Today, we are going to show you how to boost the gaming performance of your Ryzen processor by 10% with one simple trick. And no, it doesn’t involve tuning your memory timings – it’s much easier than that. In fact, you won’t risk compromising stability at all. Sounds too good to be true, right? But somehow, this actually works.
So, what’s going on? AMD published a community post a week ago where they claimed that Zen 5’s gaming performance was going to see a strong boost with the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 build, and for those who wanted to take a sneak peek, you could do so via Microsoft’s Insider Program.
Fast forward a week, and the change is significant enough (as you’re going to see in this article) that AMD pushed Microsoft to deliver a Windows optional update in record time, and now the fix that was supposed to arrive with the 24H2 rollout has been backported to the Windows 11 23H2 build and can be installed right away.
AMD says the Zen 5 architecture incorporates a wider branch prediction capacity compared to prior Zen generations. They also mention that their automated testing software requires running in “System Administrator” mode, which reflects branch prediction code optimizations not present in the version of Windows used by reviewers to test Ryzen 9000 series.
Therefore AMD is implying that by using the optimized AMD-specific branch prediction code, Zen 5’s gaming performance would improve relative to Zen 4. But hey, we already benchmarked both Zen 5 and Zen 4 using a Windows system administrator account – here’s the data and video – and we already discovered this wasn’t the case, as Zen 4 and Zen 5 scaled equally, where both saw improvements but Zen 5 did not see any uplifts beyond Zen 4’s.
With that said, we had yet to test Windows 11 24H2, so that’s we did for this article, comparing the Ryzen 7 9700X and 7700X across over 40 games using both Windows 24H2 and 23H2 builds (with and without the Ryzen optimization fix). There’s an incredible amount of data to unpack, but we’re going to go through all of it, as some of the numbers are truly astonishing. So, let’s get into it…
Gaming Benchmarks
Party Animals
We’re, of course, going to start with the most important game for CPU testing: Party Animals. If you know, you know. Remarkably, using Windows 24H2, the 9700X saw a massive 19% performance increase. Previously, it was 4% slower than the 7700X, but it’s now 5% faster – a nice swing in favor of Zen 5. Maybe the optimized branch prediction code really does benefit Zen 5 the most.
Assetto Corsa Competizione
In our day-one review, ACC provided by far the biggest win for the 9700X over the 7700X. As we can see, when using 23H2, it was 18% faster. With Windows 24H2, the 9700X enjoys a solid 8% performance boost, but the 7700X also saw an 11% improvement. This means that with the optimized branch prediction code, the 7700X actually saw the greatest benefit in this case, resulting in the 9700X now being 15% faster in this title.
Rocket League
Probably second only to Party Animals, Rocket League is one of the best games to test CPU performance. No, that was a joke. We’re not sure why anyone would use either game to test modern CPUs, but AMD did, and some other reviewers followed suit when reviewing the gaming performance of Zen 5. So, here it is.
Previously, using 23H2, the 9700X was 10% faster. With 24H2, it’s 13% faster, showing a small but meaningful improvement relative to Zen 4. What’s more impressive is the fact that these Ryzen processors are seeing a 13-16% performance uplift with the unreleased version of Windows 11. That’s incredible. Sure, the frame rates may seem insignificant at such extremes, but the gains are still impressive.
Gears 5
Speaking of impressive gains, we have no idea what’s going on here. We triple-checked the data, copied over the settings, but couldn’t find any faults. Somehow, we’re looking at a 35% performance uplift for the 9700X in Gears 5, simply by using the newer Windows 24H2 build. The 7700X also saw a massive 33% increase. Both CPUs received significant performance boosts with this preview build of Windows 11. Crazy stuff.
Halo Infinite
Not all games show huge performance gains. Some are more modest, like Halo Infinite, where we’re seeing only a 2-4% improvement. Still, that’s essentially free performance, so we’re not complaining.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege delivered more substantial gains. Both CPUs saw a 13% uplift, which is impressive. That said, the 9700X was 6% faster on either version of Windows, so the scaling remained consistent.
F1 24
We’re also seeing huge gains in F1 24. The 9700X enjoyed a 17% boost, while the 7700X saw a massive 20% improvement. We had to check this data several times. It’s hard to believe that the Windows 24H2 build could be this much faster, but the results are accurate, and this data isn’t an outlier in our testing.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
The gains in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III are also significant. The 9700X received a 17% boost, but that was nothing compared to the 27% performance jump the 7700X saw. Incredibly, while the 7700X was 5% slower than the 9700X with the current Windows build, the upcoming Windows 24H2 will push it into the lead, albeit by a mere 2%.
The Callisto Protocol
Moving on to The Callisto Protocol, we’re looking at a 25% increase for the 7700X. This kind of uplift is baffling – how has Zen 4 been underperforming by this much for so long? Apparently, this also affects Zen 3. The 9700X is also enjoying a 20% boost, but while it was 6% faster with 23H2, it’s now less than a percent faster with Windows 24H2.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
The 7700X also does well in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, this time enjoying a 10% boost, while the 9700X only saw a 3% improvement. Again, we triple-checked this data. Although AMD strongly hinted that this is mostly a Zen 5 optimization, we’re certainly finding cases where Zen 4 benefits more.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
We’ve seen people claiming that Zen 5 is a beast in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, but we’re not really seeing it. A 5% uplift with 23H2 isn’t exactly impressive, and that margin only extends to 6% on 24H2. However, we do see a nice 15% uplift with the newer version of Windows, so that’s the real story here.
Spider-Man Remastered
Both CPUs also see a nice performance boost in Spider-Man Remastered, ranging from 5-8%. In this case, Windows 24H2 benefits the Zen 5 part more, extending the 9700X’s lead from 5% to 8%.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Moving on to A Plague Tale: Requiem, both CPUs experience a 7% performance boost using Windows 24H2. Although this doesn’t help Zen 5 distance itself from Zen 4, it’s still great to see what is essentially a free performance boost for both CPUs.
Skull and Bones
Interestingly, the 9700X saw no performance uplift when testing with Skull and Bones, while the 7700X became 4% faster. This change makes the Zen 4 processor, which was slightly slower on 23H2, now slightly faster with Windows 24H2.
Ghost of Tsushima
We’re looking at a 3-6% uplift in Ghost of Tsushima, which is more in line with what we expected to see, rather than the massive gains observed in some other titles. In this example, the upgrade is more beneficial for the Zen 5 processor, increasing its lead from 3% to 6%. While still a modest lead, it’s a clear improvement.
Homeworld 3
The performance boost in Homeworld 3 is significant, with a 20-23% increase. Both CPUs are now delivering the same level of performance using Windows 24H2.
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
What’s surprising here is that AMD claimed to have seen some of the biggest gains with Windows 24H2 in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. While we are seeing a solid 7% increase for the 9700X and 9% for the 7700X, these are far from the best gains we’ve observed. Still, it’s a good result overall, helping the 7700X close in on the 9700X.
Borderlands 3
Previously, the 9700X was just 2% faster than the 7700X using 23H2. Moving to Windows 24H2 boosts performance considerably, though more so for the 7700X, which is now 4% faster. Overall performance between these two CPUs remains very similar, but the real takeaway is the up to 16% performance boost provided by Windows 24H2.
Far Cry 6
We had to retest Far Cry 6 so many times that we’ve lost count. Despite that, we couldn’t find anything wrong with the test setup. It seems Windows 24H2 is indeed offering significant performance gains. The 7700X saw a 14% boost, while the 9700X experienced a 15% increase – pretty wild stuff.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Unfortunately, we aren’t seeing any significant performance gains when testing with Baldur’s Gate 3. Both CPUs saw around a 3% increase, which is a negligible difference that won’t be noticeable during gameplay. However, since performance didn’t decrease, any improvement is a bonus.
Black Myth: Wukong
For Black Myth: Wukong, we’re conducting in-game tests rather than using the built-in benchmark. The performance gains aren’t huge, but a 6% uplift for the 7700X and 5% for the 9700X is still nice to see.
Hitman 3
Hitman 3 shows more modest gains, with just a 4% uplift for the 7700X and 3% for the 9700X. However, this helped the 7700X close the gap with the Zen 5 processor.
Counter-Strike 2
The Windows 24H2 build offers minimal gains for Ryzen, though the 2% improvement for the 9700X results in a small 3% lead over the 7700X.
Horizon Zero Dawn
In Horizon Zero Dawn, the 7700X’s performance improved by 7% with Windows 24H2, while the 9700X saw just a 5% increase. This means that while the 9700X was slightly faster using 23H2, it’s now slightly slower with 24H2. Nonetheless, Zen 4 and Zen 5 performance remains very similar in this title.
Total War: Warhammer III
Some Zen 5 day-one reviews claimed big performance gains in Total War: Warhammer III, but we were unable to reproduce those results, whether using the ultra or low presets. Performance remains essentially the same, though there is still a 5% uplift when running Windows 24H2.
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
AMD often highlights Ashes of the Singularity in their benchmarks, but when using the CPU-focused test with the extreme preset, we found the exact same performance for both the 7700X and 9700X. Unfortunately, the Insider Preview build didn’t improve performance.
Forza Horizon 5
Forza Horizon 5 is another game where we saw no difference between Zen 4 and Zen 5. However, we did see a nice 6% performance uplift when using Windows 24H2.
Returnal
Returnal also provides similar results for both Zen 4 and Zen 5, and in this case, the new Windows 11 build doesn’t improve performance.
Hunt: Showdown 1896
Hunt: Showdown 1896 also showed similar performance between Zen 4 and Zen 5, and this is another example where the new Windows 11 build doesn’t boost Ryzen performance.
Hogwarts Legacy
The 7700X and 9700X are very evenly matched in Hogwarts Legacy, but we are seeing a 14% uplift for the 7700X and 17% for the 9700X when using the Windows 24H2 build. That’s great to see, especially for a title that desperately needs additional performance.
Forza Motorsport
Both CPUs are evenly matched in Forza Motorsport, but there’s a massive 20% uplift when switching to the Windows 24H2 build.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
The 7700X was slightly faster than the 9700X in Shadow of the Tomb Raider using 23H2, but slightly slower with the upcoming Windows 24H2 build. Essentially, the 7700X saw almost no performance uplift with 24H2, while the 9700X became 5% faster.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor results are puzzling because the performance uplift is extreme. We triple-checked to ensure the game was using the exact same settings on both Windows installs. Short of an error on our end, it’s hard to explain a 20% uplift for the 7700X and a massive 32% increase for the 9700X, other than attributing it to optimized AMD-specific branch prediction code. That’s a serious optimization, or perhaps Windows was previously very unoptimized for Ryzen.
Dying Light 2
We’re seeing a 4-5% boost when playing Dying Light 2 on Windows 24H2, with performance scaling similarly using either GPU.
The Last of Us Part 1
The Windows 24H2 build only provides mild 3% gains for these processors in The Last of Us Part 1. While the extra performance is welcome, the boost here is much smaller than in many of the other games we’ve reviewed.
Fortnite
For those of you who play Fortnite, the 24H2 gains for Ryzen processors are substantial. The 7700X saw a 20% FPS boost, while the 9700X received an incredible 31% boost. This also means that while the 7700X is currently 3% faster on the 23H2 build, the upcoming version should see the 9700X take the lead by a 5% margin.
World War Z
World War Z provides another example where Zen 4 is faster on the current Windows build but slightly slower using 24H2. The 7700X saw an impressive 15% gain when moving to the newer Windows 11 build, but the 9700X saw an even more significant 22% uplift.
Starfield
Sadly, there are no performance gains to be found in Starfield, a game that desperately needs more power. In our testing, the 7700X remains 4% faster.
Watch Dogs: Legion
The 7700X saw a mild 3% uplift in Watch Dogs: Legion, while the 9700X enjoyed a more substantial 9% boost. This is another example where Zen 5 was slightly slower on the current Windows build but slightly faster on the upcoming 24H2 build.
Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
Testing with Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, the 7700X saw a 4% increase with Windows 24H2, while the 9700X saw a more substantial 7% uplift. Zen 5 is certainly benefiting more here, though the overall result is still very similar.
Remnant 2
Results in Remnant 2 are interesting, as this is another example where Zen 5 benefits more than Zen 4. Currently, the 9700X is just 2% faster than the 7700X, but with the upcoming 24H2 update, it should end up 11% faster – a significant shift.
Horizon Forbidden West
There’s not much performance gain to be seen in Horizon Forbidden West, so the 7700X remains just a bit faster in this title.
The Riftbreaker
Finally, in The Riftbreaker, the 7700X enjoyed a 9% performance boost on the Windows 24H2 build, while the 9700X saw a much more substantial 19% boost. However, this means that the 9700X is now only able to match the 7700X, so from that perspective, the results are less exciting for Zen 5.
Ryzen 7700X Average Uplift
Here’s a look at the performance uplift for the Ryzen 7 7700X on Windows 24H2 compared to the current 23H2 build. Incredibly, on average, this upcoming Windows version should boost the 7700X’s gaming performance by 10%. That is remarkable, and we can’t recall seeing anything like this before.
Many of these gains are hard to believe. It’s surprising that the architectural changes in Zen 5 only delivered a 3% uplift for gaming, while this Windows update is boosting previous-generation parts by 10%. Crazy stuff, but let’s see how it affects the 9700X.
Ryzen 9700X Average Uplift
The uplift for the 9700X is very similar to what we saw for the 7700X, with an average increase of 11%. So when AMD says Zen 5 will see the biggest uplift, they’re not technically wrong, but it’s so insignificant that it’s not worth calling this a Zen 5 optimization – it’s really just a Ryzen optimization. Still, as we’ve said several times now, the results are impressive.
Ryzen Gen-on-Gen: Windows 23H2 and Windows 24H2
What isn’t as impressive is how the 9700X compares to the 7700X across our 43-game sample. On the current Windows 11 23H2 build, we found that, on average, the 9700X is just 1% faster.
In our day-one review, which used a 13-game sample that included the ACC outlier, the 9700X was 3% faster. But across a broader range of games, it’s just 1% faster.
What about the Windows 24H2 build? Across the 43 games tested, the 9700X was, on average, just 2% faster – 1% less than what we found in our day-one review.
So after all the excitement and claims of 5-8%, even 9% gains from AMD, the reality seems to be closer to 2%, a single-digit margin. This is essentially what most tech media outlets around the world reported, except for a few outliers who clearly had issues with their testing.
What About Intel? A Brief Comparison
We’ve seen some impressive performance gains for Ryzen with the Windows 24H2 build, and I hear you asking, “What about Intel?” As you can imagine, this testing takes a lot of time, but like you, we were curious to see if there are any benefits for Intel users.
Especially after AMD representatives publicly stated that Intel would see no performance improvement on 24H2, we had to at least take a quick look.
Borderlands 3 on Intel (24H2)
Since the 9700X showed good gains in Borderlands 3, we started there. However, the Core i5-14600K saw no performance change in this game between the two Windows builds.
Cyberpunk 2077 on Intel (24H2)
Next, we tried Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and found the same result – no performance gains for the 14600K.
Far Cry 6 on Intel (24H2)
In Far Cry 6, where the 9700X saw a jaw-dropping 34% increase, the 14600K saw nothing – not a single extra frame.
Gears 5 on Intel (24H2)
Remember that insane performance uplift for the 9700X in Gears 5? Well, it seems something is going on because even Intel’s Core i5-14600K saw a 25% uplift in Gears 5 when tested on Windows 24H2. Either something odd is happening with this game, or it’s heavily limited on the current Windows build.
We used the built-in benchmark for this one, so perhaps we would see different results in-game. That’s something we’ll have to investigate further over the next week or so.
What We Learned
This Windows update is a big deal for AMD users. Based on the data we’ve seen, you can expect around a 10% uplift on average gaming performance, with gains at the extreme end just over 30%. We saw almost no instances where performance didn’t improve, and none where performance regressed.
This is a monumental win for Ryzen, but we find ourselves second-guessing some of the data. It seems too significant, too good to be true. AMD claims a 13% uplift in Far Cry 6 for the 9950X, which is very similar to the 15% gain we saw with the 9700X. However, we also found several games that saw more than a 15% uplift, and some even over 20%, which again feels like a lot. But after multiple verifications, these are the results we found.
Given these findings, we’re even more puzzled by AMD’s marketing and their recent blog post. If there are indeed double-digit gains to be had with this update, which seems to be the case and is what AMD themselves suggested, why focus on review data that essentially blames reviewers? While they thanked them towards the end of the post, it felt contradictory.
Why not focus on celebrating the fact that Ryzen owners will be getting a substantial performance boost for gaming – a bonus for those who already own Ryzen processors, as well as those planning to buy a Zen 5 part? This is great news for AMD and their customers, so why miss the opportunity to highlight it?
Unfortunately, AMD continued to mislead people with their blog post, only showcasing performance for the 9950X. While they did mention that Zen 4 and Zen 3 owners can expect gains as well, they framed this as a Zen 5-optimized update.
The reality is that none of this significantly helps Zen 5 compared to Zen 4. This doesn’t change what the vast majority of reviewers have said about Zen 5’s gaming performance – it’s still disappointing relative to Zen 4. In fact, this larger sample of games reinforces that point. It’s even more disappointing than we originally thought.
It also doesn’t explain how AMD is claiming up to a 9% average boost in gaming performance for Zen 5 over Zen 4. Unless there’s something wrong with our Zen 5 processors, that simply isn’t possible. Based on what almost everyone else has found, AMD’s claims seem overly optimistic.
Relative to Intel, the upcoming Windows 24H2 update will no doubt help close the gap, but this is something we need to test. We do plan on comparing the 9700X and Core i7-14700K across more than 40 games using both versions of Windows, but you’ll need to be patient, as this testing takes about a week.
Once the Windows 24H2 update is officially rolled out, we will update all our CPU results. Until then, take this data with a grain of salt, as we’re using what is technically a preview build (since testing, Microsoft rolled it out officially as an optional 23H2 update). However, we don’t expect too much will change between now and the final rollout.
The key takeaway is that this Windows branch prediction optimization does significantly improve Ryzen’s gaming performance, but it doesn’t improve Zen 5’s position relative to Zen 4, at least not in a meaningful way. There are examples where the 9700X benefited more from the optimizations than the 7700X, but there were also cases where the Zen 4 part came out ahead. Overall, scaling between the two parts was similar.
So that’s where we’re at – about the 10th rabbit hole we’ve gone down in search of the missing Zen 5 gaming performance. At this point, those still struggling with the reality need to accept that, relative to Zen 4, the Zen 5 processors we’ve seen so far just aren’t much faster for gaming, if at all.
