No gaming on my Victus 16t-d000!

[Damn_Gremlins]

Here are my specs:

KBD: Full-size, backlit, mica silver keyboard with numeric keypad
Monitor: 16.1", FHD (1920 x 1080), 144 Hz, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, 250 nits, HP Wide Vision 720p HD camera with integrated dual array digital microphones (MCS)(fRTX)
External DVD burner
OS Drive: 1 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
Memory: 32 GB DDR4-3200 SDRAM (2 x 16 GB)
Networking: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5 combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds)
Office: Microsoft Office 2019 Home and Student
OS: Windows 11 Home 10.0.26200 Build 26200 (25H2), but installed was Windows 11 Home 64 ADV (21H2)
Battery: 4-cell, 70 Wh Li-Ion polymer
CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H, 4.6 GHz / 2G Intel Turbo Boost, 24 MB L3 cache, 8 cores, 16 threads
GPU: nVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB)

Whenever I launch even a game that is known for not being a process hog, the machine responds as if it is drowning in process requests and that RAM is completely swamped...never mind the really large swap space being ignored for virtual RAM dedication. Whenever I move the mouse to redirect the camera, or I press a movement key, it's very slow to respond, and it jerks. Three games in particular can't be played on this machine: The Saboteur, Fallout 4, and, okay, make that two...almost, because Freedom Fighters really struggles.

Edit: I just realized something. See, my laptop had lain fallow for about a year; I hadn't needed it in so long, preferring my desktop, but then I had to put my ATX in the shop for service, and it was for such an eventuality that I had purchased this laptop. As soon as I got it booted up again, it had to perform numerous updates to the BIOS, Win 21H2, and eventually to Win 25H2.

Before I had installed 25H2,. everything was fine; I had no problem playing games like Dishonored and Ghost Recon: Breakpoint; there were no issues with freezing or lag while playing. My system is not packed with bloatware, and I have more free space than I have data on my OS drive. Windows Home 25H2 broke my damned gaming computer, and I have no idea what to do about it. It's extremely frustrating for me because I'm not a novice; I've been studying and using computers since before there was even a worldwide web. I've never faces an issue like this before.

Anyone got any ideas?

[Damn_Gremlins]

Thanks for moving my topic to the best place for it!

[Damn_Gremlins]

Unaware of the true nature of the problem, I had posted a topic on a different board about being unable to game on my system. The more I applied fixes that were supposed to fix the problem, unaware that it was because of the crappy OS itself, I grew increasingly frustrated.

My ability to use my PC in an efficient and productive manner is practically zero, thanks to the update to 25H2. I can't run games, seeming to get framerates of only one to two frames per second...if they don't just freeze outright. While streaming videos there are frequent pauses, which is ridiculous with the bandwidth I have. Applications are constantly hanging for a couple to several seconds, if not for a long time. This is absurd.

I reset my BIOS settings to default and scanned my system for integrity violations, finding none. Windows Update refuses to offer the update that's supposed to resolve the terrible performance issues, KB5083631 (released April 30, 2026). How the Hell am I supposed to use my computer? The operating system is complete trash!

Not only have I not loaded my disk with a bunch of unnecessary applications, but I have uninstalled the bloatware that came with it, like, who needs Tangent games? I have much better ones. Everything installed on my PC is needed, and I have top-notch security, Webroot, that I have been using for over a decade.

Meanwhile, I have a desktop computer that's in the shop right now for some work, and according to the secs sheet I can find, its OS is Windows 11 x64 Home 22H2 (10.0.26100.3915), but I'm pretty sure that's not right, so what am I going to do when it updates and becomes crippled like this machine? I could have sworn it had updated to 25H2, so with that I have two questions:

1. If it had updated to 25H2, why is it not crippled (Believe me; I would have noticed!) like this machine, and

2. ...if it hadn't updated to 25H2 yet, then isn't it a really good idea to refuse it despite Microsoft's threat that "This operating system will soon be unsupported." ?

[Deep_World]

Hi @Damn_Gremlins,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I  understand how this must feel especially since your Victus was running games smoothly before the update. You’ve clearly taken great care of your system.

Could you kindly confirm whether you’ve installed all the latest HP drivers and firmware updates after moving to Windows 11 25H2? This will help us narrow down whether the issue is driver-related or OS-related.

Here are a few steps you can try :

1. Update GPU drivers: Visit NVIDIA’s website and install the latest GeForce RTX 3060 drivers. 
2. Check BIOS settings: Ensure hybrid graphics or performance modes are correctly set. Sometimes BIOS defaults change after updates.
3. Run HP Support Assistant: This tool can automatically detect missing updates for chipset, graphics, and system firmware.
4. Adjust power plan: Set your laptop to “High Performance” mode in Windows Power Options to prevent throttling.
5. Disable background apps: Even with 32 GB RAM, background processes from the update could be interfering with responsiveness.

I hope this helps.

[Damn_Gremlins]

   "Adjust power plan: Set your laptop to “High Performance” mode in Windows Power Options to prevent throttling." is impossible, for no such option exists on the Victus 16t-d000. You have two choices:

1. Balanced

2. HP recommended.

   Both claim to balance performance and power, only when you specify the HP option, the display dims. Actually, there's a third option, Create your own power profile. Somehow, though, I don't think just calling it "High Performance" would achieve the desired result.

   GPU drivers are fully updated, but I'm going to have to reboot to see exactly what the BIOS update might have screwed up, and I'll try the HP Support Assistant. Not gonna hold my breath, though.

   However, "disabling background apps" is not really specific enough...which background apps? And where would I do that? Killing the processes in Task Manager or Process Explorer is a session-only fix; every time I restart I have to execute the Kill List...and many may resist having their processes terminated. Services?