How to enable hidden power plans in Windows 11

¿How to enable hidden power plans in Windows 11? There's a little-known trick in Windows 11: hidden energy plans that allow you to get the most out of your performance of the processor and all the hardware. Among them, the power plan stands out. Maximum performance, a configuration designed so that the team stops saving energy and prioritizes response speed above all else.

This type of plan is not readily apparent on most devices, especially in laptops from brands such as Lenovo, Dell, HP or AsusBecause it can increase power consumption, raise the temperature, and wear out the battery faster. Even so, if you know what you're doing, it can be a very useful tool for demanding tasks, challenging games, or creative work where every second counts.

What is the maximum performance power plan in Windows 11?

The maximum performance energy plan is an advanced profile that It allows the CPU and the rest of the components to function with virtually no limitations.This minimizes automatic system decisions to save energy. Microsoft initially introduced this feature in Windows 10 and retained it in Windows 11, primarily for high-end computers.

Unlike the classic Balanced mode or the Energy Saver plan, this profile is designed so that the system respond more immediately to peak workloadspreventing the processor from slowing down or certain devices from going into sleep mode when there is activity that requires speed.

The reason you don't see it at first is simple: Keeping the maximum performance plan always active puts extra strain on the hardwarePower consumption increases, temperatures rise, and in laptops, battery life is significantly reduced. That's why Microsoft hides it as an advanced option that must be unlocked with a command.

In addition, many manufacturers add their own layer of power management, so that Your applications can override or hide standard Windows plansPrograms such as Lenovo Vantage, Dell Power Manager, or the utilities from Asus or HP often include their own performance modes that interact with the system's power profiles.

In this context, the peak performance plan behaves like a "no-brake" profile, designed for those moments when You need to take full advantage of the available hardware's power.even if that means sacrificing autonomy or efficiency.

How maximum performance mode works internally

When you activate this plan, Windows 11 changes several internal parameters so that the system prioritize performance over energy savingsIt's not magic or a miraculous turbo mode, but a combination of adjustments that, together, can make the computer more agile in certain tasks.

One of the key adjustments is CPU management: The maximum processor state is set to 100%.This applies whether the device is plugged in or running on battery power (if the plan is not customized). This means the operating system avoids lowering the operating frequency too much when it detects a load.

Other components are also being tweaked. For example, The hard drives stop going into sleep modeso that they don't "go to sleep" after a few minutes of inactivity, which reduces small delays when accessing data, although it obviously increases consumption.

In the realm of wireless connections, the Wi-Fi adapter is configured with the WLAN power saving mode in high performanceThis prevents limiting network speed in an attempt to save battery. This is useful if you use fast connections or play online games where every millisecond counts.

Another distinctive setting is that hibernation is disabled: the system avoids entering ultra-low power states which might take a little longer to resume, prioritizing speed when returning to work even if it expends more energy at rest.

Even details like the frequency of the Javascript timer in the browser are adjusted to maximize the performance of certain web applicationssacrificing a little energy efficiency in favor of a somewhat smoother experience on complex pages.

Regarding the screen, within these plans it is usually configured to turn off. after about 15 minutes of inactivity, a fairly standard time that tries not to penalize the user experience too much, but is not exactly the most conservative.

Why Windows 11 hides these power plans

Although it may seem strange that an operating system would hide advanced options, the logic behind these plans is quite clear: Most users do not need this level of energy aggression In your day-to-day life. For browsing, using office software, consuming multimedia content, or even playing games, the Balanced plan usually delivers.

If everyone had maximum performance mode enabled by default, many laptops would see Its battery drastically reduces autonomyand the components would operate at higher temperatures for extended periods, with the potential impact on the long-term lifespan of the hardware.

Furthermore, on computers with modest or entry-level hardware, The actual performance improvement from activating this plan is usually very small.In many cases, games and programs already push the machine to its limits with the balanced profile, so increasing power consumption doesn't translate into more FPS or significantly shorter loading times.

For this reason, Microsoft decided to abandon these plans. “Hidden” options geared towards advanced usersadministrators or people who really know when and how to use them. It's a way to offer functionality without putting at risk those who just want their laptop to last as long as possible on battery life.

To complicate matters further, some manufacturers choose to provide their own predefined performance and battery settings which sometimes replace or limit Windows power plans. This means that on certain models only the Balanced plan is visible, and nothing else.

How to enable the maximum performance plan using commands

To unlock the maximum performance plan in Windows 11, the most direct way is to use the command line with administrator privilegesThe system incorporates a utility called powercfg which allows you to manage and restore power schemes, including those that are hidden.

First of all, it's a good idea to check which plans are available to you. If you only see Balanced mode or a manufacturer's profile, don't worry, because The highest-performance plan can be "cloned" from an internal identifier that Microsoft includes as standard.

The command that activates this plan is the following: powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61That long code is the unique identifier of the maximum performance scheme that Windows has prepared, but disabled.

To run it, simply open the Run with dialog box. Press Windows + R, type “cmd” and press EnterOr, search for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu, right-click and choose "Run as administrator" to have sufficient permissions.

Once the console is open with elevated privileges, enter the command powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61 and press Enter. If all goes well, Windows will create a copy of the scheme and add it to the list of available plans in the power options.

In certain specific cases, some users have reported that instead of duplicating, it has been more useful to use the option to directly activate a scheme with the parameter /SETACTIVEHowever, in most situations, duplicating the top-performing scheme makes the plan easily visible. For more information, see this article about Windows ignores power settings and lowers performance: practical solutions.

Activate the maximum performance plan from the Control Panel

After executing the command, it's time to go to the visual part to Select the new energy plan as activeAlthough many Windows 11 options are now managed from Settings, power plans are still located in the classic Control Panel.

The standard way is to open the Start menu, search for "Control Panel" and enter it. System and security > Power optionsThere you will see the preferred plans and, in many cases, a section for "additional plans" where the new maximum performance profile usually appears.

If you only see a Balanced plan or a manufacturer-specific mode, expand the hidden plans or click the options to show additional profiles. A plan with the name should appear. “Maximum performance” or similar, depending on the system language.

At that point, you just need to mark the circle corresponding to the maximum performance plan to activate it as the current power settingFrom that moment on, it will be the profile that governs how Windows manages resource consumption and performance.

It's worth noting that you can switch from one plan to another quicklyNothing prevents you from using the balanced profile daily and activating maximum performance only when you are going to export a video, render, or play for a long time.

If you reach a point where the list of plans is full of profiles you don't use or the configuration is messed up, you can always resort to powercfg /restoredefaultschemes To restore Windows' original power schemes, removing any custom ones. This can help after a problematic update.

Creation and customization of your own energy plans

In addition to the standard maximum performance plan, Windows 11 allows you to create customized energy plans from the Control PanelThis is very useful if you want something in between balanced mode and maximum performance, tailored to your PC usage style.

To create a new plan, go to the Control Panel, then to Energy options and select “Create an energy plan”There you can start from a base profile (for example, Balanced) and manually adjust parameters such as brightness, screen timeout, or battery behavior.

Within the advanced power settings, it's important to check the processor section and set the maximum processor state at 100% both for "Battery" and "AC" if you are looking for performance closer to maximum output.

You can also decide whether you want the hard drives to go into sleep mode after a certain time, how wireless connectivity is managed, or whether hibernation is available. The more elements you keep active without rest, the greater the immediate performance will be.But consumption will also increase.

This customization is very practical for work laptops or hybrid systems, where you might be interested in one plan for efficient daily use and another more aggressive one for specific tasks. Switching between them is just a matter of a few clicks.

If you notice strange behavior, such as the device not going into sleep mode when it should or the battery draining too quickly, you always have the option to return to the Balanced plan or restore the original settings using the commands powercfg.

Interaction with the manufacturer's software and the BIOS

One of the reasons why it sometimes seems impossible to change the power plan in Windows 11 is that Laptop manufacturers integrate their own management toolsThese utilities can limit or even hide the system's standard plans in order to impose their own.

Applications such as Lenovo Vantage, Dell Power Manager, or the suites from Asus and HP often include sections for "Battery Protection," "Battery Charging," or "Performance Mode" that They directly affect how the battery is charged and discharged., since what energy limits can the equipment reach.

In these programs it is common to find options such as "Full Charge Mode", "Maximum Battery Life Mode" or charge percentage limiters (for example, stop the load at 80% or 85% (to extend battery life). If you have any of these modes enabled, they may conflict with Windows plans.

In addition to software, many teams implement power management options directly in the BIOS or UEFIFrom there, some manufacturers allow you to set charging thresholds (for example, that the battery is only charged up to a certain percentage) or activate protection mechanisms.

If you suspect your laptop is limited by these types of settings, you can enter the BIOS at startup (usually with keys like F2, Delete, Esc, or another one indicated on the screen) and check sections such as “Power management”, “Battery health” or “Charging settings”Look for parameters like "Battery charging threshold" and set them to 100% if you want maximum on-demand autonomy.

If, even after reviewing these options, you still cannot select other plans or notice that restrictions remain, it might be a good idea to... Consult the brand's official technical service.They are aware of the limitations of their models and, in some cases, can offer specific patches or unlocks.

Advanced PowerShell commands and Windows image repair

If your power plans are corrupted or you can't modify them normally, you can resort to PowerShell and Windows image repair tools to try and restore everything to its correct state. This is useful if you've made a lot of changes or if something went wrong with updates.

From PowerShell with administrator privileges, you can adjust specific plan indexes. For example, the command powercfg /setdcvalueindex SCHEME_BALANCED SUB_BATTERY BATACTIONCRIT 0 It modifies the balanced plan so that, when the battery reaches a critical level, it does not perform any automatic actions such as sleep or hibernation.

Then, by narrowing down the behavior, it is possible to reactivate that same plan with powercfg /setactive SCHEME_BALANCEDThis will revert the balanced mode to the current profile. This type of adjustment is useful in very specific cases where you want a particular behavior when the battery is low.

If the plans have become disorganized or partially corrupted, you can try to restore them with powercfg /restoredefaultschemesThis removes custom power plans and reverts to Windows' factory settings. It's a sort of "reset button" for power configurations.

Ultimately, when you suspect corruption in system files, you can rely on tools such as DISM and CFSRun commands from the command prompt or PowerShell as administrator, such as Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth, followed by Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth and finally sfc /scannowThis can help repair damaged components; these steps also work if you experience restarts that never end.

These processes take a few minutes and, if they don't show any serious errors, it's a good idea to restart the computer and check again. Energy plans are returning to normal.Sometimes, a silent failure in system files can cause options like maximum performance to not appear or not work properly.

When do you really notice the maximum performance mode?

One of the most common questions is what real improvement is obtained by activating the maximum performance plan. In practice, The impact depends a lot on the type of hardware you have and what you do with it.Not all users will see the same difference.

On high-end systems, with powerful processors and demanding graphics cards, the plan can help Avoid small performance drops in very demanding tasksespecially when the system, in balanced mode, would tend to be a little more conservative with consumption.

Performance tests and benchmarks have shown improvements of around one 5% in some specific casesThese figures are not spectacular, but they can be relevant in workflows where every second matters, such as long renderings or large code compilations.

However, in many everyday scenarios, such as browsing the internet, working with documents, watching videos, or even playing most games, the practical difference is very smallModern games already take full advantage of the hardware with the balanced plan, so jumping to maximum performance doesn't usually translate into many more FPS.

On systems with entry-level or mid-range hardware, the effect can be even more subtle. If the bottleneck is the integrated GPU, the amount of memory, or the storage, Forcing the maximum performance plan won't work miracles.You won't go from being unable to run a game at 20 FPS to enjoying it smoothly just by changing your power plan.

Therefore, this mode is most noticeable in tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering, computationally intensive tasks, or virtualization processeswhere the CPU is kept at 100% for long periods and any slight sustained frequency increase helps to cut times.

Risks and disadvantages of using maximum performance

The main drawback of this plan is energy consumption. By disabling or reducing many energy-saving mechanisms, the team It uses more electricity whether plugged in or on battery.On a desktop computer, it means a slightly higher bill; on a laptop, significantly less battery life.

Another direct consequence is the increase in temperature. If the CPU and GPU are working without so many restrictions, the fans will have to work more often and at a higher speed, with the consequent increase in noise. In equipment with finely tuned cooling systems, this can be significant.

In the long term, higher average temperatures and constant cycles of maximum load can accelerate battery wear and tear and wear of certain componentsIt doesn't mean the computer will break immediately, but constant use in this mode isn't the most friendly for the hardware's lifespan.

On laptops that are frequently used unplugged, keeping this plan active is especially discouraged, because The battery will drain much faster And, in addition, the device will likely get hotter in intensive use scenarios, which is not comfortable for working on your lap, for example.

Therefore, the most sensible approach is usually to treat maximum performance as a one-off tool and not the permanent mode of the equipmentActivating it when you need it and deactivating it afterwards offers a reasonable balance between power and hardware care.

Usage tips and how to combine them with other plans

A practical strategy is to set up different plans for different situations. For example, you can keep the Balanced mode for everyday use, a power-saving plan for when you depend on the battery and to activate maximum performance only in intensive work or gaming sessions.

If your laptop allows it, it is highly recommended to limit The maximum battery charge is between 70% and 90%. when you usually use it plugged in most of the time. Many manufacturers offer this option in their software to extend battery life in the long run.

In daily office or study use, a common configuration is to leave the charge around 80-90%, use a balanced plan and reserve the more aggressive modes only for specific moments. This way you avoid constantly overloading the battery And at the same time, you have extra power available when you need it.

If, on the other hand, you use the computer as a desktop, always plugged in, you can afford to be a bit more aggressive: some users choose to limit the load to between 70 and 80% to minimize battery drain and, in return, use high-performance plans or special manufacturer profiles without worrying so much about battery life.

In any case, if you notice strange behavior, such as no power plans other than balanced appearing, or the system not responding to power changes, it's advisable to check both the manufacturer's software and the BIOS settings, and if necessary, contact official technical support to rule out model-specific blocks or policies.

Understanding how hidden power plans work in Windows 11 and knowing when to enable maximum performance mode gives you much finer control over your computer, allowing you to Use it when you really need it without unnecessarily mistreating it the rest of the time.