ASRock is advising owners of its Z890 motherboards to update their Platform Power Management (PPM) drivers for a noticeable performance uplift in games. According to the motherboard manufacturer, updating your system to the latest PPM driver could net a performance boost of up to 13%.
The company claims that the latest PPM driver, version 1007.20240913, can deliver up to a 13.23% performance improvement in Final Fantasy XIV. While ASRock hasn't provided detailed benchmark data or system specifications, the screenshot included in their announcement clearly shows a significant FPS boost in the Final Fantasy XIV benchmark. While ASRock's announcement specifically highlights performance gains in Final Fantasy XIV, other games may also see improvements.
It's worth noting that this driver update doesn't appear to be related to the recent “fix” for Intel's Core Ultra 200 series, as mentioned by Robert Hallock. Instead, it seems to be a general performance optimisation for ASRock's Z890 platform.
According to ASRock, the Intel Platform Power Management driver dynamically adjusts processor frequency and voltage based on system demands, enabling more efficient power management. This translates to improved performance in both games and everyday tasks. To take advantage of this performance boost, ASRock Z890 motherboard owners can download and install the latest PPM driver from the “Support/Download” section of ASRock's official product page for each Z890 motherboard.
KitGuru says: If you're rocking an ASRock Z890 motherboard, it's worth updating your PPM driver to see if you can squeeze some extra performance out of your system.