Laptop performs really poor when plugged in

[LemmyTC]

HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop Model 15-ec1
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 4600H with Radeon Graphics 3.00 GHz
Main Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
Installed RAM 16.0 GB

Hi. I have a problem with the performance on my laptop when plugged in. As far as I know, it happens on most games I play. Whenever plugged into the charger , my fps drops to 10 and below and goes back up after unplugging in a few seconds. It's consistent and happens every time ,and the audio also becomes choppy when it happens. Laptop is nearly 4yrs old.

I've tried troubleshooting in the following ways:
Changing my battery plan to performance (through control panel and Nvidia control panel)
Updating drivers, closing apps, using NVIDIA app, BIOS is up to date, as are all drivers.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @LemmyTC,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be happy to help you! 

Excellent description and a great diagnosis. It is greatly appreciated.           

However, kindly check the below steps and you may ignore them if you have already tried.

It sounds like your HP Pavilion Gaming laptop might be experiencing a throttling issue when plugged in, which can cause significant performance drops. Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot and hopefully resolve the issue:

1. Check Power Settings

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options.
• Select the High-Performance power plan.
• Click on Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
• Expand Processor power management > Maximum processor state.
• Ensure that both On battery and Plugged in are set to 100%.

2. Adjust NVIDIA Settings

• Right-click on your desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
• Go to Manage 3D settings > Global Settings.
• Set the Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance.

3. Check for Thermal Throttling

Your laptop might be overheating, causing it to throttle when charging.

• Clean your laptop’s vents and fans to ensure there is no dust buildup.
• Consider using a cooling pad to help manage temperatures.
• Install a monitoring tool like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner to check your laptop's temperatures while gaming.

4. Disable Battery Boost in NVIDIA GeForce Experience

• Open NVIDIA GeForce Experience.
• Go to Settings > Games.
• Turn off Battery Boost if it's enabled.

Kindly check the next steps in the next post.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @LemmyTC,

Please find the next steps below.

5. Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers

• Go to Device Manager (press Windows key + X and select Device Manager).
• Expand Display adapters.
• Right-click on your NVIDIA graphics card and select Update driver.
• Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.
• If the problem persists, download the latest drivers from the NVIDIA website and perform a clean installation.

6. Check for BIOS Settings

• Sometimes BIOS settings related to power management can cause throttling.
• Restart your laptop and enter the BIOS setup (usually by pressing F10, Esc, or Delete during boot).
• Look for any settings related to performance, power management, or thermal throttling.
• Ensure these are set to maximize performance.

7. Check Battery and Charger Health

• An aging or faulty battery/charger can cause power delivery issues.
• Consider replacing the battery if it’s significantly worn out.
• Test with a different, compatible charger if possible.

8. Windows Power Troubleshooter

• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
• Run the Power troubleshooter.

9. Check Windows Updates and Background Processes

• Ensure Windows is fully updated.
• Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
• Disable unnecessary background processes and startup programs.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • Disable any non-essential programs under the Startup tab.

10. Reset or Reinstall Windows

• If none of the above steps work, consider resetting Windows to its default state or performing a clean installation. This can resolve any underlying software issues causing the performance drop.

If you've tried all these steps and the problem persists, it may be worth contacting HP phone support for further assistance, as there might be a hardware-related issue.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.