Omen Discrete Graphics

[Nateglider]

I recently used Omen Gaming to switch from Hybrid to Discrete Graphics. After doing this any game I attempt to launch crashes almost immediately, and in my task manager it shows my CPU usage suddenly spikes to 100 percent. I had no issues with this until I switched to discreet graphics and am still having the issue after 

[Garp_senchau]

@Nateglider, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

It sounds like there could be some conflicts or misconfigurations after switching from Hybrid to Discrete Graphics. Here’s a step-by-step troubleshooting guide to help resolve this issue:

Update Drivers

• Graphics Drivers: Ensure that you have the latest drivers for your discrete GPU. Visit the official websites of your GPU's manufacturer (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD) and download the latest drivers. Sometimes, Windows will fail to update these properly after hardware changes.
• Chipset/CPU Drivers: Make sure your chipset and CPU drivers are up to date, as these can affect overall system performance and stability.

Check Power Settings

• Power Plan: Ensure your power settings are optimized for gaming. Sometimes, performance settings can throttle your CPU under certain power plans.
  1. Go to Control Panel > Power Options.
  2. Select the High-Performance plan.
• Disable Fast Startup: In some cases, fast startup may cause issues.
  1. Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power button does.
  2. Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
  3. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended) and save changes.

Check Task Manager & Resource Usage

• CPU Spikes: If your CPU spikes to 100%, it could indicate that the system is trying to compensate for something that isn't set up correctly.
  • Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc): Check which process is consuming CPU. If it’s related to the GPU driver or a background process related to the graphics switch, you might need to reinstall or repair your graphics drivers.
  • You can also disable unnecessary startup programs that might be causing excessive load.

Reinstall the Graphics Driver

• Sometimes a fresh install of the graphics driver can resolve conflicts.
  1. Uninstall the current graphics driver: Go to Device Manager > Display Adapters, right-click on your GPU, and uninstall it.
  2. Use DDU (Display Driver Uninstaller): Download and run DDU to fully remove any remnants of old drivers.
  3. Reinstall the latest drivers for your discrete GPU after rebooting.

[Garp_senchau]

Verify Graphics Settings in BIOS/UEFI

• Some systems may default to using integrated graphics even after switching to discrete graphics. Check your BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure the discrete GPU is enabled.
  1. Restart your computer and enter BIOS/UEFI by pressing the key displayed on boot (usually F2, DEL, or ESC).
  2. Look for Primary Display or Graphics Configuration settings and set the discrete GPU as the default.
  3. Save and exit BIOS/UEFI.

Check for System Errors (Event Viewer)

• Sometimes, crash logs in the Event Viewer can give you more details about what is going wrong.
  1. Press Win + X and select Event Viewer.
  2. Go to Windows Logs > Application and look for any error messages that correspond to your crashes.
  3. If you see errors related to your GPU or any other system component, it might indicate a conflict that needs to be addressed.

Test with a Different Game/Software

• To isolate the issue, try running a different, less demanding game or graphical application. If the issue persists with all games, it’s likely a driver or hardware issue. If only one specific game crashes, the issue might be with that game’s settings or compatibility.

Monitor System Temps

• Overheating could cause crashes, especially if the GPU or CPU is under load.
  • If the CPU or GPU temperature is too high, ensure your laptop/PC cooling is working properly.

Check for Background Processes

• Disable any background programs that might be interfering, such as recording software (e.g., OBS), overlays (e.g., Discord), or even antivirus programs that might be causing issues.

Rollback to Hybrid Graphics (Test)

• If the problem persists despite all of the above steps, temporarily revert to Hybrid Graphics to see if the issue disappears. If it does, it could indicate a deeper issue with your discrete GPU setup.

I hope these steps help resolve the issue

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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