Is Intel AMT Control needed on personal laptop or desktop?

Question

Is there any benefit having Intel AMT Control enabled on laptop that doesn't need to be managed by a IT department? And if it is disabled will increase performance or battery life?

Answer 1

AMT is primarily for out-of-band management. If you're not using it, then you can (usually) disable it via the system BIOS, but I don't believe it's going to affect performance ether way.

The odd thing is, it's usually disabled by default; requiring someone to enter the BIOS and set an AMT password to be able to turn it on. I'd wonder who turned it on, and why. :)

In newer models (vPro/AMT v4+) there is a new mode that allows a 'fast call for help' setup where your office, the OEM, or computer provider can set up a call for help button so you can contact them for help, even if the OS is broken and you're not on the same network. Perhaps that's why yours is enabled?

See here, here and here. :)