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    Laptop Performance In Power Save Mode

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by externalclock, Mar 21, 2016.

  1. externalclock

    externalclock Newbie

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    I recently bought a laptop, it has Intel Core i5-6200U processor Dual-core 2.30 GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB M.2 SSD.

    I've tried browsing the web on Power Save mode and it really struggles displaying webpages (eg bootstrap heavy sites, if I use the mobile version then it is much better). Granted there should be a performance hit since I am on battery life, but is it supposed to be this bad? Does an i5 Mac suffer the same problem, or is it more efficient in terms of resources so it doesn't have this problem?

    It has been awhile since I've used a laptop, about 5 years, in that time I've been using desktops, so maybe my expectations have been altered.
     
    externalclock, Mar 21, 2016
    #1
  2. toughasnails

    toughasnails Toughbook Moderator Moderator

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    This is because certain features to keep the battery from draining too quickly are turned off. When I am on battery I have my screen set at 60% which is still very bright and I get about 3 - 4 hours battery life. I have never used Power Save mode.
     
    toughasnails, Mar 21, 2016
    #2
  3. tijo

    tijo Sacred Blame

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    Software wise, no. Their settings regarding CPU clock speed, etc. might be different. You might just want to tweak the settings of the power saver mode a bit such as allowing the CPU to clock at higher frequencies or just use the balanced power plan with lowered screen brightness on battery. If you have a high resolution display, those things tend to be pretty power hungry.
     
    tijo, Mar 21, 2016
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    toughasnails likes this.
  4. HTWingNut

    HTWingNut Potato

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    Just use balanced or high performance. Power Saver mode will just limit your CPU performance (and other components) which can restrict you from doing anything but reading an Office document and probably not saving any battery because it's taking longer to process than if you had power saver turned off. Only time I use power saver is if I'm watching a video/movie and not doing anything else.
     
    HTWingNut, Mar 23, 2016
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  5. bennni

    bennni Notebook Evangelist

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    Run HWinfo from Techpowerup and see how much of your CPU is being use when you visit those sites. I'm almost betting that you have throttling and that it's not related to the power plan. 2.3GHz and 8GB of RAM should be fine unless you're running demanding apps in the backgrouns like virtual machines.

    Is it a Dell (Or perhaps Alienware) by any chance?
     
    bennni, Mar 23, 2016
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  6. toughasnails

    toughasnails Toughbook Moderator Moderator

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    Guess we will never know. He is no longer a member of this forum.
     
    toughasnails, Mar 23, 2016
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