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What are DLSS 4 and FSR 4 — and how to enable them

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ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 3060 Phoenix 12GB — Graphics Card

You've probably come across DLSS or FSR in the settings of modern games. Many people simply turn them on "to get more FPS," but few people know what these technologies actually do. Let's try to explain them in a simple way.

The main idea: upscaling

The hardest job for a video card is drawing each pixel. The higher the resolution, the more pixels and the fewer frames.

Upscaling This problem is cleverly circumvented: the game is rendered at a lower resolution (for example, 1080p), and then a special algorithm increases the image to the desired resolution (1440p or 4K). As a result, you get almost the same image quality, but much more frames.

DLSS 4 — NVIDIA

DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is a technology from NVIDIA and works only on GeForce RTX series cards — it uses specialized Tensor cores. The fourth generation uses a neural network to restore lost details; the result is often visually better than native resolution, especially when depicting fine objects (wires, grass).

FSR 4 — AMD

FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) is a technology from AMD. Its historical advantage was its openness - early versions also worked on NVIDIA cards. The fourth generation is already based on machine learning and has come significantly closer to DLSS in quality, but in return requires modern Radeon cards.

Frame generation — additional frames

This is a separate feature that is often confused with upscaling. Frame generation It inserts an artificial, generated frame between two real frames. This increases the FPS even more, but has one important nuance: It does not reduce input lag.. If the base frame rate is less than 30, the game will feel "stiff" despite the 60 FPS rate.

Rule of thumb: turn on frame generation when you already have at least 50-60 base frames. In fast-paced shooters (CS2, Valorant), it's best not to turn it on at all.

Quality modes

Both technologies have several presets that determine how low the resolution the image will be drawn:

  • Quality — Minimal loss, moderate gain. Best balance at 1440p.
  • Balanced — Intermediate option.
  • Performance — Big gain, noticeable loss. Often perfectly acceptable at 4K.
  • Ultra Performance — Only in 4K and when there is no other way.

The higher the target resolution, the less noticeable the upscaling cost. It's not worth going below Quality at 1080p.

How to turn on

  1. Make sure your video card driver is updated.
  2. Open in game Settings → Graphics (or Display).
  3. Find the point Upscaling, DLSS or FSR.
  4. Select a mode — start QualityFrom.
  5. Turn on separately if necessary Frame Generation.

Conclusion

DLSS and FSR are no longer „helpful tricks” but standard features of the game. Both allow you to comfortably play at high resolutions even on a mid-range graphics card.

If you are planning to upgrade your video card, check out RTX 5060, RTX 5070 and RX 9060 XT comparison and Video card selection guide. Other ways to increase FPS are described. In a separate article.