Short answer: the GeForce RTX 5090 is faster, but a DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation result is not directly comparable to an RTX 4090’s traditionally rendered or DLSS 3 output FPS. The 5090’s biggest advantage is its ability to generate up to three additional frames per rendered frame. That can make motion appear substantially smoother, while responsiveness still depends mainly on the traditionally rendered base frame rate, latency, frame pacing and game support.
The image-quality verdict is more conditional. DLSS 4 and current DLSS 4.5 transformer-based models can improve stability and detail in supported games, but generated frames can still reveal ghosting, shimmering or errors around fast-moving geometry, particles, reflections and HUD elements.
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What this RTX 5090 vs RTX 4090 demo can—and cannot—prove
The comparison is meaningful only when its settings are identified. A fair test should state the game version, driver, DLSS model, resolution, graphics preset, ray-tracing mode, CPU, display refresh rate, capture method and whether the footage uses native rendering, upscaling only, Frame Generation or Multi Frame Generation.
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The original video or article behind this headline cannot be independently authenticated from the available source material. Its game, settings, benchmark numbers and conclusions should therefore not be treated as verified evidence. Use the footage as a visual demonstration unless the publisher provides a complete test method.
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Most importantly, do not compare the RTX 5090’s generated FPS with the RTX 4090’s rendered FPS as though they measure the same thing.
DLSS 3 versus DLSS 4
DLSS 3 combines Super Resolution, AI Frame Generation and NVIDIA Reflex. Frame Generation uses motion vectors, depth information and optical-flow data to insert one AI-generated frame between traditionally rendered frames. The RTX 4090 supports this technology.
DLSS 4 adds Multi Frame Generation on RTX 50-series cards. Depending on the supported mode, it can create up to three additional frames for every traditionally rendered frame:
- DLSS 3: one rendered frame followed by one generated frame.
- DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation: one rendered frame followed by multiple generated frames.
- DLSS Super Resolution: reconstructs the output image from a lower-resolution render and is separate from Frame Generation.
DLSS 4 also introduced transformer-based models for Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction and DLAA. These image-quality features should not be confused with Multi Frame Generation. Supported newer models can be available on older RTX cards, including the RTX 4090, while Multi Frame Generation remains an RTX 50-series feature.
As of January 2026, NVIDIA said DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution was available through the NVIDIA App across GeForce RTX GPUs in more than 400 games and applications, while DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation was available in more than 250. Those counts change over time, so confirm support for the specific game and version.
Why the RTX 5090 can produce a much larger FPS number
The RTX 5090 has a conventional hardware advantage as well as access to Multi Frame Generation. NVIDIA’s architecture table lists 21,760 CUDA cores and 104.8 FP32 TFLOPS for the RTX 5090, compared with 16,384 CUDA cores and 82.6 FP32 TFLOPS for the RTX 4090. The 5090 also has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, versus 24 GB of GDDR6X on the 4090.
However, NVIDIA’s “up to 2×” performance claims combine hardware gains with DLSS features. They are not a universal native-raster result. Similarly, a claim that DLSS 4 “quadruples” performance generally describes displayed output after generated frames have been added—not four times as many traditionally rendered frames.
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A useful way to read the result is:
Displayed FPS = traditionally rendered base frames plus generated frames.
A displayed 240 FPS result might be based on approximately 60 traditionally rendered frames per second with a four-times generation mode. The exact relationship depends on the game, mode and pacing. The final counter alone cannot reveal the base rendering rate.
NVIDIA’s DLSS 4 research material reports approximately 3.25 ms to generate one 4K frame with DLSS 3 on an RTX 4090, compared with roughly 1 ms per generated frame for DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation on an RTX 5090 at launch. This is an NVIDIA measurement, not a universal independent benchmark.
How to judge image quality
Pause the video, slow it down and then watch it again at normal speed. Still images can expose detail differences, but motion is where generated-frame errors become most important.
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- Fine foliage, grass, hair, wires and fences.
- Thin geometry during camera movement.
- Reflections, glass and transparent effects.
- Neon signs and other emissive lighting.
- Smoke, particles and explosions.
- Character outlines and disocclusion when objects move into view.
- HUD elements, subtitles and small text.
Look for ghost trails behind characters or vehicles, crawling edges, shimmering foliage, inconsistent particles and frame-to-frame changes that do not occur in the game simulation. Video compression, HDR conversion, sharpening, browser playback and the capture software can also alter apparent detail, so YouTube footage cannot conclusively establish fine image-quality differences.
Separate the technologies while evaluating the result:
- Super Resolution quality affects reconstructed detail, edge stability and temporal behavior.
- Frame Generation quality affects inserted frames, motion artifacts and perceived smoothness.
- Multi Frame Generation increases the percentage of displayed frames that are AI-generated. A higher average FPS does not automatically mean more accurate motion.
NVIDIA says its transformer models improve temporal stability, reduce ghosting and preserve detail in motion. Those are vendor claims that should be checked in controlled examples rather than assumed to apply identically to every game.
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The performance numbers that matter
A useful comparison should report these results separately:
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- Native rendering with no DLSS, where practical.
- DLSS Super Resolution with Frame Generation disabled.
- RTX 4090 with DLSS 3 Frame Generation.
- RTX 5090 with DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation.
- Average FPS and 1% lows.
- Frame-time graphs and visible pacing.
- Base render latency and end-to-end latency.
- VRAM, GPU and CPU utilization.
Every chart should identify whether DLSS is set to Quality, Balanced or Performance. These modes use different internal resolutions, so RTX 5090 Performance mode versus RTX 4090 Quality mode is not a fair comparison. Output resolution, ray tracing, refresh rate and V-Sync configuration must also match.
Latency is separate from smoothness
Frame Generation does not replace a sufficiently high base frame rate. A game may display more frames while the CPU and game simulation continue updating at a much lower rate. That can make camera motion look smoother without making aiming, input response or game logic feel equivalent to native high-FPS rendering.
Record whether NVIDIA Reflex is enabled, whether the system is GPU- or CPU-limited, and whether the display can actually show the generated output. High generated FPS can be wasted by a 60-Hz monitor or undermined by inconsistent frame pacing.
NVIDIA says Blackwell’s hardware Flip Metering is intended to improve display timing and pacing compared with the more CPU-dependent approach used by DLSS 3. That explains the design goal, but it does not prove that every DLSS 4 game will have lower latency or perfect pacing.
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Games that expose the difference
A single path-traced showcase is not enough. A stronger test uses several types of workload:
- Cyberpunk 2077: demanding path tracing and a prominent DLSS showcase.
- Alan Wake 2: difficult lighting, Ray Reconstruction, foliage and fine geometry.
- Hogwarts Legacy: streaming and potential CPU limitations.
- A racing or fast-action game: rapid motion makes interpolation errors easier to see.
- A third-person game: useful for checking hair, character edges, particles and HUD elements.
- A game without Multi Frame Generation: isolates the RTX 5090’s conventional performance advantage.
NVIDIA has reported an example in Hogwarts Legacy where Multi Frame Generation raised output from about 110 FPS to as much as 210 FPS in a CPU-limited test scenario. That is a configuration-specific NVIDIA example, not a general expectation for the game.
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DLSS 4.5 changes the context
“DLSS 4” can refer to several different things: the RTX 50-exclusive Multi Frame Generation feature, the newer Frame Generation model, transformer-based Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction or DLAA. A current test may also use DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution through the NVIDIA App even if the original footage was presented as a launch-era DLSS 4 demonstration.
That distinction matters when comparing old footage with current results. Record the game patch, NVIDIA driver, NVIDIA App version and DLSS DLL or model version where possible. State whether the game has native DLSS support or is using an NVIDIA App override.
Who should upgrade from an RTX 4090?
The RTX 5090 makes the strongest case when:
- You play demanding 4K ray-traced or path-traced games.
- Your games support native Multi Frame Generation.
- You have a high-refresh-rate display, such as 4K at 240 Hz.
- You need 32 GB of VRAM for high-resolution textures, mods or other workloads.
- You are GPU-limited and want maximum performance regardless of price.
The RTX 4090 remains sensible when:
- You already own one and are satisfied with its base FPS.
- You mainly play rasterized games without Multi Frame Generation support.
- You use 1440p or a moderate-refresh 4K monitor.
- You prefer native rendering and dislike interpolation artifacts.
- The price gap is large enough that generated FPS does not justify the purchase.
The RTX 5090 launched at a US MSRP of $1,999, but official availability and street pricing can differ sharply. NVIDIA’s official marketplace showed the card at $1,999 but out of stock in the supplied August 2026 snapshot; third-party prices reported at several thousand dollars are market snapshots, not stable value recommendations. Do not pay near-5090 money for a used RTX 4090 unless its price reflects the missing Multi Frame Generation capability and lower memory capacity.
For a new build, also check the power supply, case clearance, cooling, connector requirements and monitor refresh rate. A 5090 is difficult to justify if the display cannot show the additional output or the games do not support its defining features.
Bottom line
The RTX 5090 wins this comparison, but not simply because its FPS counter is larger. Its conventional hardware is faster, and DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation can multiply displayed frames far beyond what the RTX 4090’s DLSS 3 Frame Generation produces. The trade-off is that generated frames are not equivalent to traditionally rendered frames, and the responsiveness benefit depends on base FPS, Reflex, latency, CPU limits and pacing.
For an RTX 4090 owner, DLSS 4 is a compelling technology demonstration rather than an automatic upgrade recommendation. Judge the specific games you play using base FPS, frame times, latency and slowed motion—not the headline generated-FPS number alone.
Sources: NVIDIA DLSS 4 overview, NVIDIA DLSS 4 research, Blackwell architecture specifications, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 announcement, RTX 5090 product page and RTX 4090 product page.
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