Microsoft is improving Ryzen CPU performance with the latest Windows 11 update

You can’t download more RAM, but you can now download better gaming performance if you own a modern Ryzen desktop CPU. AMD revealed last week that it was working with Microsoft on an optimization patch for Ryzen CPUs that was due to come with Microsoft’s upcoming big Windows 11 update 24H2, but Microsoft has now moved that to the current 23H2 build.

The result is a significant improvement in gaming performance across a variety of desktop Ryzen Zen 4 and Zen 5 CPUs, including the popular 7800X3D. “Users will need to look for KB5041587 “Under Windows Update > Advanced Options > Optional Updates,” AMD says in a post. Statement by Wikimedia Community“We expect the performance boost to be very similar between 24H2 and 23H2 with KB5041587 installed.”

Reviewers have already started testing Microsoft’s 24H2 update for Windows 11, which is expected to be available in late September, and found that on average there’s a 10 percent performance improvement across multiple games running at 1080p on the older Ryzen 7700X. On the newer Ryzen 9700X, Devices found unpacked Windows 11 24H2 also delivers an 11 percent performance improvement on average in the same game tests.

Initial benchmark results for AMD’s latest Zen 5 desktop CPUs failed to impress reviewers, leading to the revelation that AMD and Microsoft were working to improve AMD’s branch prediction code in Windows 11. Now that Microsoft has moved this to existing Windows 11 build 23H2 installations, you no longer need to sign up for the Release Preview test to get the 24H2 and Ryzen CPU performance improvements.