Choose Power Plan in Windows 10  

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    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10

    How to Choose a Power Plan Scheme in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Performance & Maintenance
    22 Sep 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Choose a Power Plan Scheme in Windows 10


    A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how your computer uses power. Power plans can help you save energy, maximize system performance, or achieve a balance between the two.

    All users (standard and administrator) will be able to make changes to any power plan settings.

    Changes made to a power plan will affect all users that have chosen the same power plan as their default active power scheme.

    Windows 10 includes the following default power plans:
    • Balanced - Offers full performance when you need it and saves power when you don't. This is the best power plan for most people.
    • Power saver - Saves power by reducing PC performance and screen brightness. If you're using a laptop, this plan can help you get the most from a single battery charge.
    • High performance - Maximizes screen brightness and might increase PC performance. This plan uses a lot more energy, so your laptop battery won't last as long between charges.
    • Ultimate Performance - Only available in the Windows 10 Pro for Workstations edition starting with Windows 10 build 17101. Provides ultimate performance on higher end PCs. It builds on the current High-Performance policy, and goes a step further to eliminate micro-latencies associated with fine grained power management techniques. As the power scheme is geared towards reducing micro-latencies it may directly impact hardware; and consume more power than the default balanced plan. The Ultimate Performance power policy is currently not available on battery powered systems.
    • Custom power plan - These are only available if either your PC manufacturer (OEM) provided additional power plans, and/or you create a custom power plan. These are available to all users.

    See also: Quickly switching your Power Plan on Windows 10 | Microsoft

    This tutorial will show you how to choose a power plan to be your current active power scheme that will be used by default for your account in Windows 10.


    Contents







    OPTION ONE

    To Choose a Power Plan in Power Options


    1 Do step 2, step 3, or step 4 below for how you would like to open Power Options.

    2 Right click or press and hold on the Power icon in the notification area, click/tap on Power options, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-power_icon-2.jpg

    3 Open the Control Panel (icons view), click/tap on the Power Options icon, and go to step 5 below.

    4 Open the Win+X Power User Tasks menu, click/tap on Power Options, and go to step 5 below.

    5 Select (dot) the power plan (ex: High performance) you want to use by default for your account. (see screenshot below)

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-power_options.png

    6 You can now close Power Options if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    To Choose a Power Plan in Windows Mobility Center


    1 Right click or press and hold on the Power icon in the notification area, and click/tap on Windows Mobility Center (mblctr.exe). (see screenshot below)

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-windows_mobility_center-1.jpg

    2 In the Power drop down menu, select the power plan (ex: High performance) you want to use by default for your account. (see screenshot below)

    3 You can now close Windows Mobility Center if you like.

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-windows_mobility_center-2.png






    OPTION THREE

    To Choose a Power Plan in Command Prompt


    1 Open a command prompt.

    2 Copy and paste the powercfg /List OR powercfg /L command into the command prompt, and press Enter. This will give you a list of all available power plans on the PC along with their GUID. Make note of the GUID of the power plan you want to choose. (see screenshot below)

    The power plan scheme that has an asterisk * to the right of it is your current active power plan scheme.

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-power_plans_command-1.png

    3 Type either command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

    powercfg /S GUID

    OR

    powercfg /setactive GUID

    Substitute GUID in the command above with the actual GUID from step 2 above for the power plan you want to choose.

    For example:

    (Balanced)
    powercfg /S 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e

    (High performance)
    powercfg /S 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c

    (Power saver)
    powercfg /S a1841308-3541-4fab-bc81-f71556f20b4a

    (Ultimate Performance)
    powercfg /S e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61

    Choose Power Plan in Windows 10-power_plans_command-2.png

    4 You can now close the command prompt if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink


    Related Tutorials



  1. Windows 11 Tutorials



  2. Maggidon
    Posts : 413
    windows 10 2004
       New #1

    I have an ASUS G750JW with Windows 10. I have Power4Gear High Performance checked off right now. I also have additional plans, one of which is called High Performance. If I check this latter off and then reboot, the Power4Gear High Performance is checked off again. Is there a reason for that and does it really make any difference as to getting High performance?
      My Computer
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  4. Brink
    Posts : 68,866
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Hello Maggidon, :)

    If you like, you can uninstall the Power4Gear software that came preinstalled on the computer to only use one of the default power plans in Windows 10.

    https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html
      My Computers
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  5. Maggidon
    Posts : 413
    windows 10 2004
       New #3

    Two things Brink. Ignore the private reply. When I hit the link received in my email, it showed that there was nothing there. I took it that the postings were deleted. Somehow I happened to come upon your reply here.
    Secondly, is the Power4Gear High Performance any different that the High Performance option given by Windows 10?
      My Computer
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  6. Brink
    Posts : 68,866
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Not really. Power4Gear is just software that came preinstalled on the computer for basically the same thing.
      My Computers
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  7. Maggidon
    Posts : 413
    windows 10 2004
       New #5

    So if you were in my spot, would you just leave it alone, especially since it's doing the same thing?
      My Computer
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  8. Brink
    Posts : 68,866
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    It really comes down to which one you prefer to use.
      My Computers
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  9. Maggidon
    Posts : 413
    windows 10 2004
       New #7

    Thank you much Brink.
      My Computer
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  10. Brink
    Posts : 68,866
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #8

    You're most welcome. :)
      My Computers
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  12. Florio
    Posts : 194
    Windows 10 version 2004 (OS Build 19041.508)
       New #9

    Brink, what settings would you personally recommend for Power and Sleep? I turn on my PC every morning when I get up, and only turn it off before I go to bed; I prefer to leave it in standby when I'm not using it, but don't want it going into standby while I'm downloading or uploading big files that take quite a while.
    The other problem is the screensaver which I like to have running when the computer is idle. When should I set this to kick in, taking into account the Power and Sleep settings you'd recommend? (at the moment, sometimes it starts up, but sometimes it doesn't, leaving a black screen).
    Florio
      My Computer
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