HP Laptop Heating Up During Video Thumbnail Preview and Export – Any Fix?

[JamesW342]

A friend is experiencing performance issues on their HP Pavilion laptop (i5, 8GB RAM, Windows 11) while working on video invitation templates. The system heats up significantly and CPU usage spikes when previewing or exporting thumbnails—especially for web-based tools that handle animations or images, (edited)

Basic tasks like exporting an image or previewing a short animation cause lag, and the laptop fan runs constantly during this.

• Could this be a thermal issue or graphics-related bottleneck?

• Would increasing RAM to 16GB make a noticeable difference?

• Are there HP-recommended performance tweaks for creative workloads like this?

Any help would be appreciated!

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @JamesW342,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

We understand how important smooth performance is when working on creative projects such as video invitations and animated content. Based on your description, we’d like to address the potential causes and recommend some steps to improve your system’s performance.

Observed Symptoms

• High CPU usage during tasks like image exporting and animation previews.
• The system fan is running constantly, and noticeable heat buildup.
• Performance lags when using web-based creative tools.
   

1. Adjust Power Settings

• Go to Control Panel > Power Options and select High Performance.
• Alternatively, in Windows Settings > System > Power & Battery, choose Best performance under the power mode slider.

2. Optimize Browser & Web Tools

• Use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (latest version), and disable unused extensions.
• Enable hardware acceleration in browser settings.
• Close background tabs and apps not essential to the task.

3. Keep Drivers & BIOS Updated

• Use HP Support Assistant to check for and install updates for BIOS, chipset, and graphics drivers.
• Ensuring these are up to date can prevent known bugs and improve thermal performance.

4. Thermal Management

• Use the laptop on a hard, flat surface.
• Consider a cooling pad to improve airflow.
• In HP Command Center, set the thermal profile to Performance mode for better cooling and performance balance.

5. Storage Check

• If your Pavilion uses a standard HDD, upgrading to an SSD (if not already equipped) can drastically reduce lag during read/write-intensive operations.

6.  Upgrade RAM to 16GB

• Yes, upgrading to 16GB can significantly improve performance, especially if your friend runs multiple tabs or software simultaneously. This allows more breathing room for both the browser and background processes without paging to slower disk-based memory.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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VikramTheGreat

HP Support