We need: lower consumption, better thermals and more performance - option to undervolt again

[Dr_stud]

I believe almost anyone, who has ever cared about performance of their laptop in the last 10 years has heard about undervolting. But if you have not, undervolting means to decrease the operating voltage of a component (in this case, CPU), which results in:

-Lower power consumption

-Lower operating temperature

-Better battery life

-and most importantly, higher performance.

As you see, it is a very nice feature to have, but unfortunately the option to undervolt has been completely removed without notice, in BIOS updates. For some  it was possible to downgrade to the earlier BIOS, but people, who purchased their computer much later, or had their computer board replaced recently were not allowed to do so.

I have no idea why the option for undervolting would not be reintroduced as an option! I do not even see the reasoning behind completely removing it.

Was it for security? There is an option to disable all kinds of built in security: SGX, TXT, TPM, you name it. Does that make the user vulnerable to exploits? Perhaps. But they are choices. I'd prefer to have the performance I could set up earlier with an undervolt, stable, with no issues. I'd prefer to have a choice, and decide myself.

For example with a toggle, in BIOS. Like how there is an option to turn Intel Management Engine off, even though that causes loss of core functionality: it literally deactivates the complete onboard audio and rotation sensors on the HP Zbook Studio x360 G5.

What is the point of having the top of the line Intel CPU-s, whether it's 6 or 8 cores, if they thermal throttle to the point where they perform under specification?  I would like to see my CPU perform better than it does now, while being 5-10 degrees Celsius cooler. I want it to perform how it already performed before.  And I am not alone with that.

Within the mobile computing world it has been common knowledge for years, that with some minor voltage adjustments the performance and thermals of a computer can be improved, while decreasing the power consumption. We need the option in BIOS, a toggle, to allow adjustment to FIVR and voltage control again.

That is the option we are asking for -  we want the better performing version of our laptop back.

[theroadwh]

I agree, that HP should re-enable undervolting on the next bios update or at least give the option for the people that need it?

Last Bios update doesn't let us go back to a version where we can do that, and on the current Bios version the fan profile is very lazy and let's the CPU run warmer (Fan starts spinning above 50C), so the problems compound, and I'm getting horrible Thermal Throttling and the laptop lost 1/2 the designed performance.

[Dr_stud]

I have seen how other Intel OEMs reverted the change, and I especially believe that ultrabooks with such restricted thermal headroom should have the option to be tuned by the user. Especially because how most of us had already had a stable setup that performed much better than the factory tune.

Is there anybody from HP reading this, who could make a change, or someone who could escalate the issue?

[Dr_stud]

Other relevant topics on the issue, requesting the feature to be reimplemented on the business line:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/HP-ZBook-Studio-x360-G5-with-i...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Undervolting-HP-Elitebook-840-...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/Intel-plundervolt-fix-brakes-undervolting-even-with...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/Is-a-BIOS-CPU-undervolt-possible/m-p/7548184

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Mobile-Printing-Cloud-Printing/Intel-XTU-and-ThrottleStop-no-longer-wo...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/Throttlstop-on-Elitebook-not-working/m-p/7355624

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/ZBook-G5-17-Bios-PROBLEM/m-p/7958093

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/ZBook-G5-17-Bios-Update-horribly-downgraded-perform...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/HP-Elitebook-830-G5-Cannot-downgrade-BIOS-after-upg...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Business-Notebooks/High-CPU-temperature-at-idle/m-p/7560648

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Undervolting/m-p/7489397

These are just instances of the countless posts mentioning the problem, not even accounting for the Spectre/Envy/Pavilion/Omen product lines.

[Dr_stud]

It would be a shame if this was also just another closed topic on the issue, without any official reply or action taken.

[Dr_stud]

Unfortunately, the 2021 May BIOS update (01.16.00 Rev.A) still hasn't reintroduced the option for FIVR control/undervolt.

A release of "Rev.B" with the freedom a choice would certainly make a lot of customers happy. The advantages of dropping unnecessarily high temperatures in summer heat while maintaining the same performance are substantial.

[Dr_stud]

I would like to advise all potential professional line customers to stay away from HP until this matter is taken seriously.

Based on the number of views this topic is getting I will make sure to keep you updated in case this changes in a positive direction, or if I am getting rid of this computer and move on to another manufacturer which values customer feedback and satisfaction.

The issue has also been reported to HP in the most official way I am aware of, and I encourage all fellow users to do so at this link.