How to Enable a Power Plan in Windows 10

Enabling a power plan in Windows 10 is essential for optimizing your PC's performance and energy consumption, allowing you to tailor your system's behavior to specific tasks or power-saving needs.

Accessing and Changing Power Plans

Windows 10 offers several built-in power plans designed for different scenarios. You can easily switch between them or create custom plans.

Method 1: Using the Control Panel (Recommended)

This is the most common and straightforward way to manage your power plans.

Open Power Options:
- Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type powercfg.cpl and press Enter. This will directly open the Power Options window.
- Alternatively, search for "Control Panel" in the Windows search bar, open it, then navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
Choose a Power Plan:
- In the Power Options window, you will see a list of available plans such as "Balanced," "Power saver," and "High performance."
- Click the radio button next to the plan you wish to enable. If you don't see all options, click "Show additional plans" to expand the list.
Customize Plan Settings (Optional):
- To fine-tune a plan, click "Change plan settings" next to your chosen plan.
- Here you can adjust settings like when the display turns off or when the computer sleeps.
- Click "Change advanced power settings" for more detailed options, including hard disk shutdown, processor power management, and USB selective suspend settings.
- After making changes, click "OK" and then "Save changes."

Method 2: Using Windows Settings

For a more modern interface, you can access basic power settings through the Windows Settings app.

Open Settings: Press Windows key + I.
Navigate to Power & Sleep: Go to System > Power & sleep.
Adjust Related Settings: On the right-hand side, under "Related settings," click "Additional power settings." This will open the classic "Power Options" Control Panel window, allowing you to select and customize plans as described in Method 1.

Enabling the Ultimate Performance Power Plan

The "Ultimate Performance" power plan is a specialized option designed to deliver absolute maximum performance by minimizing latency and ensuring hardware always operates at its peak. This plan is typically hidden and requires a specific command to enable.

To enable the Ultimate Performance power plan:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
- Type "cmd" into the Windows search bar.
- Right-click on "Command Prompt" from the search results and select "Run as administrator."
Copy and Paste the Command:
- You will need to copy a specific command into the Command Prompt. This involves selecting the text of the command, pressing Ctrl + C to copy it, then going to the terminal (Command Prompt) and pressing Ctrl + V to paste it.
- The command to enable the Ultimate Performance plan is:
```
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f147496726
```
- Paste this command into the Administrator Command Prompt window and then press Enter.
Activate the Plan:
- After executing the command, you will see a message confirming the creation of the new power scheme, often with a GUID.
- Now, return to the Power Options window (using powercfg.cpl as described in Method 1).
- You should now see "Ultimate Performance" listed under your available power plans. Select it to activate it.

What is Ultimate Performance Mode?

Ultimate Performance mode eliminates micro-latencies associated with fine-grained power management techniques. While beneficial for high-end workstations and servers, it might result in higher power consumption and increased heat for typical desktop or laptop use. It's ideal for tasks demanding consistent, top-tier performance, such as intensive gaming, video editing, or CAD software.

Understanding Different Power Plans

Windows provides several default power plans, each with distinct advantages:

Power Plan	Description	Ideal For
Balanced	Offers full performance when you need it and saves power during periods of inactivity. This is the default and recommended plan for most users.	Everyday computing, web browsing, office work, casual gaming.
Power saver	Prioritizes saving energy over performance. Reduces screen brightness, processor speed, and other settings to extend battery life.	Laptops on battery power, light tasks, maximizing battery runtime.
High performance	Maximizes performance by keeping the processor active, increasing screen brightness, and allowing for faster fan speeds. Uses more power.	Intensive gaming, video editing, heavy multitasking, situations requiring peak CPU power.
Ultimate Performance	Delivers absolute maximum performance by eliminating power-saving micro-latencies. Only available in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations and after enabling via command.	High-end workstations, professional tasks, competitive gaming, critical low-latency applications.

Tips for Managing Power Plans

Create Custom Plans: You can create your own power plan by clicking "Create a power plan" in the Power Options window. This allows you to combine settings from different plans to suit your specific needs.
Monitor Battery Life: For laptops, remember that higher performance plans will significantly reduce battery life.
Regularly Review Settings: Periodically check your power plan settings, especially after major Windows updates or installing new hardware, as they might revert or be changed.
Quick Switch: On laptops, clicking the battery icon in the system tray often gives you a quick slider to adjust between performance and battery life, which corresponds to power plan settings.

By understanding and utilizing Windows 10 power plans, you can ensure your computer runs efficiently, whether you need maximum power for demanding tasks or wish to conserve energy.