The question about whether power plan adjustments affect CPU speed remains unchanged.
The question about whether power plan adjustments affect CPU speed remains unchanged.
I recently switched to Windows 11 from a clean installation. In Windows 10, I frequently adjusted the Power Options to suit my daily routine. With an AMD CPU, it tends to heat up significantly at full speed, which is why I relied on power plans. I used three different plans:
AMD High Performance. This setting let my CPU run at maximum speed (and possibly boosted) around 4.3-4Ghz, especially when playing FPS games or any titles where I couldn’t hit my desired frame rate.
AMD Balanced. This maintained a steady 4.0Ghz, but I rarely used it since I often switched between high performance and power saver modes.
Power Saver. This was my most common choice. It reduced the CPU speed to about 2.5Ghz while keeping temperatures around 30°C, which was comfortable on hotter days. Since I mostly play non-intensive games, I didn’t need to switch profiles once I reached my 144FPS target.
After installing Windows 11 and updating all drivers, these power plans no longer affect CPU speed. Regardless of the setting, my CPU consistently stays at 4.0Ghz across all profiles.
I attempted to manually adjust the advanced options under "Minimum/Maximum Processor state," but it didn’t make a difference.
What can I do to restore the previous behavior?
What tools are available to monitor processor speed? I’m confused because Task Manager doesn’t reflect my real performance. On a 3600XT I was seeing around 3600 and now on a 5800X3D it fluctuates between 4 and 4.2 GHz, but HWINFO tells me otherwise. The average effective clock seems more accurate, though some cores might be at 600 MHz while others aren’t. Task Manager doesn’t account for processors that are sleeping, and its method of measuring speed is outdated. It doesn’t match what AMD Ryzen Master or HWINFO display. For tracking sensor values on Ryzen, you can use AMD Ryzen Master and HWINFO. To access HWINFO: download it from https://www.hwinfo.com/download/. When opened, select the “show sensors only” option, click run in the next window, then adjust the settings under the gear icon in the bottom right. On the General tab, set the polling period to 500 and click the set button. On forums. it seems AMD has stopped releasing detailed power plans, so Windows should be able to track them now. If you’ve been using High Performance mode for a few months, you might need to switch plans and check HWINFO for updates. These plans mainly limit maximum speed, power consumption, and drive usage, not forcing the PC to run at full capacity all the time. Regardless of Task Manager readings, it’s your decision whether to adjust settings. Personally, I don’t change mine. My CPU usually runs around 200 MHz until a process starts, then activates a core, increases speed to meet the task’s needs, and then returns to idle afterward. This helps save power since it doesn’t run at full capacity continuously.