Video hardware failure, PC over heating

[mangles1]

Purchased two 15" HP Spectrum X360 Convertibles in July 2018.  Had major video driver issues since day one.  HP was very responsive and worked remotely on both multiple times.  After some months, both PC became stable.  Then less than a year later one of them started a fast screen flicker on the internal display, but not the attached HP 2711 monitor.  So, for the past year I have been looking for clues, new drivers, BIOS, etc.  Both PCs are up to date, but the flicker continues with one of them during POST, and after the PC has been on for a number of hours.  Idle or not, doesn't matter. 

I noticed the PC is hotter on the left upper side near the hinge.  I say hotter as compared to the PC without issue.

Tonight, I also found I could reduce the flicker by changing the scan frequency to 40 Hertz from 60.  But this only worked when the extra monitor was plugged in.  That js, the internal monitor was stable with an external monitor connected.

Then I made the mistake of trying to get into safe mode via MSConfig.  Upon restarting the screen flicker could not be stopped.  I tried everything, or so I thought.  Disconnected all USB/IO adapters, external monitor, AC adapter.  Noting helped.

Again I notice this PC felt hot on the left side by the hinge. 

SO I PUT IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR for about 15 minutes.

Afterwards it booted up without issue into safe mode.  At this point I know I have a thermal problem that I had been chasing for the last year. I took it out of safe mode and rebooted without issue.

So now what?  Checked the HP Support app on the PC.  No joy. I have read KDB articles with known GPU thermal issues with this model PC.  I expect HP will not provide warranty support, but need to know my options.  If I replace it, I will go with a different vendor.  I like the PC, but have been dealing with the video issues since the day I purchased the two PCs.  Although only the one PC has continued to give me issue, which we thought was video drivers, not hardware.

Anyone have any advice on how best to resolve the issue?

[Riddle_Decipher]

@mangles1 Greetings from the HP Community!

Note: Please ensure the complete product name/number for a quicker response from the community, as we need to know what we are dealing with to provide an accurate solution: 

Click here for steps on finding the information we need!

Remember: Do not share any of your personal information such as serial, phone number, email ID, etc.

Meanwhile, Click here for steps to resolve overheating issues, you could try reducing the resolution on the in-game settings and switch the windows settings to performance rather than visual effects to make a minor change, however, the game may heat up your PC, hence make sure you are using a cooling pad as well, to be on a safer side.

Here's how you change windows settings:

• Go to Start Menu > click on Settings.
• Type performance > choose to Adjust the appearance and performance of Windows.
• In the new window, go to the Visual Effects and select Adjust for best performance.
• click Apply and Ok...this should do the trick.

Keep us posted,

If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, 

Give us a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on this post, 

Have a great day!

[mangles1]

Thank you for your posting help.  A lot has been explored since my original posting.

While neither of our X360s (2FW62AV) are is used for gaming, the wife's PC (5CD8274J8R) does run hotter.  Both are configured the same as they were purchased at the same time.  Since your posting I have found countless postings addressing the X360 and other manufactures PCs with a similar screen flicker going back a few years. At this point in time I am convince this is a production issue with the built-in display electronics. Not the GPU, etc. It acts like an impedance or grounding issue. 

Why do I say this. Because the screen flickers during POST, even when the PC was off over night. The external HP2711 monitor has never showed signs of any flicker, even during POST, as one would expect, since the PC does not check for an external monitor until later when the OS runs PnP. Since the flicker starts before drivers are loaded, I know it is native to the hardware or BIOS.  And since I can influence the flicker as noted below, I am concluding the problem to be hardware, within the PC monitor electronics.  

BIOS is the latest from HP as are the video drivers.  When both PCs were new, we had driver issues that HP updated remotely.  The BIOS at the time was also updated.  I have since ensured all HP updates are applied and the same.  I am not using driver updates directly from the likes of Intel as they do not play nice with the 8705 i7. Rather I only obtain HP updates.

I have reduce screen refresh to 40 Hz from 60.  Also reduced resolution to 1920 x 1080 from 3840 x 2160 on the problem PC. 

During PnP switching, induced by disconnecting the external HP2711, I can reliability get the PC display to flicker.  And I can make it stop by either turning back on the external monitor.  Or if I need to use the X360 as a standalone, I just put it in the refrigerator for ten minutes.

As an FYI, I did verify the fans are operating correctly.  And I even replaced them as one was somewhat dirty. 

In using the CPUUID HWMonitor, I noted the problem PC's power consumption is greater while at idle. And neither PC was using the Radeon Vega GPU or showed the fans in use.

I have not called HP support, as there is no point, as the warranty expired in July 2019. Based on postings from others with the same problem, there is also no point in sending the PC to HP for repair.

Somewhere there is a team and an HP engineer that knows this problem.  But, my old HP contacts retired long ago, as I did when I left HP in 2002. So I no longer have the ability to call within HP to obtain info. My next step will be to swap internal displays between the PCs to see if the problem stays with the built-in display.

re, mike angles

[Riddle_Decipher]

@mangles1 I understand your concern and I have brought your issue to the attention of an appropriate team within HP.

They will likely request information from you in order to look up your case details or product serial number.

Please look for a private message from an identified HP contact.

Additionally, keep in mind not to publicly post personal information (serial numbers and case details).

If you are unfamiliar with how the Community's private message capability works, you can learn about that here.

Thank you for visiting the HP Support Community.

[mangles1]

I have identified my PC screen flicker problem.  As I previously stated, because the HP logo flickers during POST, the problem is not driver related.  And, with time I have found I can eliminate the flickering by placing the PC in our refrigerator for 10 minutes or so.  For this most part, I concluded the issue to be hardware, not software.

When I buy PCs, I buy two of the same model at a time.  One for my wife and one for myself.  Doing so provides spare parts, and allows me to focus on learning and supporting just that model...

Yesterday, I wanted to refine my problem focus to the specific hardware, so I swap the internal laptop displays.  Not difficult.  The biggest issue was keeping cat fur out of the PCs.

And.... The screen flicker moved from the wife's Spectre to mine. 

This problem started about 15 months after the purchases. So, no warranty.  And it became worse with time. The PC was purchased in July 2018. If it weren't for having an external monitor, the PC would have been worthless as a brick by Christmas 2019. Yeah, I know HP and others say focus on the drivers. But since the PCs are identical in every-way, except for the screen flicker, I felt it had to be either an application or hardware.  And when the problems stated showing up during POST as it became worse, I knew it was hardware.  But not which component or the reason. Fan replacement did not help, but the problem PC runs a little warmer than the other one.  And using the likes of CPUID Temp monitor also did not provide a clear indicator.

I do not know what electronics are on board the internal display.  And since the problem at first would appear after the PC had been on for many hours, I knew it was thermal.  Just not where or why. Now I know where.  As for the why - It could just be a bad solder joint, an ill-fitting connector in the display, or a chip problem that heat makes worst. I wish I could open the display.  As an FYI, ice packs did not reduce the screen flicker.  But sometimes, switching the external monitor (HP 2711) on and off did eliminate the flicker for a while.  Doing so would could also induce flicker.

Unfortunately, I could not locate useful display internals information.  So, I will replace the display.  In checking the HP Parts web site, I found the display available for over $1,200. Seems rather excessive to me, as I can purchase a replacement PC for 20% more, which I am still considering, even after making an Ebay purchase for a boxed refrib display for a reasonable price.

One last statement.  In my research I found this issue to be common for various PC manufactures going back to 2017.  Not a surprise, as they source common components. This also indicates to me a production problem that no one wants to talk about. 

This will be my last posting on this matter.  Good luck to all.  Stay healthy, and happy computing. 

regards, mike angles