Can we rely solely on the efficiency cores?
Can we rely solely on the efficiency cores?
I'm testing an i5-13500H on a new Acer Swift Go 16 OLED.
I've observed that the performance cores are utilized more frequently during everyday web browsing and tasks like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint.
Would it help if I could adjust the settings to prioritize efficiency cores, potentially extending battery life?
Additionally, I've noticed that efficiency cores become active when charging, while some performance cores pause. Is this typical behavior?
https://prnt.sc/HJGhBsOg_wiX
Have you explored all the BIOS settings to find a way to disable performance cores? Your BIOS could have very limited options or it might not.
Generally, avoid interfering with what Windows is doing. Their scheduler operates much more efficiently and understands its tasks better. You risk making things worse if an application requires significant processing time, as it may need more energy in the e-cores. The scheduler would likely switch it to the p-cores during that period.
To adjust, switch to the lowest power plan (power saver) or modify the processor state settings under processor power management in the advanced options of the power plan.
For directing tasks to specific cores, use affinity and shortcuts.
I believe efficiency cores could easily handle the task if you have at least four of them.
I recall reading that a single E core matched the power of one Intel 6600K core, which was an 8-year-old CPU with four cores. My own has no issues running standard desktop, office, or browser applications.
However, I’m unsure if there’s a realistic method to disable P cores on your system.
Sure they are capable of running on e-cores, but don't anticipate a significant improvement in battery life by using them, since you observed that Windows Parks leaves unused cores active and manages power effectively.
if the issue persists, I recently purchased a laptop with a Core Ultra 125U featuring 2P cores and 10 efficient cores. The efficiency remains at 0% usage while streaming YouTube and reading emails. On Windows Thread Director, I set P cores for all tasks, except for the Efficient (E) cores, which are assigned only to performance applications. This ensures processes default to E-cores, excluding P-cores except for intensive apps. I also activated ProBalance and IdleSaver to minimize background CPU activity and boost battery life. Usage dropped from 20W on YouTube to 4W with the same performance, and battery life increased from 2 hours to 7–8 hours.