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HP Recommended
HP Omen 15
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

Good evening, everyone!

 

NOTE: I am using an HP Omen 15 laptop out-of-the-box, with the i7 / RTX 2060 combo and 300hz screen. I can post full system specs later when home if needed, but I'm hoping this is enough?

 

I have an issue with my month-old HP Omen that I still have not been able to resolve. I bought my HP Omen 15 in the first week of September 2020. It was GREAT! Fantastic, no problems playing on the built-in 300hz monitor that came with it or playing on my 21" ONN computer monitor connected via HMDI or my 43" TCL 4K UHC Smart TV connected via HDMI (one of the other, not both at once).

 

Then about three weeks later HP did a BIOS update on me. I turned the computer on after work one day and it just did it. No option to wait for later. No option to refuse. I talked via online chat with an HP Assistant who told me that there was no option to turn off the automatic updates any more. The Assistant claimed that all HP updates had been thoroughly checked before being deployed. No, I have not talked to HP Assistants since, because I'm afraid I'm going to lose my temper again after paying what I paid for a "gaming laptop" that can no longer handle "playing games" due to something that I really think HP broke. I'm just really frustrated at this point, sorry.

 

Ever since that BIOS update, my primary game - Guild Wars 2 - has been unstable. Playing my games on the laptop's built-in screen was perfectly fine. However, whenever I connected the laptop to my 21" ONN computer monitor or my 43" TCL 4K UHD Smart TV the second screen would just go black after a while and I would be stuck in-game. I could launch the Task Manager on the laptop screen but I was unable to do anything in it - because my mouse cursor would act like it was still in-game and not be able to click anything on the desktop of the laptop screen or click on the Task Manager options. So I was forced to hold the power button down to force it to shut down. This could happen anytime between ten minutes and two hours into my game session.

 

When the computer started up again, I got a blue screen saying that the PC encountered a problem and I had to wait for it to resolve the issue. After it did start again, sometimes I had access to my Nvidia control panel, sometimes I didn't - and the RTX 2060 wasn't recognized in device manager either. Sometimes I had to restart my laptop again to get it to recognize the RTX 2060.

 

I did a Factory Reset on the laptop to eliminate software issues, but the problems persisted.

 

I took it back to Best Buy (where I purchased it) and discussed with their Geek Squad. I thought the RTX 2060 was bad or dying perhaps. They said it was an issue with the refresh rate between the laptop's integrated 300hz screen and the secondary monitors I was connecting to. I asked them why it worked without a problem for the first three weeks. They had no idea.

 

I went home, installed MSI Afterburner to monitor the card better and the card is *not* overheating. So that's not the issue. I used it for monitoring only, I have no intentions of overclocking the card.

 

SO - I found the display refresh rate settings on the laptop. I connected the laptop to my secondary monitors and set both the HP Omen's 300hz screen and the secondary monitor screens to 60hz refresh rate. I made sure my in-game settings (for Guild Wars 2) included V-Sync as well as limiting frames to 60 fps. Since I paid for a gaming laptop, I do have all graphics setting set to High or Ultra. For added measure, I disabled Window's Game Mode in case it was interfering in any way.

 

I was able to play like this for over three hours uninterrupted by black screens! I thought the problem was solved, but was wrong. Apparently my fix was only good for a two monitor setup?

 

Then two nights ago I was playing on my laptop *without* the secondary screen - which has never been a problem. But now the game shuts down on me at random times playing on just the laptop! It looks like the RTX 2060 is just stopping on me, screen does not go black.

 

When I turn on the laptop it uses the integrated graphics card, understandable since it doesn't need a high powered graphics card for basic tasks. The refresh rate was set to 300hz. I went to the nVidia Control Panel and I am unable to find any setting for it while the computer is running on the integrated card. So I fired up Guild Wars 2 to engage the nVidia RTX 2060, hoping to be able to view/adjust the settings then but I am still not able to. It looks like I can only change display settings on the nVidia card when I have it running the second monitor. I am wondering if the nVidia card is still on 60hz settings playing Guild Wars 2 while the integrated card is set to 300hz and that is causing a conflict. Wish I was able to see the in-game nVidia settings while out of game...

 

I hope I've explained everything well enough. I *really* want to know what the HP Omen forced BIOS update did to my new computer, why it no longer works perfectly because of it, and even more importantly, what can I do to resolve the problem? I am obviously not an expert on this so I thought buying a new HP Omen built for gaming would have come ready-to-play and not in need of a Geek Squad in the first month of use. My *assumption* right now is that the HP BIOS update changed a default refresh rate setting and I *assume* when I originally bought the machine there was some sort of display/resolution/refresh setting or program that allowed for a dynamic or adaptive change in the display settings based on the applications and output devices being used at the time.

 

I'm tempted to use MSI Afterburner to *underclock* the RTX 2060, but I really don't thing that's the issue. When it runs it runs great.

 

Thank you in advance for any assistance. I cannot commit to any raid-type scenarios in games right now on my new "gaming" laptop and I'm really not happy about it. At least there's basic 'farming' and open world zerg stuff to do that doesn't require committment. I'm hoping there is an easy fix, perhaps something that I just might not be aware of?

 

P.S. I've been a desktop PC AMD / Radeon computer user for a very long time. This is my first Intel/nVidia combination laptop. I don't know if it's an Intel/nVidia issue or an HP issue or both.

5 REPLIES 5
HP Recommended

@LysanderFreeman Welcome to HP Community!

 

I understand that the HP Omen 15 refresh rate issues after recent BIOS update.

 

In that case, I would suggets you rollback the BIOs and check.

 

1) Shutdown the computer.  

2) Hold down the Windows and B button together while the computer is still turned off.  

3) Turn on the computer and continue to hold the Windows and B button until a BIOS Recovery screen appears.  

4) Follow on-screen instructions and click on OK 

 

Try updating the computer, this will install the latest updates -

 

Step 1 Windows Updates -

1) In the search box, type, and open Windows Updates.

2) Check for updates.

3) If the updates are available, click on install and restart the computer.

 

Step 2 Install updates using HP Support Assistant

  1. In the search box, type, and open HP Support Assistant. 
  2. Check for updates. 
  3. If the updates are available, click on install and restart the computer.  

Note: If you do not have HP Support Assistant installed, Click here to download the same.

 

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!

HP Recommended

Thank you for this! I feel it is only the first half of the problem, though.

 

I want to go back to before the BIOS was updated, I do *not* want the September 2020 BIOS update that was forced upon me. I didn't know it was going to be installed, had no option. I cannot locate a BIOS file older than September 2020. Do you know where I can find one? The September update created my problem.

 

Best regards ~

J.R.

HP Recommended

@LysanderFreeman

 

Please provide the correct product number.

 

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.

 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03754824

 

Have a nice day!!

 

HP Recommended

I finally got the Windows + B working... didn't take the first few times for some reason. 

 

Anyhow, the BIOS reset fixed the problem as far as I can tell. I did not update Windows or BIOS after the reset and removed the HP Support Assistant for now. I'm going to make recovery media this weekend while it is working well.

 

I'm sure I'm going to have to update at some point,  but until I know the updates are stable and won't break my gaming laptop,  updates will just have to wait.

HP Recommended

@LysanderFreeman

 

Thank you for the update.

 

In the future, if you have any other concerns. Please get back to us. We will assist you.

 

Have a nice day!!

† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.