Windows power plans

Windows and manufacturers are under pressure from various government agencies, consumer groups, and certifiers to reduce the overall electrical consumption of their devices. To meet specific criteria or receive a certification, manufacturers include a means to reduce the electrical consumption of their devices. One way this can happen is with the Windows power plan. Windows power plans vary in execution. Some are custom configured by the device manufacturer or certification groups like Energy Star, certifying the device as Energy Star compliant. In general, Windows power plans are great for laptops and devices to help keep them cool and running longer on batteries.

Benefits of changing the power plan

Changing this setting will not make your personal computer any faster, and your computer will seem like nothing has changed, and that is normal. High performance tells Windows and applications not to reduce power usage. You may notice the fan running a bit louder, and that is normal because Windows is allowing your desktop PC to work a little harder at keeping itself cool. Over the years, manufacturers have improved these settings as hardware has improved, yet manufacturers' actions are still questionable in their application. Not all power plans work well, and some reduce the device's performance down to a snail's pace.

Mobile or battery operated devices

If you are trying to conserve power or are using a portable device, leave the power scheme set to balance or the manufacturer's default setting. Every ampere-hour counts when running on batteries; if you meter your device at the wall and use both settings, the difference is negligible. When a laptop is used as a desktop, or it will always be plugged in, PCMD recommends using the high-performance power plan. Laptops tend to be slower than the average desktop, and squeezing every bit of performance out of one can improve the overall experience.

Step 1

Click on the Start menu, then click on the Settings icon. It looks like gear.

The Windows 10 Start menu.

Step 2

Once Settings opens, click on System.

Settings then system to power options.

Step 3

Click on Power & Sleep.

Power and sleep are the needed settings.

Step 4

Click on Additional power settings under Related settings.

All desktop users should run power option High performance.

Step 5

Click on High performance and close the window.

Select High Performance