Constant Fan Activity and GPU Issues on HP Specter x360 with RTX 4050

[Guledani]

Hello HP Support,

I have an HP Spectre x360 (with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU). Recently, I've noticed that my laptop’s cooling fan frequently turns on and off even when I'm performing basic office tasks (e.g., browsing, using MS Office applications) and not engaging in any graphics-intensive activities.

Here's the problem clearly described:

• Fan behavior: The cooling fan constantly activates, often in short bursts, even under minimal workloads.

• Temperature: The laptop isn't overheating, but the frequent fan cycling is noisy and seems unnecessary.

• Attempted Solutions:

  • Set NVIDIA GPU to Integrated graphics for office applications. (later on I disabled GPU completely from device settings)

  • Enabled power-saving options in Windows and NVIDIA settings.

  • I decreased Processor Max capacity to 80%

Despite these efforts, the fan issue persists.

Please advise how I can resolve this frequent fan activity issue or manage GPU/CPU resources effectively to ensure quieter and more efficient operation during office tasks.

Thank you very much!

Regards,

[Max3Aj]

@Guledani, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 
It sounds like you are experiencing some issues with your HP Spectre x360. 
You're clearly proactive with your troubleshooting, and with an HP Spectre x360 paired with an RTX 4050, it makes sense to want a quieter experience during lighter tasks.

Let’s break this down and look at what you can try next to reduce that frequent fan activity:

Update BIOS and Thermal Management Firmware

• Visit HP Support and check for any BIOS or firmware updates for thermal/thermal management.

Use HP Command Center or OMEN Gaming Hub (if available)

• These apps may give access to "Thermal Profile" settings.
• Set it to Quiet Mode or Cool Mode.
• If not installed, you can grab HP Command Center from the Microsoft Store.

Tweak Windows Power Plan (Even More)

In addition to the Processor Max state at 80%:

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Edit Plan > Advanced settings:
• System Cooling Policy → Set to Passive (for both On Battery and Plugged In).
• This prioritizes slowing down the CPU before kicking on the fan.
• Processor Minimum State → Set to 5% or 10% (instead of default 100%).

Background Apps and Windows Services

• Open Task Manager > Startup and disable anything you don’t need.
• Monitor CPU activity with Process Explorer or HWMonitor to spot micro spikes (e.g., Windows Indexing, Defender scans).

Undervolt the CPU (Advanced but Effective)

• Tools like ThrottleStop or Intel XTU (if supported) can reduce CPU voltage, lowering heat output and reducing fan use.
• This won’t hurt performance in office tasks and can make a big difference in thermal/fan behavior.

Fan Control Tools (Use With Caution)

• Third-party utilities like NoteBook FanControl (NBFC) or FanControl by Rem0o allow custom fan curves.
• Make sure your HP model is supported—or configure carefully to avoid overheating.

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support