Update Windows 10 May helps increase gaming performance

AMD and Nvidia have just released new drivers that support a feature introduced by Microsoft in the May 2020 update for Windows 10, the update is not yet available to all users. This feature is Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS for short). Basically, it transfers the management of the set from the CPU to the GPU. In theory, this should ease the burden on the CPU a bit and potentially boost gaming performance.

How much gaming performance increases depends on the computer’s hardware. According to many early reports, it seems to help low-end PCs rather than massive gaming machines. In addition, game performance can also be reduced, as noted by Jarred Walton (he posted this on Tom Hardware when testing Nvidia GPU Hardware Scheduling with AMD and Intel CPUs)

Nvidia has supported GPU Scheduling in the driver GeForce Game Ready driver, 451.48 latest, while AMD support in driver Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.5.1 Beta their own. AMD’s latest driver only supports Radeon RX 5600 and 5700, but this new driver has some problems.

Laptops are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of this new feature, as memory is often the limiting side. According to some sources, laptops can be improved by up to 10% in performance, helping to increase the frame rate of the game to a playable level or increase the graphics configuration further.

In addition, the APUs are expected to improve, but the AMD driver only supports Radeon RX 5600 and 5700 at this time, so we can’t verify it. Everyone will know soon when AMD’s drivers leave beta.

The article runs GTA V to see if there is any difference, the answer is not too much. However, it can depend on each person’s hardware. Nvidia RTX 2080 Super, Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX and 32GB RAM are not the target audience for this feature. Memory usage has decreased, and frame rate has improved slightly (2fps).

If you want to test it yourself to see if the game makes a difference, here are the steps you need to take. First, check that you are using the latest Update May (May) 2020 for Windows 10: type Winver in the run command to check if you are running Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.329). If not, look to Windows Update from the Windows Setting configuration (the cog icon on the start menu), to see if it’s waiting for you to hit update.

Then, download the latest driver for your graphics card: either Nvidia GeForce 451.48 if you are blue (Nvidia) or Adrenalin 2020 Edition 20.5.1 Beta for AMD series.

Once you have the latest driver, right-click on the desktop, select display settings and select Graphic Settings at the bottom of the screen. You’ll find the option to enable Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling at the top of the screen, turn it on and you’re good to go (after booting up).