A new Windows 11 feature is in testing, but it doesn’t work yet
It’s an option to enable Intel’s ‘Advanced Performance Extensions’ or APX to boost the performance of some apps
This will benefit Intel’s next-gen CPUs, and AMD’s processors will be in line for this speed boost eventually, too
There’s a new Windows 11 feature to boost the performance of apps that’s been spotted in testing, but only PCs with Intel’s next-gen desktop CPUs (codenamed Nova Lake) will benefit from this initially. Windows Latest noticed that a regular Windows 11 watcher, XenoPanther on X, posted a screenshot of an option for ‘Advanced Performance Extensions’ (APX) which is present in a recent preview release of Microsoft’s OS (build 29695). Intel explains that APX "expands the entire x86 instruction set with access to more registers and adds new features that improve general-purpose performance." This means that app developers can take advantage of this feature to speed up the performance of their software. How much of a boost any given app might get is, as ever, going to be variable, but some applications might end up with a nice performance bump (games probably won’t get much benefit, in case you were wondering). There are a couple of catches here, however, including that apps will have to be recompiled to take advantage of APX, although Intel observes that actual changes to the application’s code aren’t expected to be necessary. It’s worth noting that Linux already added support for APX some time back. Analysis: there are barriers to entry – but AMD chips will get this

(Image credit: Windows Latest / Microsoft) Right now, this APX toggle is present in Windows 11 test builds, but it doesn’t do anything at all, which is hardly surprising given that there aren’t any Intel CPUs which support the feature yet. What this shows is that Microsoft is preparing the ground for this capability, which will be supported with Intel’s next generation of desktop silicon. These Intel Core Ultra Series 4 processors are expected to debut early in 2027, so they are still some way off…