Windows Update brings double digit gaming performance improvement to AMD Ryzen CPUs

Last week, we reported on a new Windows-specific "branch prediction" patch for AMD's Zen 4 and Zen 5 Ryzen desktop processors that would increase performance when gaming with a Ryzen 9000 Series or Ryzen 7000 Series processor.

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With a massive 13% improvement in some games (some apps and games would experience no change), the only catch was that this free performance upgrade for Ryzen owners was limited to the Windows 11 24H2 - which is currency in preview as part of the Windows Insider Program.

Well, it's no longer a catch as Microsoft has back-ported these specific AMD Ryzen "branch prediction" optimizations to the current Windows 11 - 23H2 version. Early testing of the update from outlets like Hardware Unboxed shows impressive gaming performance, making this a must-have for Ryzen 9000 Series or Ryzen 7000 Series CPU owners.

The new update appears under the 'Optional Updates' section as 'KB5041587' in the Windows Update menu, with AMD noting that it is indeed the update that will be coming once Windows 11 24H2 begins officially rolling out to all PC gamers running Windows 11.

When testing the 24H2 update on the Ryzen 7 9700X, Hardware Unboxed found that 1080p gaming performance improved, on average, by around 11%. Games like Remnant 2, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Forza Motorsport, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III saw a performance uplift of closer to 20%. Remarkable stuff that sounds like Zen 5 has become Zen 6, thanks to a Windows path.

It's also good news for Zen 4 and Ryzen 7000 Series owners, as the Ryzen 7 7700X saw similar performance improvements, with 10% faster gaming on average at 1080p. This update turns the Ryzen 7 7700X into a Ryzen 7 9700X.