Nvidia just dropped DLSS 4.5, and it’s a solid step up for their already killer upscaling.
This new version fine-tunes the tech from DLSS 4, giving us better motion handling, sharper clarity, and rock-steady images.
If you want to push your RTX GPU further without sacrificing looks, I’ll walk you through how to turn it on and get the most from it.
Getting Started with DLSS 4.5
First, you’ll need to grab the Nvidia App if you don’t have it. Open it up, go to Settings, and click About. Here, check the box to enable early access. Close and restart the app—once it relaunches as version 11.0.6, you’re on the beta with DLSS 4.5 ready.
But if you’re reading this after January 13, 2026, you can ignore the early access step. Nvidia rolled out official support that day, so any recent update should have you covered. Just make sure your Nvidia App is updated, and you’re all set.
Don’t forget your driver. Hop into the Drivers section and check that you’re on version 591.74 or newer. That driver is key—it unlocks DLSS 4.5 super resolution and the new presets. Without it, you won’t see those extra options in your games.
Understanding DLSS Preset Evolution
DLSS has come a long way. To see why version 4.5 matters, you just need to look at how the built-in presets have evolved.
A few years back, DLSS 3 was using Presets E and F in most games. These ran on an older AI model (called CNN), and honestly, they just don’t hold up great today.
They got the job done for performance, but you’d often notice ghosting—where things leave faint trails—and the image could get a bit swimmy or unstable. By modern standards, those flaws are pretty hard to ignore.
Then DLSS 4 jumped to Presets J and K, and it was a real game-changer. This is when they switched to a newer, smarter “transformer” model. That shift fixed the big ghosting and stability headaches from the older versions. The jump in image quality was huge and made DLSS 4 the clear choice for getting extra frames without a big visual hit.
Now we have DLSS 4.5 with Presets L and M. Think of these as the latest, polished version of that transformer model. They squeeze out even more ghosting and flickering, pushing overall clarity a step further.
On paper, it might sound like small tweaks, but when you’re actually playing—especially in fast, motion-heavy games—you’ll see the difference. Everything just looks cleaner and more solid.
Nvidia’s Official Preset Recommendations
Nvidia has some specific advice on when to use each new preset, but don’t be afraid to play around with them yourself to see what looks best on your setup.
They tell us Preset L was built for Ultra Performance mode at 4K. But from what I’ve seen, it also works really well at 1440p. You can still get a great, clean image even starting from that lower resolution.
Preset M is specifically meant for Performance mode. There’s a good reason for this: if you try to use Preset M on Balanced or Quality mode, it gets a lot more demanding on your GPU than Preset K does. That extra workload usually isn’t worth the small visual gain in those scenarios.
Don’t count out the older Preset K, though. Nvidia still recommends it for Balanced or Quality modes. It hits a sweet spot between performance and image quality that’s hard to beat, especially if you’re gaming at 1080p or on a mid-range card.
How to Turn On and Check Your DLSS Override
Once you’ve picked a preset, you’ll want to make sure it’s active when you’re in a game. Here’s how I do it using the Nvidia Overlay.
First, press Alt+Z to bring up the overlay. Go into Settings (the gear icon), then click on Nvidia Overlay and make sure it’s switched on.
Next, click Statistics Customization. Turn Show Statistics on. To see the DLSS info, you need to switch from Basic to Custom view, then click View All to see every metric you can track.
Scroll down that list until you find Super Resolution Model Override and turn it on. This is the key. When you jump into your game, this will show you the active preset letter right on your screen—like “SR override preset L” if you set it correctly for Marvel Rivals.
To make the text easier to read, go to Configure Heads-Up Display. You can crank the Background Opacity up to 100% for a solid box, or leave it around 50% for something more see-through. You can also click and drag the stats to any corner so they don’t block your view.
Performance Analysis and Trade-offs
Here’s the real talk: Preset L from DLSS 4.5 does ask a bit more from your GPU than the older Preset K or Preset E. But in my view, you get your performance’s worth. The jump in clarity, especially for things like distant foliage when you’re running at a super low internal resolution, is pretty striking.
Even with that extra cost, Preset K is still a totally solid choice. It really comes down to your own gear and what resolution you’re targeting. Your goal is to find your perfect balance of looks and frames.
Preset M follows the same idea. You’ll see a performance dip compared to Preset K, but the image gets noticeably cleaner and more stable. Is it worth it? That depends almost entirely on your graphics card. This is why Nvidia suggests saving Presets L and M for RTX 40 and 50 series cards.
There’s a hardware reason for that. DLSS 4.5 uses a heavier, more precise AI model. Older RTX 20 and 30 series cards handle the math differently (using FP16), which makes these new presets more costly for them.
My biggest piece of advice? Test this yourself game by game. Performance can vary a ton. What’s perfect in one title might be too much in another.
Image Quality Comparisons
Putting Preset K and Preset L side-by-side at 1440p, they look very close at a glance—which is a win for both. But look closer, especially in motion, and Preset L pulls ahead.
Things like confetti particles are clearer, outlines are sharper, and that annoying ghosting is basically gone. Preset K can still look a little blurry or unstable in fast scenes where Preset L holds firm.
The best part? On a modern card like an RTX 4060, using Preset L in Ultra Performance mode costs you almost no frames. You’re basically getting a free visual upgrade.
Now, comparing Preset K to Preset M at Performance mode tells a similar story. Preset M cleans up flickering edges and makes moving elements like NPCs look more solid.
But this quality boost has a steeper price—expect around a 15-20% hit to your frame rate. That’s exactly why Nvidia says to only use Preset M for Performance mode and not the higher quality settings.
The most surprising find? In my testing, Preset M at 1440p Performance mode (internal 720p) can actually look better than native 1440p.
Native resolution often shimmers and loses detail on things like trees, while Preset M stays rock solid. And you get the bonus of about 30+ extra FPS. If you’ve always avoided upscaling, this might be the preset that changes your mind.
My Quick Settings Guide by Resolution
For 1080p Gamers: Stick with Preset K on Balanced or Quality mode. Going lower than Balanced at this resolution usually gets too blurry for my liking.
For 1440p / 4K Gamers using Ultra Performance Mode: Preset L is your new best friend. It looks great at 1440p and even better at 4K.
For 1440p / 4K Gamers using Performance Mode: Go with Preset M. The image quality is outstanding, and at 4K it should be even more impressive.
For 1440p on Balanced or Quality Mode: Stay with Preset K. When you push the quality setting higher, Preset M becomes a real frame-rate hog, while Preset K still delivers a fantastic picture.
