For PC players, the practical question is whether the improved visuals justify the remaining performance cost. Independent testing offers a more useful answer than the headline multiplier alone.
What the October model changes
In its October 13, 2026 announcement, NVIDIA reports these changes against September’s model:
| Metric | NVIDIA’s reported improvement |
|---|---|
| Neural-model speed | 2× faster |
| GPU overhead | Halved |
| Model footprint | 24% smaller, roughly 118 million parameters |
| VRAM usage at 4K | 20% lower |
| Visual fidelity | Comparable |
NVIDIA also describes the model as 10× faster than its March announcement version. Again, that is a model-to-model comparison, not a tenfold increase in game FPS. The parameter reduction and VRAM saving are separate measurements, neither of which establishes a corresponding frame-rate gain.
Why double model speed produces smaller FPS gains
Think of neural rendering as one item on a frame’s to-do list. Finishing that item in half the time does not halve the entire list.
For a simplified illustration—not a DLSS benchmark—suppose a frame takes 20 milliseconds: 10 milliseconds for the game’s other rendering work and 10 for neural rendering. Halving the neural portion brings the total to 15 milliseconds. Frame rate rises from 50 FPS to about 67 FPS, rather than 100 FPS.
NVIDIA describes Neural Rendering as a final graphics-pipeline stage that adds lighting and material detail. It is therefore important to distinguish its processing cost from the work required to produce the underlying game frame.
Independent tests show progress—and a substantial cost
TechSpot’s Tim Schiesser tested the October model in NBA 2K27 and published results on October 21. Two 4K examples make the trade-off particularly clear:
| GPU | September model | October model | Neural Rendering disabled |
|---|---|---|---|
| RTX 5080 | 53 FPS | 78 FPS | 185 FPS |
| RTX 5060 Ti 16GB | 24 FPS | 35 FPS | 95 FPS |
Those are substantial improvements over the earlier model, but neither configuration recovers the performance available with Neural Rendering switched off. TechSpot also recorded gains above NVIDIA’s advertised 1.4× figure in some configurations; that marketing figure should not be treated as a universal ceiling.
Image quality remains another qualification. TechSpot found the output broadly similar, potentially slightly worse in some situations, with continuing stability and artifact concerns. Its assessment supports calling this an efficiency improvement—not declaring the visual problems solved. These findings concern one game, not every future integration.
How to try it—and undo it
For the local Windows PC implementation, NBA 2K Support specifies an RTX 50-series GPU and the required GeForce Game Ready Driver. Its documented controls are:
- Open Features > Video Settings from the main menu.
- Enable DLSS Neural Rendering.
- Configure Super Resolution, Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex as desired.
The feature is optional. If performance becomes uncomfortable, disable it in Video Settings or press F9 during gameplay or replays to toggle it. These instructions are game-specific, not verified controls for every cloud or laptop implementation.
For a useful personal comparison, keep the scene, resolution and other settings unchanged. Judge motion and responsiveness alongside the visual difference; a prettier screenshot is not automatically a better playing experience.
What comes next
NVIDIA scheduled the faster model’s NBA 2K27 rollout for October 16 across RTX 50 Series, RTX Spark laptops and GeForce NOW, with future DLSS 5 games using it by default. Its announcement also scheduled RTX Remix integration for October 23, Hogwarts Legacy for November 5, 2026, and Where Winds Meet for late November. The November releases remain future events as of October 26.
The sensible takeaway is narrower than “double performance,” but still meaningful: the feature has become cheaper to run. Whether that makes it worth enabling remains a per-game, per-GPU decision—and NBA 2K27 gives supported PC players an unusually convenient F9 escape hatch.