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DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is a free software update for GeForce RTX owners, not a reason to buy a new GPU. It replaces a game’s traditional ray-tracing denoiser with an updated AI model to reconstruct detail from sparsely sampled rays. You need a supported game, and the performance cost depends on your GPU and settings.
What DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction changes
Ray tracing and path tracing often calculate only a limited number of rays per pixel, which can leave noisy or incomplete lighting, reflections, and other effects. A denoiser estimates the missing information. NVIDIA’s Ray Reconstruction uses a neural model in place of game-specific, hand-tuned denoisers, analyzing engine data across frames to reconstruct higher-quality pixels between sampled rays.
DLSS 4.5 updates that model to a second-generation Transformer. NVIDIA says it has 35% more compute capability and 20% more parameters than the preceding Ray Reconstruction model, and attributes improvements in lighting accuracy, temporal stability, and motion clarity to expanded training and deeper spatial awareness. Those figures and benefits are NVIDIA’s claims, not independent benchmark results. NVIDIA also says the model is designed to deliver similar performance to its predecessor. NVIDIA’s Gamescom 2026 announcement
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Ray Reconstruction is not the same feature as DLSS Super Resolution, which upscales an image, or Frame Generation, which creates additional frames. NVIDIA treats these as separate parts of its neural-rendering suite. NVIDIA’s DLSS developer documentation
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Who can use it
ComputerBase reports support from GeForce RTX 20-series cards onward. The GPU alone is not enough: the game must integrate Ray Reconstruction, and the updated model must be available through that game’s settings or its NVIDIA app override. ComputerBase’s compatibility and game testing
The update is delivered through NVIDIA software for existing RTX users. A new GPU or accessory is not required. The practical question is whether your game supports Ray Reconstruction and whether your particular GPU can run it at an acceptable frame rate.
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How to enable DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction
- Update the NVIDIA app. Install the update that provides DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction. Club386 also reports access through a driver update, so install an available NVIDIA driver update if the option does not appear. Club386’s hands-on report
- Open a game that supports Ray Reconstruction. Look in the game’s ray tracing, path tracing, or DLSS graphics settings and enable Ray Reconstruction if the game exposes it.
- Check the NVIDIA app’s per-game DLSS settings. For a supported game, open its DLSS overrides and look for the Ray Reconstruction model selector. Tom’s Guide reports that the updated option appears as “Model F.” Labels and availability can vary by game and app version. Tom’s Guide’s hands-on review
- Compare in the same scene. Check a stationary view for lighting and fine detail, then watch moving effects for stability or ghosting. Monitor frame rate with the setting on and off; results on another GPU do not predict yours.
What independent testing found
Early hands-on reports describe improved image detail and stability, but the size of the visible change and the frame-rate cost vary. The results below are observations from particular test systems, not guarantees for every RTX GPU.
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| Report | Test scope | Observed result |
|---|---|---|
| Club386, August 25, 2026 | RTX 5090 Founders Edition system | Reported clearer ray-traced imagery and a practically negligible frame-rate cost in its setup. Read the report |
| ComputerBase, August 25, 2026 | Image-quality analysis in Alan Wake 2, Crimson Desert, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Pragmata; performance benchmarking with an RTX 5090 | Examined the new model’s image-quality target against similar performance across five games. This is a finite test set, not a result for every supported title or GPU. Read the analysis |
| Tom’s Guide, Jason England, August 25, 2026 | RTX 50-series test systems, including an RTX 5080 | Reported no frame-rate penalty on the tested RTX 5080 and an average two-FPS drop on the cited lower-tier RTX 50-series systems. The reviewer cautioned that RTX 20- and 30-series cards may see a more noticeable cost. Visual improvements were clearest on close inspection and more incremental during fast gameplay. Read the review |
How to decide whether to keep it enabled
- Inspect image quality: Pause in a noisy or detailed ray-traced scene and compare lighting, reflections, and fine moving details with the updated model on and off.
- Judge motion as well as still frames: Look for temporal stability and ghosting while objects, lights, or the camera move. A still image may not show the full difference.
- Measure your own performance: Compare frame rate in the same game, scene, and graphics settings. RTX 50-series reviewer results should not be assumed to apply to RTX 20- or 30-series hardware.
- Confirm game support: If the selector is absent, first check that the game supports Ray Reconstruction and that the NVIDIA app and driver are current. The feature is not a universal switch for every game.
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