Processor power throtling only on AC power

[Trifit]

Hello,

I've been experiencing power throttling issues with my new gaming laptop, only when is on AC power, It works buttery smooth on battery (is like night and day). I check the charger plug for bend pin and is not bend (by the way, judging by the amount of post pointing at bend pins I would consider changing the design of the AC adapter to something less fragile), I have tried playing with the power profile, installing HP troubleshooting tools, even creating a custom power plan via CLI. Does anyone experienced anything similar or has a fix?

Thanks!

[Trifit]

Has anyone run into a similar issue? Thanks!

[Raj_05]

Hi @Trifit,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like you're experiencing power throttling on your Victus by HP 15.6 inch Gaming Laptop when it's plugged in. This issue, where the laptop performs better on battery power than on AC power, can be related to several factors like power settings, thermal limits, or faulty charging components.

Here are a few suggestions to try that may resolve or help identify the cause.

Check Thermal Settings (BIOS)

• BIOS Settings: Some laptops reduce power on AC to prevent overheating. Enter the BIOS (usually by pressing Esc or F10 during startup) and look for any thermal management or fan settings that may be set to aggressive or limiting performance on AC power. You might also want to update your BIOS to ensure you have the latest version.
• Thermal Paste: Excessive heat generation when on AC power could be causing the CPU/GPU to throttle down. If possible, ensure your cooling system is working optimally, and check if the thermal paste between the CPU/GPU and heatsink is in good condition.

NVIDIA/AMD Graphics Settings

• NVIDIA Control Panel / AMD Radeon Settings: Go into your GPU's control panel and ensure that the laptop is set to Maximum Performance for power management when plugged in.
  • For NVIDIA, navigate to Manage 3D settings > Power Management Mode and select Prefer maximum performance.
  • For AMD, go to Graphics Settings and change the Power Efficiency to performance-based settings.

Windows Power Options

• High-Performance Power Plan: Even though you created a custom power plan, ensure that when plugged in, your laptop is using the High-Performance or Ultimate Performance power plan.
  • Go to Control Panel > Power Options and set it to High Performance.
  • Then, go to Advanced Settings, and check:
    • Processor Power Management: Ensure Minimum Processor State is set to 100% when plugged in.
    • PCI Express - Link State Power Management: Set this to Off.

Check Power Adapter and Battery

• Verify Power Adapter Specs: Make sure your power adapter provides the required wattage for your system. If it is underpowered, it might be limiting performance.
• Battery Calibration: It’s worth calibrating your battery as well. Some laptops may incorrectly throttle performance if the battery is miscalibrated while on AC power.

Disable Intel/AMD Power Throttling (If applicable)

• Intel XTU (Extreme Tuning Utility) or ThrottleStop: If you have an Intel processor, you can use Intel XTU or ThrottleStop to check for power limits (PL1 and PL2) and thermal throttling. Disabling CPU power limits might stop the throttling.
• AMD Ryzen Master: If you have an AMD Ryzen processor, use the Ryzen Master software to monitor and adjust power settings.

[Raj_05]

Check Power Delivery on AC

Sometimes, the issue could be with inconsistent power delivery. To check:

• Try another Power Adapter: If possible, use another charger that meets the laptop’s specifications to rule out a faulty power adapter.
• Test on a different power outlet: Power fluctuations in outlets might cause throttling. Plug into a different outlet or use a surge protector with power filtering capabilities.

Monitor CPU/GPU Throttling

• Use tools like HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner to monitor your CPU/GPU clock speeds, temperature, and power limits while the laptop is on AC power. If the clocks drop while on AC but not on battery, the system might be limiting power to avoid overheating or due to misconfiguration.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support