Power Management Settings for Intel® Wireless Adapters

Documentation

Install & Setup

000005879

12/29/2022

Intel strongly recommends not to modify or change any of the default Wireless Power Settings as it might cause malfunction or connectivity issues.

You can use the power management options to enable a power-saving mode.

Power management

Power management lets you select a balance between power consumption (or battery life) and wireless adapter performance.

​The following power options are available on Windows* operating systems:

  • Maximum Performance: Wireless adapter will optimize performance over power saving.
  • Low-Power Saving/Medium Power Saving1: Wireless adapter will balance between performance and power saving.
  • Maximum Power Saving: Wireless adapter will optimize power saving over performance.

1Low-Power Saving and Medium Power Saving have the same effect on Intel® Wireless Adapters.

To adjust the power settings, first select your operating system.

Important Notice

Latest versions of Windows® 10 and Windows 11® disable access to the Advanced Power Options for Networking Connectivity- Wireless adapter settings. If the options below are not available, check with Microsoft or directly contact your original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for further support as some OEMs disable this feature.

  1. Right-click the User-added image button on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select Power Options.
    User-added image
  3. Select Additional power settings.
    User-added image
  4. Select Change plan settings for the power plan you would like to change.
    User-added image
  5. Select Change advanced power settings.
    User-added image
  6. Select Wireless Adapter Settings then Power Saving Mode to expand the section.
    User-added image
  7. Select the desired power option. Depending on your system type, you may see Setting for desktop system or On battery and Plugged in for mobile and laptop systems.
  1. Right-click the User-added image button on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  2. Select Power Options.
    User-added image

  3. Select Change plan settings for the power plan you would like to change.
    User-added image

  4. Select Change advanced power settings.
    User-added image

  5. Select Wireless Adapter Settings then Power Saving Mode to expand the section.
    User-added image

  6. Select the desired power option. Depending on your system type, you may see Setting for desktop system or On battery and Plugged in for mobile and laptop systems.
  1. Click the User-added image button on the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  2. Type power option in the search box on the bottom left corner.
    User-added image

  3. Select Power Options from the search result.
    User-added image

  4. Select Change plan settings for the power plan you would like to change.
    User-added image

  5. Select Change advanced power settings.
    User-added image

  6. Select Wireless Adapter Settings then Power Saving Mode to expand the section.
    User-added image

  7. Select the desired power option. Depending on your system type, you may see Setting for desktop system or On battery and Plugged in for mobile and laptop systems.

How to change the wireless power settings on Windows 7*

Power options:

  • Maximum Performance: Wireless adapter will optimize performance over power saving.
  • Low-Power Saving/Medium Power Saving1: Wireless adapter will balance between performance and power saving.
  • Maximum Power Saving: Wireless adapter will optimize power saving over performance.

1Low-Power Saving and Medium Power Saving have the same effect on Intel® Wireless Adapters

Note Setting power options to Maximum Performance while on battery can cause battery power to discharge faster.
Note The setting under Device Manager Power Management tab Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power has no effect on Wi-Fi power management. The setting only affects how Windows and the device driver handle the device power-down during suspend and hibernation.

We strongly recommend keeping the default value checked for the setting:

Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

User-added image