Screen flickering and Xe Graphics Issues

[Talha18]

Hello everyone,

I'm facing a issue with my HP laptop Pavilion 14 , and I'm hoping someone here might have some advice or suggestions.

*The Problem:*

- I was playing games when my laptop suddenly blue-screened.

- A couple of days later, the laptop shut off by itself and wouldn’t start up properly.

- I did Clean Boot of windows 11

- After various tests:

  - **SSD**: Checked using CrystalDisk, health is at 98%.

  - **RAM**: Tested with MemTest86, no issues found.

  - **Overall Hardware**: Used HP Diagnostics to check all components, andB everything passed.

**The Issue:**

- The main problem occurs with the **Intel Xe Graphics drivers**:

  - If I update or upgrade to any version of the Intel Xe Graphics driver, the screen starts flickering badly. 

  - When using the generic display drivers provided by Microsoft, the laptop works fine, but the performance is obviously not optimal for gaming or heavy graphics work.

  - If I try to shut down the laptop after updating to the Intel Xe Graphics driver, it doesn't shut down properly—it freezes and I have to force it off.

I’ve tried different versions of the Intel Xe Graphics driver (both WHQL certified and non-certified), but nothing seems to solve the flickering issue.

I’m looking for any advice on what might be causing this problem and how to fix it. Has anyone else faced a similar issue?

Thank you!

[Raj_05]

Hi @Talha18,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

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

It sounds like you're dealing with a tricky issue. Here are some steps and considerations that might help resolve the screen flickering and driver problems with your Intel Xe Graphics.

Check for Windows Updates:

• Ensure that your Windows 11 installation is fully updated. Sometimes, updates include fixes for compatibility issues with drivers.

Update BIOS and Chipset Drivers:

• Visit the HP support site for your Pavilion 14 and check if there are any BIOS or chipset driver updates available. Updating these might help resolve compatibility issues with the graphics driver.

Use Intel Driver & Support Assistant:

• Download and install the Intel Driver & Support Assistant from Intel's website. This tool can help identify and install the correct drivers for your system.

Clean Install Graphics Drivers:

• Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) to completely remove existing graphics drivers. After running DDU, restart your laptop and then install the latest Intel Xe Graphics driver.

Check for Conflicting Software:

• Sometimes third-party software, especially those related to graphics or system utilities, can conflict with drivers. Ensure that no such software is interfering with the graphics drivers.

Test Different Driver Versions:

• Although you mentioned trying various versions, try testing a slightly older version of the Intel Xe Graphics driver that was known to work well previously. Sometimes newer versions might introduce new bugs.

Check for Hardware Issues:

• Even though you've run hardware diagnostics, consider running a full hardware diagnostic from within HP Support Assistant or HP's diagnostics tools in BIOS. It might reveal underlying issues not caught in initial tests.

Verify Power Settings:

• Ensure your power settings are not set to limit performance. Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings and check settings related to graphics performance.

Reinstall Windows:

• If all else fails, consider performing a clean installation of Windows 11. This can help rule out any software conflicts that might be causing the issue.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted 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!

Alden4

HP Support 

[Talha20]

Hi Paul_Tikkanen,

Thank you for your response!

I checked the hardware ID of my Intel Graphics adapter, and it matches the IDs you mentioned for the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. However, when I go to HP’s support site and enter my laptop's serial number and product number, the only graphics driver available is for Intel UHD Graphics. HP originally released the Pavilion series with both Intel HD and Xe Graphics versions, and I specifically bought the Xe version. However, there is no Xe Graphics driver available—only the HD driver.

I've tried downloading and installing several versions of the Intel Xe Graphics drivers directly from Intel’s website, including older versions from 2021 and 2022 as well as the latest WHQL certified driver. Unfortunately, none of them resolved the issue, and the flickering persists. A strange thing I’ve noticed is that the flickering completely stops when I’m gaming, but it returns during regular use and also during shutdown, where the laptop fails to shut down properly unless I manually force it off.

Another thing I've noticed: After doing a fresh install of Windows, the laptop works fine initially, with no freezing on startup, and it shuts down properly. But as soon as I install the Intel Xe Graphics driver, the issues start appearing again. Even after disabling the Xe Graphics driver, the freezing at startup and shutdown issues persist, requiring me to manually shut down the laptop.

At this point, I'm wondering if there's a specific HP-optimized driver for the Xe Graphics that’s not available on the website. Any advice or further steps would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you again for your help!