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What is Efficiency mode in Windows 11? How to enable/disable it?

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Microsoft regularly brings innovations in Windows 11 to enhance user experience. One such new setting, Efficiency mode, was introduced in the 22H2 update.

Efficiency mode allows you to limit a task’s power and battery consumption, thereby prioritising other tasks and programs to run more effectively. For example, if task X takes up a lot of RAM and CPU and you cannot close that program, then you can run that task in Efficiency mode to regulate CPU and RAM usage.

This will automatically optimise the battery, and you can run your device longer. Moreover, if you are currently engaged in a high-priority task that requires immense CPU and RAM usage, that program will run smoothly.

“Task Manager Efficiency mode is a new feature that gives you options to ensure certain running processes won’t stress the CPU out, leading to faster foreground responsiveness and better energy efficiency. It also helps you to identify apps already running in Efficiency mode and are good citizens of the OS.”

via Microsoft

Here are some benefits of using Efficiency mode on programs:

  • Optimised battery management.
  • Better performance.
  • Reduced thermal footprint.
  • Low-priority programs take a back seat while the high-priority ones take precedence.

In this article, we’ll explain how Efficiency mode works in Windows 11 and how to enable or disable it.


How does Efficiency mode work in Windows 11?

When you have enabled the Efficiency mode on your Windows 11 computer, here’s what will happen in the background:

  • Firstly, the base priority of the program will be set to low. This ensures that the program doesn’t interfere with the normal functioning of the high-priority programs. Usually, high-priority programs are the ones which the user is currently operating.
  • Secondly, the Efficiency mode sets the QoS mode to EcoQoS. The EcoQoS mode was introduced in 2021 and is a part of Microsoft’s Sustainable Software and Carbon Negative by 2030 initiative. EcoQoS ensures that the process is executed in the most power-efficient way. This means decreasing thermal footprint and increasing performance. By Microsoft’s admission, the mode can improve UI responsiveness by over four times.

Also read: How to enable Secure Boot in Windows 11?


How to enable Efficiency mode in Windows 11?

Now that we have understood what efficiency mode is and how it works let us understand how to enable it on Windows 11.

Step 1: Open Task Manager by searching for the term in the search box. Alternatively, you can right-click on Start to open the Power User menu and then click on Task Manager. The third way to open Task Manger is by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard. In the screenshot below, we have showcased the second method; we have accessed the Task Manager via the Power User menu.

Step 2: Now, click on the Processes tab on the left. Usually, it is where the Task Manager opens by default. Next, right-click the processes and select Efficiency mode from the drop-down menu.

Step 3: You will see a message confirming your action. Click on OK.

This will turn on the Efficiency mode for that task. You can see the green leaves before the process name confirming that Efficiency mode has indeed been activated.

Also read: Does Windows 11 need an Antivirus?


How to disable Efficiency mode in Windows 11?

You may want to re-prioritise the task you had earlier set in Efficiency mode. To do this, you must disable Efficiency mode for that task in Windows 11.

There are two ways to do this:

Turn off Efficiency mode for all tasks at once

To turn off Efficiency mode for all processes at once, open Task Manager and then click on the Efficiency mode button at the top to turn off this mode for all programs.


Turn off Efficiency mode for individual processes

If you want to turn off Efficiency mode in Windows 11 for individual processes, right-click on the process and then click on Efficiency mode.

In conclusion, the Efficiency mode is part of Microsoft’s initiative to go green and sustainable. It optimises the CPU, RAM and battery usage for better power efficiency and system performance while saving the environment.

Also read: Why is Windows 11 moving files slow?

Kumar Hemant

Kumar Hemant

Deputy Editor at Candid.Technology. Hemant writes at the intersection of tech and culture and has a keen interest in science, social issues and international relations. You can contact him here: kumarhemant@pm.me

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