HP Envy x360 High cpu and fan noise due to audio device graph isolation process

[JeffJSmith]

This is an ongoing issue that I desperately need a fix from HP for.  I suspect it is associated with Skype for some reason.  I have tried rolling back the audio driver but that didn't seem to provide a solution for me.  Is that a driver that works OK?

I find it difficult to accept that HP can't get to the bottom of this.  My partner has a Microsoft Surface Pro 6 - it has no issues like this.  I thought HP was a trustworthy brand?

[banhien]

@JeffJSmith 

We need to know what is your HP Envy x360  ?  Please use the following instructions to find out the model/product of your machine:

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

Please do NOT post its Serial number (s/n).

Regards.

[JeffJSmith]

Hi - it is an Envy 15-cn0xxx convertible.  Bought at Christmas 2018.

Thanks for your interest 🙂

[Mark_Holle]

I posted about this issue previously on another thread.  I have the HP Spectre 13t purchased last year.  Skype and the Realtec driver don't play well and I was able to solve the issue by stopping the Audio Device Graph service and  rolling back the Realtec driver to an older version.  A few days ago I ran updated several drivers and the BIOS for the Spectre 13.  Sure enough, the newer driver started acting up and I saw the Audio Device Graph using excessive CPU and the fan started to run constantly.  NOW I can't roll back the driver in Device Manager so the only solution is to hit Cntr-Alt-Delete and stop the Audio Device Graph service.  I don't understand why the rollback option isn't available but you would think that the new driver would play nice with Skype and not cause these issues.  As an aside, it also changes the Skype audio option to use "Speakers Only" which is worthless on a Skype call.

[JeffJSmith · Accepted solution]

After waiting for some kind of update or answer from HP for over three months, I did what I should have done three months ago and uninstalled Skype.  The problem has gone away, I have no idea why but those annoying fans are not whirring all the time now.  There is a perfectly acceptable web-browser based Skype and I now use that.

So, the answer seems to be - get the Skype Desktop app removed!