Windows 10: What's processor performance core parking min cores from Power Plan advanced settings?

What's the best setting for best performance for this? Or I should leave this alone?

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:)

 

processor power management optimization

ive been playing around with the processor power management options for quite a while already since i noticed that my old notebook's cpu (i7-720qm) struggles with running on full power (mainly due to heat i assume).

i already managed to optimize performance quite noticeably, but some of the settings are not fully clear to me resp. their default settings are quite confusing, even contradicting to their descriptions.

so if there is somebody familiar with processor power management - ie. idle and performance states and their respective settings, some explanations and recommendations would be highly appreciated.

my main aim is to make the cpu run on as few cores/threads possible, clocked as high as possible, before unparking additional cores/threads. ie. to be highly responsive for just a few tasks rather than manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and not getting
throttled because too many threads get unparked although just a few - but clocked high - would manage it better. mainly because most of my tasks much more require few but high clocked threads than more parallel processing.

here are the settings i have set currently:

processor performance increase threshold - 30%

processor performance core parking min cores - 13%

processor performance decrease threshold - 20%

processor performance core parking concurrency threshold - 95%

processor energy performance preference policy - 20%

allow throttle states - off

processor performance decrease policy - ideal

processor performance core parking parked performance state - no preference

processor performance boost policy - 100%

processor performance increase policy ideal - aggressive

processor idle demote threshold - 30%

processor performance core parking distribution threshold - 90%

processor duty cycling - disabled

processor idle disable enable - idle

processor performance core parking decrease threshold - 60%

processor performance core parking decrease policy - ideal

processor idle promote threshold - 50%

minimum processor state - 50%

processor performance autonomous mode - enabled

processor performance core parking overutilization threshold - 80%

system cooling policy - active

processor performance core parking core override - disabled

maximum processor state - 100%

processor performance boost mode - aggressive

processor performance core parking increase policy - ideal

processor performance core parking increase threshold - 80%

processor performance core parking utility distribution - disabled

processor performance core parking max cores - 100%

what confuses me a bit are the default settings in power saver & high performance profiles of

processor idle demote threshold - ps: 20% / hp: 40%

processor idle promote threshold - ps: 40% / hp: 60%

judging from their descriptions, i would actually suggest them being exactly opposite?!

any suggestions on these two options resp. how to optimize the power settings better to achieve what i explained above - as few cores/threads unparked as possible, clocked as high as possible, before unparking more, without capping
min/max states or preventing threads from parking/unparking completely?

thanks

 

Why does Windows 10 have CPU core parking disabled?

When and Why Did Windows 10 Disable Core Parking?

Microsoft disabled core parking in default windows 10 power plans in 2017.

One website states:

While Microsoft has chosen to give more power to performance of hardware, it has left the option of custom power plans up to vendors, server administrations and super users.

Also Microsoft notes to server administrators:

While many users argue over the benefits of core-parking, Microsoft have chosen to leave the choice of core-parking up to vendors, as they can create there own power plans and shipping with products. With things like Turbo Boost Index and Frequency Scaling Index, a processor is usually able to be controlled more responsively with core parking disabled.

Here is a good example of a vendor, AMD, with there Razon product in 2017 creating custom powers for optimum use of there processor.
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Core Parking Benchmark Example

And here is an example of benchmarking testing of power plans on a NUC, Windows 10 Pro, Intel Core i5-8259U that it used for mainly for office work:
Pictures are of the processor rating, link is to full pc benchmark test of powerplan.

High performance power plan (Processor rating)



Benchmark Link

High performance power plan, with 50% minimum core parking turned on



Benchmark Link

Balanced power plan (Processor rating)



Benchmark Link

Balanced power plan, with 50% minimum core parking turned on



Benchmark Link

Does Windows 10 Come with Core Parking Disabled?

• Windows 10 uses power plans to set the Processor Performance which
  will result in cores being parked or not depending on configuration of power scheme settings.
  

Note the below information assumes static core parking options not heterogeneous architecture. Please see further reading links for more info.

Why is Core Parking Registry Setting Hidden?

• Microsoft use the command powercfg to control these settings. Please see answer here for a more information.
  
• To unhide the said option open elevated cmd and run:
  
  
• Done. No need to edit the registry.
  

What is a Power Scheme?

Microsoft Static Configuration Options for Core Parking

Source: Microsoft - Static Core Parking Options

Power Profiles

All Processor Power Management Settings

Each profile supports the following configuration settings:

Microsoft: Source One and Source Two

Also see legacy commands PERFBOOSTMODE, PERFBOOSTPOL.

PowerCfg CommandLine and Windows 10 Power GUI

• Microsoft - PowerCfg Command Line Syntax
  
• Wikipedia - Powercfg
  
• Windows 10 Forum - How to Make all Power Options Visible In Windows 10 Power Settings GUI with Examples of Tweaking Via PowerCfg Command.
  

Retrieve the currently active power scheme, open elevated command prompt and type:

List GUID and names og power schemes (star shows selected scheme also):

Query Plan

Also to see aliases only and help (see here for more info)

Example: Set CPU Cores to Minimum 50% on AC & CPU to 10% on Battery DC

Example of PowerCfg Hacking and Source Two

What is Core Parking and How Should You Adjust It?

• Please see the above links and information for all available settings.
  
• In brief, core parking allows your processors to go into a sleep
  mode. The main purposes of core parking is to allow the
  computer/laptop/device to only use the processors when required, thus
  saving on energy.
  

Microsoft, first in Windows Server 2008 R2, started using core parking via the processor power management (PPM) engine and the scheduler to set the numbers of cores dynamically depending on power plan settings and tasks scheduled to be carried out.

A minimum number of cores for the threads that will be scheduled as chosen by the PPM engine. Usually cores are parked that do not have any threads scheduled, and they go into a very low power states when they are not processing interrupts, DPCs, or other strictly affinitized work. Thus the remaining cores are responsible for the remainder of the workload. Core parking can potentially increase energy efficiency during lower usage, which is why it is generally set up on Windows power plans.

To turn off core parking, set the Processor Performance Core Parking Minimum Cores parameter to 100 percent by using the following commands:

To reduce the number of schedulable cores to 50 percent of the maximum count, set the Processor Performance Core Parking Maximum Cores parameter to 50 as follows:

Example of a Processor's States

Lower Section Based On:

• Microsoft - Processor performance core parking maximum and minimum cores
  
• Microsoft - Power and performance tuning
  
• Core Parking Information on Quick CPU Page
  
• A Minimum Complete Tutorial of CPU Power Management, C-states and P-states
  

Free Programs:

• Quick CPU (my favourite)
  
• Disable CPU Core Parking Utility
  
• Bitsum - ParkControl – Tweak CPU Core Parking and More
  
• Intel Turbo Boost
  

Further Reading:

• Interesting Answer on Microsoft Forum - Core Parking Disabled
  
• A comparison of Windows 7 and Windows 8 Core Parking
  
• Overclock - Core Parking in Windows (Disable for more performance) 2017
  
• Windows 10 Gadgets - Core Parking
  
• Reddit - Windows 10 Stutter
  
• Reddit - Core Parking and AMD 2017
  
• Never, Ever Use a Software That Changing the Registry to Un-Park the Core
  
• New power options in Windows 10 for longer battery life on laptops
  
• Enable - Disable CPU Turbo Boost from Command Line
  
• Command Line Power Configuration for Microsoft Windows
  
• How to Add or Remove Maximum processor state from Power Options
  
• Notebook Review - Improving Battery Life - Enabling Deeper C States
  
• Core Parking in Windows (Disable for More Performance)
  
• Some CPU Cores Are Parked While Other Active 2008 R2
  
• CPU Parking Options in Power Settings
  
• Microsoft Press - Understanding the Windows I/O System
  
• Redit - Unparking Cores (Good or Bad?)
  
• What is Core Parking and Should You Adjust It?
  
• Windows 10 Doesn't Park CPU Cores?
  
• Enable or Disable CPU Core Parking in Windows 10/8/7
  
• Powercfg.exe and Parked CPU Core's
  
• How do I disable core parking in windows 10 build 10162
  
• Power and Performance Tuning Windows Sever 2016
  
• Document Number: 335190-003 7th Generation Intel® Processor Families for H Platforms
  
• Document Number: 335898-001 Intel® Core™ X-Series Processor Families
  
• Static Configuration Options for Heterogeneous Power Scheduling
  
• Wikipedia - Heterogeneous System Architecture
  

 

Is it safe to change CPU core setting in msconfig on HP laptop?

Not sure what you want to change but, you shouldn't have to change anything in msconfig;
if you set 'High Performance' power plan, no cores will be 'Parked', other plans will intermittently park cores limiting performance.

Balanced Power Plan: