Intel confirms APO supports Core Ultra 200 CPUs ahead of release
All but the 6 P-core CPUs are getting optimizations.
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Intel APO has received a major update that now supports the top-tier processors from the brand’s upcoming Core Ultra 200 lineup. Essentially, Intel is enabling its users to download FPS for free – but is this a good thing?
Intel APO stands for Intel Application Optimization, it’s a newish technology that allows your CPU to target processes that need the most computing power – like highly-demanding AAA games. Specifically, this software optimizes your CPU’s thread scheduling and application threading – resulting in better performance when your rig is running multiple processes. This has the added benefit of making the CPU more efficient by better managing power and thermal requirements.
Thankfully, this optimization will continue onto the 15th generation – a promising sign when you consider that APO has been cited to improve E-core performance by up to 30%. If you pair this with the improvements already made to the E-core system that Gracemont cores bring, Intel could be of for a real winner. Better yet, you won’t have to worry if you’re running a 14th generation CPU either, as APO supports Raptor Lake R CPUs too.
But is this really good news for Intel users? It certainly raises the question, are Intel happy with the current gaming performance of its Core Ultra 200 CPUs? One would speculate no, especially when you factor in the performance deficit when comparing the brand’s flagship Ultra chips to Ryzen’s X3D series in gaming.
List of games supported by Intel APO
Intel has released a list of the latest games supported by APO, including the very popular CS2.
- Company of Heroes 3
- Counter-Strike: 2
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Dirt 5
- Dota 2
- Dreams Three Kingdoms 2 (PRC)
- F1 22
- Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker
- Fortnite
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Metro Exodus
- Naraka: Bladepoint
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Riftbreaker
- Serious Sam 4
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Strange Brigade (VLK)
- Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
- Total War: PHAROAH
- Total War: THREE KINGDOMS
- Total War: WARHAMMER 3
- Watch Dogs: Legion
- World of Tanks
- World of Warcraft
- World War Z
Many of these games can only be optimized with the advanced mode of APO enabled, which requires the latest version of DDT – obtainable through your system manufacturer. Intel notes that some system manufacturers have not yet released the current version of DDT, so you may have to wait a while to get access.
Intel does not yet carry APO
You have to get the latest version of APO through the Microsoft store, as, for some reason, Intel does not carry APO in it’s download centre.
CPUs added to APO support list
Intel reveals the CPUs now supported by Intel APO, which include its 14th generation and upcoming Arrow Lake CPU lineups. Support has also been added to some mobile processors as well:
| Desktop CPUs | Mobile CPUs |
|---|---|
| Core Ultra 9 Processor 285K Core Ultra 7 Processor 265K Core Ultra 7 Processor 265KF Core i9 processor 14900KS Core i9 processor 14900K Core i9 processor 14900KF Core i7 processor 14700K Core i7 processor 14700KF | Core i9 processor 14900HX Core i7 processor 14700HX |
Where are all the 6-core CPUs?
Intel APO is not yet available for any CPU that has less than 8 P-cores, so those of you on the 14600K / KF or planning to pick up the Core Ultra 5 on release, you won’t get access to this feature just yet.
APO can be enabled once you have all the necessary prerequisites, this includes the latest version of APO and DDT.
The cool thing about APO is you can enable a setting globally, or on an application-specific basis. If you want to access some of the newer games, you need to enable advanced mode, as mentioned earlier. Any piece of software designed to increase performance can also inhibit it in some workloads – so be mindful of any performance decreases after installing this optimization kit.
