How to Turn On the Ultimate Performance Power Plan in Windows 11
Getting your hands on the Ultimate Performance Power Plan in Windows 11 can feel a bit like cracking a secret code. This plan’s like stomping the pedal to the metal—it gives your system heaps of power for heavy stuff like gaming or 3D rendering. But, of course, it doesn’t come pre-installed, and tracking it down isn’t exactly a walk in the park. So, here’s the rundown in plain Aussie style—easy to follow, even if you’ve had a few too many flat whites.
Finding the Control Panel
First thing, you gotta dig into the Control Panel—because for some reason Microsoft likes to hide it like buried treasure. Just click the Start button, type “Control Panel,” and select the classic app that pops up. Once you’re in, the layout can look a bit like a maze, so switch from “Category” view to “Large icons” or “Small icons” to make life easier—because honestly, why make it that confusing?
Head to Power Options
Next up, find “Power Options.” This is where all your power plans live, from saving energy to giving it a full boost. If you’re used to just clicking the battery icon on the taskbar, you might be surprised how much is tucked away here. Sometimes it’s hiding under “System and Security,” but mostly, it’s sitting right there in front of you.
Open Command Prompt as Admin
Now we’re getting to the good bit—and by good, I mean slightly annoying. To turn on the Ultimate Performance plan, you need to open Command Prompt with admin rights—because Windows loves to make things a bit tricky. Search for “cmd,” right-click it, and choose “Run as administrator”. If a User Account Control prompt pops up, just click yes. Skipping this step means Windows won’t let you add any new power plans. Cheers.
Unlocking the Ultimate Performance Plan
In that shiny Administrator window, type this command:
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61This little command tells Windows to copy the top-tier power plan. It’s a bit of a head-scratcher, but basically, it’s fetching that hidden high-performance scheme that’s usually reserved for specific hardware setups. After smashing Enter, give it a moment—sometimes your system will play a bit coy and not respond straight away. A quick restart might do the trick too.
Checking the Ultimate Performance Plan
When that command’s gone through nicely, you can check if it’s there by navigating to Start > Settings > System > Power & Battery > Additional power settings. Sometimes it takes you to the classic Power Options window. If you don’t see the new plan right away, click on “Show additional plans”. You should see “Ultimate Performance” sitting there. Click it to activate, or if you’re keen to skip the mousing about, set it directly using this command:
powercfg -setactive e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61This way, you jump straight into the high-performance setting without faffing around with menus. Deadset handy, right?
What’s the Deal with This Plan?
Once this plan is active, you’ll notice your PC feels a lot snappier. If you’re into serious gaming or graphic work, it’ll respond like it’s on steroids—though, fair dinkum, it’ll gobble up power faster. Since it turns off those power-saving tricks that help your battery last longer, it’s best to switch back to a balanced setting when you’re running on battery or your laptop might throw a tantrum later.
Tips and Tricks You Might Find Useful
- See what power scheme you’re on with:
powercfg /getactivescheme- To list all available schemes, type:
powercfg /l- For a bit of a fiddle, check out the Power & Battery settings in Settings > System > Power & Battery, and find Additional power settings under Related Settings.
- Want to switch plans quick-smart? Hit Windows + X > choose Power Options, or press Win + R and type
powercfg.cpl.
Heads up: The Ultimate Performance Power Plan is mainly aimed at high-end workstations. If you’re on a regular laptop, you probably won’t notice much difference, and your battery might take a big hit. Just sayin’.