Intel’s Advanced Optimization tech embraces more games – and older CPUs

Intel has tacked an additional dozen games to its Intel Application Optimization technology, meaning that several popular games will receive a higher framerate if you’re using a supported processor and the technology is turned on. Better yet, it should work on older processors now, with a little legwork.

Intel updated the technology in conjunction with the launch of the Core i9-14900KS — which, at speeds of up to 6.2GHz, should already be exceptionally fast by itself. But IAO adds an even higher speed boost — up to 11 percent faster performance in Metro: Exodus, according to an Intel presentation.

Intel’s IAO launched alongside the 14th-gen Core lineup with only support for Metro: Exodus and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege included, but the new updates has added World of Warcraft, Red Dead Redemption 2, Dirt 5, F1:22 and several additional titles.

The application optimization is delivered as a part of Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology (Intel DTT) and requires the installation and enablement of Intel DTT for operation, according to Intel. You can download a user interface via the Microsoft Store. Intel hasn’t said a whole lot about how IAO works, only that it affects how the workload threads are routed to the appropriate cores via Intel’s Thread Director.

Intel

Intel validates certain games — the ones listed above — for certain processors. On mobile, that includes the Core i7-14700HX and Core i9-14900HX, but mobile users won’t get all of the supported games — Red Dead Redemption 2 is not supported, for example. On desktop, only the Intel Core i9-14900K/KF/KS and Core i7-14700K/KF processors are fully supported.

That doesn’t mean you’re necessarily out of luck. Intel’s IAO now also comes with something called Advanced Mode, which lets you force the feature on even in unsupported games — and also lets you try to use IAO with limited 12th- and 13th-gen Core chips that aren’t officially compatible with the technology.

“If a title is not listed in the Intel Application Optimization user interface (compared to the Advanced Mode list), it hasn’t been validated for that specific system configuration,” Intel says. “Users may choose to use Advanced Mode at their own risk, but Intel cannot guarantee any improvement or optimization to processor or games under this mode of operation.”

That all means if you already own a high-end chip, you may get even more out of it than you anticipated. We’d expect Intel’s IAO to be updated with more games and more processors over time.