While AMD’s Zen 5 CPUs have not shown significant improvements in gaming performance, recent findings suggest that a Windows Update can unlock potential gains for both Zen 4 and Zen 5 processors. A recent report by Hardware Unboxed revealed that a Windows bug may have been hindering the performance of AMD’s latest CPUs, with switching to an Admin account resolving the issue and boosting performance significantly.
AMD hinted that this bug could be the reason behind Zen 5’s underwhelming performance, though it also cited other factors like test suites and admin mode usage. The Windows Insider build containing branch prediction optimizations has shown promising results in improving FPS on Ryzen CPUs, with Hardware Unboxed testing the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Ryzen 7 7700X in a suite of 43 games using the current and upcoming Windows builds.
The benchmark results demonstrated a significant performance improvement after the Windows Update, with the Ryzen 7 9700X showing an 11% boost and the Ryzen 7 7700X receiving a 10% increase. While these gains are impressive across the board, they do not significantly widen the performance gap between Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs.
Specific game benchmarks showed varying improvements, with titles like Rocket League and Gears 5 showcasing notable performance uplifts post-update. Despite the improvements, the Ryzen 7 9700X was only marginally faster than the Ryzen 7 7700X in overall gaming performance, highlighting the modest gains achieved.
However, the free performance gains offered by the Windows Update are certainly worth taking advantage of. Microsoft’s backporting of branch prediction optimizations to the Windows 11 23H2 build has resulted in tangible performance enhancements for AMD Ryzen CPUs. Users can access the update (KB5041587) through Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional updates to experience the improved gaming performance firsthand.
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