DLSS 5 slashes frame rates by 73% in NBA 2K27
The arrival of DLSS 5 has been met with a fanfare of excitement, promising a leap in AI-enhanced image quality for gamers. But when the technology hits the benchmark reality, things take a sharp and sudden turn. We took the plunge and put Nvidia’s new AI image-enhancing tech to the ultimate test by diving into the latest installment of a long-running series, and the results suggest that while the visuals are undeniably slick, the performance cost is astronomical.
This wasn’t just a small hit; it was a performance shockwave. Nvidia had estimated a modest 50-60% performance hit, but our testing revealed a much more brutal reality. Even on a powerful system equipped with an RTX 5080 graphics card, the performance drain was far more severe, potentially tanking frame rates by up to 73% in some scenarios.
To see just how dramatic this was, we ran the numbers in NBA 2K27. The difference between native performance and activating DLSS 5 was staggering. At 1440p, the jump from a native average of 230 frames per second down to 93 frames per second meant losing 137 frames—a difference that shifts the game experience from buttery smooth to noticeably choppy.
The situation became even more extreme when we tested 4K resolution. With a native average of 183 FPS, enabling DLSS 5 dropped the frame rate to a mere 49 FPS. This represents a nearly 73% reduction in frames, turning what should be a high-fidelity experience into a crunching ordeal.
Of course, the visuals are where the story gets complicated. In photo mode, DLSS 5 does produce some genuinely impressive results. The AI enhancement lends a noticeable, almost lifelike quality to the player’s features, adding realistic details to faces, hair, and even the subtle wrinkles in team jerseys. It certainly makes the aesthetics look polished, giving those team celebrations a new, sharp visual flair.
Yet, this visual payoff comes with a heavy asterisk. While the image quality is improved, the performance trade-off is unacceptable for many. For a fast-paced game like NBA 2K27, demanding smooth, high frame rates is crucial. The testing suggests that players must seriously weigh the gain in visual beauty against the massive performance drain.
Ultimately, the message is clear: DLSS 5 is a powerful visual tool, but it currently feels more like a technology designed for future generations of graphics cards rather than today’s hardware. It’s a massive drain on performance, forcing a difficult choice for gamers: embrace the AI-enhanced beauty, or stick with smooth, uncompromised frame rates.
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