Fan whistling noise and mechanical sound after gaming (Victus 15)

[Pozolillo]

Hi.

I’ve been using my HP Victus 15 for about a week now, and I’ve noticed a couple of strange things with the fans.

There’s a consistent whistling noise coming from the fan area — it’s present even when the laptop is idle or under low usage. It’s not super loud, but enough to notice in a quiet room.

More importantly, after playing GTA V Enhanced for around 30 minutes (default settings, a mix of high and ultra), a different sound appeared — a more mechanical one, like an old fan or grinding noise. It doesn’t always happen, but it was very noticeable during that session.

I’ve also played other games like Fall Guys, Minecraft (Java + Bedrock), and Call of Duty Black Ops 6 for longer sessions, and that second sound is either faint or doesn’t appear.

Is this something normal for the Victus line, or should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance!

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Pozolillo,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

While it’s normal for gaming laptops like the Victus series to have active, audible fans, particularly during intense games like GTA V Enhanced, the whistling and occasional mechanical or grinding sound you’ve described isn’t something we’d expect, especially so early in use. Since you’ve noticed this issue is inconsistent — louder during GTA V and barely noticeable in other titles like Fall Guys or Minecraft — it suggests this could be linked to how the system ramps up cooling under certain loads or possibly a slight physical alignment issue with the fan.
 

Let’s carefully work through a few steps together to make sure everything’s running as it should:

        1. Run the HP Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI):

• Turn off your laptop.
• Power it on and immediately press Esc repeatedly.
• Select F2 for Hardware Diagnostics, then check Component Tests > Fan Test (if available) to rule out mechanical issues.
  
  2. Check thermal and performance settings in OMEN Gaming Hub or HP Command Centre, if installed. Switching to Quiet Mode or adjusting the thermal profile may help manage fan speeds and reduce noise when it’s not needed.
  
  3. Observe patterns: See if the sound changes when the laptop is tilted, moved, or used in different room temperatures — sometimes this can help isolate whether it’s a positioning or mechanical alignment issue.

If the sound persists after these steps, we might have to try advanced steps to isolate the issue.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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VikramTheGreat

HP Support