Dell Inspiron 7000 - Page 37

Customizing System Features 2-9
Select Maximum Performance to configure power saving time-outs as a group to
increase the performance of the computer. When this setting is selected, the
Standby
Time-Out option is set automatically to 4 minutes, and the Suspend Time-
Out option is disabled. The Smart CPU Mode option is set automatically to Off.
Select Maximum Power Savings to configure the power saving time-outs as a group
to save the most battery power. When this setting is selected, the Standby
Time-
Out option is set automatically to 1 minute, and the
Suspend Time-Out option is set
automatically to 5 minutes. The Smart CPU Mode option is set automatically to On.
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NOTE: The power management settings of Windows 98 take precedence over the
settings described here. For more information see “Using Windows 98 to Conserve
Battery Power,” in the System Users Guide.
Smart CPU Mode allows the computer to slow down the microprocessor automati-
cally if it is not being used. Settings for this option are:

On — Allows the computer to slow down the microprocessor when it is inactive

Off (the default) — Keeps the microprocessor running at its normal operating
speed regardless of microprocessor inactivity
To increase battery operating time, set the Smart CPU Mode option to On.
When the Smart CPU Mode option is enabled and the microprocessor is inactive, the
computer slows the microprocessor to save power.
NOTES: Some communications software may not work properly when
Smart CPU
Mode
is enabled. Dell recommends that you set
Smart CPU Mode
to
Off
if you are
using communications software.
Interactive application programs should function well when
Smart CPU Mode
is
enabled. (Examples of interactive programs include spreadsheet, text editor, graphics
design, entertainment, educational, and utility programs.) However, you may experi-
ence performance degradation when recalculating a large spreadsheet or during an
extensive screen redraw in a graphical program. Benchmark utilities may not perform
as intended when doing microprocessor speed tests. If the software you use suffers
significant performance degradation, set
Smart CPU Mode
to
Off
.
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NOTE: The power management settings of Windows 98 take precedence over the
settings described here. For more information see “Using Windows 98 to Conserve
Battery Power,” in the System Users Guide.
Standby mode conserves battery power by stopping some computer activity, but
leaves the computer ready to resume operations immediately. Use standby mode
when you leave the computer unattended for less than a few minutes. Press
<Fn><Esc> to enter standby mode when you are in Windows 98. Resume normal
computer activity by moving the cursor or pressing any key on the built-in keyboard
(the computer takes less than a second to return to normal operation).