Spectre x360 13t-aw000 not charging from Thunderbolt after BIOS update to F.26

[desiato]

@echo_lake @praveenbv @colee81 @Bshack 

I broke down and tried one more thing, which was to try another TB3 dock... and it works! I still believe there is an issue related to USB-PD (power delivery) that was introduced in the F.26 BIOS. But let me describe now what does and does not work:

Remember: the problem was unstable Thunderbolt3 connectivity/performance and lack of charging when an external TB3 device was connected, even when the standard laptop charger was also connected.

Device where the issue is observed: Mantiz Saturn Pro (link)

Device where the issue is not observed: PowerColor Gaming Station (link)

Key differences between these two devices are:

• Thunderbolt chipset
  • Saturn Pro uses a combination of JHL6540 and JHL6240 TB3 controllers
  • Gaming Station uses DSL6540
• Power delivery (PD) capability
  • Saturn Pro can deliver up to 100W
  • Gaming Station can deliver up to 87W

More info on these devices can be found on the pages I linked, as well as on egpu.io.

Both of these TB3 devices can supply more than the 65W required to charge the laptop (which is what is supplied by the standard charger), so it's not clear if it's some issue with the power delivery capability of the connected device is exceeding some threshold. The chipset differences don't appear to be much; see this page. The xxx6540 are basically the same except for manufacturing process.

So it seems like the issue in the HP BIOS is related either to Power Delivery higher than 87W, or the use of multiple TB3 controllers. @echo_lake @praveenbv can you comment on this please? I'm now the owner of two eGPU enclosures instead of one because of some issue with your BIOS firmware!

Thank you

[Colee81]

Well I'm glad your issue is resolved even if you had to dish out the cash for another egpu! 😊 

[desiato]

I wouldn't consider this a full resolution, as the replacement eGPU enclosure does not support the Nvidia 30-series cards which is what I plan to upgrade to as soon as I can get my hands on one. So this issue effectively prevents me from using one of the newer Nvidia cards with my laptop, unless I want to try yet another enclosure and hope it the same charging issue doesn't come up.

I have forwarded my latest post above to Mantiz in case they can find something out as well.

[wi1dbour]

Hello, 

I am having the exact same issue, trying to charge my laptop through TB3 via an LG monitor is unsuccessful, even though it worked perfectly before the BIOS update. 

I too had the same usse with the BIOS update hanging at 0% and requiring a hard restart, then mysteriously powering back on with the update reportedly being completed successfully...

This needs to be resolved immediately as it is a clear oversight by HP engineers... 

[Colee81]

Hi  wi1dbour

are you sure that connection to the monitor is thunderbolt? Or is it plain USB-C like mine?

Do you experience the keyboard lag issue?

[Colee81]

@Desiato

Is the new egpu still working out alright? Just wondering. Thanks.

[desiato]

@Colee81 Thanks for checking in!

Yes, the newer (but less capable) eGPU enclosure is still working fine with my Spectre x360.

I ended up buying a USB power meter tester to see if I could get more information on the situation. I tested with both eGPU enclosures I have plus the charger supplied with the laptop and a separate 100W-capable USB charger,. I tested all these charging sources with my Spectre x360 as well as with a second laptop (MS Surface Book 2) that accepts USB-PD based charging.

What I found is that all charging sources would charge the Surface Book 2 just fine and at high rates (at least 60W) such that the laptop never complained about slow charging or no charging.

When tested against the Spectre x360, all charging sources worked fine except the Mantiz Saturn Pro. For whatever reason, when connecting that particular device, it simply does not charge the Spectre (the power meter reads 20V, 0A and so 0W). I don't have any tooling available to let me see what is happening with the USB-PD charging negotiations to understand why this happens.

The Saturn Pro used to charge the Spectre before the BIOS update to F.26 (and later), so I still think there is an issue on HP's side, especially since the Saturn Pro charges my Surface Book 2 correctly when using the same interface.

So, I'm still looking for HP to provide a resolution to this, as it's rendered my $300 Saturn Pro enclosure useless to me!

@echo_lake @praveenbv @colee81 @Bshack 

[Colee81]

Thank you very much for the detailed info Desiato. I can only hope that someone at HP actually reads this and it might help them fix the issue.

[JackFabian]

@Desiato  @Colee81 @Bshack

I've had a great time reading through these posts and knowing that someone else is having the same problems as me.

That is

- unable to charge from TB3 monitor

- Keyboard lag on TB connection

- Unable to charge from charger when TB3 is connected

I had a HP technician out to my house and had the logic board replaced. This did not solve the issue. I still get ALL of the problems that you describe, which occurred after the BIOS update.

After having my system board replaced, the technician suggested replacing the battery.  Before this could happen I was contacted by HP and advised that the devices are simply incompatible and unsupported. Expressly ignoring the fact that the function formerly worked on this monitor, and only after an update it stopped.

I have tried all of the things you have all mentioned and still to no avail, I have no luck getting it to work even intermittently.

My hardware set up is identical to Bshack's (Spectre X360 aw0121tu and a Samsung CJ791)

I look forward to us all seeing a resolution to this..... 

I know this post doesn't contribute much to the discussion but it is the main reason I bought this combination (which I was super happy with for nearly 12 months!) and I take a little bit of hope from the fact that it may be fixed if more of us make some noise about it.

[bshack]

Hi Jack, sorry to hear you are having the same problems as the rest of us. Since you have the same hardware as me, you should know that I am able to charge from the charger as long as I connect to the monitor from it's low-wattage USB-3 ouput (not the one that USED to be able to charge the laptop). That is how I have things hooked up most days.