When Windows 11’s 24H2 update arrives later this year, around 7,000 to 9,000 CPUs will unlock significant performance enhancements, resulting in up to 35% boosts in gaming efficiency in certain titles. While some Intel CPUs may see an uplift, AMD users are poised to reap the greatest benefits from the Windows 11 24H2 update’s performance boosts, with average gains of 10-11% depending on the specific CPU in question.
AMD’s latest offerings have already solidified their position as among the top gaming CPUs on the market, and these newly introduced features appear poised to further widen the gap with Intel’s options. Notwithstanding limited testing on Intel’s chips, the actual challenge may be far more pronounced than initial results suggest?
The impressive efficiency gains stem from testing conducted by {Hardware} Unboxed, who compared the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update – currently available through Microsoft’s Insider Preview Windows Update system – to the existing publicly available 23H2 release of Windows 11. Researchers analyzed 43 video games, revealing that while a few did not exhibit performance enhancements, five titles demonstrated remarkable boosts of over 20%.
The most significant performance boost is witnessed in Gears 5, with the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X’s price rising by 35.1%, as its median frame rate surges from 188fps on Windows 11 23H2 to a remarkable 254fps on Windows 11 24H2. Notably, this title also yields significant benefits for the previous-generation AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, which also derives a substantial 32.5% boost. While some discussions have centered around the potential benefits of Windows updates for Ryzen 5000 CPUs, further comprehensive testing is needed to confirm these claims.
Titles featuring significant graphical demands are driving up the cost of PC builds, with Fortnite, for instance, experiencing a 30.6% performance boost on the 9700X, while only seeing a 20.4% increase on the 7700X. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor saw a notable performance boost of 21.9% when running on the 9700X processor, while the 7000X also experienced a respectable 20.1% increase.
It’s intriguing to note that Intel stands to benefit substantially from Microsoft’s Windows 11 rollout. Despite focusing exclusively on a single Intel CPU in one game, Hardware Unboxed observed a significant performance boost: the Intel Core i5-14600K’s frame rate jumped from 191fps to 238fps in Gears 5.
According to tests conducted by KitGuru, the performance benefits of the 7800X3D, 9950X, 7950X, and 9700X processors were substantiated, with each CPU realizing gains exceeding 30% in Far Cry 6.
Notably, these assessments are confined to 1080p resolution, with tests at higher resolutions soon becoming constrained by GPU speed rather than CPU speed. To ensure optimal performance, it’s crucial that you choose a CPU that won’t consistently slow down or hinder the capabilities of your graphics processing unit (GPU).
The observed efficiency advantages are likely due to newer versions of Windows 11 not effectively handling the way processors manage threads, which are being passed to them in a different manner. The newly released Ryzen 9000 CPUs feature an innovative departure predictor, a key component responsible for anticipating potential instruction sequences. However, this cutting-edge technology appears to be heavily influenced by Windows’ handling of the instructions being fed to the CPU. The latest replacement updates significantly alter the handling of these elements, bringing tangible benefits to a wide range of modern CPUs.
To reap the benefits of a Ryzen 9000 CPU, it’s crucial to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2, which promises a 10% boost in gaming performance for personal or purchased systems. While existing Ryzen CPU users stand to gain significant advantages, so too should older CPU owners from Intel, with a notable update expected to roll out in November.
Discover the insides of AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 CPUs by exploring our comprehensive AMD Zen 5 guide, which delves into the intricacies and essential specifications of these cutting-edge processors.
