According to reports, an RTX 4090 user successfully reduced power consumption by up to 47W with minimal performance impact through simple undervolting, addressing the significant power surge caused by DLSS 5's neural rendering mode.
While DLSS 5's neural rendering mode offers noticeable image quality improvements, it comes with a staggering power cost. Tests show that enabling DLSS 5 on an RTX 4090 can push power consumption to 435W, posing a risk of overheating to the 12VHPWR power connector during prolonged high-load operation.
The user utilized MSI Afterburner to lower the RTX 4090's core voltage from the default 1.00V–1.10V range to 925mV. In a 4K test of Hogwarts Legacy with DLSS 5 enabled but frame generation disabled, power consumption dropped from 426W to 387W, while the frame rate actually increased to 52 FPS.
The benefits of undervolting apply across all load scenarios. With DLSS 5 and Multi-Frame Generation (MFG) x4 enabled, power consumption dropped from 435W to 388W—a saving of 47W—while maintaining a steady 175 FPS. Similar optimizations were verified in Cyberpunk 2077, where power consumption decreased from approximately 426W to 386W.
Undervolting not only reduces power consumption but also lowers GPU temperatures and fan noise. For RTX 4090 users, this means enjoying the visual enhancements of DLSS 5 while effectively protecting the 12VHPWR connector from the risk of overheating and melting due to sustained high loads.