Nvidia expanded frame generation technology on October 23, 2026, rolling out DLSS 5 Neural Rendering and a new performance mode to Portal with RTX and the Half-Life 2 RTX demo via RTX Remix 1.6, while independent testing reveals modest frame-rate gains for older RTX 40-series hardware.
Nvidia App Updates Bring Preset C and Neural Rendering to Classic Games
Nvidia introduced a new performance-focused frame generation mode on October 13, 2026, for RTX 40-series and RTX 50-series graphics through the Nvidia App. Known as Preset C, the beta setting substitutes the second of frame generation’s pair of AI models—which manages optical flow for user interfaces and ray-traced effects—with a streamlined algorithm built to free up additional processing capacity for actual frames. Team Green claimed the update runs up to 35% faster on the RTX 5060 with minor image quality trade-offs, though that figure stems from the 6x frame generation mode exclusive to Blackwell architecture.
The technology rollout continued on October 21, 2026, when Portal with RTX received its update, followed by the Half-Life 2 RTX demo on October 23, 2026. Sharing the rollout details on X, NVIDIA’s Jacob Freeman verified that users can utilize the RTX Remix overlay by pressing Alt + X to access DLSS 5 Neural Rendering, Frame Generation Preset C, up to 6X Multi Frame Generation, and DLSS 4.5 Super Resolution via Preset F.
RTX Remix 1.6 Expands Modding Support and DLSS 5 Integration
The updates follow the release of Nvidia RTX Remix 1.6, an open-source modding platform update designed to help creators modernize classic PC games without waiting for original developers. The platform now includes DLSS 5 integration, expanded frame generation capabilities, Windows on ARM support, and ComfyUI 2.0 AI-assisted modding tools. Modders working on compatible titles can utilize Nvidia’s own tools to add DLSS 5, alongside artistic controls to select different neural rendering models, adjust intensity, and exclude specific objects or materials from AI enhancements.
Unlike DLSS Super Resolution, which rebuilds higher-resolution graphics, or Frame Generation, which produces extra frames, DLSS 5 Neural Rendering concentrates on elevating the visual quality of frames that have already been rendered. Relying on the game’s rendered picture and motion vectors, its AI model boosts lighting, material qualities, and intricate details while staying faithful to the source scene. Nvidia recently optimized the model by reducing its parameter count by 24% to approximately 118 million, lowering VRAM consumption at 4K by 20% while delivering twice the execution performance of the September implementation.
Benchmarking Preset C on the RTX 4070 Ti Super
While initial performance metrics focused on Blackwell hardware, independent testing on older architecture reveals more modest gains. Testing on an RTX 4070 Ti Super paired with a Ryzen 5 7600X and 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p with Medium ray tracing and DLSS Super Resolution set to Balanced provided a clear baseline comparison against Nvidia’s Quality Mode (Preset B).
| Configuration | Average FPS | Rendered FPS | PC Latency |
|---|---|---|---|
| FG off | 99.1 | 99.1 | 31.8 ms |
| Preset B | 157.6 | 78.8 | 36.3 ms |
| Preset C | 167.2 | 83.6 | 35.5 ms |
Switching from Preset B to Preset C pushed average frame rates from 157.6 FPS to 167.2 FPS, marking a 6.1% performance gain on the Ada Lovelace card. Because the card operates at 2x frame generation mode rather than the 6x mode reserved for Blackwell chips, it had less overhead to shed. Preset C cut the frame generation cost from 20.5% down to 15.6%.
Visual Trade-Offs and Platform Limitations
Despite Nvidia’s stated trade-offs involving the lighter optical flow algorithm affecting text, UI elements, and particles, gameplay testing showed no discernible visual differences between Preset B and Preset C during normal play. However, Digital Foundry observed in frame-by-frame analysis on an RTX 5080 that Preset C exhibits weaker handling of text and particles compared to Preset B, which specifically excludes user interface and HUD elements from interpolation.
Official DLSS 5 Neural Rendering support remains restricted to GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs and RTX Spark hardware, though Frame Generation Preset C extends down to RTX 40 Series GPUs. Meanwhile, 5X and 6X Multi Frame Generation require compatible RTX 50 Series hardware, leaving older card owners with Preset C as their primary free performance upgrade from the October updates.
