nan champion GPUs. There’s a tradeoff coming wherever group mightiness not mind “fake frames” if they’re getting acold amended visuals.

So overmuch of modern gaming is already “fake,” and it has been for years. Rendering itself is each astir nan tricks, shortcuts, and optimizations that developers usage to nutrient point that looks for illustration reality. DLSS 4 gives developers yet different instrumentality to execute image quality, lighting effects, aliases gameplay that we wouldn’t personification thought was imaginable until recently.

For years, we’ve been playing games connected consoles that aren’t astatine autochthonal resolution, pinch developers utilizing a assortment of different rendering techniques to dynamically group resolution, image quality, and more. Nvidia is making it clear pinch DLSS 4 that nan early of PC gaming will effect AI-powered rendering techniques, and it’s point immoderate Sony and AMD are leaning into pinch a PlayStation business and AMD’s latest FSR 4 upscaling. Some PC gamers mightiness not for illustration “fake frames,” but it’s clear they’re very overmuch coming to stay.