Subject: HP Victus 16 – Display Flickering and HAL 21 Errors

[SuspiciousPig00]

Subject: HP Victus 16 – Display Flickering and HAL 21 Errors

Dear HP Support,

I am experiencing recurring flickering and hardware errors on my HP Victus 16 laptop.

Problem Description

• The display flickers heavily when running Valorant, lasting until the game crashes.

• On one occasion, the flickering also continued briefly after a system restart.

• An external keyboard also flickers, suggesting the issue is not limited to the display panel.

Error Logs

• Reliability Monitor reports Hardware Errors (HAL Event ID 21).

• LiveKernelEvent codes: 1a8 (PCIe bus error) and 1b8 (WHEA hardware error).

• Event Viewer also logs Win32k errors (Event ID 700) around the time of crashes.

Observations

• The issue first appeared after changing resolution to 1280×1024 (true stretch) in Valorant.

• Now the issue persists even after reinstalling Valorant and Vanguard.

• The problem occurs on both iGPU and dGPU, which suggests a system-wide fault.

Troubleshooting Tried

• Reinstalled Valorant and Vanguard.

• Updated GPU drivers.

• Ran Windows Memory Diagnostic (no errors found).

• Tested with both iGPU and dGPU (issue persists).

Request

Could you please review this issue? From my perspective, it may be related to the GPU/PCIe bus, power delivery, or hall sensor/display path — all of which are known weak points in this model. I would appreciate your guidance on repair options or recommended next steps.

Best regards,
Leoo

[zoey7886]

@SuspiciousPig00, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding HP Victus 16! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

That definitely sounds frustrating — especially when you’re mid-game and the screen starts flickering like a strobe light, only to end in a crash. Thanks for sharing the detailed logs, that helps narrow things down.

Since the errors point to PCIe and WHEA hardware events, this looks deeper than just Valorant or drivers. A couple of steps worth trying:

Run HP Hardware Diagnostics (F2 at startup) → check graphics and system board tests to rule out hardware faults.

Update BIOS and chipset drivers from the HP Support site for your exact Victus model.

Check Windows power settings → set to “High Performance” and disable PCIe Link State Power Management (this sometimes calms PCIe bus errors).  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[SuspiciousPig00]

nope it did not fix it, even worse it now happens during idle use

[Garp_senchau]

@SuspiciousPig00, 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

Reset BIOS to Default Settings:

Restart the laptop and press F10 to enter the BIOS settings.

Select Restore Defaults (usually found under the "File" menu).

Save and exit BIOS (F10).

This will clear any custom settings that may have been affecting power delivery or PCIe configurations.

Update or Reinstall BIOS and Chipset Drivers:

Go to the HP Support site and download the latest BIOS and chipset drivers for your exact Victus 16 model.

Install these updates, as they may contain critical fixes for hardware compatibility, especially related to PCIe bus management and power delivery.

Important: Do not skip BIOS updates, as they can resolve low-level hardware communication issues that affect things like GPU and PCIe operations.

Power Settings (Advanced Adjustments):

Go to Control Panel > Power Options.

Set to High Performance.

Click on Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings.

Find PCI Express > Link State Power Management and set it to Off.

Under Processor Power Management, set Maximum Processor State to 100% for both plugged in and battery options.

This ensures the system doesn’t throttle performance or interfere with power delivery to the GPU.

Perform a Clean Boot:

Disable unnecessary startup programs and non-Microsoft services to rule out any software conflicts:

Type msconfig in the Start Menu > Run.

Under the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services and click Disable all.

Under the Startup tab, click Open Task Manager, disable unnecessary startup items, and then restart your computer.

Check for Overheating or Power Delivery Issues:

Monitor temperatures during gameplay and idle (using software like HWMonitor or CoreTemp). Overheating could cause flickering or instability due to thermal throttling or poor power delivery.

Ensure that cooling vents are not blocked and that the system is properly ventilated.

If you find temperatures exceeding normal levels, consider using a cooling pad or cleaning the fan.

I hope this helps.

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. 

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!

Regards,