- To change the power mode on Windows 11, open Settings > System > Power (or Power & battery), and choose between “Best Power Efficiency,” “Balanced,” or “Best Performance” to apply a power mode.
- You can also use the legacy Control Panel to change the power mode on your computer.
UPDATED 7/25/2024: On Windows 11, a power mode (or plan) is a group of specific hardware and system settings (such as screen brightness, sleep, and others) to control the energy usage on a computer. Windows 11 uses a “balanced” power mode that automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware. However, depending on your computer or situation, you can change the power mode to save energy (and battery life) or increase performance at the cost of more energy consumption.
In previous versions, there was an option to set the preferred power plan using the “Battery” menu in the Taskbar. However, on Windows 11, you can only configure these settings from the Settings app or Control Panel.
In this guide, I will teach you the steps to change the power mode on a laptop or desktop running Windows 11.
Change power mode from Settings on Windows 11
To select a different power mode on Windows 11 through the Settings app, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.
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Click on System.
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Click the Power (or Power & battery) page on the right side.
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In the “Power mode” setting, select the mode to use on Windows 11, including:
- Best Power Efficiency – saves energy by reducing the device performance when possible.
- Balanced – automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware.
- Best Performance – offers the most performance, but it uses more energy.
Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will control the power consumption based on the selected mode, offering more performance, better battery life, or a balance between performance and energy.
Change power mode from Control Panel on Windows 11
To change the power plan through the Control Panel on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Control Panel.
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Click on Hardware and Sound.
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Click on Power Options.
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Under the “Preferred plans” section, select the power mode for Windows 11, including:
- Balanced – automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware.
- Power saver – saves energy by reducing the device performance when possible.
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(Optional) Select the “High performance” mode, which offers the most performance but uses more energy, under the “Show additional plans” section.
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(Optional)Select the “Ultimate Performance” mode, which provides extra performance for higher-end computers (if applicable).
After completing the steps, the computer will start using the chosen plan that applies the specific power mode on Windows 11.
Update July 25, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].