Windows now has a way to tell which are important. On previous versions of Windows, the operating system wouldn’t be able to transition to that low power state because it treated those background processes the same as foreground processes. When only these less important processes need to use the CPU, Windows puts it in a low power state. If an application doesn’t seem to be important to the user, Windows marks it as available for power throttling.
The operating system identifies applications in the foreground, applications playing music, and other categories of important apps, ensuring they won’t be throttled. To ensure maximum performance for the applications you’re actually using, Microsoft has “built a sophisticated detection system into Windows”. That background work will still get done, but it will happen a bit slower and the computer will use less power to do the work, increasing your battery life. However, when applications are just running in the background, Windows would like to put the CPU in its low power state.
When you’re using an application like your web browser, Windows would like to get maximum performance out of your CPU so the application works as fast as possible. Modern CPUs have a variety of power states, and can use a low-power mode that is much more energy efficient. RELATED: What's New in Windows 10's Fall Creators Update, Available Now
