Unlock windows 11's hidden performance mode

Windows 11 users looking to squeeze out extra power from their devices may have overlooked a hidden performance mode that could give their PCs a significant boost.

Meet ultimate performance

By default, the Energy plans in Windows 11 are set to Balanced, which strikes a balance between power savings and performance. However, Microsoft has a more aggressive option called Ultimate Performance that can deliver better frame rates, reduced latency, and overall speed improvements.

Activating this mode requires some technical know-how, as it's not readily available in the Control Panel. To do so, open the Command Prompt as an administrator and enter the command 'powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61'. This will enable the Ultimate Performance plan, which can be selected in the Power Options under 'Show additional plans'.

It's essential to note that Ultimate Performance comes with some caveats. It increases power consumption and can lead to higher temperatures, making it unsuitable for laptops with limited cooling or battery life. The gains may be minimal for everyday users, but for gamers and content creators who demand top performance, it could make a noticeable difference.

In our tests, we saw a 10% increase in frame rates in certain games, though the results may vary depending on hardware configurations. For those willing to trade off power efficiency for raw speed, Ultimate Performance is a feature worth exploring.