AMD’s Zen 5 CPUs haven’t been able to impress in gaming, showing only small generational improvements — but there are still some free frame rates to be won here. According to a comprehensive set of gaming benchmarks, a new Windows Update might be all that it takes to improve the performance of AMD’s best processors, and this includes Zen 4 CPUs, too.
Earlier this month, Hardware Unboxed revealed that AMD’s latest CPUs might be missing out on some frames per second (fps) in games due to a Windows bug. Switching to an Admin account (which is a little harder than it seems to be) fixed the problem, boosting both Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs by a considerable amount. AMD also hinted that this might be the issue behind Zen 5’s lackluster performance, although it also blamed other factors, such as using different test suites or not running on Admin mode.
Meanwhile, the update that fixes these issues appeared as a Windows Insider build, adding branch prediction optimizations that should improve the fps on Ryzen CPUs. Although AMD emphasizes Zen 5 improvements, Hardware Unboxed tested both the Ryzen 7 9700X and the Ryzen 7 7700X in a suite of 43 games, using the current Windows 23H2 build and the upcoming 24H2 build.
The results speak for themselves. The Ryzen 7 9700X turned out to be around 11% faster with the new Windows Update. This is great news for any AMD user, but those who hoped that the gap between Zen 4 and Zen 5 will grow wider may be in for a disappointment: The Ryzen 7 7700X showed very similar gains, getting a 10% boost.
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Of course, in a suite of 40 games, these improvements look different in every title. For instance, in Rocket League, Zen 4 and Zen 5 are up to 16% faster than before the update. Gears 5 delivered a 35% performance uplift for the 9700X and a 33% boost for the Zen 4 part. In some games, the Ryzen 7 7700X actually got the bigger increase; in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, the Zen 4 went from 331 fps to 420 fps, which placed it a little bit ahead of Zen 5.
Overall, the absolutely free 10% uplift for both CPU lineups sounds great, but this doesn’t help close the gap between the two generations. Across the entire test suite, Hardware Unboxed found that the Ryzen 7 9700X was only 1% faster than the Ryzen 7 7700X in gaming without the Windows Update. With the preview build, both CPUs saw such similar gains that the Zen 5 part is now only 2% faster. It’s an improvement, but just barely.
Still, free performance is still free, so it’s worth getting. Tom’s Hardware reports that Microsoft backported the branch prediction optimizations to the Windows 11 23H2 build, so you can try it out for yourself right away. The update to look for is called KB5041587 and it can be found in Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional updates.
