Latest Intel driver enables dynamic refresh rate and H.264, HEVC DX12 encode support for 10th gen and up Core processors on Windows 11

One of the new features of Windows 11's Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 3.0 is support for dynamic refresh rate. Intel has now released a GPU driver update that supports dynamic refresh rate on Windows 11. Additionally, the new driver also adds H.264 and HEVC DirectX 12 encode support on Windows 11 for 10th generation and higher processors with Intel Iris Plus or higher graphics.

The new driver, version 30.0.100.9955, can be downloaded directly from Intel's driver site. Apart from bringing dynamic refresh rate and DX12 encode support for H.264 and HEVC codecs, the driver also fixes several graphic anomalies in games such as Cyberpunk 2077 (DX12), Hitman 2 (DX12), Wolfenstein: Youngblood (Vulkan), Rage 2, and more. 

The availability of dynamic refresh rate should help improve battery life on laptops. Dynamic refresh rate can automatically switch between 60 Hz and the highest refresh rate offered by the display, which should be at least 120 Hz. So, tasks such as writing a document automatically bring down the refresh rate to 60 Hz, which can then seamlessly switch over to 120 Hz or above while scrolling and inking.

Requirements to support dynamic refresh rate include:

• Windows 11
• A display that supports variable refresh rate
• Refresh rate of at least 120 Hz 
• WDDM 3.0-compatible graphics driver

Additionally, developers also need to provide for smoother inking and scrolling functionality in their apps. The latest Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio, for example, support dynamic refresh rates.

If all criteria are met, you should see a "Dynamic" option in the "Choose a refresh rate" dropdown in the Display settings.

Note that dynamic refresh rate does not apply for games, external displays, or desktop PCs.

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