Were you aware that you can adjust the power output of your laptop? That if you are connected to a power supply, to increase the performance and CPU usage while working on tasks. Or if you have taken your laptop into a meeting to switch into a power saving mode to favour better battery life? Adjusting your power settings appropriately based on your work needs is essential. Below are instructions for both Windows and Mac users to optimize power settings for high performance when plugged in and for power saving when on battery.
**Please note that for both Windows and Mac users, you can shortcut to these settings from the battery icon on your taskbar.
For Windows Users:
***please note that on a Windows laptop you can shortcut these settings by clicking on the battery icon in your taskbar and adjust the slider from best performance – balanced – best battery life.
High-Performance Mode (Plugged In):
- Right-click the Start button > Settings > System > Power & Sleep.
- Under “Related settings,” click “Additional power settings.”
- Select “High performance” or “Ultimate performance” (if available).
Power Saver Mode (On Battery):
- Follow the same steps as above.
- Select “Power saver” or “Battery saver” (if available).
- Customizing Settings:
For Mac Users:
***please note that you can shortcut these settings on a Mac laptop by clicking on the battery icon in your taskbar and selecting ‘Battery Settings.’
Energy Saver Mode:
- Click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Battery.
- Change the drop-down setting of ‘Low Power Mode’ to ‘Only on Battery’
- This will adjust your laptop to have better performance when plugged in.
Regular Power Mode (On Battery) – Better Performance but Less Battery:
- Click on the Apple menu > System Preferences > Battery.
- Change the drop-down setting of ‘Low Power Mode’ to ‘Never’
- This will adjust your laptop to have better performance when not connected to power. While not a setting you may want when running on battery power, you may be doing work that requires it.