Although GPUs are currently very expensiveWe’re still constantly told that it’s definitely time to update ours. And, to be fair, Nvidia doesn’t make it easy to say no. The latest versions of DLSS, including 4.5 and the upcoming 5, are extremely tempting… but does that mean you should take out your wallet?
It’s not a possibility. Chances are you won’t need a new GPU, and a $7 app can largely replace many of the features Nvidia uses as its main selling point.
DLSS 4.5 is impressive, but is it a good enough reason to buy a new GPU?
Great technology, closer profitability
DLSS 4.5 is more than just Nvidia adding a new number to the same old feature set. The technology marks the first time we are close to Nvidia delivering on its power promises match the performance of an RTX 4090 with an RTX 5070. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way.
The big update this time is a second-generation Transformer model for super resolution, which improves image quality in ways that are really easy to notice, especially on the move. Nvidia says it reduces ghosting, improves anti-aliasing, and makes the image more stable overall, with the biggest gains showing up in Performance and Ultra Performance modes, where scalers have the toughest job.
That’s the part of DLSS 4.5 that most people should be interested in. Compared to the previous release of DLSS 4, which introduced the transformer model and multi-frame generation, DLSS 4.5 adds that newer second-generation transformer model for super resolution and also introduces dynamic multi-frame generation, which can automatically adjust the frame generation multiplier based on the scene instead of sticking to a fixed setting.
That’s all great, but perhaps best for people with older GPUs is that DLSS 4.5 is available to anyone with an RTX GPU. Owners of the RTX 20, 30, and 40 series can try it out for themselves, although the effects may be diminished (or even negative) sooner than the RTX 40 series due to hardware limitations.
But the thing is, each of these benefits has a downside, and many of them can be addressed with an app that literally costs seven dollars.
Lossless Scaling solves the real problem for much less money
Cheap, flexible and good enough for most uses
I’ve been praising Lossless Scaling for a while now, and rightly so. This $7 Steam app fixes many of the problems with DLSS. In many ways, it can allow you to keep an older GPU for much longer than you otherwise would.
Lossless Scaling works by adding its own LSFG frame generation and optional upscaling to games, including titles that do not have built-in support for DLSS, FSR, or frame generation. Instead of being built into each game, it works independently. It is compatible with most games, vendor agnostic (meaning it works with all GPUs) and even supports older games and emulators.
That flexibility matters more than you think. DLSS 4.5 is great when a game supports it properly and your GPU is the right generation for the features you want, but LS doesn’t care as much about any of that. It is easy to use and allows you to improve or use frame generation in countless titles.
it is also not just a frame generation tool. Can be used for supports a dual GPU configurationand supports various scaling methods.
It’s not about fixing everything right now, but it’s good enough that I can easily recommend it to almost anyone. I’m happy with my GPU’s performance in almost all games, and yet I still use LS to give certain titles an extra boost.
DLSS is still better, but there are caveats
Native support always wins
As much as I love LS, I’m not here to lie to you: DLSS is is still the best option, as long as both your hardware and the game support it correctly. It’s built into the rendering process rather than being layered on top of it afterwards. Additionally, Nvidia’s DLSS stack also ties in with features like Reflex, which helps keep latency in check while frame generation does its job. That kind of native integration is difficult, if not impossible, for a third-party tool to match.
Nvidia’s current suite includes upscaling, frame generation, MFG (multi-frame generation), ray reconstruction, DLAA, and Reflex. There are many different characteristics to pay attention to. A game with full DLSS support gets a cleaner, more complete solution than Lossless Scaling can offer, and when the stars align, native DLSS should still offer the best combination of performance, visual quality, and responsiveness.
But (sorry for the change of direction) there is more to this argument than meets the eye. Aside from the various compatibility-related caveats I’ve discussed, DLSS 4.5 still requires an adequate base frame rate to work its magic. Otherwise, you might encounter stuttering or visual artifacts.
Those problems can and still do occur with Lossless Scaling, but at least you don’t have to pay hundreds of dollars upfront to try it.
Improved treadmill never stops
DLSS 5 will drive even more people to spend money
And here comes DLSS 5, pushing the upgrades to even more people. DLSS 5, coming later in 2026, is about more than just boosting frame rates or cleaning up an enhanced image. It introduces real-time rendering that takes the color and motion vectors of a frame as input and then adds photorealistic lighting and materials on top. The goal is to achieve cinematic visuals in games that originally did not have them.
This is a major change and not everyone is happy about it. Some people even went so far as to describe the results as “pending AI“because of how DLSS 5 completely changes the visuals of games.
My advice? Save your money
There is a lot of controversy surrounding DLSS 5. Personally, I totally understand the hype, but I still don’t think most people need to upgrade their GPU for DLSS 4.5 or DLSS 5. It all comes down to preference, and more than anything, DLSS 5 will be affected by it.”anti-fake frames“camp even harder than any of the previous iterations. Gaming purists are rallying against it. Do you like it? That should determine whether you upgrade or not. For pure frame generation, just stick with Lossless Scaling and save money. At the very least, give it a try to make sure it’s not all you need.
