What Changes with the Windows Power Mode? ── Best Performance, Balanced and Best Power Efficiency Compared, and How to Choose

When you open Windows 11 Settings, you will find an item called “Power mode.” There are three choices: “Best power efficiency,” “Balanced” and “Best performance.”

To give the conclusion first: what the power mode changes is mainly how the CPU uses power. The further toward performance you go, the faster processing tends to be, and the more power it uses. The time until the screen turns off and the sleep time do not change with the power mode.

This article is for general users curious about Windows 11’s power settings. It explains what changes between the three modes, how they relate to the long-standing “power plans,” the difference between plugged in and on battery, and why the setting sometimes cannot be selected. The content is based on Microsoft’s official documentation checked on November 3, 2026. The powercfg commands introduced later were run and checked on Windows. The power mode screen was checked on a physical desktop PC (no battery) running Windows 11 Pro (25H2). The on-battery setting on a laptop, the display when the power plan is not Balanced, screen brightness, performance and battery life when changing modes, and fan behavior were not checked.

Key Points

Here are the key points first.

• The power mode is a setting under [Settings] > [System] > [Power & battery] in Windows 11. You choose from three modes.¹
• The default is “Balanced.” Choose “Best performance” to prioritize performance and “Best power efficiency” to prioritize battery life.¹²
• Underneath, CPU power management settings and the handling of background work are switched. Screen and sleep timeouts do not change.²
• You can choose separate modes for plugged in and on battery.¹
• When the power plan is not “Balanced,” or when Energy saver is on, you cannot choose a power mode.¹³

flowchart TB
        accTitle: The three power mode choices
        accDescr: Shows that Best power efficiency prioritizes battery life, Balanced balances performance and battery, and Best performance prioritizes performance.
        M["Power mode"] --> E["Best power efficiency"]
        M --> B["Balanced (default)"]
        M --> P["Best performance"]
        E --> E2["Prioritizes battery life"]
        B --> B2["Balances performance and battery"]
        P --> P2["Prioritizes performance"]

Figure 1: The power mode is a setting that chooses, in three steps, whether battery life or performance takes priority.

In the diagram a solid line marks a relation that always holds and a dashed line marks a conditional one (the conditions are given per relation on the detail page). The full list of relations (6 in total, with evidence and certainty) and the definitions of the main concepts are collected on the knowledge map detail page (in Japanese). Data: JSON-LD / Turtle

The Modes You Can Choose and Where the Setting Is

The power mode is a setting that chooses whether the PC’s performance or its battery life takes priority. Microsoft’s support article describes the three modes as follows.¹

In Japanese, the labels differ slightly between Windows versions and documents, and the power-saving mode appears under more than one name. This article uses the names in Microsoft’s English documentation: “Best power efficiency,” “Balanced” and “Best performance.”¹⁴ On a physical PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2), the screen also showed the same three modes.

The setting is at [Settings] > [System] > [Power & battery] > [Power mode]. On a desktop PC without a battery, this page is called [Power]. On a physical PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2), it was [Settings] > [System] > [Power] > [Power mode]. In Windows 10, you selected the battery icon on the taskbar to bring up a slider and switched it there.¹

Not every PC has this setting. Microsoft’s support article says it may not be available depending on the PC’s hardware and manufacturer. In Microsoft’s documentation for PC manufacturers, whether to show this setting on a desktop PC without a battery is left to the PC manufacturer.⁵²

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Where the power mode setting is
        accDescr: Shows the flow of opening Power & battery from System in the Settings app and choosing the plugged-in and on-battery modes under Power mode.
        S["Settings"] --> SY["System"]
        SY --> PB["Power & battery"]
        PB --> PM["Power mode"]
        PM --> AC["Mode when plugged in"]
        PM --> DC["Mode on battery"]

Figure 2: In Windows 11, you choose the power mode under [Power & battery] in the Settings app.

What Changes Underneath Is How the CPU Uses Power

When you switch the power mode, what changes inside Windows? Microsoft’s documentation for PC manufacturers explains the mechanism.²

Each Mode Switches an “Overlay”

Each power mode corresponds to a set of settings called an overlay. Note that the documentation for PC manufacturers is written for the four-step slider in Windows 10, so the mode names differ slightly from Windows 11. In its mapping table, the power-saving side (Better Battery) is assigned BetterBatteryLifeOverlay, the performance side (Best Performance) is assigned MaxPerformanceOverlay, and the default mode (Better Performance) corresponds to the Balanced power plan. When you switch modes, the values for that mode are used.²

Microsoft explains that each mode should be thought of as a “lite power plan.” An overlay contains only settings that affect perceived performance, such as CPU settings (PPM: processor power management) and Power Throttling. Traditional power settings such as disk and display timeouts cannot be changed by the power mode.²

When we switched among the three modes on a physical PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2), powercfg /getactivescheme showed Balanced (381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e) for every mode. What changed when switching was the value of ActiveOverlayAcPowerScheme under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\User\PowerSchemes in the registry.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Power modes and overlays
        accDescr: Shows that choosing a power mode uses the corresponding overlay, that the overlay contains CPU settings and Power Throttling, and that screen and sleep timeouts are not included.
        M["Choose a power mode"] --> O["Overlay for that mode"]
        O --> C["CPU settings (PPM)"]
        O --> T["Power Throttling"]
        X["Screen and sleep timeouts"] -.->|"Not changed by the power mode"| O

Figure 3: What the power mode switches is a set of performance-related settings (an overlay).

Whether the CPU Leans Toward Performance or Power Saving

One of the CPU settings an overlay changes is EPP (Energy Performance Preference). It is a value that tells a supporting CPU your preference between “prioritize performance or prioritize power saving”; 0 favors performance and 100 favors power saving.⁶

Microsoft’s documentation asks PC manufacturers to set the CPU toward battery life in the power-saving modes and toward performance in the performance modes. The actual values are decided by the PC manufacturer, so even the same “Best performance” behaves differently depending on the model.²

The Handling of Background Work Also Changes

The other thing that changes is how apps running in the background are handled.

Windows has a mechanism called Power Throttling that saves power by lowering the CPU frequency for background work. According to Microsoft’s documentation, Power Throttling is always active except when the power mode is “Best performance,” and in Best performance all apps are exempt from it.²

Conversely, choosing “Best power efficiency” limits background activity to reduce power consumption, both when plugged in and on battery.⁴

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Power modes and background work
        accDescr: Shows that Best power efficiency limits background activity, Power Throttling is active in Balanced, and all apps are exempt from Power Throttling in Best performance.
        E["Best power efficiency"] --> E1["Limits background activity"]
        B["Balanced"] --> B1["Power Throttling is active"]
        P["Best performance"] --> P1["All apps exempt from Power Throttling"]

Figure 4: The more performance-oriented the mode, the less background work is held back.

The “efficiency mode” that shows a green leaf icon in Task Manager is also related to Power Throttling. Efficiency mode is explained in detail in “What Is Windows Efficiency Mode? - The Green Leaf Icon and How to Turn It Off.”

How It Relates to Power Plans

Windows has had a mechanism called power plans since before power modes existed. These are “Balanced,” “High performance,” “Power saver” and so on, chosen in [Power Options] in Control Panel. A power plan is a set of power settings that also includes screen and sleep timeouts.

The Power Mode Works on Top of the Balanced Power Plan

The power mode and power plans are separate mechanisms. According to Microsoft’s documentation, the power mode setting is shown only when the power plan is “Balanced” or a plan derived from Balanced.²

In other words, the power mode is a mechanism that switches only the performance-related parts on top of the Balanced power plan. The documentation for PC manufacturers also describes the background: settings that previously could be configured only per power plan can now be configured per power mode through overlays.²

flowchart TB
        accTitle: How power plans and power modes relate
        accDescr: Shows that when the power plan is Balanced you can switch among the three modes with the power mode, and when it is High performance or a custom plan you cannot choose a power mode.
        PL{"Power plan"} -->|"Balanced"| M["Power mode can be chosen"]
        PL -->|"High performance, etc."| N["Power mode cannot be chosen"]
        M --> E["Best power efficiency"]
        M --> B["Balanced"]
        M --> P["Best performance"]

Figure 5: The power mode is available when the power plan is Balanced (or a plan derived from Balanced).

If You Cannot Choose a Power Mode, Check the Power Plan

If the power plan is “High performance” or a PC manufacturer’s own plan, you cannot choose a power mode. Microsoft’s support article says that if you can’t change the power mode, a custom power plan might be selected, and advises selecting “Balanced” under [System and Security] > [Power Options] in Control Panel.¹

On a PC upgraded from an older version of Windows, a power plan such as High performance may remain as it was. According to Microsoft’s documentation, if you were using the High performance or Power saver plan before the upgrade, the power plan does not change after the upgrade. As a result, the power mode is not shown either.²

Checking the Power Plan with Commands

You can also check the power plan with powercfg at the command prompt. The usage given in Microsoft’s documentation is as follows.⁷

powercfg /list
powercfg /getactivescheme
powercfg /setactive <GUID of the power plan>

/list shows the list of power plans, and /getactivescheme shows the power plan currently in use. /setactive switches to the power plan with a GUID shown by /list. In the example in Microsoft’s documentation, the GUID for Balanced is 381b4222-f694-41f0-9685-ff5bb260df2e.⁷

These commands are Windows-only. We ran them on a virtual machine running Windows 11 Enterprise Evaluation (26H2) and on Windows Server 2022, and checked that the list is displayed and that switching by specifying the Balanced GUID works.

Plugged In and On Battery

On a laptop, you can choose separate power modes for when it is plugged in and when it is running on battery. [Power mode] in Windows 11 has choices for plugged in and for on battery.¹

On a desktop PC without a battery, the choices are not split. On a physical PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2), [Power mode] had only one choice, [Plugged in], and no choice for on battery.

For example, you can use them like this:

• When plugged in, use “Best performance” to speed up heavy work
• On battery, use “Balanced” or “Best power efficiency” to make the battery last longer

According to Microsoft’s documentation, unless the PC manufacturer sets the defaults, the mode corresponding to Balanced is the default both when plugged in and on battery. PC manufacturers can ship with different default modes for each. When the user chooses a different mode, that choice becomes the new default.²

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Power modes when plugged in and on battery
        accDescr: Shows that you can choose a power mode for plugged in and for on battery, and that the PC uses one or the other depending on its power state.
        S{"PC power state"} -->|"Plugged in"| AC["Mode when plugged in"]
        S -->|"On battery"| DC["Mode on battery"]
        AC --> EX1["Example: Best performance"]
        DC --> EX2["Example: Balanced"]

Figure 6: You can set a different mode for each power state.

You Cannot Choose a Power Mode While Energy Saver Is On

Windows 11, version 24H2 and later have Energy saver. It replaces the earlier “Battery saver,” and Japanese documentation sometimes refers to it by another name.³⁵

According to Microsoft’s documentation, while Energy saver is on, the power mode cannot be changed in the Settings app. Screen brightness also drops by 30% (this behavior can be turned off). When the PC is not plugged in and the battery is low, more activity is restricted, such as background apps being stopped.³

On a physical desktop PC running Windows 11 Pro (25H2), the [Energy saver] card had only one switch, “Always use energy saver.” We also confirmed that turning it on greys out the [Plugged in] choice so the power mode cannot be changed. The change in screen brightness was not checked, because the PC used an external monitor whose brightness cannot be changed from Windows.

If the power mode suddenly becomes impossible to select, also check whether Energy saver is on in Quick Settings. The button in Quick Settings is called “Energy saver.”

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Energy saver and the power mode
        accDescr: Shows that while Energy saver is on, the power mode cannot be changed and screen brightness drops, and that when the battery is low, background apps are also stopped.
        ES["Energy saver is on"] --> A["Power mode cannot be changed"]
        ES --> B["Screen brightness drops"]
        ES -.->|"When the battery is low"| C["Background apps are stopped"]

Figure 7: While Energy saver is on, the power mode cannot be changed.

Effects on Fans, Temperature and Battery

Some people may wonder, “Will Best performance make the fans louder?” or “What happens to battery life?”

Microsoft’s documentation positions Best performance as a mode for people who want to prioritize performance and responsiveness at the cost of power. Used on battery, it tends to shorten battery life.²

Fan behavior and temperature are decided by the PC manufacturer. According to Microsoft’s documentation, other performance-related factors such as GPU and thermal management can be given custom settings by PC manufacturers and others and tied to the power mode. For example, on Surface Laptop Studio 2, the upper limit of the fan volume is determined based on the OS power mode and other factors.²⁸

So “how much the fans spin up in Best performance” differs by model. This article did not measure any particular model, so it gives no specific figures. If you are concerned, check the PC manufacturer’s documentation or the description of the manufacturer’s own power settings app.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Power modes and PC manufacturer tuning
        accDescr: Shows that Windows switches the power mode's CPU settings, while the PC manufacturer tunes fan, temperature and GPU behavior and ties them to the power mode.
        M["Power mode"] --> W["CPU settings (switched by Windows)"]
        M --> O["Settings tied in by the PC manufacturer"]
        O --> F["Fan behavior"]
        O --> T["Thermal management"]
        O --> G["GPU handling"]

Figure 8: Perceived speed, fans and temperature vary by model depending on the PC manufacturer’s tuning.

How It Relates to Similarly Named Features

There are several features with similar names near the power mode. They are easy to confuse, so let us sort them out.

As for Game Mode, Microsoft’s documentation says it works independently of the power mode and can be used in any mode.² Game Mode is explained in detail in “What Is Windows Game Mode?”

How to Change It, and What to Check If You Cannot

Changing the Power Mode

1. Open [Start] > [Settings] (you can also open it with the Windows key + I key)
2. Open [System] > [Power & battery] ([System] > [Power] on a desktop PC without a battery)
3. Under [Power mode], choose the mode for plugged in and for on battery (only [Plugged in] on a desktop PC)

You can choose again at any time.¹

What to Check If You Cannot Choose It

If the power mode is greyed out and cannot be selected, or the item cannot be found, check the following in order.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: Order of checks when the power mode cannot be chosen
        accDescr: Shows that if Energy saver is on you turn it off, if the power plan is not Balanced you choose Balanced, and if the item is still missing the model may not support it.
        Q1{"Is Energy saver on?"} -->|"Yes"| A1["Turn off Energy saver"]
        Q1 -->|"No"| Q2{"Is the power plan Balanced?"}
        Q2 -->|"No"| A2["Choose Balanced in Power Options"]
        Q2 -->|"Yes"| A3["The model may not support it"]

Figure 9: Check Energy saver, the power plan and model support, in that order.

• Check whether Energy saver is on. While it is on, the power mode cannot be changed.³
• Check whether the power plan is “Balanced.” Check it in [Power Options] in Control Panel, and if it is something other than Balanced, choose Balanced.¹
• Check whether the model supports it. The power mode may not be available depending on the PC’s hardware and manufacturer. Check the PC manufacturer’s documentation.⁵

On company PCs, an administrator may have set the power settings. Check with your company’s IT staff whether you are allowed to change them.

Which One to Choose

Finally, here is a rough guide to choosing.

flowchart TB
        accTitle: How to choose a power mode
        accDescr: Shows a rough guide of choosing Best performance for heavy work while plugged in, Best power efficiency when you want the battery to last, and Balanced otherwise.
        Q1{"Doing heavy work while plugged in?"} -->|"Yes"| P["Best performance"]
        Q1 -->|"No"| Q2{"Want the battery to last as long as possible?"}
        Q2 -->|"Yes"| E["Best power efficiency"]
        Q2 -->|"No"| B["Balanced"]

Figure 10: If you are unsure, leave it on Balanced and switch only when you have a purpose.

If you are unsure, you can leave it on the default, Balanced. Switching to suit your purpose, such as using Best performance only for heavy work and Best power efficiency when you are out, is an easy way to use it.

When taking measurements to compare performance, fix the power mode and power plan to one setting and record it. How to align measurement conditions is explained in “How to Correctly Compare the Speed of Different Program Versions on Windows.”

Summary

• The power mode is a setting that chooses whether performance or battery life takes priority, and the default is Balanced.
• What changes is mainly CPU settings and how background work is handled; screen and sleep timeouts do not change.
• The power mode works on top of the Balanced power plan. It cannot be chosen when another power plan, such as High performance, is selected.
• You can choose different modes for plugged in and on battery. It cannot be changed while Energy saver is on.
• How speed, fans and temperature change varies by model, depending on the PC manufacturer’s tuning.

Related Articles

• What Is Windows Efficiency Mode? - The Green Leaf Icon and How to Turn It Off
• What Is Windows’ Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling? — Does Turning It On Make Your PC Faster?
• What Is Windows Game Mode?
• An Introduction to CPU Settings for Windows App Developers: Priority, Affinity and P-cores/E-cores
• How to Correctly Compare the Speed of Different Program Versions on Windows

References

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Frequently Asked Questions

Questions commonly asked at the time of consultation about the topic of this article.

Will setting the power mode to "Best performance" make my PC faster?

It runs the CPU toward performance, so processing can become faster. What changes, though, is mainly how the CPU uses power; the times until the screen turns off or the PC sleeps do not change. How much faster it gets, and what happens to the fans and temperature, depends on the PC manufacturer's tuning. On battery, the battery drains faster, so you can also use Best performance only when plugged in.

What is the difference between "Best performance" and "Balanced"?

Balanced balances performance and battery life, and is the Windows default. Best performance prioritizes performance over power. Microsoft's documentation says that in Best performance, all apps are exempt from Power Throttling (a mechanism that lowers the CPU frequency for background work).

Why is the power mode greyed out and impossible to select?

There are three main causes: the power plan is something other than "Balanced" (such as High performance or a manufacturer's own plan), Energy saver is on, or the PC model does not support this setting. If the power plan is the cause, selecting "Balanced" in Power Options in Control Panel lets you change it.

What is the difference between a power mode and a power plan?

A power plan (Balanced, High performance, Power saver and so on) is a set of power settings that also includes screen and sleep timeouts. A power mode is a mechanism that switches only the performance-related parts, such as CPU settings, on top of the Balanced power plan. Microsoft explains that each mode should be thought of as a "lite power plan" containing only performance-related settings.

Can I use different power modes when plugged in and on battery?

Yes. Under "Power mode" in Windows 11 Settings, the choices for plugged in and on battery are separate, and you can pick a different mode for each. For example, you can use Best performance when plugged in and Balanced on battery.

Author Profile

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Go Komura

Representative of KomuraSoft LLC

Focused on Windows software development, technical consulting, and bug investigation, with particular strength in projects where existing assets remain and in investigating failures whose cause is hard to see.