To activate the Ultimate Performance power plan on Windows 10 or 11, open Command Prompt or Terminal as Administrator and run powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61. The plan will appear in Control Panel under Power Options > Show Additional Plans, and it keeps your CPU and other components running at peak performance by eliminating micro-latencies from power-saving states.
Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) — all editions including Home | Last updated: April 2, 2026
Key Takeaways
- The Ultimate Performance power plan prevents Windows from entering power-saving states, eliminating micro-latencies that can affect CPU-intensive workloads like video editing, gaming, and virtual machines.
- A single command in an elevated Command Prompt or Terminal creates the plan:
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61. It works on all Windows 10 and 11 editions, including Home. - The plan is hidden by default — after running the command, open Control Panel > Power Options and click “Show Additional Plans” to find and select it.
- On laptops, only use Ultimate Performance when plugged in. It disables power-saving features and will significantly reduce battery life.
- Winhance can also manage power plans and apply performance optimizations through a simple GUI — no commands needed.
Quick Steps
- Right-click the Start button and select “Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)”
- Paste the command:
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61and press Enter - Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options
- Click “Show Additional Plans” and select “Ultimate Performance”
What Does the Ultimate Performance Plan Do?
The Ultimate Performance power plan was originally designed by Microsoft for workstation hardware, but it works on any Windows 10 or 11 PC. It prevents the operating system from entering power-saving states — things like CPU frequency scaling, USB selective suspend, and PCI Express link state power management are all set to maximum performance.
In practical terms, this eliminates micro-latencies. Your CPU stays at its maximum frequency instead of scaling up and down, which reduces small stutters in demanding applications. I notice the difference most when running video editing software like DaVinci Resolve, virtual machines, or CPU-intensive games where even small frame drops are noticeable.
Note: The difference between Ultimate Performance and High Performance is small on most systems. Ultimate Performance goes further by disabling hard disk sleep and more aggressive USB power management. If you just want to add the High Performance power plan, I have a separate guide for that.
How to Activate Ultimate Performance on Windows 10 and 11
Right-click the Start button and select “Terminal (Admin)” on Windows 11, or “Command Prompt (Admin)” on Windows 10. You need administrator privileges to create new power plans.
Copy and paste this command and press Enter:
powercfg -duplicatescheme e9a42b02-d5df-448d-aa00-03f14749eb61You should see a confirmation message that says “Power Scheme GUID:” followed by a long string of characters and the name “Ultimate Performance” at the end. That means the plan was created successfully.
How to Select the Ultimate Performance Plan in Power Options
Now open the Control Panel. You can search for “Control Panel” in the Start menu. Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options, or set the View By dropdown to “Small Icons” and click Power Options directly.
You will not see Ultimate Performance listed with the default plans. Click “Show Additional Plans” to expand the hidden section — the Ultimate Performance plan will appear there.
Select the radio button next to “Ultimate Performance” to activate it. Your PC is now running at maximum performance with all power-saving micro-latencies eliminated.
How to Customize Ultimate Performance Settings
After selecting the plan, click “Change plan settings” next to Ultimate Performance. Here you can adjust when the display turns off and when the computer goes to sleep. I set both of these to “Never” on my desktop — if you want to do the same, I have a dedicated guide on preventing monitors from turning off on Windows 11.
Click “Change advanced power settings” for more control. Key settings you might want to adjust include processor power management (minimum/maximum processor state), USB selective suspend, and PCI Express link state power management. For most users, the defaults are already set to maximum performance — that is the whole point of this plan.
Alternative: Use Winhance for One-Click Optimization
If you prefer a GUI approach, Winhance can manage power plans and apply dozens of other performance optimizations without touching the command line. It is a free Windows enhancement utility I built specifically for this kind of thing — power plan management, debloating, privacy tweaks, and more, all in one place.
Other tools like Wintoys and the Chris Titus Windows Utility also include power plan management if you want to explore different options.
How to Remove the Ultimate Performance Plan
If you want to remove the plan later, first switch to a different power plan (like Balanced), then run this command in an elevated Terminal:
powercfg -listFind the GUID next to “Ultimate Performance” in the output, then delete it with:
powercfg -delete YOUR-GUID-HEREReplace YOUR-GUID-HERE with the actual GUID from the previous command. You can also delete it through the GUI by clicking “Change plan settings” next to Ultimate Performance and then “Delete this plan” — but only if another plan is currently active.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ultimate Performance work on Windows 10 or 11 Home?
Yes. The powercfg -duplicatescheme command works on all editions of Windows 10 and 11, including Home. Microsoft originally shipped the plan only on Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, but the duplicate scheme command creates it on any edition.
Will Ultimate Performance damage my hardware?
No. The plan prevents power-saving states but does not overclock or push components beyond their rated specifications. Your CPU, GPU, and other hardware still operate within their designed thermal and power limits. Your system may run slightly warmer because the CPU stays at higher frequencies, but it will not exceed safe temperatures on a properly cooled system.
Should I use Ultimate Performance on a laptop?
Only when plugged into power. Ultimate Performance disables CPU frequency scaling and other power-saving features, which will drain your battery significantly faster. Switch back to Balanced when running on battery.
Does Ultimate Performance actually improve gaming?
It can reduce micro-stutters in CPU-intensive games by keeping the processor at maximum frequency at all times. The improvement varies — on high-end desktops that already boost aggressively, the difference may be minimal. On systems that downclock frequently under the Balanced plan, the difference is more noticeable. It is worth testing in your specific games to see if frame consistency improves.
What is the difference between High Performance and Ultimate Performance?
Both plans keep the CPU at high frequencies, but Ultimate Performance goes further. It disables hard disk sleep, sets USB selective suspend to disabled, and applies more aggressive settings for PCI Express link state power management. For most desktop users the real-world difference is small, but it can matter in latency-sensitive workloads like audio production, video editing, or virtual machines. If you just want the High Performance plan, I have a separate guide for that.
