Microsoft is making Windows 11 more energy efficient, adds new Power Mode settings

Microsoft is working on making the Windows 11 operating system more battery-friendly so that you can get more work done on a single battery charge. And while the new Snapdragon X-powered computers offer great battery life, making an operating system that is easy on the battery is equally important as creating an energy-efficient chip. With the latest Windows 11 preview build, Microsoft is making extra steps in that direction.

Earlier this week, Microsoft released build 27686 in the Canary Channel. It packs a decent number of new features and changes, one of which is some under-the-hood optimizations that should improve battery life on systems with build 27686. Here is what Microsoft says about it:

We’ve made optimizations to improve battery life for PCs running Build 27686+ in the Canary Channel. Let us know what you think and if you are not seeing the battery life on your PC you are expecting, let us know via Feedback Hub. When filing feedback in Feedback Hub on any battery life issues you experience, be sure to use the “Start recording” button to capture additional logs.

That is not all, though. Another power-related change is more visible. With build 27686, you can set separate power modes for different power states. For example, you can make your laptop run in the "Best Performance" mode while on power and the "Best power efficiency" when on battery:

We’re beginning to roll out improvements to Settings > System > Power & battery including the ability to set your Power Mode for both when your PC is plugged in when it’s on battery along with a few other UI improvements to the page.

 

Other changes in build 27686 include HDR, FAT32, Windows Sandbox, and other improvements. Check out the full (and now-updated with the latest additions) release notes in our separate article.

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