Intel's performance-enhancing Application Optimizer software is now supported on some 12th and 13th generation processors.

Application Optimizer (APO) is software built into Intel drivers that helps optimize processor performance with supported games. It also has the potential to be quite useful. Intel claims to have seen performance gains of up to two orders of magnitude when APO is enabled in "Metro Exodus," for example.

Initially supported only on the 14900K/KF and 14700K/KF, the APO software embedded in Intel's Dynamic Tuning Technology (DTT) driver utilizes the same kind of hybrid architecture as the 14th generation We had asked Intel to open it up to older 12th and 13th generation chips.

Well, that all changed at CES 2024, where Intel only briefly mentioned in its presentation that it plans to support some previous generation products, at least 12th and 13th generation K-series processors, with Application Optimization He stated.

It makes sense to open up this feature whenever possible; APO seems to help increase the utilization of low-power E-cores within Intel's hybrid architecture, which are on most chips from the 12th generation onward

. Intel's new 14th generation HX series mobile processors also support this feature, with at least eight games optimized for the HX series. I am not sure if this means that they will be optimized for desktops as well, or if the supported titles are processor-specific. I believe the latter is more likely.

As far as I know, the list of currently supported games includes Rainbow Six: Siege, Metro Exodus, Guardians of the Galaxy, F1 22, Strange Brigade, World War Z, " Dirt 5," and "World of Warcraft. However, right now there is no master list of what is supported. As such, APO remains a fairly niche application, but expect this list to grow over the next 12 months.

As for when APO will be enabled on older chips, Intel has not given an exact date, but it will probably be supported in a new version of the DTT driver. Stay tuned. However, the APO installation process was not easy. We hope this too will be improved in future updates.

However, I am not sniffing at a free performance boost. I just hope that APO will become really useful over time.