PPM Mode
Common Options : Native, SMM
Quick Review of PPM Mode
The PPM Mode BIOS option allows you to change the operating mode of the Processor Power Management (PPM).
When set to Native, the operating system will use its native PPM support to directly control the processor’s performance states and power management.
When set to SSM, the operating system will revert to the ACPI System Management Mode (ACPI SMM), leaving power management to the processor.
If you are using an older operating system like Windows 98 or Windows 2000, you should set this BIOS option to SSM.
You should also select SSM if you are using Windows XP or Windows 2003 in a multi-processor or multi-core environment.
On the other hand, you should select Native if you are using a newer operating system that supports ACPI 3.0. This includes Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows 2008, and Windows 10.
PPM Mode Details
Prior to Windows XP, Microsoft operating systems cannot directly control the processor’s power management. They can only put the processor into its SMM (System Management Mode), whereby the processor would then perform its own power management routines.
Support for ACPI 2.0 processor performance states was first introduced in the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. It finally allowed the operating system to directly control the processor’s power and performance through the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).
However, Processor Power Management in Windows XP is limited to a single processor with a single core and running a single thread. It does not support multi-processor systems, or multi-core processors, or even multi-threading.
Support for multi-processor systems and multi-core processors was eventually added to the ACPI 3.0 specifications. Microsoft Windows Vista was the first Microsoft operating system to offer native support for PPM of multi-processor systems or multi-core processors. This includes systems using processors with multiple logical threads, multiple cores or multiple physical sockets.
[adrotate group=”1″]This is where the PPM Mode BIOS option comes in. It allows you to change the operating mode of the Processor Power Management (PPM).
When set to Native, the operating system will use its native PPM support to directly control the processor’s performance states and power management.
When set to SSM, the operating system will revert to the ACPI System Management Mode (ACPI SMM), leaving power management to the processor.
If you are using an older operating system like Windows 98 or Windows 2000, you should set this BIOS option to SSM.
You should also select SSM if you are using Windows XP or Windows 2003 in a multi-processor or multi-core environment.
On the other hand, you should select Native if you are using a newer operating system that supports ACPI 3.0. This includes Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7, Windows 2008, and Windows 10.
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