Internal display backlight stays on in Discrete GPU mode when using external HDMI monitor

[Mike8719]

Dear HP Support,

Has anyone found a fix for the internal laptop display backlight staying on when the system is set to Discrete GPU mode and an external monitor is connected through HDMI?

I would like to report what appears to be a firmware / BIOS / graphics-switch related display behavior issue on my HP OMEN MAX 16 laptop.

Device information:

• Model: HP OMEN MAX 16-ah0006ne

• Operating system: Windows 11

• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU

External monitor used:

• Dell Alienware AW2521HFLA

• Resolution: 1920 × 1080

• Refresh rate: 240 Hz

• G-SYNC Compatible / Variable Refresh Rate supported

Issue summary:
When I connect a G-SYNC Compatible external monitor and switch the laptop to Discrete GPU mode in BIOS, G-SYNC becomes available and works correctly on the external monitor over HDMI. However, the laptop’s own internal display panel backlight remains active even though the internal display is no longer being used and no image is shown on it.

This means that, in Discrete GPU mode with external-display-only usage, the internal panel stays black but still visibly illuminated by its backlight.

Display topology and relevant behavior:

• The laptop has two USB-C ports that operate through the iGPU path when Optimus is enabled.

• The HDMI port is directly connected to the dGPU path.

• G-SYNC is only available in my setup when the system is switched to Discrete GPU mode in BIOS and the external monitor is connected through HDMI.

• In this mode, the external monitor works correctly, G-SYNC is available in NVIDIA Control Panel, and the external display operates as expected at 240 Hz.

• However, the internal laptop panel backlight remains on even though the internal panel is not actively used.

Comparative behavior:

• If Optimus is enabled in BIOS and the external monitor is connected through the laptop’s HDMI port, the external monitor can still operate at 240 Hz, but G-SYNC is not available.

• In that Optimus-enabled configuration, the laptop’s internal display panel is able to switch off properly.

• If the system is switched to Discrete GPU mode, G-SYNC becomes available and works correctly on the external monitor, but the internal laptop display backlight remains on even when the internal display is inactive.

• This behavior suggests that the issue may be specifically related to internal panel power or backlight management in Discrete GPU mode, rather than being a general Windows, HDMI, or monitor configuration problem.

Observed behavior:

• During boot, the HP logo appears on the internal laptop display.

• After boot, Windows login and desktop appear only on the external monitor.

• The internal laptop display shows no image and remains black.

• Despite this, the internal display backlight remains visibly active.

• In Windows display settings, the internal display is not the active display.

• In NVIDIA Control Panel > Set up multiple displays, only the external monitor is enabled.

• In Windows display configuration, external-display-only mode is selected.

• In Advanced display settings, the internal display is shown as inactive.

• Even with all of the above confirmed, the internal panel backlight does not switch off completely.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Enter BIOS.

2. Change Graphics Switch to Discrete GPU only.

3. Connect an external G-SYNC Compatible monitor via HDMI.

4. Boot into Windows.

5. Set Windows projection mode to external display only / second screen only.

6. In NVIDIA Control Panel, enable only the external monitor.

7. Observe that the external display works correctly, but the internal laptop panel remains black with its backlight still on.

Expected behavior:
When the system is operating in Discrete GPU mode and only the external monitor is active, the internal laptop display backlight should turn off completely if the internal panel is inactive and not being used.

Actual behavior:
The internal panel remains black, but its backlight stays on.

Why this is a problem:

• It creates unnecessary light emission from the laptop panel while using an external monitor.

• It causes unnecessary backlight operating time on the internal display.

• It may contribute to avoidable long-term backlight wear and panel aging.

• It is undesirable in a gaming setup where the user intentionally disables the internal display and uses only the external monitor.

• It gives the impression that the internal panel is not being fully powered down or properly managed in Discrete GPU mode.

Important note:
This does not appear to be a normal Windows multi-display configuration issue, because:

• external-display-only mode is already enabled,

• the internal display is not enabled in NVIDIA Control Panel,

• the internal display is shown as inactive in Windows,

• yet the panel backlight still remains on.

This suggests a possible issue in BIOS, firmware, embedded controller behavior, graphics-switch handling, or internal panel power/backlight control while operating in Discrete GPU mode.

Request:
Please investigate whether this is a known issue on the HP OMEN MAX 16 series and whether it can be corrected in a future BIOS, firmware, graphics-switch, or related software update.

I would appreciate it if this report could be forwarded to the appropriate engineering or firmware team for review.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards,
Misi

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Mike8719,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

Thank you for the detailed explanation and for providing complete system and configuration information. This is very helpful.

At this point, the behavior you described appears to be related to how the system manages the internal display when the Graphics Switch is set to Discrete GPU mode. To provide you with the most accurate information, we would like to take some time to review this internally and attempt to replicate the behavior on an actual device so we can better understand whether this is expected behavior or something that needs to be escalated to the engineering team.

In the meantime, I would like you to try a quick test to confirm something from the Windows display side.

Quick test using Windows projection

1. Press Windows + P on your keyboard.

2. Select Second screen only (external display only).

3. Observe the laptop’s internal display panel.

Please check if the internal display backlight still remains on after selecting this projection mode.

This will help us confirm whether the behavior persists even when Windows explicitly disables the internal panel through the projection settings.

Once we hear back from you, we will also continue investigating this further with our internal resources.

Thank you again for the detailed report and for your patience while we review this further.

Best regards,

[Mike8719]

HP OMEN MAX 16 (ah0006ne) – TECHNICAL FEEDBACK & EXTENDED ISSUE REPORT

Dear HP Support Team,

Thank you for your previous response and for taking the time to investigate the reported behavior internally.

I have completed the requested test and would also like to provide a comprehensive, structured technical feedback based on extensive real-world testing and tuning.

---

SYSTEM UNDER TEST

Model: HP OMEN MAX 16 (ah0006ne)
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop
External Monitor: Dell Alienware AW2521HFLA (240 Hz, FreeSync Premium)

---

DISPLAY BEHAVIOR TEST RESULT (REQUESTED TEST)

Test performed:
Windows + P → “Second screen only”

Result:
The internal display panel backlight still remains ON, even though the system output is fully switched to the external display.

Additional observation:
When using Advanced Optimus mode, the internal display behaves correctly and turns OFF completely.

Conclusion:
This confirms that the issue is not caused by Windows projection, but is very likely related to Discrete GPU mode panel power / backlight handling.

This behavior results in:

• Unnecessary power consumption

• Additional heat generation

• Undesirable long-term panel usage

This strongly suggests a firmware / BIOS / EC-level issue rather than expected behavior.

---

GENERAL TECHNICAL FEEDBACK

After extensive testing, the device clearly shows strong engineering potential:

• Excellent build quality and materials

• High-performance cooling design

• Strong CPU and GPU configuration

However, several critical software and platform-level issues significantly impact the user experience.

---

1. CRITICAL ISSUE – SETTINGS NOT PERSISTING

---

In OMEN Gaming Hub → Advanced Performance Tuning:

• CPU core ratio settings DO NOT persist after reboot

• Every restart requires manual reconfiguration

This makes advanced tuning effectively unusable.

Expected behavior:
Saved performance profiles must persist across reboots.

---

1. OUTDATED PERFORMANCE STACK (INTEL XTU BASE)

---

OMEN Gaming Hub appears to rely on an outdated Intel XTU-based backend.

Issues:

• Missing newer Intel tuning capabilities

• Limited parameter control

• Lack of parity with current Intel performance frameworks

This is not acceptable for a premium high-end device.

---

1. MISSING ADVANCED CONTROLS

---

Several essential tuning parameters are missing:

• No Turbo Time Limit control

• No fine-grained CPU power control

• Limited voltage and efficiency tuning

These exist in Intel XTU but are not exposed in OMEN Gaming Hub.

---

1. PERFORMANCE & UI ISSUES (OMEN GAMING HUB)

---

The application shows clear performance and UX issues:

• High RAM usage

• Slow, non-responsive UI

• Delayed navigation between sections

Additionally:

It is extremely frustrating that OMEN Gaming Hub can only be minimized to the taskbar and cannot function as a system tray application.

Compared to competitors (e.g., ASUS Armoury Crate), the application feels:

• Less optimized

• Less responsive

• Less refined

---

1. MISSING DISABLE OPTION (XTU USAGE)

---

It would be highly beneficial to include an option to fully disable OMEN Gaming Hub, allowing users to rely on Intel XTU for tuning instead—especially if the XTU-based backend cannot be kept up to date.

---

1. ADVANCED OPTIMUS / DISPLAY PATH LIMITATIONS

---

The display architecture has major limitations:

• USB-C / Thunderbolt ports are NOT connected to the dGPU

• Therefore, G-SYNC is not available via DisplayPort over USB-C

Additionally:

• HDMI-based G-SYNC is unreliable in real-world usage

• Adaptive Sync works only via iGPU (Optimus path)

Expected improvement:
Direct dGPU output over USB-C / DisplayPort in future designs.

---

1. DISPLAY BEHAVIOR BUG (DISCRETE MODE)

---

When using Discrete GPU mode:

• External display works correctly

• BUT the internal panel backlight remains ON

Confirmed even with:
Windows projection → “Second screen only”

This clearly indicates unintended behavior.

---

1. OVERALL SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

---

While the hardware is close to excellent, the software stack:

• Feels incomplete

• Lacks expected polish

• Limits the system’s real potential

---

POSITIVE NOTES

• Excellent chassis and thermal design

• Strong hardware platform

• Good thermal behavior when tuned properly

• Advanced Optimus concept is valuable

---

FINAL REQUEST

I would strongly appreciate:

• Fix for profile persistence

• Updated performance tuning backend

• Improved UI responsiveness

• Option to disable OMEN Gaming Hub

• Better GPU display routing capabilities

• Resolution of Discrete mode display bug

If these issues are not addressed, I may consider switching to another platform despite the strong hardware foundation.

Thank you again for your support and for reviewing this in detail.

Sincerely,
Mihály Szilágyi

[Mike8719]

Dear HP Team,

I would like to provide focused feedback specifically regarding the OMEN Gaming Hub software, based on extensive real-world usage and performance tuning.

---

1. CRITICAL ISSUE – SETTINGS NOT PERSISTING

---

In Advanced Performance Tuning:

• CPU core ratio settings do NOT persist after reboot

• Every restart requires manual reconfiguration

This is a critical usability issue and makes advanced tuning impractical.

Expected behavior:
All saved tuning profiles must persist reliably across reboots.

---

1. OUTDATED INTEL XTU-BASED BACKEND

---

OMEN Gaming Hub appears to rely on an outdated Intel XTU-based backend.

Issues:

• Missing newer Intel tuning features

• Limited control over CPU behavior

• Not aligned with current Intel performance frameworks

This significantly limits the usability of a high-end system.

---

1. MISSING ESSENTIAL CONTROLS

---

Several important tuning parameters are not available:

• No Turbo Time Limit control

• No detailed CPU power management options

• Limited voltage and efficiency tuning

These features exist in Intel XTU but are not exposed here.

---

1. PERFORMANCE & RESOURCE USAGE

---

The application shows noticeable performance issues:

• High RAM usage

• Slow UI responsiveness

• Delays when switching between sections

The software feels unnecessarily heavy for its function.

---

1. USER EXPERIENCE LIMITATIONS

---

• The application can only be minimized to the taskbar

• It cannot function as a system tray application

This is inconvenient for a background utility.

A system tray mode (similar to competitors) would significantly improve usability.

---

1. MISSING DISABLE OPTION

---

There is no option to fully disable OMEN Gaming Hub.

This is problematic for advanced users who prefer using Intel XTU directly.

Suggested improvement:

• Add a toggle to disable OMEN Gaming Hub services

• Allow conflict-free usage of external tuning tools

---

1. GENERAL SOFTWARE QUALITY

---

Compared to competing solutions (e.g., ASUS Armoury Crate), OMEN Gaming Hub feels:

• Less optimized

• Less responsive

• Less refined in UI/UX design

---

SUMMARY

OMEN Gaming Hub has strong potential, but currently:

• Lacks reliability (settings reset)

• Uses an outdated backend

• Misses key tuning features

• Has performance and UX issues

Addressing these would significantly improve the overall user experience and unlock the full potential of the hardware.

Thank you for your attention.

Best regards,
Mihály Szilágyi

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @,

To help you further with this, could you please share your product details and serial number via private message?

This will allow us to check the exact configuration of your device and provide more accurate assistance.

To access your private messages, simply click the private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Support Community profile, next to your profile name. 

You can use this link as well: 

Private Messages - HP Support Community

Looking forward to your message.

Best regards