RTX 4090 Gets 48FPS At 4K In Lord of The Rings: Gollum Without DLSS

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Avinash Jaisrani

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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The GeForce RTX 4090 is currently the most powerful gaming graphics card in the world. With support for DLSS3, the graphics card also boasts several features setting it apart from the previous generation.

However, an upcoming release, The Lord of The Rings: Gollum, appears challenging, even for the flagship Nvidia GPU. As seen in the latest gameplay demo, the GeForce RTX 4090 cannot manage 60FPS at 4K with all settings in the game turned up, including ray-tracing.

Why it matters: Nvidia boasts superior ray tracing performance than rival GPU manufacturers, and the GeForce RTX 4090 is the most capable gaming graphics card for ray tracing so far.

The footage shows that 4K native gameplay drags the GeForce RTX 4090 performance below 60FPS, with an average of 48FPS, seen below. Despite the advancements in graphical technology, ray tracing is still very intensive, even for the flagship Nvidia GPU.

This is where DLSS comes in. DLSS 2 set to Quality should allow users to enjoy the game at these settings above 60FPS. However, the flagship GPU can also utilize the latest iteration, DLSS 3, for even more performance.

DLSS 3 uses AI-generated frame rates, and Nvidia shows over triple the performance with DLSS set to performance mode.

While the GeForce RTX 4090 can still hold its own without DLSS at these settings, the same cannot be said for the $1200 GeForce RTX 4080.

The second most powerful GPU in Nvidia’s current-gen line-up can barely manage over 30FPS. However, the $800 GeForce RTX 4070 Ti falls below 30FPS, making for an unplayable experience.

Nonetheless, both of these graphics cards can also utilize DLSS3, saving them from poor performance in this scenario.

The Lord of The Rings: Gollum is not the first game to bring the mighty RTX 4090 to its knees. Previously, games like Cyberpunk 2077 showed performance below 30FPS in the RT Overdrive mode, making DLSS3 necessary for an optimal experience.

Avinash Jaisrani

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