How to Use Efficiency Mode in Windows 11

Efficiency mode in Windows 11 is a built-in feature that reduces the CPU resources a background app uses, which can lower power consumption, reduce fan noise, and improve battery life on laptops. You can enable it for any running process from the Task Manager, and it works by throttling the process’s CPU priority and forcing it to use fewer cores. No special setup is required—it’s available on all Windows 11 installations.

What You’ll Need

A PC running Windows 11 (version 22H2 or later, though earlier builds may have it)
Access to Task Manager (you can open it with Ctrl+Shift+Esc)
An app or background process that you want to limit (e.g., a game, a video editor, or a background updater)

Step-by-Step

Open Task Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc on your keyboard. You can also right-click the Start button and select “Task Manager” from the menu.
If Task Manager opens in compact mode (showing only running apps), click the More details button at the bottom to expand the full view.
Go to the Processes tab. This shows all running apps and background processes, each with a name, status, and resource usage.
Find the process you want to limit. You can sort by CPU usage by clicking the CPU column header, which helps you spot the most resource-hungry processes.
Right-click on the process name. In the context menu, select Efficiency mode. A small leaf icon will appear next to the process name, indicating that efficiency mode is active.
If you want to turn it off later, right-click the same process and select Efficiency mode again (the checkmark will disappear).
Repeat for any other processes you want to throttle. Note that you can enable it for multiple processes at once.

That’s it. The change takes effect immediately. The process will continue to run, but its CPU priority drops to “Low” and it gets limited to a subset of your CPU’s cores, so it won’t interfere as much with foreground tasks.

Common Mistakes

Enabling it on the wrong process. Efficiency mode is meant for background processes. If you apply it to a foreground app you’re actively using (like your browser or a game), it can make that app sluggish. Always check the process name and whether it’s actually doing something you need.
Forgetting that it resets. Efficiency mode is not persistent. When you close the process or restart your PC, the setting is lost. You’ll need to re-enable it each time the process starts again.
Expecting it to fix all performance issues. Efficiency mode reduces CPU usage, but it won’t help if the bottleneck is memory, disk, or GPU. If a process is using 100% of your disk or RAM, this feature won’t solve that.
Using it on system-critical processes. Windows may warn you when you try to enable it on certain system processes. Don’t force it on those—it can destabilize your system.

Tips

Use efficiency mode for apps that run in the background but don’t need full performance, like cloud sync clients, updaters, or chat apps.
If you’re on a laptop, enabling efficiency mode on background apps can noticeably extend battery life, especially if those apps are constantly polling for updates.
Combine it with the Battery saver feature (Settings > System > Power & battery) for even more power savings.
Check the Performance tab in Task Manager before and after enabling efficiency mode to see the actual CPU usage drop. This helps you verify it’s working.
If you find a process keeps coming back and you always need to throttle it, consider disabling its startup entry (in the Startup tab of Task Manager) or changing its settings to not run in the background.

Troubleshooting

Efficiency mode is grayed out or missing. This can happen if the process is running with elevated (administrator) permissions. Close Task Manager, then reopen it as administrator (right-click Task Manager and select “Run as administrator”). If that doesn’t work, the process may be a protected system process—Windows won’t allow you to change its priority.

The process still uses a lot of CPU. Efficiency mode lowers priority and core usage, but it doesn’t cap CPU usage at a specific percentage. If the process is single-threaded, it may still use one full core. Also, some processes are designed to ignore priority changes. In that case, you may need to close the process entirely or use a third-party tool (though that’s beyond this guide).

My PC feels slower after enabling it. You likely enabled it on a process that’s actually important for your current task. For example, if you’re rendering a video and you put the video editor into efficiency mode, it will slow down the render. Disable it for that process.

I can’t find the option at all. Make sure you’re on Windows 11 22H2 or later. Older versions may not have this feature. Also, check that you’re looking at the Processes tab, not the Details tab. Efficiency mode is only available in the Processes view.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does efficiency mode work on all apps? It works on most user-level processes, but Windows may block it for system-critical processes. It also has no effect on apps that are already idle.

Will efficiency mode save battery on my laptop? Yes, by reducing CPU usage, it can lower power consumption and extend battery life, especially for background apps that run constantly.

Does efficiency mode affect the quality of the app’s output? No, it only affects performance (speed). The app’s output (like a file or a video) will be the same, just potentially produced more slowly.

Can I set efficiency mode permanently for an app? Not directly. Windows doesn’t remember your choice. You’ll have to re-enable it each time the process starts. Some third-party tools can automate this, but that’s outside the scope of this guide.

Is efficiency mode the same as setting priority to “Low” in the Details tab? It’s similar, but efficiency mode also limits the process to a subset of CPU cores, which is more aggressive. Setting priority to Low only changes the scheduling priority, not core affinity.

Will efficiency mode cause a game to crash? It shouldn’t crash, but it may cause stuttering or lower frame rates if the game is CPU-bound. It’s best to only use it for background apps, not the game itself.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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