Enable Processor Boost Mode Control in Advanced Power Settings

processor-boost-mode.md

Enable Processor Boost Mode Control in Windows

Disable Turbo Boost to Reduce Power Consumption and Heat

Why Do We Need It?

If your laptop’s CPU is running very hot and you’ve tried to undervolt it, you’ve probably discovered there’s no easy way to do so—especially on laptops whose BIOS doesn’t expose those controls. I ran into the same issue with my Ryzen 7 5800H, despite numerous attempts, I couldn’t undervolt because the firmware simply wouldn’t allow it. While it may seem drastic, disabling Turbo Boost is one workaround—and you might be surprised how little real-world performance you lose by turning it off.

Why Tweak CPU Boost?

• Heat & Noise: Aggressive boosting spins fans faster and raises CPU temperatures, often causing thermal throttling and fan noise spikes.
• Battery Life: Reducing boost levels directly cuts power draw, extending unplugged runtime.
• Workload Fit: GPU-bound games or lightweight tasks rarely need max CPU frequency, so limiting boost can be unnoticeable in practice.
• Fine-Grained Control: Beyond the basic Enabled/Disabled options, Windows offers efficiency-focused and calculated-boost modes—some only visible after the registry tweak.

Quick Registry Hack to Reveal Boost Modes

1. Open Registry Editor: Press Win+R, type regedit, and click OK. (Be careful in the registry!)
2. Navigate to the Path: In the top bar of the Registry Editor, paste:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\be337238-0d82-4146-a960-4f3749d470c7

3. Modify Attributes: Find Attributes on the right side, double-click it, and change its value from 1 to 2.

Now, you can control the mode:

1. Search for Edit Power Plan in Windows search and open it.
2. Click Change advanced power settings.
3. Expand Processor power management, then expand Processor Performance Boost Mode.
4. You can now choose different STATE/MODE for On Battery and Plugged in.

Processor Performance Boost Modes

Classic Modes

Mode	Simplified Effect	Use Case
Disabled	No boost—CPU stays at base frequency.	Laptops seeking max battery life & low heat.
Enabled	Standard boost—OS-managed boost when needed.	Everyday use with balanced performance.
Aggressive	Boosts readily to max frequencies, regardless of power draw.	Demanding workloads on well-cooled rigs.
Efficient Enabled	Boosts but favors energy efficiency over raw speed.	Laptops needing mild boost without heat.
Efficient Aggressive	Prioritizes efficiency but still seeks higher boost levels.	Mixed-use systems wanting more boost safely.

At Guaranteed Variants

Guaranteed performance level = the CPU’s nominal base frequency.

Mode	Simplified Effect	Use Case
Aggressive At Guaranteed	Requests a calculated extra boost above the base frequency for a precise jump.	When you want controlled high boost.
Efficient Aggressive At Guaranteed	Same precise boost above base, but with efficiency constraints to limit power usage.	Modern systems needing strong boost with better power.

Which Mode Is Best for You?

• Ultra-quiet/cool laptops: Start with Disabled, then step up to Efficient Enabled if performance lags.
• Balanced desktop/laptop: Enabled or Efficient Aggressive At Guaranteed offers strong performance with decent power control.
• Max-performance rigs: Use Aggressive or Aggressive At Guaranteed —just keep an eye on thermals.

A Friendly Advice

While tweaking these settings can be very beneficial, always make changes one at a time and observe your system's stability, temperatures, and performance.

Is there any way to quickly set the modes for battery/plugged in via a shortcut (e.g, to a batch file that writes to the registry).

From what I can see, the actual current setting value isn't stored in the registry anywhere. Am I mistaken?

I've found that this slider doesn't do as much in the way of CPU boost:

vs the boost settings described in this article.

This is great for when I'm at a desk:

But if I'm plugged in and in bed, the fan comes on.

It becomes cool & silent in bed like this:

hence the need to be able to quickly switch modes.

The "Power mode" tray slider doesn't have the same effect.

None of the below links helped:
https://www.elevenforum.com/t/modifying-advanced-power-plan-settings-using-the-registry.26864/
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/customize/power-settings/options-for-perf-state-engine-perfboostmode
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/processor-performance-boost-mode-registry-key/fef7548a-9d82-4299-8f40-6a3914690f0d
To be honest, the last link feels like AI-generated fiction...

---

EDIT: Looks like this is the way. Note the difference between SETACVALUEINDEX (plugged in) and SETDCVALUEINDEX (battery):

https://old.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/q4tkje/processor_performance_boost_mode/hgdpdam/
or https://web.archive.org/web/20211012175134/https://old.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/q4tkje/processor_performance_boost_mode/hgdpdam/
or https://archive.ph/wip/r4xrU

Try this, right click on Start --> Windows terminal (admin) and insert:

powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR PERFBOOSTMODE 0

When you want to disable it on battery enter this:

powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR PERFBOOSTMODE 0

Change the number at the end for different settings:

• Possible Setting Index: 0 = Disabled
• Possible Setting Index: 1 = Enabled
• Possible Setting Index: 2 = Aggressive
• Possible Setting Index: 3 = Efficient Enabled
• Possible Setting Index: 4 = Efficient Aggressive
• Possible Setting Index: 5 = Aggressive At Guaranteed
• Possible Setting Index: 6 = Efficient Aggressive At Guaranteed