Thermal Throttling

[Timo36]

I have an Spectre x360 with an nvidia RTX 4050 RTX, it is a refurbished model.
Ever since I've had it, it had issues with Thermal Throttling and lately it just got worse. 
Usually it already starts to thermal throttle around 40°C, (Measured with MSI Afterburner) which seems a bit low. It makes the graphics card completely useless, as it shuts down the power to it, limiting its power to just a few Watts. That makes even easy Games or activities on the Laptop impossible. 
I already had the Mainboard/Graphics Card replaced two times, so that doesn't seem to be the issue.
I also tried forcing Games/Programs to use the dedicated Graphics card (Not the issue)
Reinstalling Graphics driver multiple times (including DDU)
Updated the BIOS.
Updated Windows. Reinstalled Windows. 
Checked for other Driver Updates.
Changing Power Management.
(Under Volting is sadly not an option anymore as it is locked by HP)
It doesn't matter, if I have the Laptop plugged in or not. (Plugged in seems even a bit worse, thanks to the heat from charging the battery.)
HP Diagnostic Tools report no issues with any Hardware. 
Shortly after the last repair (and some attempted Software fixes myself) the temperature sensor just reports every 2 seconds on idle.

Frankly, I have no idea anymore what to do. 
Ideally a replacement unit would fix all those issues (for me) but refurbished models are apparently exempted from simply exchanging. 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Timo36,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

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

It’s incredibly frustrating when your Spectre x360 with RTX 4050 starts throttling power at just 40 °C, especially after multiple repairs and exhaustive software fixes. Let's explore proven remedies to bring performance back to life.

1. Check the AC Adapter in the BIOS

Sometimes, the system throttles the GPU if the adapter isn’t recognized as high‑wattage:

• Reboot and press F10 to enter BIOS. Ensure the AC adapter shows as a correct HP high‑wattage (e.g., 120 W or above). If it shows "Unknown," the GPU may lock performance. 

2. Uninstall HP Power Services

HP utilities (Command Center, Power Services) can throttle the GPU to limit temperature/noise:

• Open Apps & Features → uninstall HP Power Services or Command Center.
• Reboot, test gaming again; some users saw performance restored after removal.

3. Disable NVIDIA WhisperMode/Battery Boost

These settings in NVIDIA Control Panel can constrain GPU behavior:

• Open NVIDIA Control Panel → go to Manage 3D settings → ensure WhisperMode and Battery Boost are turned off.

4. Roll Back or Update BIOS

A known BIOS update (F.13) may lock GPU clocks unexpectedly:

• Check BIOS version in HP Support Assistant or BIOS menu.
• If F.13, consider rolling back to an earlier version (if available), or wait for an update that resolves locking behavior.

5. Perform an EC Reset

A full Embedded Controller reset can clear power limit states:

• Turn off the laptop, disconnect the AC charger.
• Press and hold Power + Volume Up for 15 seconds.
• Reconnect the AC, restart the machine.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat

[Timo36]

Unfortunately none of those solved the Issue.

1. There is no such setting in the BIOS. 
But when I checked it with the HP Diagnostic Tool, both the Charger and the AC Adapter got a pass.

2. Those are currently not installed, as I have a fresh Windows Install through Microsoft and not HP.

3. Those setting also don't exist.
But it is set to "Performance Mode"

4. Currently I have the F.15 BIOS Version and the Issue still persists. The Issue was also already there on earlier BIOS Versions.

5. This one also didn't resolve any Problem.

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @Timo36,

Thank you for getting back and letting me know that the steps could not help fix the issue.

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name.  

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

VikramTheGreat

HP Support