regarding the fan speed and game stuttering after a prolonged gap of 25 days

[mac8190]

Hello, I purchased the HP Aero 13 series laptop a couple of years back (2021 in fact)since then it has done quite well till today. I have used the computer to its core testing all its capabilities by using the AMD Ryzen 5000 Radeon inbuilt graphics that come with it. After all these years it did reasonably well even with games that demanded high GPU until today, it started giving me issues, especially with lags, stuttering, and fan running at high speed. I am playing Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Wildlands, division 2, stalker 2, and Quantum Break, I have played the first 2 titles for quite some time and haven't had any major problems however, out of the other 2 stalker doesn't give me the proper output as it requires higher GPU so, I have stopped playing it. even the Wildlands which is an offline FPS and Division 2 which is an online FPS have done well so far until the past few days the stuttering and the lags have been there for quite some time even today, so my question to you is, the laptop showing its age or is it the games that are causing too much stress on my GPU in that case what can I do

[A_Gayathri · Accepted solution]

Hi @mac8190,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with your HP Pavilion Aero 13 with the AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor and Radeon integrated graphics is starting to struggle with demanding games. Since you’ve been playing Ghost Recon Wildlands and The Division 2 smoothly before and only recently started experiencing stuttering, lag, and high fan speeds, there could be multiple reasons behind this.

Possible Causes & Fixes

1. System Overheating & Dust Accumulation

• Why? Over time, dust buildup inside the laptop can cause inefficient cooling, leading to overheating and thermal throttling (which reduces performance).
• Fix:
  • Use compressed air to clean out dust from the vents and fans.
  • Ensure the laptop is on a hard, flat surface for better airflow.
  • Consider an external cooling pad if the laptop is running hot.
  • Monitor temperatures using HWMonitor—if your CPU/GPU is reaching above 90°C, it’s throttling.

2. Windows & Driver Updates Affecting Performance

• Why? Windows updates, AMD driver updates, or background processes may be impacting performance.
• Fix:
  • Roll back to a previous AMD driver version if the stuttering started after an update.
  • Check Windows Update (Settings > Update & Security) for any updates pending installation.
  • Run Windows Reliability Monitor (perfmon /rel) to check for any system errors after updates.

3. Background Apps Using Resources

• Why? Some apps may be running in the background, consuming CPU/GPU.
• Fix:
  • Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and check for high CPU/Disk usage processes.
  • Disable startup apps from Task Manager > Startup tab.
  • Check if apps like OneDrive, Chrome, or game launchers (Epic, Steam, Ubisoft Connect) are consuming excessive resources.

4. Power & Performance Settings

• Why? Windows might have reset power settings to a lower performance mode after updates.
• Fix:
  • Set Power Plan to High Performance (Control Panel > Power Options).
  • In AMD Radeon Settings, check if the Graphics Profile is set to Performance Mode.

5. VRAM & Pagefile Issues

• Why? Integrated Radeon graphics use system RAM, and if RAM is maxed out, it can cause stuttering.
• Fix:
  • Increase Virtual Memory (Pagefile Size):
    1. Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced system settings.
    2. Under Performance, click Settings > Advanced > Virtual Memory.
    3. Set a Custom Size (Min: 8192MB, Max: 16384MB).
  • Check RAM usage while gaming using Task Manager 

6. Storage Issues & SSD Performance

• Why? If your SSD is nearly full, performance can degrade.
• Fix:
  • Run WinDirStat to analyze storage usage.
  • Free up space on the SSD, leaving at least 20% free.
  • Run Trim for SSD optimization (Optimize Drives in Windows).

7. Game-Specific Fixes

• Lower Graphics Settings in-game (especially Shadows, Anti-aliasing, and Texture Quality).
• Enable AMD FSR (if supported) for upscaling performance.
• Check for patches or updates for Wildlands and The Division 2.

8. Laptop Aging & Hardware Limitations

Your Aero 13 is a thin and light laptop, not optimized for long-term gaming loads. Even though it has handled these games before, the increasing stress on an integrated GPU will eventually cause performance degradation. The heat exposure over time may have affected thermal performance, leading to throttling.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

1. First, check temperatures using HWMonitor or MSI Afterburner. If it’s overheating, clean the laptop’s cooling system.
2. Update or roll back AMD GPU drivers if a recent update caused issues.
3. Reduce in-game settings and close background apps.
4. Ensure Windows power settings are set to High Performance.
5. If the stuttering persists, consider reinstalling Windows to eliminate software-related performance issues.

If none of these work, the Aero 13 may just be reaching its limits for gaming, and an external GPU (eGPU) or a more powerful gaming laptop might be worth considering. 
 

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!

[mac8190]

thank you very much for the reply. I didn't get one thing: how do you check the temperatures using the HW monitor here and how do you perform the second step in the game fixes, enabling AMD FSR? Coming to the game time on my laptop, I used to play a lot in recent years however in recent months, I have reduced my playing time to just once or twice a week or month. would you suggest playing new titles on this laptop or would you prefer a new one if you were to play new titles on this laptop? As of now, I tend to use the laptop for work most of the time and a couple of hours on gaming. One last question, if you were to prefer a budget-friendly laptop that can sustain moderate gaming, which one would you choose?

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @mac8190,

Welcome to the HP Support Community

I understand you need information regarding budget-friendly laptop for gaming. Not to worry I will help you to get a resolution to resolve the issue.

Please click on this link: HP Store Help 

I hope that answers your concern adequately. Let me know!

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!