Intel i5-8265U HP laptop cant change Power Limit 1 - 15W to 25W

[FarizMammadov]

Hi, I have an HP laptop with an Intel i5-8265U. By default, the Power Limit 1 is set to 15W. I’m trying to change the Configurable TDP-up setting in the BIOS to 25W, but it doesn’t make any difference. I select the “up” profile and manually set the limits to 25W, but when I run tests, Power Limit 1 still stays at 15W and doesn’t go higher. Please help.

It doesn’t stay in turbo for long either. The temperature doesn’t go above 90°C, but right after boosting, it drops down to 15W. Even if I set Power Limit 1 to 25W, it never goes above 15W. What could be the problem?

[Jupitero]

Hello.

What is the laptop model?

How do you change the PL1 or PL2 limits?

There can be many reasons for not achieving >15W PL1. Most laptops can not provide full power when running on battery. Connect the laptop to a sufficiently powerful charger.

Try using the Intel XTU software. Set the PL1 and PL2 to 25W and run a CPU demanding task. XTU shows the reason why the CPU is limited: thermal, power or voltage limit. The core voltage cannot be changed.

[FarizMammadov]

Laptop model: HP Pavilion 1043ur. This laptop has 8 CPUs, but despite that, it has zero performance. I really regret buying it — it works like a $100 laptop. When it’s plugged in, it performs slightly better, but there are still stutters. Intel XTU couldn’t be installed on this CPU. I changed the PL1 and PL2 values from the BIOS advanced section, but it didn’t help (I can only change PL1 from 15 to 25 there, nothing related to voltage).

[Jupitero]

Hi,

If XTU fails to support your CPU, another software to try is Throttlestop. It is slightly more advanced software with more options available, but lacks the XTU simplicity and ease of use. You can set PL1 and PL2 with it and monitor the CPU power usage in real time. You can also check that the PL values you set in BIOS are actually set.

I recommend installing the latest BIOS.

Anyway, 8265u was a relatively low power laptop CPU to start with when it came out 6-7 years ago, and Pavilions are the cheaper range of computers HP manufactures. (not in the business notebook category you posted - not that it matters)

Note that cheap doesn't automatically mean bad, but some corners have been cut.

The boost power is limited by temperature and power delivery. Replacing the thermal material of your laptop's internal cooling system could help, as well as general cleanup of accumulated dust inside your laptop. If the reason for not getting anywhere near 25W turbo is due to power delivery circuitry design within the laptop, then there's nothing you can do really.

Stuttering could also be caused by a mechanical hard drive instead of an SSD; or lack of sufficient memory for whatever you are using the laptop for. 8265u is not a gaming CPU.

[TzortzisG]

Hi!

@Jupitero 

Throttlestop is definitely the right way to go on this machine, but even Kevin Glynn's program is not able to bypass the EC throttling schemes that force the CPU to throttle down to 15W. This is a known issue with many HP laptops, fortunately it usually doesn't apply to the Business models I use.

Further reading:

Trying to increase the power limit of my i5-8265U (pavilion 15).

Hp Pavilion 15-cb007nt Laptop mysterious throttle? 

i5 8250u randomly capping itself at 15-16w despite no thermal throttling (Pavilion 14).

FarizMammadov, in cases like these the only thing that makes any difference is heavily undervolting the system so that the 15W limit causes less throttling on the CPU. 8th gen HP systems can -in most cases- be downgraded to the pre-plundervolt mitigation BIOS versions that allowed Throttlestop to lower CPU voltages. The only series I could find that matched the model number you posted is the Pavilion 15-cs1000 series. If this is your laptop, flash your firmware to anything pre-F20 and lower the voltages as much as you can. Also disable SGX in the BIOS options.

[FarizMammadov]

Hi, thanks for your message. Actually, 15W is enough for my daily tasks. But I realized I have a more important problem. When I unplug the laptop and run it on battery, the CPU barely reaches even 10W. Why is HP making decisions on my behalf? It’s my laptop—if I want the battery to drain quickly, that’s my choice. I don’t understand why they block the user's options.

My laptop was old, a 4702MQ, but it worked very well. I thought getting a newer 8265U would be a good idea and make a difference. I was wrong. I used the 4702MQ processor for 10–12 years, even in dusty environments like construction sites, and not once did it give me a problem. I even used it for rendering at 100°C for days, and it still works. The new generation processors are garbage.

[TzortzisG]

Yes.

My favourite system is a 10-year old Probook with a 4th gen Intel (Haswell) CPU which is completely unlocked when it comes to various power limits and undervolting. So I understand what you mean. However, modern CPUs are not garbage, the problem is that ALL laptop manufacturers limit them in many many ways, and in the end a 2nd gen Intel might outperform them......

The 10W limit is again caused by the Embedded Controller.

[FarizMammadov]

Can I control the EC level or is it impossible?

[TzortzisG · Accepted solution]

Laptop manufacturers -not only HP- some more than others use the Embedded Controller throttling schemes to force the system to slow down whenever they see fit, usually this has a direct connection to the warranty. Meaning the EC limits are implemented mostly in cases where tests have shown that the system tends to overheat, or when using the battery the motherboard might be electrically compromised. Therefore, the EC limits are IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of unless you recode the UEFI firmware yourself to something you prefer. But this is as probable as happening as recoding Windows 11 25H2. The 3 discussions I linked to above (further reading) fully explain the situation....