Can the HP Envy 16-h1001ni 804F4EAbe charged via USB-C while the laptop is in use?

[james_thomson]

I want to know if the HP Envy 16-h1001ni, model number: 804F4EA can be charged via USB-C while the laptop is in use like coding or browsing the web? I have looked at the port specifications but don't know enough about the different standards to know if the 2 thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports will allow the laptop to be charged.

[BeemerBiker]

Pages 4 and 5 of the service guide state the following about those USB charging ports 

Connect USB devices, provide high-speed data transfer, and charge small devices (such as a smartphone), even when the
computer is off.

From "USB power standards" at WiKi document for USB hardware

Low-power device	100 mA	5 V	0.50 W
Low-power SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) device	150 mA	5 V	0.75 W
High-power device	500 mA[a]	5 V	2.5 W
High-power SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) device	900 mA[b]	5 V	4.5 W
Battery Charging (BC) 1.2	1.5 A	5 V	7.5 W
Single-lane SuperSpeed+ (USB 3.2 Gen2x1, and former USB 3.1 Gen2) device	1.5 A[c]	5 V	7.5 W
USB-C (single-lane)	1.5 A[c]	5 V	7.5 W
USB-C (multi-lane)	3 A	5 V	15 W

The above are "small devices" but some smartphones such as iPhone 12 require more

For fast charging, iPhone 12, iPhone SE (3rd generation), and later models require a power adapter with a minimum power output of 20 watts

I did not see any reference in the service guide that indicated the USB ports were QI certified or could negotiate charging rates with smartphones.  

I personally would not charge my iPhone using any USB port on a desktop or laptop.  Worst case is playing a GPU intensive game while simultaneously charging up the laptop's battery and charging a smartphone.  It overheat the laptop probably causing it to fail just after the warranty period. 

Just my .02c opinion.

Best Regards

[james_thomson]

Thanks very much for your reply. I think my initial post wasn't well worded and I will edit it. What I really am trying to find out is if the laptop can be charged via the USB-C ports while in use, not whether the laptop can charge other devices. Sorry for the confusion.

[BeemerBiker]

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@james_thomson wrote:

Thanks very much for your reply. I think my initial post wasn't well worded and I will edit it. What I really am trying to find out is if the laptop can be charged via the USB-C ports while in use, not whether the laptop can charge other devices. Sorry for the confusion.

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If the battery is near or fully charged there is no problem.  

Overheating and associated thermal throttling can occur if the battery is very low when starting an intensive application.  I would rate gaming as a much higher problem than code development.  

For what it is worth,  I have found that setting the % processor maximum speed to %99 will keep the CPU out of the highest speed multiplier and can make large difference in temperature.

As far as I know the laptop is only charged through it's power port.  

[TzortzisG · Accepted solution]

Hi.

@BeemerBikerThis particular system is a very specific "case" when it comes to its USB-C charging capabilities.

james_thomson, the specs on your Raptor Lake 16-h1000 Envy and on its predecessor the Alder Lake 16-h0000 indicate that they support charging (the laptop battery) through the TB4 ports. However, when the Austrians at  Notebookcheck reviewed the original older Alder Lake version, they found out that the device could only support PD-in when completely turned-off. In fact, they contacted HP directly about this issue (in their laptop reviewer site capacity) and HP actually confirmed that USB-C charging of the laptop was indeed blocked on a firmware level when on.

Apparently HP has decided to continue this same setup with the Raptor Lake 16-h1000 refresh. A recent thread on the HP forum provides a workaround -which although not very practical- manages to bypass the BIOS-level block and charge the device while actually working on it: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Hardware-and-Upgrade-Questions/Charging-HP-ENVY-laptop-16-h10...

[james_thomson]

Thanks very much! Very useful info. 

[BeemerBiker]

Thanks @TzortzisG I was not aware of the USB-C charging capability or any problem thereof.

@james_thomson if you use the USB-C for charging you might consider getting a magnetic adapter to protect the jack from accidental damage or wear from frequent usage.  A 100 watt rating should work. If you get one make sure it does not block the other USB-C port.