Have you ever wondered why your system is getting hot or why the fan starts speeding even when there is non much processor usage? This is because of the system cooling policy modes Microsoft introduced in Windows 8 and now they are besides available in Windows 10.

In this article, we will discuss what these cooling modes are and how you can optimize your system for better performance (particularly laptop battery usage) using these modes.

Table of contents

  • What is the system cooling policy?
  • Active cooling policy vs passive cooling policy?
    • Active Cooling
    • Passive Cooling
  • When to use active or passive cooling policies?
  • Activate Active/Passive cooling policy in Windows 10
  • Add/remove system cooling policy options in Windows 10

What is the system cooling policy?

Windows 10 Operating Arrangement can automatically sense the changes in reckoner usage and environmental conditions. This applies only when you have a device with thermal management capabilities.

After sensing the temperature changes, Windows can automatically apply a specific cooling policy to the hardware which will then make appropriate changes to the system to reduce temperature to the normal range.

Let's accept an example, the CPU is the virtually heat decumbent component of the computer. Each CPU comes with minimum, optimal and maximum operating temperature specifications. If y'all go beyond these ranges, your CPU may become damaged. So the processor power management is very important for the optimal performance of your arrangement.

For modern Intel CPUs, the maximum operating temperature range is effectually 100℃. And the optimal range is beneath fourscore℃. If your processor temperature goes beyond 80℃, Windows will automatically actuate its system cooling policy.

Agile cooling policy vs passive cooling policy?

By default, Windows 10 comes with two cooling policies:

  1. Active cooling
  2. Passive cooling

Active Cooling

The agile cooling policy will plow on and speed upward the organisation fan to reduce the system temperature without affecting the system performance. This, in plough, increases the system ability consumption.

Passive Cooling

The passive cooling will reduce the power consumption of the system components, hence reducing the overall system performance. This, in turn, saves ability merely also reduces system functioning.

When to use active or passive cooling policies?

Usually Desktop PCs don't come with a congenital-in battery. And so they need to be connected to a power source all the fourth dimension. This ways that ability consumption is not an outcome for Desktop PCs. So it is advisable to keep the organization cooling policy mode to Active for all Desktop PCs.

If y'all are using a laptop and want to prolong your battery usage, you should use an active cooling policy when the laptop is connected to a power source. And the passive cooling policy should be used when the laptop is on battery.

Actuate Agile/Passive cooling policy in Windows ten

Now let'south jump into the action part. The steps below will let you set the organisation cooling policy to active or passive. We will utilise a laptop so we can prepare different policies for plugged in and on battery settings.

  1. Get to Settings –> Organization –> Power and Sleep
  2. Click on Boosted Power Options from the right-paw pane
    Power and sleep additional power settings
  3. Click on Change plan settings beside the programme which is active for y'all. Mine is Loftier Performance.
  4. Now click on Advanced Power Settings
    Change advanced power settings
  5. Nether Processor power direction, expand System Cooling Policy
    Setting System cooling policy
  6. You can ready the following system cooling policy:
    Plugged in: Agile
    On battery: Passive

This setting will optimize and prolong your laptop battery usage. Y'all tin can read more about the system cooling policy from Microsoft hither.

Add/remove system cooling policy options in Windows ten

At that place are times when you lot will not run into the organization cooling policy selection in Windows 10. Normally, Microsoft enables only passing cooling policy for mobile devices but if you have a laptop and you can't see this option, you lot can add together information technology using the control below:

Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges and run the following command:

powercfg -attributes SUB_PROCESSOR 94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F -ATTRIB_HIDE

And to remove this option, yous can run the following command:

powercfg -attributes SUB_PROCESSOR 94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F +ATTRIB_HIDE

Hopefully, this will give y'all a good idea of when and how to use the system cooling policy options in Windows 10. What is your default cooling policy setting? Which setting exercise you lot prefer for your system? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Also run across:

Usman Khurshid is a seasoned Information technology Pro with over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. He has experience in everything from It back up, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. He is as well certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.