[Feature Request] Enable Power Mode to switch the Windows 11 Settings' Power Mode (not the Control Panel Power Plan)

[dpearson2699]

This might seem convoluted but I'll try to explain it the best I can with pictures. With Windows 11, by default, only the Balanced Power Plan is available inside of the Power Options in Control Panel (unless you add the power saver and high-performance options plans manually). With Windows 11, inside of the Settings app on the Balanced Control Panel Power Plan, you have the option to change a toggle called Power Mode in Settings (see below): It appears that Settings has its own Battery Saver, Balanced, and Performance Mode independent from the Control Panel Power Plans. But, this only is available with the Control Panel Balanced Power Plan selected. Weirdly if you were to switch to any other Power Plan in Control Panel and configure Lenovo Legion Toolkit to switch to them (either with the Fn+Q or in the app), the Settings app now displays this: So now you can't change this mysterious toggle inside of the Settings App. I'm not entirely sure what the settings toggle does to enable a power saver, balanced, or high-performance state (which is independent of the control panel power plan).

I guess the question and feature request is this, is it possible to implement the Fn+Q changing of the Legion's Power Mode to change this new Settings' Toggle rather than the older Control Panel Power Plan?

[BartoszCichecki]

I will need to look at this. At the moment it seems like these two features somehow manage to co-exist.

[mind12]

It is named power slider and it's an "extension" of power plan settings. There is no reason to change these two at the same time. If you go to lenovo performance mode power plan it will disappear. On balanced it's reasonable to leave it on default better performance.

"The power slider is an overlay on top of your power plan, with additional features that do not exist in traditional power plans. Here is what the power slider level manages:

The operating mode of the processor (CPU) to enhance battery life or performance, depending on what the user wants The priority of background apps and Windows processes, so that they are used in the most power-efficient manner when you want to save as much battery as possible The screen brightness In technical terms, the power slider only handles how power throttling algorithms work in Windows 10. It does not change your power plan and its settings. It is a layer that comes on top of the active power plan."

https://www.digitalcitizen.life/windows-10-power-slider-save-battery-increase-performance/

[BartoszCichecki]

Sure, I know the feature from my other ThinkPad which uses it instead of power plans, but I need to see if I can make.it work together with what Vantage is doing.

[younyokel]

It's been bugging me. So, there is a Vantage Power Mode (the one found in the Lenovo Legion Toolkit), a Windows 11 Power Mode, and also an Nvidia Control Panel's Power Mode (where Balanced is called "Adaptive")? Can anyone explain how they exist at the same time and one does not change when the other changes?

[BartoszCichecki]

So, this has always been a tricky situation tbh. The Control Panel Power Plans are sort of "legacy" now. Microsoft want us to use a slider that was introduced in Windows 8 (I think). Now in Windows 11 there is the new the switch in the settings, which I think is just redesigned slider from Windows 8/8.1/10. nVidia settings are completely separate.

Now, Microsoft wants everyone to use the new "switch" (and only have the default Balanced "legacy" power plan) and frankly Lenovo is already doing that on ThinkPads. On Legions for some reason they use "legacy" power plans, maybe because they are more configurable.

From what I can see the new options don't really have good APIs yet and there is no documentation that they are better in any way. So for now, to maintain the behaviour consistent with Vantage I will definitely stick to they way Lenovo implemented this.