ParkControl 6.0.2.18

ParkControl: CPU Core Parking and Power Plan Tuning for Windows

ParkControl is a free Windows utility from Bitsum for displaying and adjusting CPU core parking, frequency scaling, and P/E-core scheduling settings for each power plan. It exposes settings that Windows normally keeps hidden, and it does so without registry edits or a reboot.

Core Features

• Core parking control: Set the minimum percentage of cores kept unparked (0 to 100%), choose a one-click preset such as Off, Windows default, or Aggressive, and apply the result to each power plan.
• Frequency scaling: Set the minimum processor state, as a percentage of base frequency, separately for plugged-in (AC) and battery (DC) power.
• Hybrid scheduling: On Intel 12th-gen and newer processors, including Core Ultra, decide whether short and long running threads go to P-cores, E-cores, or wherever Windows prefers.
• Live core map: A tray display shows core activity, with E-cores marked.
• Dynamic Boost (Pro): Switch between an active and an idle power plan automatically.
• Advanced Core Parking (Pro): Access every hidden processor setting Windows offers, with presets and explanatory tooltips. Browsing these settings is free.

Usage

Each power plan keeps its own settings, and the interface loads the selected plan's values when it is chosen from the drop-down. Changes take effect after clicking Apply, and Make Active switches the PC to the chosen plan. Restore defaults returns a plan to its original settings, and no reboot is needed.

Editions and Pricing

The core parking, frequency scaling, and hybrid scheduling features are free. The Pro edition adds Dynamic Boost, saving changes in Advanced Core Parking, and funds ongoing development. Pro is sold as a one-time lifetime license, including all future updates, for a single PC or for up to five PCs in one home for non-commercial use. An annual single-PC subscription is also offered, and every plan carries a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Background on Core Parking

Core parking is a low-power state (C6) that most modern processors and operating systems support. It disables cores when they are idle to save power, but waking them adds latency when a burst of work arrives. Windows has historically parked cores aggressively, including in the High Performance plan. Intel moved parking control onto the processor with Skylake and AMD followed, but Windows default parameters still park cores aggressively. The Ultra Performance plan disables core parking entirely.

ParkControl can be paired with Bitsum Process Lasso, which can switch to a higher-performance plan when a process starts and return to a balanced plan when it exits.