Understanding GPU Usage Issues on the HP Envy 16 (i9-13900H + RTX 4060): A Comprehensive Troubleshooting Guide
Introduction
Recent reports from HP Envy 16 users equipped with Intel Core i9-13900H processors and RTX 4060 Laptop GPUs reveal a peculiar performance anomaly. Despite benchmark results indicating normal GPU operation, these systems exhibit significantly reduced gaming performance, with GPU utilization stubbornly stuck at 3–5% during gameplay. This guide aims to analyze potential causes, summarize troubleshooting steps, and suggest further solutions to resolve this issue.
System Overview
The affected system features:
– Processor: Intel Core i9-13900H
– Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
– Memory: 32GB RAM
– Operating System: Windows 11
Symptoms Observed
– Suboptimal gaming performance with low FPS (e.g., ~13 FPS in Rust)
– GPU usage remains at 3–5% during gameplay
– System appears overall slower, despite benchmark scores appearing normal
– Graphics benchmarks (e.g., Unigine Heaven) run with typical scores, indicating GPU hardware is functional
Initial Troubleshooting Efforts Conducted
To address these issues, various standard troubleshooting procedures were attempted:
– Reinstalling NVIDIA drivers using Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU), testing multiple versions (e.g., 576.xx, 580.xx, 581.xx)
– Updating Intel drivers for integrated GPU, WiFi, and Bluetooth
– Updating BIOS to version F.23
– Ensuring Windows 11 is fully updated
– Using the original 200W HP charger, as well as a new replacement
– Setting Windows Power Mode to High Performance
– Configuring NVIDIA Control Panel to “Prefer maximum performance”
– Turning off BatteryBoost
– Performing a full Windows reset
– Forcing games to utilize the RTX 4060 via NVIDIA Control Panel
– Testing on external monitor (no improvement observed)
Analysis of the Issue
Despite comprehensive troubleshooting, the GPU remains underutilized during gaming. The fact that benchmark environments show normal GPU activity suggests that the hardware is operational but is being inhibited under specific conditions during gaming workloads.
Potential Causes & Considerations
– Thermal Throttling or Power Limitations: Could the system be throttling GPU performance to conserve thermal or power resources?
– Firmware or BIOS Glitches: Despite BIOS update, some firmware-related issues may persist.
– Power Management Settings: Windows or driver-level
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