GTX 1650 Stuck at 300 MHz Clock Speed – Severe Performance Drop | HP Victus 15-fa0031dx

[Ayman3la2]

Hey folks, I really need help with an issue that’s driving me crazy 😓

My HP Victus (15-fa0031dx) laptop is severely underperforming. The GTX 1650 is locked at 300 MHz core clock no matter what I do – even under full 3D load. Games run horribly, GPU usage stays low, and FPS is very poor (e.g., 10 FPS in Unigine Heaven benchmark).

🔍 System Specs:

• CPU: Intel i5-12450H
• GPU: NVIDIA GTX 1650 (4GB) + Intel UHD
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• OS: Windows 11 (was 24H2, now back to 23H2, clean install)
• Drivers: Latest NVIDIA Game Ready 537.xx + latest Intel/UHD

⚙️ Things I’ve tried:

• Reinstalled Windows 11 (rolled back to 23H2)
• Removed all drivers using DDU (Safe Mode) and clean-installed latest drivers
• Set power plan to High Performance
• Disabled hybrid GPU in BIOS (set to dGPU only when possible)
• Updated BIOS from HP site
• Disabled Windows Game Mode & background services
• Tried running games & benchmarks while plugged in
• Disabled any battery/power saving features in NVIDIA Control Panel
• No BD PROCHOT option in ThrottleStop
• GPU temps normal (40–60°C)

🧪 Benchmark result (Unigine Heaven 4.0):

• FPS: 10.0
• Min: 5.1 / Max: 19.8
• GPU stays stuck at 300MHz during the entire run

🧠 Notes:

• I’m not sure if it’s a software bug, firmware/BIOS issue, or worst case — a hardware failure.
• I contacted HP support but got generic answers.
• Windows is up to date, BIOS and firmware are latest, NVIDIA settings set to max performance.

Has anyone experienced something similar on a Victus with GTX 1650 or other laptops? I’d be super grateful for any suggestions, tweaks, registry hacks, or clues 🙏

[NonSequitur777]

@Ayman3la2,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

This is almost never a driver issue. You've already taken the right steps with DDU, power settings, and BIOS updates. At this point, it's likely an EC/firmware-level condition that can sometimes be cleared via:

1.) EC Reset:

• Shut down laptop
• Unplug power adapter
• Hold the power button for 30 seconds
• Reconnect power and boot up
• This clears EC’s stored thermal/power flags, and has worked for multiple HP users facing stuck GPU behavior.

2.) Switching BIOS GPU modes:

•  If BIOS allows, toggle between Hybrid (Nvidia Optimus) and dGPU only.  Sometimes switching modes resets GPU power delivery.

3.) Use ThrottleStop (Even Without BD PROCHOT):

Even if BD PROCHOT is missing, use ThrottleStop to:

• Uncheck "SpeedStep"
• Enable "Disable Turbo" temporarily, then re-enable
• Monitor package power and GPU activity

This sometimes jolts the EC out of its “locked” state.

4.) Clean Install Nvidia with "Driver Only" (GeForce Game Ready Driver) Option:

• GeForce Game Ready Driver 577.00 | Windows 11 | NVIDIA.

If none of these steps work, check your warranty status, and I’d recommend opening a support case and pushing for a repair under warranty, especially since the GPU is not functioning as advertised.

Let us know if you make any progress -and thank you again for a superbly detailed troubleshooting summary. That helps us help you better!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777