Intel has finally updated its Application Performance Optimization (APO) for its "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S processors. The latest update introduces 15 new titles, which can yield up to a 14% FPS increase, and as much as a 21% increase in 1% lows. Intel has worked hard to deliver these updates, especially since Arrow Lake initially showed disappointing gaming results, which were mainly due to the heterogeneous architecture. Now, the company wants to iron out these issues to bring the best possible gaming performance to owners of the Core Ultra 200S systems. However, these gains don't apply out of the box. Users must install Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology (DTT), but there is also the option to download Intel APO UI from the Microsoft Store.

Users can disable APO globally or selectively disable specific games if the results are not as expected. The current APO stack targets modern Intel Core desktop and mobile processors with six or more performance cores. It requires BIOS enablement of Intel Dynamic Tuning Technology, a recent BIOS revision, and Windows 11. Advanced Mode unlocks wider compatibility for other 12th-generation and newer processors when Intel DTT version 11405 or later is present. Intel cautioned that real-world responsiveness may vary based on system configuration and graphics hardware. Additionally, Intel's promise back in August was to deliver more APO tuning, and this is coming to fruition, especially since many gamers can benefit from a massive increase in FPS and 1% lows for smoother gameplay. Below charts show Intel Core Ultra 9 285K running with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090.