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Switch Power Modes with powerprofilesctl

Set the system power profile (performance, balanced, power-saver) from the terminal via power-profiles-daemon.

LinuxpowerprofilesctlperformancelaptopPower & SleepLow risk
Run `powerprofilesctl set power-saver` to save battery, or `powerprofilesctl set performance` for full speed.

01Command

Command
$ powerprofilesctl set power-saver

02What it does

The profile is the same one GNOME's quick-settings power mode switcher changes, so the CLI and the GUI stay in sync. Power-saver caps CPU boost and can dim the screen — good for travel; performance removes the cap for compiles and games. `powerprofilesctl list` shows which profiles your hardware supports (some desktops lack 'performance'), and this is exactly what games like Steam Deck clones script before launching heavy apps.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementspower-profiles-daemon (default on recent GNOME/Fedora/Ubuntu desktops; KDE 6 also integrates it). Check current mode with `powerprofilesctl get`; list modes with `powerprofilesctl list`. On systems with TLP instead, use `tlp` commands.
!Warning: On machines running TLP, power-profiles-daemon is usually removed — the command won't exist, and TLP is configured in /etc/tlp.conf instead.

04Undo

Undo
$ powerprofilesctl set balanced

05Sources

  • powerprofilesctl(1) - Linux manual page
    Ubuntu Manpages · technical · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: powerprofilesctl get/list/set manages system power profiles such as performance, balanced and power-saver provided by power-profiles-daemon.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings

06Related solutions

Snapshot System Health with vmstat
Linuxvmstatmonitoringperformance

vmstat gives a compact one-line-per-interval view of CPU usage, swap activity, and I/O waits that top doesn't summarize as clearly.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17