My HP Omen 15 with a Ryzen 7 4800H and GTX 1660 Ti has suddenly slowed down in games. The GPU sits around 360 to 480 MHz and 7 W in games, but boosts normally in a stress test. GPU-Z cycles between Idle, Pwr and Thrm as the performance limit reason.
The laptop is plugged in, games are using the NVIDIA GPU, and I've reinstalled the driver and tried maximum performance settings. What should I check next?
Check the CPU temperatures and clocks while a game is running, not just the GPU. A badly seated heatsink can cause the CPU to throttle and leave the GPU waiting for work, which can explain low GPU usage and clocks.
In this case, the reported fix was tightening a heatsink that wasn't making proper contact with the CPU. If you inspect it, shut down and unplug the laptop first. The heatsink needs to be seated evenly, not just tightened at one corner. A repair shop is a reasonable option if you're not comfortable opening it.
The stress test result suggests the GPU can boost under at least one workload. I'd log CPU and GPU temperatures, clocks, power and utilization during an affected game, then compare them with the stress test. Look for CPU throttling or a core running flat out while the GPU is lightly loaded.
Don't read too much into a momentary PerfCap label on its own. Idle can appear when the GPU has little work, while Pwr and Thrm indicate limits that need more context from the temperature and power readings.
You already checked which GPU the games use, so I wouldn't start with another driver reinstall. Still, verify it per game in Windows graphics settings or the NVIDIA control panel, since a laptop can have different preferences for different apps. GPU activity alone doesn't necessarily show which GPU is doing the rendering.
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qos_9bit:
It's also worth checking the vents and fans for dust while you're looking at cooling. Clear airflow won't fix a heatsink that isn't making contact, though.