RTX 4050 TDP is absurdly low

[ArisGomes]

The RTX 4050 maxes out at 35-40W at 100% load for HP Victus F2701x, where 15.6 inch hp victus laptops meant to have 75W max tdp for gpu. The bios is F.04 and later versions arent showing in hp driver support

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @ArisGomes 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for laying out the situation so clearly. It’s genuinely frustrating when a high-performance GPU like the RTX 4050 is power-limited well below its expected capabilities—especially on a gaming laptop designed to support up to 75W TGP. 

Based on your observations and the current BIOS version (F.04), it appears the GPU is being capped at 35–40W under full load, which can significantly impact performance.

Here’s how you can move forward:

Understanding the TGP Limitation

• The RTX 4050 Laptop GPU is designed to operate between 35W and 115W, depending on manufacturer configuration.
• HP’s Victus 15-fa2000 series is expected to support up to 75W TGP, but your unit is currently capped at the lower end.
• This limitation is likely enforced at the firmware level, and without a BIOS update or EC firmware revision, it cannot be adjusted manually.

Recommended Actions

1. Check for Updated BIOS or EC Firmware

• Visit the HP Victus 15-fa2000 driver page and enter your full product number (A8VY0AV).
• If newer BIOS versions (e.g., F.05 or later) are not listed, it may indicate:
  • The update hasn’t been published for your region
  • The update is being rolled out in phases
  • The system board revision may not support higher TGP

 

2. Run GPU Monitoring Tools

To confirm TGP behavior:

• Use GPU-Z, HWInfo, or Nvidia System Monitor to log power draw and thermal limits
• Check whether Dynamic Boost or Battery Boost is capping performance
• Ensure the system is plugged in and set to Maximum Performance in Nvidia Control Panel

 

3. Contact HP Phone Support

If the system was advertised with 75W TGP and is consistently capped at 35–40W:

• Document your findings with screenshots and logs
• Reference your BIOS version and product number
• Request clarification on whether a firmware update is planned to unlock full TGP

You can initiate support through the HP Contact Portal and include a link to the community thread for context.

You’re clearly being precise and proactive, and this kind of issue deserves a transparent resolution.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye

[ArisGomes]

After a lot of research, I found that the HP Victus 15 FA2701TX comes with a 50W GPU TDP (maxes out at 50W) and a 120W charger. There’s no option for Dynamic Boost up to 75W. I once tried flashing the Visual BIOS of another HP Victus RTX 4050 (75W TDP) model while still using the stock 120W charger. It worked, but I faced battery drain issues under heavy load, since the charger could not keep up with the power draw. Eventually, I rolled back the Visual BIOS from 75W to the original 50W, because the EC/charger could not handle the wattage load and it caused small instabilities. Interestingly, many other HP Victus 15 models ship with a 75W TDP GPU by default. On my laptop, the NVIDIA Control Panel clearly shows a 50W max power limit. For reference, that means: 50W GPU (stock) + about 50W CPU draw = around 100W total on the stock 120W charger. 75W GPU (modded) + about 50W CPU draw = around 125W total, which already pushes beyond what the included charger can comfortably sustain. This raises the question of whether a 200W charger would make this setup stable. Now, my main doubt is: If I flash the Visual BIOS from another Victus model with the same GPU, will the warranty be voided? Can the FA2701TX motherboard and EC actually handle the 75W GPU + about 50W CPU reliably, provided the 200W power supply is sufficient? It is frustrating that some HP Victus units are limited to 50W, while my cousin’s RTX 3050 and GTX 1650 Victus laptops both came with 150W+ chargers, all from the same HP Victus 15 lineup.

[Hawks_Eye]

@ArisGomes 

You've really dug deep into this issue, and I can see how frustrating it must be with the lack of consistency in power configurations across HP Victus models, especially when you're dealing with GPUs that theoretically have a lot more headroom than what the laptop is set up to handle.

Let’s break it down a bit:

 

Flashing Visual BIOS & Warranty Concerns

First, flashing the Visual BIOS from another Victus model could very well void your warranty, especially if it involves altering power limits or other hardware settings that aren’t officially supported by the manufacturer. 

Can the EC/Motherboard Handle 75W GPU + 50W CPU?

This is the trickiest part. The FA2701TX is built to handle a max of 50W for the GPU, and you’ve already seen that pushing it to 75W with the stock charger causes instability. In theory, the motherboard and EC (Embedded Controller) could potentially handle the extra power, as long as the power delivery components are rated for it. But this isn't always a given, and since you're talking about a relatively lower-end power delivery system with the 120W charger, I’d be cautious.

Now, if you upgrade to a 200W charger, there’s a better chance that the system will handle the extra power draw, especially if you don’t exceed the limits for the CPU and GPU. But even with a 200W charger, the motherboard and EC have to be able to manage the power delivery safely. This is often the point of failure when you’re overclocking or modifying power limits—sometimes, the power phases or the controller can’t keep up with the increased demand, which leads to instability or throttling.

 

Will a 200W Charger Make It Stable?

A 200W charger would definitely give you more headroom, but stability isn’t guaranteed without ensuring that the rest of the system (including the motherboard, EC, and power delivery circuitry) is actually rated to handle that increased load. If the charger is powerful enough, but the power delivery system is still limited or poorly designed, you may still experience throttling, power fluctuations, or other instability. If you’re set on trying this, it might be worth looking for some feedback or user experiences from people who’ve tried similar modifications with the same or similar models.

Also, thermal performance would become critical. If the laptop’s cooling system isn't designed to dissipate the extra heat from a 75W GPU (compared to the stock 50W), you could run into thermal throttling or overheating issues. The cooling solution in some of these budget-friendly laptops is often designed for more conservative power draw, so an upgrade in power might necessitate additional cooling improvements (such as better thermal paste, external cooling pads, or even modding the internal cooling fan setup).

 

Why the 50W Limit in the FA2701TX?

The reason some HP Victus models are limited to 50W while others can go up to 75W likely comes down to internal design decisions—such as balancing cost, thermal performance, and battery life. A 75W GPU would definitely put more strain on the cooling system, and some models are optimized for lower power consumption (which, in turn, allows for smaller, quieter cooling systems). They might also reserve higher power options for the more premium models, which come with better thermal solutions and larger power supplies. In short, it’s likely a combination of engineering decisions to optimize for lower costs and thermals.

 

What’s the Solution?

If you want to get the most out of your RTX 4050 without risking stability, I’d suggest going with the 75W TDP mod only if you’re certain the cooling and power delivery systems in your laptop can handle it. The 200W charger would be an important part of the equation, but even with that, monitoring temperature and performance after the mod is crucial.

If you decide to proceed, just be prepared to roll back if things get too unstable. Another option could be external GPU (eGPU) solutions if you're primarily using the laptop for gaming or performance-heavy tasks. 

This would offload the GPU power draw and thermal load from the laptop itself, though it's not a perfect solution for portability.

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye