“Not a word about Intel”. Windows 11 24H2 update will boost gaming performance not only for AMD CPUs, but also for Intel

Tech experts tested the Windows update that, according to AMD representatives, will boost performance for AMD Ryzen 9000 and Ryzen 7000 processors, and brought good news to the “blue” camp enthusiasts.

The launch of AMD Ryzen 9000 processors based on the Zen 5 architecture was met with widespread criticism from users — the new chips did not show the expected performance boost, especially in games. According to AMD representatives, weak OS update support from Microsoft is to blame.

The “red” camp explained the significant gap between promised and actual performance by poor optimization of branch prediction, which was run via the administration panel during AMD’s internal testing.

In the same statement, AMD promised that the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update would bring improvements to branch prediction, allowing Ryzen 9000 processors to utilize their built-in capabilities to the fullest. AMD’s internal testing showed an average gaming performance increase of 9% at 1080p resolution compared to previous-generation Ryzen 7000 processors based on the Zen 4 architecture.

HardwareUnboxed and KitGuru portals managed to test the fresh 24H2 update firsthand ahead of others — the results differ somewhat from those provided by AMD. Benchmarks show that AMD Ryzen 9000 processors were able to show a significant performance increase when comparing Windows 11 updates 24H2 and 23H2 across several games.

The average performance increase of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor at 1080p resolution was 11%, while, for example, in Gears 5 performance increased by 35.1%, Remnant 2 — 22.3%, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor — 21.9%

Image author: HardwareUnboxed Image source: wccftech

However, performance gains are observed not only for Ryzen 9000 processors. The AMD Ryzen 7000 series based on the Zen 4 architecture demonstrates an average 10% performance uplift in the same games, somewhat diminishing the achievements of Ryzen 9000.

As a result, the difference in overall performance between the 9700X and 7700X increased from 1% to 2%, and this is still not the 5–8% boost that AMD promised.

Image author: HardwareUnboxed Image source: wccftech

Moreover, the Windows 11 24H2 update is not exclusive to AMD, as gaming performance gains are also observed on Intel processors.

The Intel Core i5-14600K processor demonstrates a 24.6% performance gain in Gears 5, compared to 35.1% for the Ryzen 7 9700X. Detailed testing of the Intel processor lineup has not yet been conducted — experts plan to run additional tests in the near future.

Image author: HardwareUnboxed Image source: videocardz

Following the benchmark results, Leo Waldock of KitGuru asks one question: “Why wasn’t the Windows 11 update released with the launch of the Ryzen 9000 processors?” In his opinion, AMD alone is to blame for failing to explain such details to reviewers in advance, which led to undue criticism of the new devices from the “red” camp.

As a reminder, rumors suggest that AMD is planning to release budget versions of the X3D gaming processor lineup — Ryzen 5 7600X3D and Ryzen 5 5500X3D in September.

***

Cover author: Intel // AMD Cover source: iXBT.com