How to Turn Off Efficiency Mode in Windows 11 for Better Performance

Your PC should feel like a race car, not a sleepy turtle. Windows 11 has a feature called Efficiency Mode. It can save battery and keep your computer cool. But sometimes it also makes apps feel slow, laggy, or oddly lazy.

What Is Efficiency Mode in Windows 11?

Efficiency Mode is a Windows 11 feature that tells certain apps to use fewer system resources. It lowers their priority. It may also make them run in a more power saving way.

That sounds great. And it often is.

For example, if you are on a laptop, Efficiency Mode can help your battery last longer. It can also reduce fan noise. Your laptop may stay cooler. Nice.

But there is a catch.

Some apps need power. Games need power. Video editors need power. Browsers with 47 tabs need power. Your “just one small spreadsheet” may also need power if it has the size of a small planet.

When Efficiency Mode slows one of these apps, you may notice:

• Apps opening slowly.
• Games stuttering.
• Browser tabs freezing.
• Video calls getting choppy.
• Large files taking longer to process.
• Your patience leaving the building.

So, if your PC feels slow, turning off Efficiency Mode for a busy app can help.

How to Check If an App Is in Efficiency Mode

Windows 11 makes this pretty easy. You just need to visit Task Manager. Think of Task Manager as the control room of your PC. It shows what is running. It shows what is hungry. It shows which app is eating the CPU like popcorn.

Here is how to check:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. This opens Task Manager.
3. Click Processes on the left side.
4. Look through the list of apps.
5. Find the app that feels slow.
6. Look for a small green leaf icon.

The green leaf usually means the app is in Efficiency Mode. It is Windows saying, “I am saving energy here.”

If you do not see the leaf, the app may not be using Efficiency Mode. Your slowdown may be caused by something else. But keep reading. There are more performance tricks below.

How to Turn Off Efficiency Mode in Task Manager

This is the main event. The big button. The digital “wake up!” for your app.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
2. Click Processes.
3. Find the app you want to speed up.
4. Click the small arrow next to the app if it has several processes.
5. Right click the process that has the green leaf icon.
6. Click Efficiency mode to turn it off.
7. If Windows asks you to confirm, click Turn off Efficiency mode.

That is it. No secret code. No wizard robe required.

In some versions of Windows 11, you can also select the process first. Then look at the top of Task Manager. You may see an Efficiency mode button there. Click it to toggle the feature on or off.

If Efficiency Mode was slowing the app, you may feel a difference right away. The app may respond faster. It may use more CPU. It may also use more battery.

What If Efficiency Mode Is Grayed Out?

Sometimes the option is grayed out. That means you cannot change it for that process.

Do not panic. Your PC is not judging you.

This can happen because:

• The process is managed by Windows.
• It is a system process.
• The app controls its own power behavior.
• You do not have permission to change it.
• The process is protected for stability or security.

In simple words, Windows may be saying, “Hands off this one, buddy.”

If that happens, try changing performance settings inside the app itself. This is especially true for browsers, game launchers, and creative tools.

Turn Off Efficiency Mode in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge has its own performance features. These can be useful. But they can also make tabs sleep. Sometimes they reduce performance when you do not want them to.

If Edge feels slow, change these settings:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the three dots in the top right corner.
3. Click Settings.
4. Click System and performance.
5. Find Efficiency mode.
6. Turn it off, if available.
7. Also review Sleeping tabs.

If you do not want tabs to sleep too quickly, adjust the sleep timer. You can also add important websites to the “never sleep” list. That is great for web apps, dashboards, music players, and chat tools.

Change Windows 11 Power Mode to Best Performance

Efficiency Mode is not the only power saving feature in Windows 11. Your whole system also has a power mode. If your PC is set to save power, it may feel slower.

To boost performance, do this:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click System.
3. Click Power & battery.
4. Find Power mode.
5. Choose Best performance.

This tells Windows that speed matters more than saving battery. It is like giving your PC a strong cup of coffee.

On a desktop PC, this is often a good choice. On a laptop, use it when plugged in. If you use it on battery, expect the battery to drain faster. That is the trade. More zoom. Less juice.

Use Your Graphics Settings for Games and Creative Apps

If your issue is with a game, video editor, 3D app, or design program, also check graphics settings. Windows may be using a power saving GPU mode.

Here is how:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to System.
3. Click Display.
4. Scroll down and click Graphics.
5. Find your app in the list.
6. Click it, then choose Options.
7. Select High performance.
8. Click Save.

This is very helpful on laptops with two graphics chips. One chip saves power. The other chip delivers better performance. For games and editing, you usually want the stronger chip.

Stop Apps From Sneaking Into the Background

Sometimes your PC feels slow because too many apps are running. They sit in the background. They sip memory. They nibble CPU. They act innocent.

You can stop some apps from starting with Windows:

1. Open Task Manager.
2. Click Startup apps.
3. Look for apps you do not need right away.
4. Right click one.
5. Click Disable.

Do not disable anything you do not understand. If it looks important, leave it alone. But things like extra updaters, launchers, and chat apps can often wait.

A cleaner startup means Windows has more room to breathe. It also means your main apps may run better.

Should You Always Turn Off Efficiency Mode?

Nope. Not always.

Efficiency Mode is not evil. It is not a tiny gremlin living in your PC. It has a real purpose.

Keep Efficiency Mode on when:

• You are using a laptop on battery.
• You are only browsing or typing.
• Your PC is getting hot.
• Your fan sounds like a tiny jet engine.
• You want longer battery life.

Turn it off when:

• A specific app feels slow.
• You are gaming.
• You are editing video.
• You are exporting large files.
• You are plugged into power.
• You need the best performance right now.

The smart move is simple. Turn it off only for apps that need more power. Leave it on for apps that do not matter much.

What About Process Priority?

You may see another option in Task Manager called priority. This appears in the Details tab. It lets you set a process to normal, high, or other levels.

Be careful with this.

Changing priority can help in rare cases. But it can also make your system unstable. If you set the wrong thing too high, other apps may suffer. Windows may feel weird. Nobody wants weird Windows.

For most people, turning off Efficiency Mode is safer and easier than changing process priority.

Restart the App After Turning It Off

If you turn off Efficiency Mode and nothing changes, restart the app. Some apps need a fresh start before they behave better.

Here is the quick way:

1. Save your work.
2. Close the app.
3. Wait a few seconds.
4. Open it again.
5. Check Task Manager again.

If the app puts itself back into Efficiency Mode, it may be controlled by the app. In that case, check the app settings. Look for words like performance, battery saver, energy saver, or sleeping tabs.

Keep Windows Updated

Windows 11 changes over time. Task Manager changes too. Microsoft often adjusts how performance and power features work.

To check for updates:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click Windows Update.
3. Click Check for updates.
4. Install available updates.
5. Restart if needed.

Updates can fix bugs. They can improve performance. They can also make Efficiency Mode easier to manage.

Simple Performance Checklist

Here is a quick checklist if your Windows 11 PC still feels slow:

• Turn off Efficiency Mode for the slow app.
• Set Power mode to Best performance.
• Plug in your laptop for heavy tasks.
• Close apps you do not need.
• Disable startup apps that waste resources.
• Choose High performance graphics for games and editing apps.
• Restart the app after changing settings.
• Update Windows and your drivers.

Final Thoughts

Efficiency Mode in Windows 11 is useful. It saves power. It lowers heat. It helps laptops last longer. But when you need speed, it can feel like your app is running through peanut butter.

The good news is that you can turn it off in Task Manager. Just find the app, right click it, and disable Efficiency mode. Then set Windows to Best performance if you want even more speed.

Use it like a light switch. Turn Efficiency Mode on when you want battery life. Turn it off when you want power. Your PC will thank you. Maybe not out loud. But it will feel faster, and that is close enough.