Progress in computer technology often starts with the gaming world, and innovative gaming experiences are largely driven by the modern solutions offered by NVIDIA. Today, we will discuss the latest graphics technologies within DLSS 4 that provide additional benefits in the gaming experience. We will also conduct tests and focus on Ray Tracing (RT) and Path Tracing (PT) technologies that have introduced completely new rules of the game in the visual perception of gaming projects.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Blackwell architecture
NVIDIA’s new generation of graphics cards GeForce RTX 50 has significantly raised the bar for image quality, performance, and smoothness of games. This increase was due to a set of technological and architectural updates. Before we talk about neural and software technologies, it is worth listing the main «trumps» of the new line of graphics cards:
- NVIDIA DLSS 4 increases the frame rate by up to 2x compared to previous versions of DLSS 3 and improves the original image quality;
- 5th Generation Tensor Cores with FP4 capabilities double the AI throughput while reducing memory requirements;
- SM-blocks increase neural imaging capabilities with RT Core and Tensor Core;
- The Artificial Intelligence Management Processor (AMP) allows you to embed AI models in the classical rendering process and use the GPU for graphics workloads in parallel;
- RT cores enable the use of new ray tracing and neural imaging technologies;
- GDDR7 memory provides significantly higher bandwidth compared to GDDR6.
If we take the flagship solution as an example, then NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The new generation of GPUs contains 21,760 CUDA cores, which, combined with 680 5th generation tensor cores and 170 4th generation RT cores, allows for ultra-high performance.
In turn, Enhanced GDDR7 memory delivers up to 1.8 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than 30% faster than the previous flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. With this speed, the system can process much more data in less time, reducing latency and further enhancing the image quality along with the gaming experience.
And most importantly, the new RT cores provide double the bandwidth for ray tracing. This means that modern games with Path Tracing support get more realistic lighting and shadows.
Testing NVIDIA technologies on Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5080 GAMING OC
In order to fully appreciate the benefits of DLSS 4, as well as the visual excellence of ray tracing and path tracing technologies, in this article we will use a top-of-the-line graphics card — Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5080 GAMING OC.
It will be a good choice for discerning gamers and enthusiasts who, along with high performance, value silence and low temperatures and are not ready to pay twice as much for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. The card is perfect for 4K gaming at the highest graphics presets.
DLSS 4 — evolution or revolution?
With the release of video cards GeForce RTX 50 NVIDIA has announced a number of proprietary DLSS 4 (Deep Learning Super Sampling) technologies, which have become as important for the gameplay as Blackwell architectural features at the physical level of graphics chips.
NVIDIA DLSS 4 — a set of neural rendering technologies based on the tensor cores of GeForce RTX 50 graphics cards. These include DLSS Multi Frame Generation, DLSS Super Resolution, DLSS Ray Reconstruction, and DLAA (Deep Learning Anti Aliasing).
They increase frame rates, delivering sharp, high-quality images that are as good as native resolution renderings by hundreds of games and programs with RTX and the number of them is increasing every day. In some cases, neural technologies even look better than native rendering. Let’s take the hit from GSC Game World as an example — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Without the upscale, the image looks worse than when using DLSS. In addition, it replaces classical anti-aliasing, which required additional video card resources.
Using supersampling, the system renders the scene in a reduced resolution (depending on the settings selected in the game) and then uses the AI — algorithm to scale the image to the native size.
This solution minimizes the load on the GPU and allows you to maintain a high level of detail and smoothness even when ray tracing is enabled. As in the previous version, there are several scaling options:
- NVIDIA DLAA — 100%
- Quality — 66%;
- Balance — 58%;
- Productivity — 50%;
- Ultra-performance — 33%.
This approach to frame generation is completely new. Unlike DLSS 3, which used a simpler interpolation system and sometimes made mistakes in complex scenes, DLSS 4 uses a multi-stage analysis involving several neural networks simultaneously.
At the same time, the quality of the work is so high that it is almost impossible to distinguish the generated frame from the real one. To illustrate this, I have provided comparative shots of a gem of a French gamemaker — Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. On the left, the image is rendered by the video card NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, in a resolution of 66% of 4K, and it’s all about native resolution.
MFG (Multi Frame Generation) allows you to create up to three additional frames for each processed frame, which provides a significant increase in frame rate. As a result, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 with DLSS enabled, the 4 can reach up to 240+ frames per second at 4K resolution in more than 100 games that support this technology.
This will appeal primarily to owners of modern high-speed 240Hz monitors, such as the MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED, which recently visited our editorial review.DLSS 4 not only improves performance, but also reduces latency when generating images. Recently, DLSS technology has literally changed the way images are processed, providing gamers with incredible performance gains without sacrificing quality.
Multi Frame Generator — more frames, less latency
MFG represents the next step in the development of frame generation. With the ability to generate up to three additional frames per calculation, this technology increases performance and reduces input lag.
It is essentially a predictive system that creates intermediate frames by analyzing the previous ones. The neural network actually «complements» what should happen between two consecutive frames.
It is worth noting that FG and MFG have different features. FG focuses on increasing the number of frames, and sometimes artifacts are visible during gaming. In turn, MFG focuses on optimizing latency and ensuring stability in intense scenes. Within the test scenarios, the combination of technologies allows us to achieve a balance in the ratio of high-quality image and fast frame refresh.
Some gaming projects, such as Half-Life: RTX, is impossible to play at all without using DLSS4 + MFG. After all, in native resolution, we will only get 20 FPS on the GeForce RTX 5080. But with the help of NVIDIA’s neural technology, the frame counter soars to 186 frames per second!
When testing 4K games, such as Cyberpunk 2077, it was found that if DLSS 4 and MFG are not enabled, the average frame rate may be below the limit of comfortable gaming, especially with tracing enabled: Ray Tracing and Path Tracing. However, when they are activated, the indicator increases several times, which makes the gameplay much more vigorous. The image quality is not visually reduced.
It also reduces system response time thanks to NVIDIA Reflex technology, which integrates with MFG algorithms to ensure minimal latency and fast response even in the most dynamic games. Examples include Doom: The Dark Ages, in which the reaction speed is critical. At the native resolution, we’re looking at 15.6 milliseconds versus 0.3 ms in using DLSS 4 + MFG.
This allows gamers to enjoy maximum performance, which is especially important in competitive gaming where every millisecond counts
But it’s important to understand that the generation is designed to make the motion smoother with a sufficient frame rate, not to increase this rate when it’s not enough. Therefore, the target audience of DLSS 4 is primarily owners of monitors with high refresh rates who want to get smoother video at output rendering rates of 60 FPS and higher.
Pathtracing — raytracing «on maximal»
Ray Tracing technology has been on the market for years and has become the gold standard for creating realistic visuals. However, classic ray tracing has its limitations, especially at high resolutions and ultra settings. This is where Path Tracing comes in, providing even more accurate modeling of lighting effects.
Path Tracing is an advanced form of Raytracing that considers the many interactions of light with the scene, allowing for cinematic levels of image quality. When testing modern games, including Cyberpunk 2077 and other demanding titles, the combination of DLSS 4 with Path Tracing produces images with superior detail, with little to no performance degradation.
Copying the processes of light in the real world is a very complex and computationally demanding process. While in real life, photons move independently, in games they are controlled by a video card. And this requires not only a talented designer’s hand but also hardware support from a graphics accelerator.
Developing shadow effects has always been a challenge for professionals, often causing problems and inconsistencies. For example, the simplest shadows are just projections of objects with well-defined edges created as a regular texture.
There are also more detailed options known as soft shadows, which include some transition between shadows and highlights to create a better visual effect. However, even these advanced classic methods are still far from the realism we see in real life.
But when you use Path Tracing to create shadows, virtual rays emitted from a light source independently form shadow areas when they collide with objects. This considers not only the intensity of the light source itself, but also additional lighting effects created by other objects in the scene. This allows for the most realistic results.
DLSS Ray Reconstruction
The use of Ray Reconstruction (RR) in DLSS 4 helps to reduce noise and other artifacts that can appear in the trace calculation. All this happens in several main stages:
- Geometric scene processing analyzes the position of objects, their movements, and interactions with each other;
- Texture processing filters out noise and artifacts while preserving details.
- Post-processing performs intelligent antialiasing and eliminates possible artifacts from previous stages.
In high-intensity games, the Transformer for RR model gets even more quality enhancements, especially for scenes with complex lighting
Conclusion
Modern graphics technologies such as DLSS 4, Multi Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction, Ray Tracing, and Path Tracing have dramatically changed the gaming experience, raising the bar for image quality and performance to a new level. With their help, gamers get not only amazing detail and realistic lighting, but also a significant increase in frame rates even in the most demanding gaming projects.
Technologies such as MFG allow for smoothness in dynamic scenes, which is especially important for competitive gaming, while Path Tracing takes visual effects to the cinematic level by simulating real-life light behavior with incredible accuracy. However, these innovations are not just about aesthetics — they open up new horizons for developers and players, allowing them to create and enjoy games that previously seemed unattainable due to hardware limitations.
While such technologies require powerful hardware and optimization, their impact on the industry is undeniable, from reducing GPU load through smart scaling to providing esports-level responsiveness. In the future, with the further development of neural networks and hardware solutions, we can expect even greater immersion in gaming worlds, where the line between virtual and real will become almost invisible.
We will prepare another article in the near future. In it, we will analyze whether it is possible to take advantage of NVIDIA technologies in the new line of graphics cards GeForce RTX 50 at the same time using the previous generation of processor sockets and RAM.
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5080 GAMING OC and many other models of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 can be purchased from Telemart.ua.
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