diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d8c37bbc..cafb8fd8 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ target_include_directories(uvg266 PUBLIC src)
 target_include_directories(uvg266 PUBLIC src/extras)
 target_include_directories(uvg266 PUBLIC src/strategies)
 
-file(GLOB LIB_SOURCES_STRATEGIES_AVX2 RELATIVE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} "src/strategies/avx2/*.c")
+file(GLOB LIB_SOURCES_STRATEGIES_AVX2 RELATIVE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} "src/strategies/avx2/*.c" "src/dep_quant.c")
 file(GLOB LIB_SOURCES_STRATEGIES_SSE41 RELATIVE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} "src/strategies/sse41/*.c")
 file(GLOB LIB_SOURCES_STRATEGIES_SSE42 RELATIVE ${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} "src/strategies/sse42/*.c")
 
diff --git a/src/dep_quant.c b/src/dep_quant.c
index 99a15df3..87799e35 100644
--- a/src/dep_quant.c
+++ b/src/dep_quant.c
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 #include "dep_quant.h"
 
+#include <immintrin.h>
+
 #include "cu.h"
 #include "encoderstate.h"
 #include "intra.h"
@@ -804,7 +806,6 @@ void uvg_dep_quant_update_state(
   }
 }
 
-static bool same[13];
 
 int uvg_dep_quant(
   const encoder_state_t* const state,
@@ -889,14 +890,63 @@ int uvg_dep_quant(
     height >= 4) {
     firstTestPos =((width == 4 && height == 4) || (width == 8 && height == 8)) ? 7 : 15;
   }
-  const int32_t default_quant_coeff = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_QScale;
-  const int32_t thres               = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_thresLast;
-  for (; firstTestPos >= 0; firstTestPos--) {
-    coeff_t thresTmp = (enableScalingLists) ? (thres / (4 * q_coeff[scan[firstTestPos]])) : (thres / (4 * default_quant_coeff));
-    if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[firstTestPos]]) > thresTmp) {
-      break;
+  //uvg_find_first_non_zero_coeff(srcCoeff, enableScalingLists, dep_quant_context, scan, q_coeff, &firstTestPos, width, height);
+  const int     default_quant_coeff = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_QScale;
+  const int32_t thres = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_thresLast;
+  int           temp = firstTestPos;
+  if (enableScalingLists) {
+    for (; temp >= 0; (temp)--) {
+      coeff_t thresTmp = thres / (4 * q_coeff[scan[(temp)]]);
+      if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[(temp)]]) > thresTmp) {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  } else {
+    coeff_t thresTmp = thres / (4 * default_quant_coeff);
+    if (temp >= 16 && height >= 4) {
+      __m256i th = _mm256_set1_epi16(thresTmp);
+      temp -= 15;
+      for (; temp >= 0; temp -= 16) {
+        __m256i sbb_data;
+        if (width <= 4) {
+          sbb_data = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[scan[temp]]);
+        } else if (width == 8) {
+          uint32_t i = scan[temp];
+          __m256i  first = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[i]);
+          __m256i  second = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[i + 12]);
+          sbb_data = _mm256_blend_epi32(first, second, 204);
+        } else {
+          int16_t  temp_d[16];
+          uint32_t i = scan[temp];
+          memcpy(temp_d, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 4, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 8, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 12, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+
+          sbb_data = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)temp_d);
+        }
+        sbb_data = _mm256_abs_epi16(sbb_data);
+
+        __m256i a = _mm256_cmpgt_epi16(sbb_data, th);
+        if (!_mm256_testz_si256(a, a)) {
+          if (temp >= 0) {
+            temp += 15;
+          }
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    for (; temp >= 0; temp--) {
+      if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[(temp)]]) > thresTmp) {
+        break;
+      }
     }
   }
+
+  firstTestPos = temp;
   if (firstTestPos < 0) {
     return 0;
   }
@@ -961,7 +1011,7 @@ int uvg_dep_quant(
 
   const uint32_t height_in_sbb = MAX(height >> 2, 1);
   const uint32_t width_in_sbb = MAX(width >> 2, 1);
-
+  
   //===== populate trellis =====
   for (int scanIdx = firstTestPos; scanIdx >= 0; scanIdx--) {
     uint32_t blkpos = scan[scanIdx];
diff --git a/src/strategies/avx2/depquant-avx2.c b/src/strategies/avx2/depquant-avx2.c
index 601f04da..51f4e7d8 100644
--- a/src/strategies/avx2/depquant-avx2.c
+++ b/src/strategies/avx2/depquant-avx2.c
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@
 #include "strategies/avx2/depquant-avx2.h"
 #include "strategyselector.h"
 
+#define COMPILE_INTEL_AVX2 1
+
 #if COMPILE_INTEL_AVX2 && defined X86_64
 #include "dep_quant.h"
 
@@ -1359,6 +1361,76 @@ void uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update_avx2(
 }
 
 
+void uvg_find_first_non_zero_avx2(
+  const coeff_t* srcCoeff,
+  const bool enableScalingLists,
+  context_store dep_quant_context, 
+  const uint32_t* const scan,
+  const int32_t* q_coeff,
+  int* firstTestPos, 
+  const int width,
+  const int height)
+{
+  const int default_quant_coeff = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_QScale;
+  const int32_t thres  = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_thresLast;
+  int temp = *firstTestPos;
+  if (enableScalingLists) {
+    for (; temp >= 0; (temp)--) {
+      coeff_t thresTmp = thres / (4 * q_coeff[scan[(temp)]]);
+      if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[(temp)]]) > thresTmp) {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  } else {
+    coeff_t thresTmp = thres / (4 * default_quant_coeff);
+    if (temp >= 16 && height >= 4) {
+      __m256i th = _mm256_set1_epi16(thresTmp);
+      temp -= 15;
+      for (; temp >= 0; temp -= 16) {
+        __m256i sbb_data;
+        if (width <= 4) {
+          sbb_data = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[scan[temp]]);
+        } else if (width == 8) {
+          uint32_t i     = scan[temp];
+          __m256i  first = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[i]);
+          __m256i  second = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)&srcCoeff[i+ 12]);
+          sbb_data       = _mm256_blend_epi32(first, second, 204);
+        } else {
+          int16_t temp_d[16];
+          uint32_t i = scan[temp];
+          memcpy(temp_d, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 4, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 8, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+          i += width;
+          memcpy(temp_d + 12, &srcCoeff[i], 8);
+
+          sbb_data = _mm256_loadu_si256((__m256i const*)temp_d);
+        }
+        sbb_data = _mm256_abs_epi16(sbb_data);
+
+        __m256i a = _mm256_cmpgt_epi16(sbb_data, th);
+        if (!_mm256_testz_si256(a, a))
+        {
+          if (temp >= 0) {
+            temp += 15;
+          }
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    for (;temp >= 0; temp--) {
+      if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[(temp)]]) > thresTmp) {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  *firstTestPos = temp;
+}
+
+
 #endif //COMPILE_INTEL_AVX2 && defined X86_64
 
 int uvg_strategy_register_depquant_avx2(void* opaque, uint8_t bitdepth)
@@ -1367,6 +1439,7 @@ int uvg_strategy_register_depquant_avx2(void* opaque, uint8_t bitdepth)
 
 #if COMPILE_INTEL_AVX2 && defined X86_64
   success &= uvg_strategyselector_register(opaque, "dep_quant_decide_and_update", "avx2", 40, &uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update_avx2);
+  success &= uvg_strategyselector_register(opaque, "find_first_non_zero_coeff", "avx2", 40, &uvg_find_first_non_zero_avx2);
 #endif //COMPILE_INTEL_AVX2 && defined X86_64
 
   return success;
diff --git a/src/strategies/generic/depquant-generic.c b/src/strategies/generic/depquant-generic.c
index aa2ea99e..f1103054 100644
--- a/src/strategies/generic/depquant-generic.c
+++ b/src/strategies/generic/depquant-generic.c
@@ -227,12 +227,26 @@ static void uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update_generic(
 }
 
 
+void uvg_find_first_non_zero_generic(const coeff_t* srcCoeff, const bool enableScalingLists, context_store dep_quant_context, const uint32_t* const scan, const int32_t* q_coeff, int* firstTestPos, int width, int height)
+{
+  const int default_quant_coeff = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_QScale;
+  const int32_t thres  = dep_quant_context.m_quant->m_thresLast;
+  int temp = *firstTestPos;
+  for (; temp >= 0; (temp)--) {
+    coeff_t thresTmp = (enableScalingLists) ? (thres / (4 * q_coeff[scan[(temp)]])) : (thres / (4 * default_quant_coeff));
+    if (abs(srcCoeff[scan[(temp)]]) > thresTmp) {
+      break;
+    }
+  }
+  *firstTestPos = temp;
+}
+
 int uvg_strategy_register_depquant_generic(void* opaque, uint8_t bitdepth)
 {
   bool success = true;
   
-  success &= uvg_strategyselector_register(opaque, "dep_quant_decide_and_update", "generic", 40, &uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update_generic);
-
+  success &= uvg_strategyselector_register(opaque, "dep_quant_decide_and_update", "generic", 0, &uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update_generic);
+  success &= uvg_strategyselector_register(opaque, "find_first_non_zero_coeff", "generic", 0, &uvg_find_first_non_zero_generic);
 
   return success;
 }
diff --git a/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.c b/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.c
index 7ba62163..d0eac087 100644
--- a/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.c
+++ b/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 
 // Define function pointers.
 dep_quant_decide_and_update_func* uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update;
+find_first_non_zero_coeff_func* uvg_find_first_non_zero_coeff;
 
 
 int uvg_strategy_register_depquant(void *opaque, uint8_t bitdepth)
diff --git a/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.h b/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.h
index 4021c458..6a49dc35 100644
--- a/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.h
+++ b/src/strategies/strategies-depquant.h
@@ -61,16 +61,27 @@ typedef int(dep_quant_decide_and_update_func)(
   const uint32_t                          effHeight,
   bool                                    is_chroma);
 
+typedef void(find_first_non_zero_coeff_func)(
+  const coeff_t*        srcCoeff,
+  const bool            enableScalingLists,
+  context_store         dep_quant_context,
+  const uint32_t* const scan,
+  const int32_t*        q_coeff,
+  int*                  firstTestPos,
+  int                   width,
+  int                   height);
 
 
 // Declare function pointers.
 extern dep_quant_decide_and_update_func* uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update;
+extern find_first_non_zero_coeff_func* uvg_find_first_non_zero_coeff;
 
 int uvg_strategy_register_depquant(void* opaque, uint8_t bitdepth);
 
 
 #define STRATEGIES_DEPQUANT_EXPORTS \
   {"dep_quant_decide_and_update", (void**)&uvg_dep_quant_decide_and_update}, \
+  {"find_first_non_zero_coeff", (void**)&uvg_find_first_non_zero_coeff}, \