Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang made a bold claim during the CES introduction of the next-generation RTX 50-series GPUs, stating that the $549 RTX 5070 can deliver performance levels comparable to its more expensive counterpart, the $1,599 RTX 4090. However, this claim is not without controversy.
The key to this performance is Nvidia’s new DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation technique, which generates up to three additional frames per traditionally rendered frame. This results in frame rates that can be up to 8x higher than traditional rendering. But does it really matter?
Some PC gamers have long argued that this technique is simply “fake frames” and doesn’t accurately reflect the true performance of GPUs. Nvidia argues that DLSS 4 makes it possible to reach performance levels on an RTX 5070 that were only previously possible with an RTX 4090.
In games like Cyberpunk 2077, DLSS 4 can boost frame rates from 142fps to 243fps, a significant leap over the 27fps without DLSS enabled. However, this increase in performance comes at the cost of latency, which is a critical factor in many games.
While Nvidia claims that the extra frames generated by DLSS 4 won’t add significant latency, Digital Foundry found that it can result in around 6ms of additional input delay on the RTX 5080. This may not be noticeable to all players, but for those familiar with the feeling of dropping from high frame rates to lower ones, it’s a notable drawback.
Ultimately, the “fake frames” debate is moot when it comes to latency and image quality. If games can deliver better visuals without sacrificing performance, then the extra frames generated by DLSS 4 are a welcome bonus. As Nvidia continues to develop and refine its AI-powered rendering techniques, PC gamers can expect even more innovative solutions for achieving image quality and gameplay.
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Source: https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/8/24338999/nvidia-rtx-5070-vs-rtx4090-performance-price