Deep Learning Super Sampling has been in our opinion much more important than Ray Tracing as a new technology to reach the market. At the time we tested it with SOTTR and we were surprised by the increase in performance, the improvement in the overall quality of the game and especially by the sharpness it provided. But that hasn’t been accomplished with the bulk of the games, and the issues have been varied throughout this long year and a half. So verifying that DLSS 2.0 works like this is going to be a challenge, as it is already mature, well implemented and conclusions can be drawn in a title like Control.
AI at the service of a new DLSS 2.0 that promises improvements
We are not going to go into all the improvements that DLSS 2.0 includes as a revised technology, we have already seen in the previous link in an exclusive article that we recommend you read if we have any doubts. We are going to focus on Control because it is a fetish game for NVIDIA where this new version has been implemented correctly and we can take precise performance metrics.
As we have always used our test material to validate this performance, to which we have added the new RTX 3080 Ti:
- Intel Core i7-8700K (sin delid, stock y overclock at 4.9 GHz)
- ASUS Maximus X Formula
- Corsair Vengeance Pro RGB DDR4-3200 MHz Cas16 (Samsung B-Die, XMP enabled)
ASUS STRIX RTX 2060 O6G (Store)@ NVIDIA RTX 3080 Ti FE 12 GB- Corsair AX1200i Platinum
- Corsair MP510 960 GB
- ASUS STRIX Helios
- EK Vardar EVO RGB (x 4)
- Tacklif HM02
- Key DNM-51
That said, logically the data captures were made in-game and are divided into 3 resolutions and two settings: 1080p, 2K, 4K with and without DLSS. With that said, let’s see what DLSS can offer.
1080p control
We see here that in 1080p the rescaling is so light that it seems nonexistent, the averages barely reach 1 FPS of difference of 160, that is to say that it is in the range of ‘measurement error. It seems that this resolution has no impact on performance, but let’s see the FrameTime.
It is also true that Nvidia continues to suffer with its drivers and the low graphics load of certain titles, where in 1080p the GPU is between 60 and 80% of its load. This makes it possible not to increase performance since the GPU is not able to adapt to said load.
What we see here is that while the performance is similar in FPS, it is not so much in this section. And that the average is practically nailed down, but the graph shows how with DLSS a little more smoothness is obtained, but we will check this in a later graph with concrete data.
We can see here that the highs and lows are quite close, more in the lows and less in the highs. DLSS therefore achieves more theoretical than practical performance and much less useful, at least in 1080p.
Again we can see it in the percentages of 1% and 0.1%, where in the latter it achieves a better ratio and an average, much better, so although there is no improvement performance, there is in the gameplay.
As expected, the percentiles are virtually identical, nothing to comment on here since we have seen the above.
But once we leave the percentile behind, we see how the FPS variability is the same in both, which makes sense considering this, but the stuttering is a bit lower if we enable DLSS, giving a better feeling of smoothness. in the game. Ergo as long as the consumption is maintained and does not affect the performance under this resolution, it is clear that it can be activated and thus improve the gameplay and the gaming experience.
2K control
Increasing the resolution to 2K changes completely as the graphics load increases and the processor is less relevant. As we can see, the difference and a half between having DLSS 2.0 active or not having it is nothing less than close to 35 FPS, where it also seems like we have more stability in the FrameRate, but we have it. then check with data.
What is clear is that the smoothness is much higher and the difference in FPS has little to do with it. With DLSS 2.0 everything works much easier, the gameplay is better and with that we will enjoy the game much more.
When it comes to minimum and maximum FPS the data speaks for itself, DLSS 2.0 literally beats the option of not having it active.
The same case occurs with percentages, at the moment we see no argument not to enable it under 2K resolution, and that DLSS 2.0 rendering was selected to the maximum in this test and in the others.
The percentile is devastating in favor of NVIDIA technology. More stability in milliseconds, lower numbers and an almost horizontal line with a variation of only 2ms, just amazing.
As for FPS drift and stuttering, more of the same. DLSS 2.0 achieves more framerate stability and considerably less stuttering, 22% better when active than when not.
4K control
Under 4K resolution, the GPU suffers a lot more and the CPU a lot less, so the difference between having DLSS 2.0 active and not having it will be greater, because it improves performance more and this is noticeable. It does not double the performance, but it is really close and not only, but it also gains in stability, at least at first glance.
Frametime is just butter. Virtually no variation, maximum smoothness with performance above 100 FPS almost constantly, a real delight.
Minimum and maximum, nothing to say that is not clearly visible, almost double the performance.
Same case for the percentages, nothing to complain about here with DLSS 2.0, a marvel.
The percentile is not as good in terms of stability as in 2K, but it is very flat, which shows the stability of the frame rate and frametime.
Here everything that is commented on is seen in a much more graphic way. Breathtaking FPS stability and virtually no stuttering, so from memory we think this is the best data we’ve ever recorded so we’re really surprised.
Conclusion on DLSS 2.0
DLSS 2.0 is a technical marvel developed by NVIDIA and in this case it does not bring the problems of its predecessor. It does not offer remarkable sharpness like its original version either, but we can speak graphically of a slight improvement, which should be carefully appreciated.
It is not perceptible in movement, because already in static with two identical images it is difficult to distinguish and it is something more in situ than like its own image. In terms of performance and saving the NVIDIA and 1080p issues we have already seen in both the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti and the newer batch drivers, at 2K and 4K, the performance is surprising.
So much so that at the highest graphics load, it almost doubles the FPS and this allows ray tracing to be activated without losing performance. Therefore, and given that there are no apparent problems, this DLSS 2.0 version is a giant leap for NVIDIA and a serious competitor for AMD FSR, especially since the graphics load is high, which is why she achieves is awesome and not just in terms of sweetness.
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