My PC has three different settings to set de performance mode. How can I know wich overrides wich?

Hi,Bruno Oseki

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Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

Hello, Bruno Oseki

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

Hello and thank you for responding to your question here, it seems that your Acer laptop offers multiple levels of performance management through different software and system Settings, which can sometimes be confusing as to which Settings are actually controlling the system's behavior.

Here's a breakdown of these different Settings to help you understand which Settings might override others.

1. AcerSense (System mode)

AcerSense provides a preset set of profiles to control overall system performance. These modes often affect power management, fan speed, and possible temperature limits. The three modes you mentioned - silent, Standard, and Performance mode - probably focus on balancing noise, temperature, and performance.

Silent mode: May reduce performance to keep noise low.

Standard mode: Balanced performance, possibly with standard fan control.

Performance mode: Maximizes performance and may increase fan speed, allowing the processor to run at a higher clock rate.

2. AMD Adrenaline (graphics card performance)

AMD Adrenaline software controls the graphics Settings for your Ryzen processor and its integrated/standalone graphics card. The four options here - standard, power saving, quality, and high performance - primarily affect the GPU's behavior:

Standard mode: Balance between performance and power consumption.

Power saving mode: The low power consumption of the GPU is preferred.

Quality mode: Prioritizing graphics quality may sacrifice some performance.

High Performance mode: Prioritizes GPU performance and is typically used for gaming or graphics-intensive workloads.

3. Windows Energy Mode (System level)

Windows 11 has its own system energy options. These Settings often affect the behavior of the CPU, screen brightness, sleep behavior, and how background tasks are handled.

Power Saving mode: Reduces system performance to save energy.

Balanced mode: Balance between performance and energy savings.

Best Performance mode: Maximize performance, keep the system running at maximum speed, and may consume more power.

How can I tell which setting is in effect

To figure out exactly which setting is working, you need to consider the following:

Priority and coverage:

AcerSense's system mode may have the highest priority for system-level power management control, affecting CPU and overall system performance. For example, if you select Performance mode in AcerSense, it may boost CPU performance even if AMD Adrenaline or Windows is set to power saving or balance mode.

AMD Adrenaline is set specifically to control GPU performance. While these Settings may be independent of AcerSense or Windows Settings, GPU performance may be lower if AcerSense is in silent or standard mode, even if AMD Adrenaline is set to high performance.

The energy mode of Windows affects the overall power behavior and may act as the ultimate power control layer. For example, even if Windows is set to optimal performance, if AcerSense is set to silent, the system may limit CPU and GPU performance in order to keep it quiet and cold.

How to check the Settings currently in effect:

Task Manager/Resource Monitor: Open the Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and go to the Performance TAB to monitor data such as CPU and GPU usage, clock rate and temperature in real time. You can check if the CPU is running at full speed, or if it is limited according to the mode you set.

Cpu-z or HWMonitor: These third-party tools can provide more detailed CPU and GPU behavior data. You can compare the clock rate, power consumption, and temperature data reported in different system modes to see what changes when you adjust the AcerSense, AMD Adrenaline, or Windows Settings.

Benchmarking: You can also see how the system performs under load by setting different configurations (e.g. AcerSense for performance, AMD Adrenaline for power saving, Windows for balance) and then running stress tests. The final performance result will be a composite of all Settings, but you may see a more significant impact on one software than the other.

Disclaimer: Microsoft provides no assurances and/or warranties, implied or otherwise, and is not responsible for the information you receive from the third-party linked sites or any support related to technology. 

Best regards

Bobhe | Microsoft Community Support Specialist