Microsoft is adding a feature that briefly maxes out your CPU to make Windows feel snappier

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Cutting corners: Microsoft has a giant Windows problem, but developers are reportedly hard at work to significantly improve the operating system in critical areas, tackling things like overall responsiveness and CPU utilization. New details have emerged about one of those changes.

According to insider sources, Microsoft engineers are working on a new feature called "Low Latency Profile" (LLP) aimed at improving Windows 11's performance in certain critical, system-wide tasks. The change is already present in recent preview builds distributed to Windows Insider participants, meaning enthusiast users can enable and test it today while development continues in Redmond.

– Windows Central (@WindowsCentral) May 8, 2026

Microsoft sources describe LLP as a mechanism that briefly pushes CPU frequency higher to "accelerate" certain UI-related operations. In practice, the OS would boost the processor to its maximum frequency in short, 1-to-3-second bursts, providing a snappier experience when users are opening apps, activating context menus, or interacting with system flyouts such as media controls.

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• Microsoft is rethinking Windows 11 after months of complaints
• Microsoft plans 100% native Windows 11 apps in major shift away from web wrappers

According to Windows Central, insiders have put some numbers to those claims. LLP reportedly makes native apps like Edge and Outlook launch 40% faster, while the Start Menu, context menus, and other UI elements load up to 70% more quickly. The feature is also said to benefit common third-party applications, though to what extent remains unclear.

LLP is part of the broader Windows K2 initiative, a new strategic effort Microsoft executives have reportedly conceived to significantly improve the performance, reliability, and stability of an operating system that has struggled to impress since its launch. In many ways, K2 appears to be Microsoft's attempt to deliver the kind of fluid, responsive UI experience that Windows 10 users – this writer included – have come to expect.

A low-level change such as LLP should operate entirely in the background, with no dedicated toggle for users to flip on or off. Sources also note that the brief CPU spikes shouldn't meaningfully affect thermals or battery life on laptops.

Prominent Windows insider "Phantomofearth" has confirmed the feature's presence in recent preview builds, sharing two feature IDs: 60716524 for the main LowLatencyProfile and 61391826 for LowLatencyProfileForApplicationLaunch. Both can be enabled today using the open-source ViVeTool utility.

With development still ongoing, the feature will likely look different by the time it reaches a stable release.

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Microsoft is adding a feature that briefly maxes out your CPU to make Windows feel snappier

 

[themastergoose]

Imagine maxing out something like a 9800X3D when doing the most demanding of tasks, such as "activating context menus, or interacting with system flyouts such as media controls".

It's come to this...?

 

[NumberNine]

It seems perfectly logical that using the central processing unit for central processing would improve the performance of the software running on the computer. Cutting edge stuff.

 

[Hotdog1n]

Just throw more power at it!

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

It seems perfectly logical that using the central processing unit for central processing would improve the performance of the software running on the computer. Cutting edge stuff.

Much Copilot, very genAI.

 

[Jim Lahey]

It seems perfectly logical that using the central processing unit for central processing would improve the performance of the software running on the computer. Cutting edge stuff.

Yeah I actually don’t have an issue with this
- I spent a lot of money putting together a high-end system and I do want my computer to be as snappy and responsive as possible.

Obviously we would all want appropriate parameters to be built in so that if your system is being used heavily on an active task that it doesn’t poach resources for menial background tasks. Otherwise, let it cook!

 

[GeoffreyA]

This feature should be implemented as a general speed up, not used as a trick to mask the sluggish web code causing the problem. Rewrite these last-grade components in classic Win32, testing the performance on old computers. Or, port over the code from 7.

 

[Alfonso Maruccia]

This feature should be implemented as a general speed up, not used as a trick to mask the sluggish web code causing the problem. Rewrite these last-grade components in classic Win32, testing the performance on old computers. Or, port over the code from 7.

Testing?!? You're asking microsoft for testing the software before shipping their vibe-coded masterworks? What is this? 1994?!? :-D

 

[BlackyNoir]

I remember that OS/2 2.2 was quite snappy on a 486.

I even tested playing emulated Doom in a window, while zipping the whole hard disk in 3 different tasks... sure it was slow then, but it was SMOOTH, and the basic OS/2 window manager still responded quickly.

Maybe Microsoft should stop laying off so many senior programmers and testers, and stop forcing their workforce to use AI?

 

[guillejp]

The fact that for (1) A MENU they have to cranck (2) modern (3) coreS to (4) a few Ghz, is... Jawdropping. It's unbelievable.
It should do it with 1 core half asleep at 0,4 Ghz.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Testing?!? You're asking microsoft for testing the software before shipping their vibe-coded masterworks? What is this? 1994?!? :-D

Alas, for a moment, I thought this was indeed the '90s. Well, back to the modern dystopia of React and "cloud native"

 

[Gars]

If they have native apps, this maybe not be a concern
right?

 

[OortCloud]

OS inner workings:
"Christ alive he's right-clicking the mouse boys! Crank up the fires, get the bellows pumping and strap in, things are gonna get rough around here!"

 

[Aolish]

The fact that you need to MAX out the cpu just to make the gui faster shows how unoptimized windows really is. I'm no expert in this area nor am I a developer, but come on. We're talking about menus, hamburger panning, basic fades and flyouts, do you honestly need to max out the CPU just to do those things? Windows 11 is horrible as it is when it comes to battery life, you mean to tell me it's about to get worse? That Macbook Neo is looking better and better.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

CPU boost is supposed to handle this, with the cores accelerating from park up to max boost according to load presented by software.

It is REALLY telling that MS thinks that cranking out full boost for 1-3 seconds before a major action like....opening a menu is the correct course of action. They have no idea how to fix the bloated mess that is windows....

 

[GeoffreyA]

OS inner workings:
"Christ alive he's right-clicking the mouse boys! Crank up the fires, get the bellows pumping and strap in, things are gonna get rough around here!"

Oh, boy, that was a good one.

 

[daffy duck]

Go into the UI settings and turn off just about everything and you'll already get much snappier performance.

 

[Vanderlinde]

I'd say start using atlas OS; and refuse to take any future updates from Microsoft unless it's a security based one. Holy crap.

 

[Angga B]

70% snappier but with 100% more bsods... as the usual math. Wanna bet otherwise?

 

[Vanderlinde]

Use a old test system - optimize for that. Get it snappy there; and the rest for future systems will follow. I feel like they have completely blown up W11 by going at least 40% ai vibe code by prompts. It's terrible you have to use tools like Shutup Windows 10/11 and Win11debloat to remove all the stuff nobody ever asked for.

 

[Mark Fuller]

If it is an attempt to mimic w10's speed, then why not just rewrite to os code like it is on w10 instead of rewriting the code just to spike the cpu and use more energy which will have to be paid for. It seems unreasonable to me to pay for more power to speed up the system when the solution to the problem was already there in the form of the os's code.

 

[abactuon]

If possible, I will turn this thing off.
On my processor, which is not the most powerful 13490f processor, the menus open quickly.
Utilities (especially those ported from Linux) also launch quickly. It may be due to specific programs, slow RAM, antivirus and disk encryption.
In any case, there is no need to install unnecessary programs that climb into the menu and startup. Although this does not justify Windows.

 

[AndrettiGTO]

They say “ Frame Generation Doesn't Fix Bad Performance”. Same here MS, fix the code instead.

 

[Northy]

Next thing MS will silently load the whole operating system into RAM.

 

[Fabio Turati]

Twenty years ago the big question was "Does it run Crysis?".
Now it's "Can it open the context menu?".

Gotta love progress.