Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 feature, ‘Low Latency Profile,’ that temporarily boosts CPU power for quicker app launches and menu responses. Early tests show significant improvements, with some app launches up to 40% faster. This move mirrors practices by Apple and Android, aiming to make Windows feel snappier for all users, especially on less powerful devices.
Microsoft is testing a new performance feature for Windows 11 that temporarily maxes out your CPU whenever you open an app or click the Start menu. Which first reported the feature, app launch times for built-in apps like Edge and Outlook could improve by up to 40%, according to Windows Central. The Start menu and context menus are seeing even bigger gains—up to 70% faster.
The feature, called “Low Latency Profile,” spikes processor frequency for one to three seconds during high-priority actions, then drops back down—and early results are hard to ignore. The feature is part of Microsoft’s broader “Windows K2” engineering push, which aims to make Windows 11 feel meaningfully faster across the board—not just on paper. Battery and thermal impact are reportedly minimal since the burst is so short. Testing on a deliberately underpowered virtual machine—limited to two CPU cores and 4GB of RAM—showed apps going from sluggish to near-instant after the feature was enabled.