You want to glance at CPU and GPU numbers mid-game without alt-tabbing to a full window — but you don't want a Discord-sized overlay sitting on top of your crosshair either. PowerDoze's mini mode shrinks down to a small, draggable strip you can resize, make transparent, and lock so clicks pass straight through it to whatever's underneath.
Quick answer: Click the mini-mode icon in PowerDoze and the window shrinks to a small always-on-top bar with CPU, GPU, RAM, FPS, and other metrics you pick. Drag it anywhere, resize it from 500–1600px wide, and set the opacity from 30–100%. Click the lock icon (or press Ctrl+Alt+L while it's open) to make it click-through so it doesn't steal mouse input from a fullscreen game. Pro feature, needs the PowerDoze engine running.
Every metric has its own on/off switch in settings, so the panel only shows what you actually want to glance at — not a wall of numbers. The full list:
CPU, RAM, and GPU also get a small 60-second usage graph next to the number, so you can see a spike settle instead of just catching one instant reading. A few metrics — temperature readouts and GPU clock speed among them — default to off, since most people only want the ones that matter for their setup; flip them on from the same settings panel.
This is the part that makes it usable while gaming instead of just annoying. Click the small lock icon on the panel and PowerDoze makes the window click-through — every mouse click and movement passes straight to the game or window underneath, as if the panel weren't there visually or interactively. The first time you lock it, a short dialog walks you through how to unlock again (so you're not stuck staring at an overlay you can't click), with a "don't show this again" option for after that.
It's a system-wide hotkey that toggles the lock state — the same click-through on/off the lock icon does — and it only works while mini mode is already open. Press it during a fullscreen game and it still fires, because it's registered at the OS level, not inside the app window. Press it while you're in the normal, full-size PowerDoze window and it does nothing visible, since there's no mini panel to lock or unlock yet.
Not what it is: It doesn't open mini mode, and it isn't a separate "gaming overlay" toggle — it's specifically the lock/unlock switch for the mini panel you already have open. To exit mini mode entirely, double-click the panel (while unlocked) or click its restore icon.
| Behavior | Details |
|---|---|
| Background | Windows' native Acrylic blur-behind (Win10 1803+ / Win11), plus a tint layer so the opacity slider behaves consistently across Windows builds |
| Opacity | Adjustable 30–100%, remembered between sessions |
| Size | Drag-resizable, 500–1600px wide × 50–400px tall; the panel also auto-fits its height to whatever metrics you've enabled |
| Position & size memory | Both persist automatically — drag it once and it reopens in the same spot next time, even without exiting mini mode first |
| Move it | Click and drag anywhere on the panel (only while unlocked) |
To leave mini mode, double-click the panel or click the small restore icon in its corner — both take you back to the full PowerDoze window at its previous size and position.
This is a Pro feature — the free tier doesn't include mini mode. It also isn't a standalone monitoring tool: the numbers come from the PowerDoze background engine, so the engine needs to be running for the panel to show anything real. If the engine isn't running (or hasn't finished starting up), the panel stays open and doesn't error out — it just shows placeholder dashes (--%, --°C) instead of a number, until the engine catches up.
Honest note: If you specifically want a Discord-style FPS counter and nothing else, plenty of lighter single-purpose tools exist for just that. Mini mode's advantage is that the same metrics you'd check in the full app — and the rule/power-mode context around them — follow you into a corner of the screen instead of living in a separate program.
Yes. PowerDoze's mini mode shrinks the app into a small, draggable, always-on-top strip showing CPU, GPU, RAM, FPS, and other live metrics over any window or fullscreen game. It's a Pro feature and needs the PowerDoze engine running to show real numbers.
Yes — click the lock icon on the panel, or press Ctrl+Alt+L while mini mode is open, to toggle mouse passthrough. Locked, every click and movement passes straight through to whatever is underneath. The first time you lock it, a dialog explains how to unlock (same hotkey or the system tray icon).
It toggles mouse-passthrough lock on the floating panel — nothing else. It only does anything while mini mode is already open; it isn't a shortcut to open mini mode, and it isn't a separate gaming-overlay toggle. It's registered as a system-wide hotkey so it still works while a game has focus.
CPU usage, clock speed, temperature, and power; RAM usage; GPU usage, memory, clock speed, temperature, and power; network throughput; FPS with refresh rate; battery percentage; total system power; the active sleep timeout; and the currently applied rule and power mode. Each one has its own on/off switch, and CPU, RAM, and GPU also get a 60-second usage graph.
It uses Windows' native Acrylic blur-behind effect (Windows 10 1803+ and Windows 11), plus a tinted overlay that drives the opacity slider directly so it works consistently across Windows versions. Opacity is adjustable from 30% to 100% and remembered between sessions.
Mini mode is a Pro feature. It also needs the PowerDoze background engine running to show live numbers — if the engine isn't running, the panel stays open and shows placeholder dashes instead of crashing.
Want a HUD that shows the same live numbers as the full app, resizes to whatever corner you have free, and gets out of the way when you need to click through it? Mini mode is a Pro feature.
Download free for Windows 10/11See also: How PowerDoze measures FPS · Windows GPU power limit guide · All features