Adding a 3rd monitor causes my Omen 15 to become laggy and eventually crash when playing Netflix

[alpumi]

So I have 3 monitors: one is 2K through the DP out, and the other two are 1080 through the HDMI and USB-C outs. (The laptop's screen is disabled.) The issue has only started happening after adding that second 1080 monitor to the USB-C output. It doesn't happen with the other 2 monitors connected; even if I'm also using the screen at the same time. So if the third monitor is connected (laptop screen disabled) and I open, say, Netflix, as it starts playing the previews, never mind even trying to stream some content, the 3rd monitor starts turning off and on, and the USB disconnect/connect alert starts sounding. The video stutters and the mouse starts lagging. If I don't quit Netlix immediately, this becomes worse, until the mouse lags so much (I'm talking about actually moving 10 seconds or more after I've physically moved the mouse!), that the computer essentially becomes unresponsive and I have to reboot it manually. This happens no matter where I have the Netflix window open, ie on my 2K monitor, or either of the other 1080 monitors. A couple of times, the issue became so extreme that it even started affecting my secondary 1080 monitor (the one connected directly though HDMI), and it too started turning off and on.

This happens most notably with Netflix. But I think I've noticed there's some slight overall lagging or sluggishness, both in the reproduced media and my computer as a whole, when displaying even YouTube videos on that third monitor connected through USB-C.

If I disconnect this third monitor, the issue goes away and I can even watch Netflix again without any problem.

It doesn't seem to be a driver issue, as I've made sure to install the correct, up-to-date drivers from the HP website. And I tried running the Display Tests through the HP Support Assistant but they say "cancelled" every time.

What could be wrong? In theory my Omen should support 3 monitors. It works perfectly with 2 monitors and the laptop's screen. So I'm not sure what's the issue here.

[Nirvana_95]

Hi @alpumi 

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I see that your system becomes slow when you plug in the third monitor. Do not worry, we are here to help you with it.

May I know if it only happens only while using Netflix?

Try changing the cable with an alternate one to check if the issue persists.

I would also suggest you update the drivers of your monitor as well as your system and then check the difference. Here is a link that will help: https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/ish_2857204-2362249-16 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

Click the “Yes" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping.

[alpumi]

Hello @Nirvana-95.

This issue isn't only happening with Netflix, though Netflix seems to trigger the worst response which has even crashed my computer a couple of times: because it simple lags so much that it becomes impossible to use, even to press CTRL-DEL in order to close programs; all I can do in those cases is press the OFF button until the laptop shuts down.

In general, if I have the 3rd monitor connected, anything related to video seems laggy. For instance, just watching a YouTube video at 1080p makes the video look a bit jerky (even when not played on the 3rd screen). Overall the computer becomes a bit laggy, not incredible, but enough that I notice when I start doing process-heavy stuff like handling media, etc.

Another thing I noticed is that if I put my computer to sleep when I'm not around, after some time it wakes itself up and I start hearing the USB connect/disconnect noise repeating constantly. This never happened before connecting the 3rd monitor; and indeed the sound stops once I disconnect the monitor.

Of course, as I mentioned, if I disconnect the 3rd monitor, all is back to normal and I have none of these issues.

I have tried connecting it through two different USB-C to HDMI cables and the issue persists. I'm going to see if I can get a third one just for the sake of covering all bases; although 2 faulty cables is already unlikely, especially when one of those cables I use without any issue connecting my other laptop to my 4K TV.

As to your solution of updating drivers: as I mentioned in my OP I've already done that; first thing I tried (because the HPf apparently doesn't have drivers that are automatically recognised, nor does it even have available downloads in its own HP page...) but as I mentioned there, to no avail, as the issue persists unchanged. I've run Windows Updated, I've updated HP Support Assistant (as I mentioned)... I really don't know why this could be happening unless I have a faulty USB-C port...

[Nirvana_95]

Thanks for giving me a brief on the exact issue.

Just to be double sure. Could you please try connecting a drive or a device to your USB-C port to check that the issue is not with the port?

Does the Windows 10 Graphics card support 3 monitors? Is it a desktop or laptop?
You may need to update the Graphics card driver if it does support 3 monitor use. It may be too much for the Graphics card to handle. Please update the drivers of your third monitor. 

Let me know the outcome of it.

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

Click the “Yes" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping. 

[Nirvana_95]

Hello!

We haven’t heard from you in a while, this post is with reference to the thread you had created at your  

friendly neighborhood (HP Support Community). 

I would like to know if the resolution we provided worked for you? If you have any other queries, feel free to reply at any time, and thank you for being a valuable member of our HP Family. 

If you would like to thank us for our efforts to help you, go to the public post & give us a virtual high-five by clicking the "Thumbs Up" icon below, followed by clicking on the "Accept as solution" on my public post. 

Have a great day ahead! 

[alpumi]

As mentioned in the title of my question, it's an Omen 15 laptop. It's en0003ns model. The microprocessor is AMD Ryzen 7 4800H. The built-in graphics is AMD Radeon(TM) Graphics. And the graphics card is NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti.

As per usual HP doesn't really provide much detailed information, but somewhere I was able to find that I should be running 3 external monitors (but I can't find the source anymore; it was literally only one place that mentioned it in passing...). I'm able to run the 2 external monitors and the laptop's built-in monitor at the same time without any issues. So I don't see why there should be any issues running another external monitor INSTEAD of the laptop's monitor: the external monitor is still 1080 resolution, and the laptop's monitor is disabled The only thing I can think of is that the USB-C port can't handle it. But it seems to be able to handle non-audiovisual stuff just fine.

I'm going to test the port with some other device to see if there's any issue running something else.

[Nirvana_95]

Thank you for the detailed information. 

Do try to test the port and let me know the outcome of it. 

Keep me posted.

[alpumi]

Ok, so I've been out sick last week... But I've tested the USB-C port with other devices, chiefly with a 4K webcam, which, out of everything else, should have even more issue than a FullHD monitor if the problem is in fact the USB-C port... But there were no issues. So it's definitely not the port.

[Nirvana_95]

Thanks for your response.

Could you please try the steps below and let me know the outcome of it?

Make sure both monitors are connected to the NVIDIA-based graphics card,

• Open the NVIDIA Control Panel. You can do this from the popup menu when you right-click on the desktop.
• Under the Display category, select "Set up Multiple Displays"
• Check the box next to the inactive display you wish to activate as a secondary display and click apply.
• If your display is not shown, click "My display is not shown..." to force detection.
• You can drag the green boxes around to match the physical arrangement of your displays, and choose which one is primary by right clicking on it and selecting "Make Primary".

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. 

Click the “Yes" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping. 

[alpumi]

I think you've forgotten what the issue was: the problem isn't that one display is inactive or that I can't set them up or choose primary, secondary, etc... All of that is working (and I've checked it both through the Windows Display options and the NVidia options). As I said in my OP, I can get the three monitors working, each with its extended part of my desktop (and I've disabled the laptop's incorporated screen). The issue is when I start displaying video on ANY of the screens while the third monitors is connected to the USB-C port, because things start getting a little laggy. And the "fatal" issue is if I go, say, to Netflix (again, on any of the 3 monitors but while that third monitor is connected via USB-C), where even on the landing page, where it starts to play trailers, my Omen simply starts freezing, the mouse starts dragging behind (performing the movements and actions I physically perform with a lag of 5-10seconds) and eventually the computer freezes and I have to manually turn it off.