Lenovo ThinkCentre M71e - Manual (Page 7)

Chapter 1. Overview
Power Manager helps users adjust power settings to give the best balance between system performance
and power saving through slider control or power plans.
Power Manager provides a variety of power saving features through two essential modes, Basic and
Advanced. Basic mode is set as default when users open Power Manager for the first time. Users can
specify the level of power saving by simply using the slider, without power plans. Advanced mode enables
users to configure power plans and the full range of functions in Power Manager to meet specific power
saving needs. Power Manager enables users to schedule power actions by creating power agendas to
meet the specific needs.
Power management on a computer can save energy and money. When the IT administrator enforces
power management strategy on computers throughout the entire organization, the savings can be far more
substantial. Power Manager is configured by default to use its energy efficiency features. Power Manager
also gives the IT administrator numerous options for tailoring power management settings to optimize
energy efficiency throughout their organizations.
Note: Power Manager has two different versions. One is for Windows XP operating systems and the other is
for Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. In the Windows Vista and Windows 7 version, the
term "power plan" is used. In the Windows XP version, the term "power scheme" is used. In this document,
no distinction will be made and the term "power plan" will be used to cover both.
Features
Power Manager includes the following functions:
• Balance the performance and power saving of the computer
Power Manager provides the slider to help users quickly and easily set the level of power to be used.
Users can control the Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed and the brightness of the computer display
by moving the slider. Moving the slider to the left, toward High performance, increases the CPU
speed and the brightness of the computer display but uses more energy. Moving the slider to the right,
toward High energy savings, saves the energy while limiting the CPU speed and the brightness of
the computer display.
When users move the slider to the leftmost position, the power saving settings in the Maximum
Performance power plan are applied. When users move the slider to the rightmost position, the power
saving settings in the Maximum Energy Saving power plan are applied.
• View, create, delete, and switch power plans
A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that manages how the computer is used and
conserves power. Power Manager power plans provide many more power saving features than Windows
®
power plans. On the Power Plan tab, the user can view specific settings in any of the predefined power
plans: Power Source Optimized, Timers off (Presentation), Maximum Performance, Video Playback,
Maximum Energy Saving, and ThinkCentre Default. These predefined power plans are designed to meet
the needs of most people. If a predefined power plan does not meet some users' needs, the Power
Manager wizard helps these users create their own custom power plans. Users can delete custom power
plans but cannot delete predefined power plans. Users can easily switch to another power plan by
clicking the Power Manager icon in the notification area and then selecting from the power plan list.
• Remotely configure Power Manager and deploy power plan
Power Manager enables an IT administrator to configure Power Manager and deploy a power plan by
Active Directory. The IT administrator can select an active power plan for client computers, and inhibit
the users'ability to switch among power plans, select a specific power plan, or create a power plan. For
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