Alienware m5550 user manual Using Windows Power Options, Windows’ Power Schemes

Alienware Area-51 m5550 Technical Reference

Using Windows Power Options

Windows Power Management provides basic power saving features. In the Windows Power Options Properties [Start > Settings > Control Panel > Power Options] dialogue box, you may enter time-out values for the display and hard disk drive. Windows Power Manager saves power by turning off the hard drive after 1 minute of inactivity, for example.

Windows’ Power Schemes

The power management control panel in Windows XP, known as Power Schemes, is designed to provide the user with an easy-to-use interface. The Power Schemes tab can be found in the Power Options Properties panel that is accessible via the control panel window.

Schemes are easy to understand, based on notebook usage scenarios, and control not only processor power usage but other system peripherals as well.

Go to [Start > Settings > Control Panel] and double-click the Power Options icon.

Always On mode puts the processor into maximum performance mode, which provides no power saving. The other schemes control processor performance based on demand. For example, Max Battery mode lowers the processor’s speed and voltage to conserve power as much as possible.

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