What does CPU Parking mean and how does it affect performance?

CPU Parking is a Energy-saving technique that temporarily disables CPU cores that are not in use to reduce consumption and heat. The tool can improve energy efficiency, but at the same time reduces performance in demanding tasks, such as gaming. Let's look at this in more detail.

What does CPU Parking mean?

CPU Parking or Core Parking is a power management feature in Windows that allows the operating system to "park" or disable certain processor cores when they are not in use. It is a feature of modern operating systems and is tied to power profiles..

The main goal of CPU Parking is to improve energy efficiency by preventing cores from consuming power when they are not processing tasks. Furthermore, it also manages to lower the system temperatureas well as extending battery life in laptops. Windows itself decides which cores to "park" based on the active power plan and system load.

For example, suppose you have a computer with an 8-core processor. If four of those cores are not in use, Windows "parks" them until they are needed again. It can do the same with one or two cores. But, How does this affect your PC's performance? Let's see it below.

How CPU Parking Affects Performance

CPU Parking, while useful for saving energy, can have negative effects on performance, that is, It can cause latency when reactivating a core "Parked" when additional work is needed. This decreases performance in tasks that require the use of multiple cores simultaneously and quickly. Some of the tasks that may be affected are:

• Multitasking: You might notice intermittent loading or bursts when opening multiple applications or switching between tasks. Because parked cores take time to reactivate, this can cause latency or micro-stuttering.
• Games or multimedia editingThese tasks require an immediate response and intensive use of cores, so CPU Parking can limit performance.
• Automation: If you use routines that depend on multiple threads, parking can slow down their execution.

Is it possible to deactivate it? How?

In short, Yes, it is possible to "disable" CPU Parking on your computer.However, you won't find an option specifically called "disable CPU Parking," but you can achieve this using a third-party application like ParkControl or by running the PowerCfg command in Windows PowerShell. Let's explore how you can take advantage of each of these options.

Through a third-party tool

ParkControl is a free tool that lets you modify parking system behavior by power plan (AC/DC), activate high-performance modes, and apply changes without restarting your computer. Below, we've included the... Steps to use ParkControl and disable CPU Parking:

1. Discharge Park Control from the official Bitsum website and install the program like any other Windows app.
2. Open ParkControl and Select the power plan your device has.To find out which one it uses with AC power or battery, go to Settings – System – Power & battery – Power mode.
3. Adjust the Core Parking. You will see two sliders: AC (when the unit is plugged in) and DC (when it is running on battery power). To deactivate it, move both controls to 100%., which will keep all cores active.
4. Finally, click "Apply" to save the settings you just made. There's no need to restart your system; the changes take effect instantly.

This application It has other practical functions.For example, you can activate a custom power plan to maximize performance, switch between plans based on system load, and have the plans appear in Windows power settings. You can even get a real-time monitor to see which cores are currently active or idle.

Using the Windows console

From Windows PowerShell you can Run an advanced command to adjust the minimum number of active cores and check the parking status. To use it, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the Windows Start menu, type PowerShell, and enter as administrator.
2. To find out which power plan you're using, copy the following command: powercfg /getactivescheme and press Enter. This will give you a GUID (which you will need in the following steps).
3. Adjust the minimum number of active cores by copying the following commands: powercfg -setacvalueindex SUB_PROCESSOR CPMINCORES 100 (when the equipment is connected to the power supply) and powercfg -setdcvalueindex SUB_PROCESSOR CPMINCORES 100 (when the device is battery-powered). You should always replace for the one you obtained before.
4. Apply the changes with the command powercfg /setactive.
5. Verify that the changes were executed correctly with the command: powercfg /query SUB_PROCESSOR CPMINCORESIf the current percentage value is 100, it means the changes were successful.

When is it advisable to disable CPU Parking?

Keep in mind that CPU Parking was designed to optimize your computer's energy savings, especially when running on battery power. Therefore, if you use a laptop and prioritize battery life and like to keep your computer's temperature under control, keeping CPU Parking active is the best option. However, You might want to disable it in the following situations or tasks:

• When your PC feels slow when opening apps or switching tasks.
• If you use software that requires many threads, such as editing, virtualization, automation, etc.
• In gaming, disabling this feature is especially useful if you want to maximize performance and achieve the smoothest possible experience in games or other tasks. We also recommend checking out these ideas for Create a gaming plan without overheating your laptop.

CPU Parking It's a useful feature for saving energy., but it can affect performance on demanding tasksDisabling it makes all cores available, improving gameplay, automation, and multitasking. You can use tools like ParkControl and PowerCfg to adjust this setting to your needs.

In conclusion, if speed and quick response are your top priorities, disabling parking might be a good idea. However, if you're looking for energy efficiency and to extend your battery life, keeping it active is recommended. If you know your device and your actual needs, you can customize this function to suit your requirements. achieving a balance between performance and consumption.