CPU running at max boost when charging

[Clevor]

I have a recent Omen 17 with i7-8750H CPU. I notice that while charging, all six cores are running at max clock. Temps aren't an issue here, around 45-52 C constant. If this is normal, why is this? Unplug the charger, and the cores run at base clock. It doesn't matter how much multitasking is being done at the same time.

For example, I could be streaming live TV, downloading a 4 MB file, playing a HD video on Youtube, and browsing Amazon.com. With the charger unplugged, all cores run at base clock. But plug the charger in and all the cores run at max clock. Similarly, I can disconnect completely from the internet and have the computer idle doing nothing, but all six cores run at max boost during charging.

There are similar issues with other brands of laptops like the Lenovos. It seems to be a quick charge feature for the first 30-50% of charge. On the Lenovos, temps get quite high, in the 70 C range with peaks >90 C.

Is this a trend with modern laptops?

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Clevor (Does this choice of user name have something to do with ford mustang or is it just because the ID "clever" was taken by someone else and you chose what rhymes?) Just curious! 😉

Welcome to HP Forums, 

This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips, 

Thank you for posting your query, I'll be more than glad to help you out 🙂 

As I understand the CPU is running at max boost when charging,

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, however, to provide an accurate resolution, I need a few more details: 

• Have you attempted to update the BIOS, Chipset and graphics cards?
  • If not, use this link to download and install it now: https://hp.care/2B3MVQS
• Are you sure that's 90 C (Celsius) and not 90 F (Fahrenheit) ?
• Did you check if the issue persists while charging with an alternate power adapter or wall outlet?

While you respond to that, here's what you need to know:

NOTE: Generally, when temperatures inside the case rise above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), the risk of damaging important internal components increases greatly.

That said, since Omen products are built for high-performance gaming among others, it also has the coolants in place to ensure overheating doesn't happen, however, if there are issues as such, I recommend you follow the steps mentioned below:

Heat buildup can cause problems for any laptop (notebook). Generally, when temperatures inside the case rise to excessive amounts, the risk of damaging important internal components increases greatly. The most common cause of overheating is the accumulation of dust inside the laptop. The electrical components in a notebook generate heat and fans inside the notebook help move the air to keep the components cooled to normal operating temperatures. Inadequate cooling can cause excess heat to build up inside the case which can damage components. The sound of the fan running constantly may indicate that the laptop is getting hot and is not running as efficiently as possible and that there is a problem with accumulated dust clogging the air vents.

FOR DETAILS & FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS, USE THIS LINK: https://hp.care/2sFzEsK

(By the end of this article all the issues should be resolved)

Keep me posted,

For I shall follow-up on this case to ensure the concern has been addressed, 

And your device is up and running again, 

that said, If the information I've provided was helpful, 

give us some reinforcement by clicking the solution and kudos buttons, 

that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!

Good Luck.

[Clevor]

Hi Riddle:

As to my nickname, I have been using it for forums for the last 20 years and only one other person figured it out. He was also an old time hot rodder who was actually from my home state. 'Clevor' stands for Cleveland cylinder heads on a Ford Windsor block, e.g. Clev-or. Ford never built such a production engine but dirt track guys used that combination with good success. It is related to the Ford Mustang since that engine could be used in that car.

As for the phenomena I am noticing, I am using the OEM charger. One other thing I notice is that since I have set the max charging to 80% in the BIOS, I often see from the battery icon: 79% full, not charging. So the battery is not trickle charging at the 80% full limit (like a car battery, for example). However the 6 cores are still running at 3900-4100 Mhz clock! So what is happening is the battery will not be charged beyond 80% but the battery pack is still charging! And that means constantly, as long as the charger is hooked up to the computer. Since the battery life on the Omen is only around 3 hours on the battery, most who are using the laptop for general use such as e-mail or browsing the web leave the charger hooked up all the time. If you use the laptop for 8-12 hours, the CPU is running near max boost the entire time even though you are not even multitasking or doing CPU-intensive tasks.

The fortunate thing is heat is not an issue here (unlike the Lenovos) since I see average temps in the 40-51 C range during that time, and I don't hear any fans running. Still, why run the CPU at such an elevated clock if it is not necessary? I think that HP needs to fix this issue in the BIOS, to prevent the CPU from running at near max clock merely because the battery pack is charging.

[Riddle_Decipher]

@Clevor

Thank you for responding,

It's great to have you back 😉

I'm glad I could decipher the nickname, that's quite an achievement if I'm the only other guy to have decoded it, thank you for the info! 😉 that made my day and it's time I return that favor,

That said, as for the CPU overclocking during battery recharge, I recommend you run an extensive test on the CPU/Processor using the HP Hardware Diagnostics tool, I've mentioned a few details on how you could go about using this tool:

1. Hold the power button for at least five seconds to turn off the computer.

2. Turn on the computer and immediately press Esc repeatedly, about once every second. When the menu appears, press the F2 key.

3. On the main menu, click Component Tests.

   Figure : Selecting Component Tests from the main menu

   

4. The Component Tests menu displays.

   Your Component Tests menu might be different, depending on the components installed on your computer.

   Figure : Sample list of Component Tests

   

If everything is in place and tests pass, it seems to be working as designed, I should be able to forward this as a feedback to the concerned team and they can have it fixed for the new releases, however, if the test fails, there could be a hardware malfunction causing the issue and I recommend you Contact HP to have the device repaired:

HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link:  

1) Click on this link - https://hp.care/2moMFSc

2) Click on "Continue as guest".

3) Enter the serial of your device.

4) Select the country from the drop-down.

5) Click on "Show Options".

Fill the web-form. A case number and phone number will now populate for you.

They will be happy to assist you immediately. 

If the unit is under warranty repair services under the manufacturer's warranty will be free of charge.

If you would like to thank me for my efforts to help you, 

feel free to give me a virtual high-five by clicking the 'Thumbs Up' icon below, 

Followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution".

Have a great day!

[Clevor]

Hi Riddle:

On my new Omen HP 17T, I can run those diagnostic tests in Windows 10, after I download and install the HP Diagnostic Test software. However as I mentioned on my other post about the CPU test not being accurate, the entire suite of tests only takes 3' to run - with the exception of the Long Drive Self Test. That one probably takes a few hours on my 1 TB 7200 rpm secondary SATA drive so I cancel out on that test. So if you use that suite of tests as a stress test for your new HP laptop, it's not very rigorous compared to those of other manufacturer's.

I feel HP needs to come out with a bonafide stress/stability system of tests (particularly for the CPU) because you need to find out within the 30 day return period if the system is stable. Otherwise owners will experience failures down the line, after the return period or after a year, when the warrantee is up.

AIDA64 includes a good stress test application which you can run as long as you want. I only dared to run it for 10', but the #2 core ran a sustained 84 C during the test. Peak temps hit up to 99 C on the cores, which is being experienced by several owners who recently purchased an Omen. Hopefully HP finds a solution to this problem, as well as this issue where the CPU is running at near max boost whenever the laptop is charging. The problem with AIDA64 is it's sorta a ripoff, because to unlock all the features, you have to pay $39 and that is only a 1-year subscription!!! You have to renew it every year, and it is good for up to 3 computers. You could download a free trial for 30 days, but the stress test feature is greyed out.

[DavidSMP]

@Clevor,

I read the quick post. Thanks for the update. Your efforts and time are immensely appreciated. You've displayed superb technical expertise, infinite patience, and a splendid temperament to try and resolve the issue. Kudos to you for a job well done. 🙂

HP has its own diagnostics to measure and does not recommend third party diagnostics. Having said that, if you think the CPU temperature is not within permissible limits and it overheats, then without much Ado, I recommend that you contact HP phone support to get the situation corrected as there is more to it than meets the eye. It could be a hardware issue with the computer.

I am being honest about it here by keeping your best interest in mind without beating around the bush.  Meanwhile, please check with another compatible charger and power cord if possible if the CPU overheats with a different charger. Please step into a local store like Best Buy or Staples and test it without paying for the charger or buying it.

If another charger works fine and the CPU does not overheat, then replacing the charger should do the trick for you. Please contact HP phone support by following these steps:

HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: 

1. Click on this link – https://hp.care/2moMFSc
2. 2) Click on “Continue as guest”.
3. 3) Enter the serial of your device.
4. 4) Select the country from the drop-down.
5. 5) Click on “Show Options”.

Fill the web-form. A case number and phone number will now populate for you.
They will be happy to assist you immediately.

If the unit is under warranty, the manufacturer’s warranty should take care of it for you.

You are a valued HP customer and it is paramount to assist you here. 

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes. To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead. 🙂

 Cheers!

[Kakamitoto]

Hi , Clevor

i 'm on my way to get this Omen , but as is see you suffer from 2 problems 
1-overheating problem 

2- max lock CPU

did the update of bios resolve the problem , or the problem still exist  ? did the overheating come just while you are playing games or also on  idle ??

Thank you

[Clevor]

In regards to the computer running at max CPU clock during charging I found the solution to the problem: I had the battery charging set to MAX PERFORMANCE. If you do this, the CPU will run at max clock during the charging process. I simply set the charging preference to 1/4 or 3/4 (best balance of performance and battery life) and now the CPU runs at idle during the charging process. I confirmed my Lenovo Yoga 920 does the same thing during charging.

As for the CPU overheating problem, this is happening with the 8th gen i7s across the board with all manufacturers. Owners are complaining of frame drops and computers shutting down. Intel has really thrown a wrench into the works with the manufacturers of gaming laptops. It remains to be seen down the line the impact of all this, whether systems will fail outside of the warrantee. I was reading a review of a gaming laptop that came out last year and the writer was complaining that CPU temps in the high 80s was intolerable and he wanted to see ideal temps during gaming of 74-84C max peak. HA HA HA HA HA! Not any more with these i7-8550s, i7-8560s, i7-8750s, i7-8850s, up to the high end i9s.

It's similar with the situation of Microsoft increasing system resources with each Windows 10 upgrade. They are inadvertently forcing owners of 10-15 old computers (like me) to upgrade to new machines. Great for the laptop manufacturers! While streaming live TV Microsoft Edge is using 20-30% of resources on my old 2008 OCZ Whitebook, causing the fan to run constantly and causing the CPU to run sustained temps of up to 74 C (and that laptop was the fastest gaming machine in 2008 so it has massive cooling). On the Omen 17T with the i7-8750, system resources are 1-3% while streaming live TV via Microsoft Edge. BTW, I tried Chrome and Firefox and no good, was still using up huge system resources on my OCZ Whitebook. This only started happening within the last year as I upgraded Win 10 to 1709, then 1803.

[jajaboss]

Oh yeah it's solved!! Left click on the battery and the Drag the slider to the middle, That fixed it! Thank you all. I've been working around this for 2 days