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.