How to Disable Turbo Boost on Windows 11

The easiest way to disable Turbo Boost on Windows 11 is to set the processor’s maximum state to 99%: press Windows key + R, type powercfg.cpl, click Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings, expand Processor power management > Maximum processor state, and set it to 99%. On most Intel and AMD laptops, this stops the CPU boosting above its base speed, which reduces heat, fan noise and battery drain. For a cleaner switch, you can unhide the boost mode setting or turn boost off in the BIOS.

What Turbo Boost does

Intel Turbo Boost and AMD Precision Boost (Core Performance Boost) let the processor run faster than its base clock when it has power and cooling headroom. That speeds up demanding tasks but produces more heat. Turning it off is useful when a laptop runs hot, its fans are loud, or you want longer battery life for light work like browsing and documents. Expect slower performance in games, video editing and other heavy tasks.

Method 1: Set Maximum processor state to 99%

1. Press Windows key + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter.
2. Next to your active plan, click Change plan settings, then Change advanced power settings.
3. Expand Processor power management > Maximum processor state.
4. Set On battery and Plugged in to 99%.
5. Click OK.

Or run these two commands in Terminal (Admin) to do the same for plugged-in use: powercfg /setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_PROCESSOR PROCTHROTTLEMAX 99 then powercfg /setactive SCHEME_CURRENT. Use /setdcvalueindex for battery.

Method 2: Turn off Processor performance boost mode

Windows has a dedicated boost setting that’s hidden by default. To show it, open Terminal (Admin) and run:

powercfg -attributes SUB_PROCESSOR be337238-0d82-4146-a960-4f3749d470c7 -ATTRIB_HIDE

Then reopen the advanced power settings from Method 1. Under Processor power management, you’ll now see Processor performance boost mode. Set it to Disabled for battery and plugged in, and click OK. This turns boost off while leaving Maximum processor state at 100%.

Method 3: Disable it in the BIOS/UEFI

1. Restart into firmware settings: Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now, then Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings. Other ways to enter BIOS (UEFI) in Windows 11 work too.
2. Look under Advanced, CPU Configuration or Performance for Intel Turbo Boost Technology, or Core Performance Boost / Precision Boost on AMD.
3. Set it to Disabled, then press F10 to save and exit.

Many laptops don’t expose this option. In that case, use Method 1 or 2.

Check that it worked

Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), click Performance > CPU, and compare Speed with Base speed while running something demanding. With boost off, Speed should stay at or below Base speed. It also helps to check CPU temp on Windows 11 before and after the change.

Turn Turbo Boost back on

• Method 1: set Maximum processor state back to 100%.
• Method 2: set Processor performance boost mode to Aggressive (the usual default) or Enabled.
• Method 3: set the BIOS option back to Enabled.

Alternatives to try first

• Switch to a quieter power mode in Settings > System > Power & battery > Power mode.
• Use the laptop maker’s app (often called a performance, thermal or fan profile) for a quiet or cool mode.
• Clean dust from vents and keep the laptop on a hard surface.

Troubleshooting

Advanced power settings won’t stay changed

Some laptops replace Windows power plans with their own. Check the manufacturer’s app, or apply the change again after switching plans.

The CPU still runs above base speed

Some AMD systems ignore the 99% setting. Use Method 2 or the BIOS option instead.

Summary

• Quick: Maximum processor state 99% in advanced power settings.
• Cleaner: unhide Processor performance boost mode and set it to Disabled.
• Thorough: turn off Turbo Boost or Core Performance Boost in the BIOS.
• Check Task Manager’s CPU speed to confirm.