Dell Optimizer Version 4.0 User's Guide (2025)

Power and Thermal Management

1. Go to the home screen and click Power.

   The Power section is displayed.

   NOTE: You can enable or disable this feature by using the toggle switch.

2. Use the Dynamic Charge Policy toggle switch, to enable an enhanced version of the 'Adaptive' charging mode that dynamically applies the best charge policy for you.

   By default, the Dynamic Charge Policy button is enabled. However, when Dynamic Charge Policy is enabled, the Charging Modes feature gets disabled.

3. Select the Charging Mode to switch the charging policies according to your usage pattern, using one of the following options:
   • Adaptive—Automatically optimizes battery settings based on your usage patterns.

     NOTE: Dell recommends to use Dynamic Charge Policy.

   • Primarily AC—Extends battery life by lowering the charge threshold, so that the battery never charges to 100 percent capacity. This charging mode is recommended for users who primarily operate the system while plugged into an external power source.
   • ExpressCharge™—Quickly charges the battery using Dell fast-charge technology. This charging mode is recommended for users who need the battery to charge quickly. If the system is turned off, and then the battery typically charges to 80 percent within one hour and 100 percent in two hours. The charge time may be longer if the system is turned on.

     NOTE: The ExpressCharge™ setting may cause battery health to diminish more quickly than other settings.

   • Standard—Fully charges the battery at a moderate rate. This setting provides a balanced approach to extend the battery life while providing a reasonably fast charging time. This charging mode is recommended for users who frequently switch between the battery and the external power source.
   • Custom—The Custom mode enables you to define when a battery starts and stops charging. This setting is recommended for advanced users who are familiar with battery charging cycles. For more information about how to customize a battery setting, see Customizing a battery setting.

   NOTE: If you have purchased a long cycle life battery with a three-year warranty, the Dynamic Charge Policy and the Charging Mode features are disabled. A long cycle life battery is locked in one charging mode, and the system cannot switch between different charging modes.

4. Select the Thermal Management modes to manage the performance, surface temperature, and fan noise of your system, using one of the following options:
   • Optimized—Balances performance, noise, and temperature of your system.
   • Cool—The fan speed is raised to maintain a cooler system surface temperature. Your system may produce more noise and experience reduced performance.
   • Quiet—The fan and processor speeds are lowered to reduce fan noise. This configuration may also reduce system performance and raise the system surface temperature.
   • Ultra performance—Both the processor and fan speeds are increased to provide a better system performance. This configuration may produce more noise and higher system surface temperature.

   The thermal management feature allows you to manage the processor and cooling fan settings of your system so that you can manage performance, system surface temperature, and fan noise. Each option represents a different balance of these three elements. You can choose the configuration that best suits the way you use your system.

   CAUTION: If any of the system fans fails, the thermal management feature is disabled.

   NOTE: If your system does not support thermal settings, the thermal management feature is not available.

5. Enable the Preferences checkbox to allow Dell Optimizer for synchronizing thermal management mode with the Windows performance power slider and conversely.
6. Click the Intelligent Battery Extender (Adaptive Battery Performance) toggle button to extend the battery run time based on the user behavior.

   This setting allows you to extend the battery runtime by intelligently taking battery saving measures. It turns on the windows power saver mode, reduces the processor power level, and dims the screen. By default, the Intelligent Battery Extender button is enabled.

   NOTE: Some users may experience a temporary impact on system performance when you apply the Intelligent Battery Extender optimization settings.

7. Use the Advanced Charge toggle switch, to enable the Advanced Charge option.

   The Advance Charge feature prolongs the usable life of your system’s battery by charging it to full capacity only once per day, prior to the Start of day you establish when you Enable advanced charge. For the remainder of the day, Advanced Charge keeps your battery in a lower charge state that is better for storage, even when the system is plugged into a direct power source. For more information, see Enabling advanced charge.

   NOTE: When you enable Advanced Charge and Peak Shift, Peak Shift functionality takes precedence over Advanced Charge functionality.

8. Click the Peak shift toggle button to reduce the power consumption by automatically switching the system to battery power during certain times of the day. For more information, see Enabling peak shift.

   NOTE: When you enable peak shift, the Dynamic Charge Policy feature gets disabled and conversely.