Various aspects include methods for managing memory subsystems on a computing device. Various aspect methods may include determining a period of time to force a memory subsystem on the computing device into a low power mode, inhibiting memory access requests to the memory subsystem during the determined period of time, forcing the memory subsystem into the low power mode for the determined period of time, and executing the memory access requests to the memory subsystem inhibited during the determined period of time in response to expiration of the determined period of time.