DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is a free software update for GeForce RTX owners, not a reason to buy a new graphics card. It can improve the reconstruction of ray-traced lighting and detail in supported games, but the game must expose Ray Reconstruction and the performance cost depends on your GPU. Independent tests report clearer images, with gains that are often easier to see when inspecting a still scene than during fast play.
What DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction changes
Ray tracing often calculates too few rays per pixel to produce a clean image on its own. Games traditionally use hand-tuned denoisers to fill in the missing information. NVIDIA’s Ray Reconstruction instead uses an AI model to analyze engine data and information across frames, then reconstruct higher-quality pixels between sampled rays. NVIDIA describes the DLSS 4.5 update as a second-generation Transformer model intended to improve lighting accuracy, temporal stability, and motion clarity while maintaining performance similar to the prior model. NVIDIA announced the update on August 25, 2026.
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NVIDIA says the updated model has 35% more compute capability and 20% more parameters than its predecessor. Those are the manufacturer’s model specifications, not independent measurements of image quality or frame rate in games.
Ray Reconstruction is not the same setting as DLSS Super Resolution or Frame Generation. Super Resolution upscales an image rendered at a lower resolution; Frame Generation creates additional frames. Ray Reconstruction handles the denoising and reconstruction of ray-traced effects. They may be used together where a game supports them, but changing one does not perform the job of the others. NVIDIA’s developer documentation describes Ray Reconstruction as part of its neural-rendering suite.
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Which RTX GPUs and games can use it?
NVIDIA says DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction is available through an NVIDIA app update for GeForce RTX gamers. ComputerBase reports support beginning with the GeForce RTX 20 series, so the stated GPU range is RTX 20-series and newer. GPU eligibility alone is not enough: Ray Reconstruction must also be integrated into the particular game. Check the game’s graphics settings or its DLSS options to confirm support. ComputerBase’s August 25, 2026 report discusses both the supported generations and the game-integration requirement.
How to enable the updated model
- Update the NVIDIA app and install the available driver update. The feature is delivered through NVIDIA software; a new GPU or accessory is not required if you already have a compatible RTX card.
- Launch a game that supports Ray Reconstruction and open its graphics, ray-tracing, or DLSS settings. If the game has no Ray Reconstruction option, the update cannot add game support by itself.
- Where the NVIDIA app exposes per-game DLSS overrides, open the supported game’s DLSS override settings and choose “Model F” under Ray Reconstruction. Tom’s Guide reports this label for the updated model; menu names and availability can vary by game and app version.
- Compare the result with the prior setting in the same scene. Look at fine lighting and reflections, then check moving objects and effects; also monitor frame rate on your own GPU.
What hands-on tests found
Independent reports point to image-quality improvements, but not a guaranteed dramatic change in every scene. The visible difference is most apparent when examining detail, noisy lighting, or motion closely; during ordinary fast gameplay, some gains may be subtle.
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Image detail and stability
Club386 tested the feature on a system with an RTX 5090 Founders Edition and reported clearer ray-traced imagery. ComputerBase examined image quality in five games: Alan Wake 2, Crimson Desert, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, and Pragmata, using an RTX 5090 for its benchmark testing. That broader sample gives more than a single-game view, but it is still a finite set of games and a high-end test GPU. Both reports describe the update as targeting better image quality; neither establishes that every supported title or GPU will show the same result.
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Frame-rate cost
Results vary with the test system. Club386 described the performance cost as practically negligible on its RTX 5090 system. Tom’s Guide’s Jason England reported no frame-rate penalty on the tested RTX 5080 and an average two-FPS drop on the cited lower-tier RTX 50-series test systems. These are observations from those reviewers’ systems, not a guarantee for other configurations. Tom’s Guide cautions that RTX 20- and 30-series cards may face a more noticeable cost. Club386’s hands-on report and Tom’s Guide’s August 25, 2026 review provide the test context.
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Who should try it?
It is most relevant if you already own an RTX card, play a title with Ray Reconstruction support, and use ray tracing or path tracing. Treat it as a free option to evaluate rather than a guaranteed upgrade: enable it in a supported game, inspect the same scene with and without it, and watch for both image changes and any frame-rate loss on your hardware.
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