AMD Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” and Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs Gain Major Performance Boosts with Windows 11 “24H2” Update

AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” and Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs have received a significant performance upgrade with the new Windows 11 24H2 update, providing notable improvements across various applications.

AMD Unleashes Power with Windows 11 24H2 Update, Bringing Substantial Performance Boosts for Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” and Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs

The launch of AMD’s Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” desktop CPUs initially faced criticism, particularly regarding gaming performance. A major reason for this was identified as the inadequate support from Microsoft Windows OS. AMD had previously mentioned a gap between the performance figures reported by reviewers and their own internal benchmarks, with the primary issue being OS-level optimization for the branch predictor, which AMD has now addressed. 

The upcoming Windows 11 24H2 update is set to bring enhancements to branch predictions, fully utilizing the capabilities of the Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” CPUs. Previously, this potential wasn’t being fully realized, but with the new update, AMD expects a substantial performance boost.

Internal testing by AMD reported an average 9% performance increase at 1080p compared to the Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs. Independent testing by outlets like Hardware Unboxed has confirmed these gains, showing double-digit performance improvements across multiple titles for the Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” CPUs. This level of performance increase is typically seen with generational upgrades, making it a significant development.

However, when comparing the Ryzen 7 9700X with the Ryzen 7 7700X, the performance difference after the Windows update was minimal, suggesting that the improvements aren’t exclusive to the Zen 5 architecture. The Ryzen 7000 “Zen 4” CPUs also benefit from the Windows 11 24H2 update.

The decision by AMD to keep this major update under wraps is curious. If they had coordinated the release of the Granite Ridge “Ryzen 9000” lineup with the Windows update, the market reception might have been more positive. Interestingly, the performance improvements with the Windows 24H2 update aren’t limited to AMD CPUs; Intel’s existing SKUs also receive a slight boost.

As the desktop CPU market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how AMD’s Ryzen 9000 “Zen 5” CPUs perform in gaming compared to Intel’s upcoming Arrow Lake-S CPUs, set to release in October. The competition between AMD and Intel remains fierce, and this update could play a crucial role in determining the market leader.