With proprietary Intel Application Optimization (APO) software, Intel Alder Lake and newer processors can take advantage of game-specific optimizations that can improve gaming performance.
In the video, Intel demonstrated Rainbow Six Siege on two identical laptops. One of these laptops had Intel Application Optimization enabled and the other had it disabled. Intel’s software was able to increase the game’s frame rate by 14%, although Intel emphasized that performance gains will vary significantly depending on the system.
Going forward, Intel plans to add support for more games to its application optimization software. This is in addition to support for older 12th generation Intel processors and newer. Software Intel APO will be available in the Windows Store and will be automatically updated to provide gamers with the latest gaming performance profiles.
In some ways, Intel APO technology works similarly to GPU drivers. All graphics card manufacturers such as AMD, Intel and Nvidia release GPU drivers that are optimized for specific games. With APO, Intel optimizes its processors for specific games, which can improve frame rates in supported games.
Intel has demonstrated that their APO technology can provide significant performance gains. As Intel updates this software to support more games and processors, this could be a major benefit for Intel’s processor lineup. If APO proves successful, it may only be a matter of time before AMD introduces similar features. Perhaps it will be in their Ryzen Master software.
For users of 12th generation Intel processors and newer, the company’s app optimization technology will actually come as a free performance update. This is great news for gamers, especially if Intel plans to support this software in the long term.
