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Windows 11 will soon throttle your PC automatically when idle, to save power

Microsoft is testing a feature in Windows 11 Insider builds that could help your laptop's battery last longer. Windows will automatically throttle your computer if it is idle.

The feature, which was first spotted by Windows Latest, was described in a recent blog post on the Windows Insider blog.

Microsoft terms it User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management, it is an OS-level enhancement that helps reduce power consumption. When Windows detects that your PC is idle, i.e., there is no keyboard or mouse or touch-input activity, the operating system will conserve power by automatically applying efficient power management policies. In layman's terms, it may be activated like how a screensaver kicks in. The amount of power saved will depend on various factors such as the power mode, battery state (plugged in or on battery), and the manufacturer-defined Processor Power Management (PPM) settings

Windows already has Power Saving features, but the upcoming change will reportedly be different. The report says that Windows will lower the clock speeds or voltages to drop to a lower performance state, and activate a sleep-like mode similar to a C-State. Windows will probably detect when you are gaming or when a video is playing, for example, in full-screen, while you watch a movie or video, and prevent the User Interaction-Aware CPU Power Management settings from being applied in such scenarios.

Microsoft's article says that the feature will not affect the performance of apps and games, as Windows 11 will restore, i.e. stop throttling the CPU, when it detects input from the user, via the keyboard or mouse, or touch. While it sounds useful, it remains to be seen how it actually works, and whether users will be able to disable the feature or make changes to it according to their needs.

Windows Latest says that since Microsoft is testing the new power-saving feature in Windows 11 Build 26200.5603, it is expected to come to Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2.

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