AMD has posted a software tool that it claims improves the video performance of games running on its dual-core Athlon 64 FX processor. The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer compensates for quirks in the CPU's time stamp system which can impact frame rates.

According to the chip maker, the tool works with games that bypass Windows' counter and get timing information direct from the processor. The trouble is, AMD said, whereas the OS compensates for power management systems' impact on the frequency at which the CPU's timer is updated, the processor itself can't. That can lead to problems with code that demands precise timing information.

The AMD Dual-Core Optimizer provides middleware that essentially replicates what the OS does to ensure accurate timing information is passed to the game.

Interestingly, the problem affects not only dual-core systems but also multi-processor rigs, AMD's documentation suggets. Website DailyTech speculates that the software may implement AMD's rumoured technology which makes the CPU's two cores appear as one.

The software is available from AMD's Athlon 64 FX download page. ®