Win 10 / 11 · Speed

Switch the power plan to Best Performance

The default Balanced plan throttles the CPU to save power. On a desktop, just use full performance.

DifficultyEasy
Time1 min
RiskLow
ReversibleYes
PlatformWin 10 / 11
UpdatedSep 22, 2026

Written and tested by emdottech

What that means

Low risk. This fix only checks things, or changes settings you can switch back in the same place. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

Windows power mode settings list with Best performance highlighted

Steps

01
- Windows key, type 'Power Plan' to search, then open 'Choose a power plan' from Control Panel
02
- Select High performance if it's listed — some PCs hide it by default; run powercfg -setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c">powercfg -setactive 8c5e7fda-e8bf-4a96-9a85-a6e23a8c635c from an admin Command Prompt to reveal and activate it
03
- On Windows 11 the same setting lives at Settings → System → Power & battery → Power mode → Best performance
04
- Desktops can leave this on permanently since there's no battery to drain
05
- On a laptop, switch back to Balanced or Best power efficiency once unplugged — Best performance costs noticeably more battery for little everyday benefit

How to verify the fix

Run a task that felt sluggish before and confirm the PC responds faster with no new overheating or loud fans.

If this didn't fix it

No noticeable change, or the PC runs hotter and louder — switch back to Balanced in Control Panel → Power Options.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.

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Switch the power plan to Best Performance

Steps

✓How to verify the fix

!If this didn't fix it

Related fixes

How to verify the fix

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