CPU Power Manager For Linux

The top bar of your computer's GNOME desktop is probably the last place you might expect to see a power management app. While not technically an app. CPU Power Manager is a tool that allows you to change and manage the frequency scaling of your computer's CPU.

If it sounds a bit odd, then note that CPU Power Manager is actually a free and open-source GNOME Shell extension, hence, it has all the right to live in the top/tray bar of your system.

For a GNOME Shell extension, it's remarkably efficient. The extension works with both Intel (Core) and AMD Ryzen processors, however, it's worth noting that the CPU must be supported by the cpufreq or intel_pstate CPU frequency scaling driver (located within the Linux kernel).

This extension is especially useful when used on laptops, since they usually require a bit more power-related tweaking than desktop computers. You should be able to install it without issues on most systems since the only real requirements are GNOME itself, Policykit (ships with GNOME), and a POSIX compatible shell.

The way CPU Power Manager works from a user point of view is quite elegant. It has a simple drop-down menu that provides a sleek menu that allows you to change between various presets or user-defined profiles in order to control the frequency of the CPU.

It's also quite customizable since it allows you to manage the CPU boost, as well as defined a minimum and maximum CPU frequency for each profile. Of coruse, your can also assign specific profiles for various AC/Batter-related statuses.

CPU Power Manager is a surprisingly capable little power management tool that punches way above its weight. It's easy to use, quite customizable, and remarkably lightweight.

The only real gripe (for now at least) is the fact that it doesn't support GNOME 43.