In a multi-threaded processor mobile device, power consumption is reduced by matching a number of active processing resources with the data rate capability of a serving base station. The number of active resources may be adjusted to increase the amount of time the mobile device is in an all-waits period, where its processors are all idle at the same time. Increasing the all-waits time increases power savings. The mobile device may reduce the number of active resources to reduce power consumption or may increase the number of active resources temporarily in order to increase an all-waits period. The mobile device may also operate in a low power state by adjusting its active resources and operating at a reduced data rate, which is communicated to a base station.