To turn on Ultimate Performance in Windows 10, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61. Then open Control Panel > Power Options, select Show additional plans, and choose Ultimate Performance.
Applies to: Windows 10, version 1803 and later. Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025, and only PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates still get security fixes, through October 12, 2027.
Before you start
- Ultimate Performance keeps your processor and other parts ready at all times. It can make heavy tasks, like video editing, a little smoother.
- It uses more power. On a laptop, the battery drains faster and the PC may run warmer.
- Most everyday tasks won’t feel faster. Balanced is the right plan for most people.
Add the Ultimate Performance plan
- Select Start, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
- Type this command and press Enter:
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61
Choose the plan
- Press Windows key + R, type
powercfg.cpl, and press Enter to open Power Options. - Select Show additional plans.
- Select Ultimate Performance.
How it compares with the other plans
- Balanced speeds the processor up when you need it and slows it down when you don’t. It’s the best choice for most people.
- High performance keeps the processor at a higher speed more of the time, but still lets some parts rest.
- Ultimate Performance is based on High performance and goes further. It keeps the processor at full speed and stops parts like the hard drive from turning off when idle, so there’s no small delay while they wake up.
Microsoft made Ultimate Performance for Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, where it’s available without the command. On other editions it’s hidden, which is why you add it with powercfg.
Go back to Balanced
Open Power Options again and select Balanced (recommended). To remove the extra plan, select Change plan settings next to it, then Delete this plan. You can’t delete the plan you’re using.
If Ultimate Performance doesn’t work
- Check that the plan was added. In the administrator Command Prompt, run powercfg /list. If Ultimate Performance appears with its own long code, the plan exists. Select it with powercfg /setactive followed by that code.
- Your PC only shows Balanced. Many newer laptops use a sleep mode called Modern Standby. On these PCs, Windows shows only the Balanced plan, even after you add another one. Run powercfg /a and look for Standby (S0 Low Power Idle). If you see it, use the power mode slider instead: select the battery icon on the taskbar and drag it to Best performance.
- The command returns an error. The code has to be typed exactly, with all four dashes. Copy it from this page and paste it into the window.
- The plan disappeared. A major Windows update or the PC maker’s power app can remove extra plans. Run the command again to add it back.
- It switches back to Balanced. The maker’s software, like a battery or performance app, or a work or school policy may set the plan. Change the setting in that app, or ask your IT team.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn’t Ultimate Performance show up?
Make sure you ran the command as an administrator and that Windows 10 is up to date. On some laptops, the power plan list is controlled by the maker’s software or by your work or school.
What else can make my PC faster?
Try the other ways to speed up a Windows 10 computer, or change performance settings in Windows 10.
Where are the other power settings?
The remaining options are covered in changing power settings in Windows 10. If the administrator window gave you trouble, there are other ways to run a program as administrator.
Is Ultimate Performance safe to use?
Yes. It doesn’t overclock anything. It only stops Windows from saving power by slowing parts down, so the PC uses more electricity and may run its fans more.
Does this work in Windows 11?
Yes. The same powercfg command adds the plan in Windows 11, with the same Modern Standby limit.
Will it help games run better?
Sometimes a little, mostly on desktop PCs. Most games are limited by the graphics card, so the change is often too small to notice. Game Mode and up-to-date graphics drivers usually make a bigger difference.
Every powercfg switch is listed in Powercfg command-line options.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.