There are two notable new performance features in SQL Server 2022. First, we have a new feature set known as Intelligent Query Processing. This feature enables SQL Server to build better execution plans and potentially multiple execution plans, the performance of which depends on the parameter values that are provided at runtime.

Older versions of SQL Server would frequently use a single execution plan for a query despite having runtime parameter values optimized only for the first execution of the query, thus ensuring that all subsequent runs of the query underperform.

Second, Microsoft has added much-needed improvements to Query Store. For example, Query Store is now enabled for all new databases. Another cool feature is that the Query Store can now help resolve performance issues related to the MAXDOP (maximum degree of parallelism) setting, memory grants, and the cardinality estimator using a feedback cycle to adapt and improve query execution plans. Finally, Query Store now supports availability group (AG) read-only replicas and enables query hints directly within the Query Store to improve the performance of queries without making actual code