DLSS 5 on AMD Explained: 1000 Stars, 33 FPS Today, 5070 Ti Goal [2026]
Friday, September 11, 2026Updated September 11, 2026: Developer danielblnc published DLSS-NR-on-AMD, a ground-up HIP reimplementation of the DLSS 5 neural rendering runtime for Radeon RX 9000 and 7000 cards. The project holds 1,000 stars and 43 forks with 106 open issues, runs at roughly 33 FPS at 1080p on an RX 9070 XT, and targets RTX 5070 Ti speeds. It ships no NVIDIA code and needs your own DLSS 5 DLL. Here is how it works, what it requires, and where it stands.
Table of Contents
- What DLSS-NR-on-AMD Is
- Reimplementation, Not Translation
- Performance: 33 FPS Today, 5070 Ti Goal
- Installation in 4 Steps
- The End-Key Overlay
- Requirements and Limits
- Repository at a Glance
- Should You Try It
- How It Compares to Other AMD Routes
- Bottom Line
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. What DLSS-NR-on-AMD Is
DLSS-NR-on-AMD by GitHub user danielblnc runs DLSS 5 Neural Rendering on AMD Radeon RX 9000 (RDNA 4) and RX 7000 (RDNA 3) cards in any DirectX 12 game that uses FSR. The repository's own tagline reads "Run DLSS 5 Neural Rendering on your AMD GPU. Magic!" As of this week it holds 1,000 stars, 43 forks, 28 watchers, and 106 open issues across 12 commits, which marks it as one of the most watched single-purpose mods in the DLSS 5 scene.
The project entered wider coverage this month through our DLSS 5 mod scene roundup, where danielblnc's Cyberpunk 2077 demonstration on an RX 9070 XT showed neural rendering executing on Radeon hardware for the first time. A Discord server linked in the README handles support, early mod builds, and testing coordination.
Distribution is deliberately minimal. The release page ships a single setup executable, dlssnr_on_amd_setup.exe, which also handles updates and removal. Everything else comes from your system and your own game files, a design choice with legal consequences covered in section 6.
2. Reimplementation, Not Translation
The README's FAQ answers the most important technical question directly: "Is this a compatibility layer? No. This is a ground-up, full reimplementation of the neural network runtime for AMD GPU architectures (HIP kernels, memory layouts, game integration), written from scratch. No NVIDIA code is included or translated at runtime."
That distinction matters. Translation layers intercept NVIDIA calls and convert them, paying overhead on every frame. A reimplementation rewrites the runtime natively in AMD's HIP compute language with AMD memory layouts, so the only foreign object is the model weights inside the user's own DLSS 5 DLL. The performance ceiling is therefore set by optimization effort rather than translation tax, which is why the author's 5070 Ti target is credible in principle even if distant in practice.
The legal posture follows from the engineering. The project states it is not affiliated with or endorsed by NVIDIA or AMD, contains no NVIDIA code or data, and requires a legitimately obtained copy of the DLSS 5 DLL, build 310.8.0.0, sourced from games that support DLSS 5. Provided as-is, use at your own risk. Donations run through ko-fi, with the author noting tokens and test GPUs as the funding needs.
3. Performance: 33 FPS Today, 5070 Ti Goal
The README states current performance plainly: roughly 33 FPS at 1080p on an RX 9070 XT, described as a work in progress improving daily, with the goal of matching RTX 5070 Ti speed. Output quality is characterized as very similar to DLSS on original hardware, though some effects do not yet work at 100%.
Thirty-three FPS at 1080p on a card that normally pushes triple digits defines the project as a preview, not a product. The gap between here and 5070 Ti territory is roughly 3x, and closing it means kernel-level optimization of transformer math on RDNA, exactly the HIP tuning the author does between releases. Track the release notes rather than the star count: stars measure excitement, releases measure velocity.
The 106 open issues are consistent with an early, fast-moving project. Issue volume at this ratio to commits signals heavy user testing rather than abandonment, especially with a Discord absorbing support load. Readers evaluating maturity should weigh the 12 commits against the daily-improvement claim and check whether recent releases actually move the FPS number.
4. Installation in 4 Steps
The README documents a four-step install. First, place dlssnr_on_amd_setup.exe in the game executable folder, for Cyberpunk 2077 that is bin\x64. Second, place your own copy of nvngx_dlssnr.dll, DLSS 5 Neural Rendering build 310.8.0.0 from a DLSS 5-capable game, in the same folder. Third, run the setup and follow the instructions. Fourth, start the game with FSR enabled, any FSR 3 or FSR 4 mode including FSRAA, and press End for the overlay.
Maintenance uses the same executable. Run dlssnr_on_amd_setup.exe again to update or remove: U updates, R removes. Tested titles named in the README are Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA V Enhanced, with RX 7000 support listed as should-work pending user reports. Volunteers on 7000-series cards are explicitly asked to test and attach dlssnr_on_amd.log to issues.
Two hard limits apply at install time. Games with anti-cheat block the DLL, so online titles work only with anti-cheat disabled, which for most competitive games means not at all. And Vulkan support is planned for a later release, so DirectX 12 plus FSR is currently the only path in.
5. The End-Key Overlay
Pressing End in-game opens the tuning overlay. Arrow keys adjust values, Enter toggles, and the options cover Mode (inline or async, async reserved for photo mode), Tone intensity, Structure intensity, and Skin structure. Model selection is listed as planned rather than present.
The control set reveals the project's image-quality-first philosophy. Tone, structure, and skin structure map directly onto the neural rendering parameters that decide how aggressively the network re-lights materials and faces. These are the same dial families Merserk's enhancer exposes for offline media, applied here in real time.
Photo-mode users get the most immediate value. Async mode exists specifically for stills, where frame time does not matter and quality does. A 33 FPS runtime that produces striking screenshots is a legitimate tool for virtual photographers today, even while gamers wait for the performance releases.
6. Requirements and Limits
The requirements list is short and strict: Windows 11, a DirectX 12 game with FSR, an RX 9000 series GPU (9070 XT tested, 7000 series welcome to report), Adrenalin driver 26.1.1 or later, and your own nvngx_dlssnr.dll 310.8.0.0. Older AMD GPUs are explicitly unsupported.
The Adrenalin floor matters more than it looks. Driver 26.1.1 or later implies dependence on recent HIP compiler and runtime behavior, so users on older drivers must update before anything else. The 310.8.0.0 DLL pin means newer DLSS 5 builds are untested territory: do not substitute a different DLL version and expect support.
Legal exposure sits entirely with the user by design. The project ships no NVIDIA binaries, so downloading it is clean; the NVIDIA DLL comes from games you own. Server-side bans remain the user's risk in any title with anti-cheat, and the README says so. Single-player DX12 games with FSR are the safe zone. Everything else is judgment.
7. Repository at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Repository | danielblnc/DLSS-NR-on-AMD, MIT-adjacent open project |
| Traction | 1,000 stars, 43 forks, 106 issues, 12 commits |
| Method | Ground-up HIP reimplementation, no NVIDIA code, no translation layer |
| Performance | About 33 FPS at 1080p on RX 9070 XT, targeting RTX 5070 Ti speed |
| Needs | Win11, DX12 plus FSR game, RX 9000/7000, Adrenalin 26.1.1+, own 310.8.0.0 DLL |
| Support | Discord server, ko-fi donations, issue reports with log attachments |
8. Should You Try It
| You Are | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| RX 9070 XT owner, Cyberpunk player | Try | Tested configuration, single-player safe, overlay tuning included |
| RX 7000 owner | Test and report | Should work per README, author wants your logs |
| Virtual photographer | Try async mode | Frame rate irrelevant for stills, quality close to native DLSS |
| Competitive online player | Skip | Anti-cheat blocks the DLL, ban risk is yours |
9. How It Compares to Other AMD Routes
Two other projects chase Radeon neural rendering, and the Autopilot documentation names both. One keeps its runtime DLL and weights in a Discord channel rather than public releases; the other is closed source. DLSS-NR-on-AMD is the open route, with code, releases, and issue tracking in public. Autopilot's author notes either could become a supported route the day it publishes everything, which frames this project's openness as its structural advantage.
Against DLSS 5 Manager's AMD mode, the difference is depth versus convenience. The Manager offers one-click injection across titles; danielblnc's project offers a purpose-built runtime with an overlay and per-game setup. Manager users get breadth today. Reimplementation users bet on the steeper optimization curve. Both currently land near unplayable frame rates, so the choice is philosophical until releases move numbers.
The FP8 analysis in our mod roundup explains why all AMD routes share one ceiling. RDNA 4 carries native FP8 E4M3 support, RDNA 3 does not fully, and the runtime's transformer math wants FP8. The reimplementation targeting HIP can exploit native units directly once tuned, which is a cleaner path than any translation layer's. Hardware is ready. Software is at 33 FPS and climbing.
10. Bottom Line
DLSS-NR-on-AMD is the most technically serious AMD project in the DLSS 5 scene: a from-scratch HIP runtime, clean legal design, honest performance reporting, and a credible optimization target. One thousand stars in weeks shows the demand. Thirty-three FPS shows the distance. Watch the releases, not the hype: the day the FPS number doubles, this graduates from experiment to essential. Until then it belongs to testers, photographers, and the patient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does DLSS-NR-on-AMD contain NVIDIA code?
A: No. The README states it is a ground-up HIP reimplementation with no NVIDIA code included or translated at runtime. You supply your own nvngx_dlssnr.dll build 310.8.0.0 from a DLSS 5-capable game.
Q: What cards and games work?
A: RX 9000 series tested on the 9070 XT, RX 7000 should work pending reports, older GPUs unsupported. Games need DirectX 12 plus FSR; Cyberpunk 2077 and GTA V Enhanced are the tested titles. Vulkan is planned later.
Q: How fast is it?
A: Roughly 33 FPS at 1080p on an RX 9070 XT, improving with each release toward an RTX 5070 Ti target. Quality is described as very similar to native DLSS output with some effects still imperfect.
Q: How do I install it?
A: Drop the setup exe and your own 310.8.0.0 DLL into the game folder, run setup, enable FSR in-game, press End for the overlay. Re-run the exe with U to update or R to remove.
Q: Is it safe for online games?
A: No. Anti-cheat blocks the DLL, and the author warns online titles work only with anti-cheat disabled. Single-player DX12 games are the safe zone; ban risk elsewhere is yours.
Q: How is it funded?
A: Through ko-fi donations, with tokens and test GPUs named as the costs. Support and early builds coordinate on the project's Discord server.
Byline: Indie Kings | September 11, 2026
Labels: Hardware
Related: DLSS 5 Mods Explode: Dual GPUs, AMD Mode, 59 to 107 FPS | DLSS5 Autopilot: More Games, Lower Cost | NBA 2K27 DLSS 5 Verdict: 370 FPS Claim Tested