Samsung NVMe very slow after BIOS upgrade to F.28 on Victus HP 15L TG02-0000a

[medienmod]

Hello. I upgraded BIOS to F.28 (sp163001)  yesterday, because the HP support assistant was showing the update. The BIOS does not have any SATA-Mode options because everything is hidden. 

The mainboard is a 89DB Erica8  with one NVMe slot. It looks like the board is not PCIe 4.x comaptible. Samsung Magician reports that I am using PCIe 3x2. But the speed is very low that it looks like throttling down to 2x after the upgrade to BIOS F.28. I am reaching 1700 MB read and write which should be around 3500 MB.

Also the PC is struggling if I have several windows open which was no problem before.

Can I downgrade the BIOS? Where can it be downloaded? 

How can I reach advanced options in BIOS to change the paramter for the controller?

Thank you in advance.

Edit:

Downgraded to F.27 (sp158037), download found on: https://support.hp.com/de-de/document/ish_12440852-12441424-16/hpsbhf04016

The SSD is not faster, still on PCIe 3x2 but the system performs a lot better. In my opinion the BIOS update has a problem with Victus HP 15L TG02-0000a

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @medienmod,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your Samsung NVMe SSD performance has dropped significantly after updating your Victus 15L TG02-0000a BIOS to version F.28, and you’re noticing slower PCIe speeds and system lag. Let’s go through a few points and steps that might help address this.

a. About BIOS Downgrade
HP does not assist in downgrading the BIOS. Once the firmware is updated, the system is designed to prevent rollback to earlier versions to ensure system stability and security compliance.

b. Verify NVMe Drive Health

Open Samsung Magician and check the Drive Health Status and Temperature.

If the drive is running hot (above 70°C), it may automatically throttle to lower speeds.

Ensure the latest Samsung NVMe driver is installed (not the Microsoft default driver).

c. Check Power and Performance Settings

Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings.

Under PCI Express → Link State Power Management, set it to Off.

Also, ensure Windows → Settings → System → Power & battery is set to Best Performance mode.

d. Update Chipset and Storage Drivers

Visit HP’s support site for your model and download the latest AMD chipset drivers and storage controller drivers.

Outdated or generic drivers can limit the NVMe performance even if the PCIe lanes are available.

e. Re-seat or Test the NVMe Drive (Optional)

If you’re comfortable opening the system, remove and reinsert the NVMe SSD to ensure it’s properly seated in the slot.

Inspect the connector for any dust or obstruction.

f. BIOS Advanced Options

HP consumer BIOS menus (including Victus series) are intentionally limited and do not provide access to advanced SATA/NVMe lane or PCIe configuration options.

These parameters are automatically managed by the firmware and hardware.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[medienmod]

Hello Kurio_Kenshi,

thank you for your answer.

a. About BIOS Downgrade

The downgrade was possible. I could simply install the previous version

b. Verify NVMe Drive Health

Health is good

c. Check Power and Performance Settings

was set this way

d. Update Chipset and Storage Drivers

Latest installed

e. Re-seat or Test the NVMe Drive (Optional)

Tried already, no difference

f. BIOS Advanced Options

This is really bad, because this way I am not able to control the port.

The performance is better with F.27, but it is still showing PCIe 3x2

Does this board support PCIe 3x4 ?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @medienmod,

Thank you for the response.

I understand your Samsung NVMe SSD performance dropped after updating the BIOS to version F.28 on your Victus 15L TG02-0000a, and even after downgrading to F.27, the SSD still runs on PCIe 3x2 instead of 3x4. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be limiting the performance.

Confirm Hardware Lane Support

The Victus 15L TG02-0000a mainboard (Erica8) supports PCIe Gen3 x4, but certain configurations or preinstalled drives may run at x2 if the slot shares lanes with other devices (like Wi-Fi or secondary M.2).

You can verify by checking your motherboard manual or HP documentation for your exact configuration.

Check for Shared PCIe Lanes

If both NVMe and another M.2 or SATA device are installed, they may share PCIe lanes, causing your SSD to run in x2 mode.

Try removing any secondary drives temporarily and check Samsung Magician again.

Inspect BIOS Settings

HP consumer BIOS has limited configuration options, and advanced PCIe lane settings are hidden.

However, you can try resetting BIOS to factory defaults:

Power on → tap F10 → choose Exit → Load Setup Defaults → Yes, then Save & Exit.

This ensures no incorrect settings are restricting the NVMe link speed.

Verify NVMe Driver and Firmware

Install the latest Samsung NVMe Driver directly from Samsung’s support website, not the Microsoft default one.

Open Samsung Magician → check for any firmware update available for your SSD.

Update Chipset Drivers

Download the latest AMD Chipset Driver for the Victus 15L TG02-0000a from HP’s support site.

Outdated storage or PCIe drivers can limit bandwidth even if the hardware supports x4.

Test with CrystalDiskInfo or HWiNFO

Use these tools to check “PCIe Interface” and “Negotiated Link Width.”

If it still reads x2, the limitation is likely hardware (lane-sharing) rather than software.

Thermal or Power Throttling

Ensure the SSD is not overheating. When NVMe drives exceed ~70°C, they throttle speed automatically.

Check the temperature in Samsung Magician. If high, improve airflow or add a heatsink if possible.a

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,