Notebook suddenly locked GPU at 1395 MHz and CPU locked at 0,79 GHz when plugged in/charging

[Andrew_128]

Hello,

Overnight, my notebook started to perform very poorly in everything. Gaming went from 50-60 fps to less than 30, and every other task in windows takes noticeably longer to execute than before.

However, I only have these problems when the notebook is plugged in. A couple seconds after I disconnect the charger, fps in games is up to 60, and windows is as smooth as butter.

I have found two problems. When plugged in, the CPU was locked to 0,79 GHz. I have overriden this through ThrottleStop, where I disabled BD PROCHOT. This doesn't seem to solve the cause of the problem though. Also it probably is not safe, since (as I understand it) it allows for overheating. But it does speed up the system.

The second problem I have is with the GPU. When the notebook is plugged in and I'm gaming, it is locked to the base 1395 MHz and usage is at 99-100%. When I disconnect the charger, usage drops to about 80%, and the clock goes above 1395 Mhz, to about 1500-1550 MHz (within boost clock range).

I tried to adjust the GPU clock through MSI afterburner, but it just does not do anything. No matter what I set the clock to be, it always caps out at 1395 and does not go beyond. When I'm not gaming, the integrated Intel GPU takes over
(it's own usage is at about 40%), and NVIDIA usage is at 0-1%.

As I said, all problems go away when I disconnect the charger. This leads me to believe that the charger is damaged. It has worked fine for one and a half years (it is from HP and came with the notebook), but maybe now it provides too little wattage or voltage? But I would like to make sure before I get a new one.

I checked the power plan many times and tried to fiddle around with it. I also installed the latest version of BIOS. All of the drivers have been updated. I tried reinstalling windows, deleted all files. Nothing worked.

Also, the day before I found out about these issues, I downloaded a windows update. It was .NET framework 4.5 or 4.8 I believe. Could it have anything to do with this?

I will welcome any advice, even if I have tried it before.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

[praveenbv]

@Andrew_128,

Welcome to HP Community!

Let's start with performing a hard reset on the PC to release any excessive static/power that could have caused the issue. 

• Turn off the computer. 
• Disconnect all external connected peripheral devices such as USB storage devices, external displays, and printers. 
• Unplug the AC adapter from the computer. 
• Press and hold down the Power button for about 15 seconds to drain any residual electrical charge from the capacitors that protect the memory. 
• Press the Power button to turn on the computer. 
• If a startup menu opens, use the arrow keys to select Start Windows Normally, and then press the Enter key. 

Second, you can check if there is a Bios update available for your PC, here is the link to download. 

Performing a test on the Hard drive as well as on the Memory from the Hardware diagnostics:  

1. Hold the power button for at least five seconds to turn off the computer.
2. Turn on the computer and immediately press Esc repeatedly, about once every second. When the menu appears, press the F2 key.
3. On the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI) main menu, click System Tests.
4. Click Extensive Test.
5. Click Run once, or Loop until error.
   While the test is running, the time remaining and test result for each component are shown on the screen. The test can take 2 or more hours to complete.

   NOTE:

If the diagnostics are not available when using the F2 menu, run the HP PC Hardware Diagnostics from a USB drive. To download the latest version of the diagnostics, go to the HP Hardware Diagnostics website. For instructions, see Testing from an external USB device.

The best way to resolve the issue is by using the HP Guided Troubleshooter: 

CLICK HERE FOR STEP BY STEP GUIDE (Scroll to the bottom for more options)

(simply select your description of the issue from the bottom of the screen to gain access to the next set of steps that should resolve your concern).

Keep me posted. Happy to help!

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

Click the “Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Have a great day! 

.,,,

[Andrew_128]

Thank you for answering,

I performed a hard reset and also updated BIOS again, which unfortunately hasn't solved the issue.

Then I did the extensive test you recommended, and everything passed. I decided to try to run an AC adapter test, to see if that isn't the problem, and based on the results, I think it might be.

Here is a log of the tests that were performed:

Model: HP Pavilion Notebook 15-bc5xxx

Serial Number: 5CD9300WXT

Product ID: 7BU90EA#BCM

CSO Number:

Agent ID:

==================

==================

============ Start Time Type Result Failure ID

-------------------

------------------ --------

---------------------------

2021-02-25 08:58:56 Power Warning NA

2021-02-25 08:58:34 AC Adapter Warning NA

2021-02-25 08:56:41 AC Adapter Warning NA

2021-02-25 08:55:15 Battery Passed NA

2021-02-25 07:30:44 System [E] Passed NA

<END>

(Sorry if the formatting is off, I had to copy the text of the log and the formatting got lost.)

So after the first extensive test, I did a battery test that passed. Then I did an AC adapter test (twice), the result of which was a warning (failure?). And lastly I performed a power test, which tests both the battery and the AC adapter if I understand it correctly. That also resulted in a warning, but since the battery passed before and the AC adapter did not, is it the AC adapter that failed here also?

What do you think?

[praveenbv]

@Andrew_128,

I recommend you follow the below steps and check if it helps.

1. Turn off your HP laptop.
2. Disconnect all external devices (printers, USB drives, etc.) from your computer.
3. Remove all recently added internal hardware.
4. Press the Power button to switch your HP laptop on.
5. Once your unit starts booting, immediately press the F11 key. Repeatedly press it until you see the Choose an Option screen.
6. Select Troubleshoot.
7. Choose Reset this PC.
8. You can either opt to keep your files or to remove everything.
9. Select Keep My Files when you want to retain your data. Once you click Reset, your operating system will be reinstalled. The process may take a while.
10. Choose Remove Everything when you want to remove all your personal files.
11. You can opt to remove everything solely on the drive where your operating system is installed. On the other hand, you can click All Drives when you do not want to retain any data.
12. You can also fully clean the drive you selected or just remove your files.
13. Click Reset.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted.

[Andrew_128]

I bought a new charger and it solved all issues.