Issues with new laptop Strix Scar 17 2023 (R9 7945HX, 4080)

[hexaae]

MY ISSUES WITH THIS G733PZ Strix Scar 17 2023 (R9 7945HX, 4080)

Love it but it has many annoying little issues (fully updated with Win Update and MyASUS official app, BIOS 311):

1. [COMMON] Speaker sounds randomly muted 'till I reboot with no error in Device Manager, no icons with X and no crashes, but speakers simply do not play audio anymore (headphones still work). Only solution a reboot. Totally random in normal desktop usage.

2. [COMMON] Sometimes randomly after 2 days of sleep and resume, USB-C DisplaPort won't detect anymore the attached (but turned off) monitor when I turn it on. Have to reinsert DisplayPort cable (8K high quality). To be exact it happens after Windows Hibernation. (SOLVED with BIOS 315 ✔️)

3. [MY UNIT] Loud coil whine with the test from GPU_Caps_Viewer: 3D Demos/Vulkan 2 Tessellation. Tested in real games or other 3D Demos and coil whine is minimal and acceptable though...

4. [COMMON] Random internal screen (desktop usage) fast-flickerings (0.1sec, very fast almost unnoticeable, mostrly in the upper portion of the screen)... looks like AMD iGPU unstable frequency (?). This seems a well known AMD iGPU issue reported in many forums with previous AMD CPU models. Waiting for AMD Adrenalin driver/BIOS updates hoping for a fix... 🤞🏻

5. [COMMON] No S3 Standby state in the BIOS!! Forced S0 only (a sort of MS hybrid standby 2.0) with fans quietly active (???). You can check it with powercfg /a from admin Cmd prompt. Microsoft calls it "Modern Standby", which is good only for office workstations, maybe. We need S3 (classic Standby) instead.

6. [COMMON] Standby set as: after 10 min screen off and after 45 min standby; when I return to the laptop after 1-2 hours I find the keyboard leds on and system freezed including stuck white mouse pointer over a black screen (!?). I've found a workaround from admin prompt simply forcing hibernate after 30 min and setting screen off and standby both after 10 min. It didn't happen anymore.

   Power settings commands (admin):
   powercfg /x  hibernate-timeout-ac 0  (default 0, AC is for PSU mode)
   powercfg /x  hibernate-timeout-dc 60 (default 60 min = 3600 sec, DC is for battery mode)
   powercfg HIBERNATE ON (force-enable Hibernation if not present)
   and
   powercfg /q (to show current idle settings)
   Microsoft link on how to disable Modern Standby, if you want to: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot-core/learn-about-hardware/wakeontouch Remember to disable also Armoury Crate's Modern Standby Assistant completely (Off).
   
   Recommended: enable hibernate, something like 30mins AC and 20mins DC, you can keep Modern Standby set after 20 and 10mins. This will workaround unresponsive screen or keyboard after a long time if you rely solely on Modern Standby (probably drivers are still not good enough).
   
   
7. [COMMON] BSOD or other issues connecting an autopowered storage device to the rear USB-C ports. I tried 3 different external enclosures with different controller chipset (ViaLab USB\VID_2109&PID_0716, Realtek USB\VID_0BDA&PID_9210, ASMedia USB\VID_174C&PID_235C) with a 2TB disk inside. They all caused strange slowdowns just opening directories and random black screen or direct BSOD (ViaLab in particular). In other cases they just disconnect frequently (unstable). Same devices connected to the lateral USB-A ports or to another PC work perfectly. Probably BIOS issues still present with 315.
   NEWS: there's an (untested) hotfix for ASMedia USB ports on the official site in the download page!
   
   
8. [COMMON] RANDOM REBOOTS 🧨 MAJOR ISSUE, in particular while using the machine at desktop through APU/iGPU (especially watching simple YT videos), even after factory reset and no driver updates! Here was a video showing this severe issue: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApMUGr0cuN39gsMCAwx9_wjnHscEXg?e=DJlN7i 
   👉🏻 NOTE: if you're using "NVidia GPU Only" mode (or Ultimate mode from Armoury Crate) you won't be using the APU at all, so this issue should not be reproducible... Some users reported random reboots also in Ultimate GPU mode (= not using iGPU/APU)!
   👉🏻 NOTE2: users reported that completely uninstalling Armoury Crate (good free replacements tools are Laptop ToolBox or G-Helper) + BIOS 327, solved all their random reboots. Please test and confirm!
   👉🏻 NOTE3: some users reported changing RAM modules fixed instability. Recommended: Kingston Fury KF556S40IBK2 running at 5200MT/s on this laptop.
   
   
   It's a powerful machine and many things are good but is also affected by a lot of bugs... hope they are just BIOS or driver issues and will be fixed one day 😞

✍🏻 IMPORTANT: to report issues with Armoury Crate to ASUS support, follow this post (create the log and fill out the form!): https://rog-forum.asus.com/t5/armoury-crate/armoury-crate-v5-7-6-0-amp-v5-7-9-0-aura-creator-v3-7-6-...

[akig]

yes but ACM is automated

[Abra]

Hello akig,

Have you not experienced random reboots of your new laptop at any time? I mean that the laptop just turns off, and restarts itself. You don't even have to be using it, just turn it on and the laptop restarts whenever it wants, randomly.

[akig]

no, I haven't had this issue but when I close the lid and leave it for like 30 - 60 mins I encounter a black screen and can't do nothing with pressing any keys. Yesterday I waited like 1 min for the screen to turn on again and opening the lid. Do you know any solution for this? I have already disabled Modern Standby.

[Inpair]

I have the same problem, I wrote to Asus support for a long time about problems with sleep, but they never solved the problem, I turned off sleep, but now the monitor do not turn on if it is turned off for a long time. Log writes about nvlddmkm Error, Event ID 14

[hexaae]

Read point 6 of first message in this thread to workaround Sleep problems due to Windows "Modern standby".

[Gallardo994]

I can myself confirm it helps "partially". I more or less reproduce same situation, but after 1 minute of screen being off, with all the recommended steps applied, with power cable connected to the device. I am currently using PowerToys Awake to prevent screen turning off (Keep awake indefinitely + Keep screen on) unless i close the lid myself, which puts the device into hibernation.

[Pieloth]

Some particular points of attention:

1 - Windows 11 has built-in, 2 initialization modes when Stopping/Powering up, referenced by "Fast Startup" :

1.1 A Full devices initialization mode. All devices are fully initialized, "Fast Startup" DISABLED
1.2 A Partial initialization mode. Devices don't get fully initialized on startup, "Fast Startup" ENABLED

2 - There are 3 sleep/stop modes available:
2.1 S0 Modern Standby
2.2 Hibernation
2.3 Power Off - Power On

As noticed, today's current BIOS/drivers are in a state that will not allow for all combinations of  (1.1, 1.2), and (2.1, 2.2, 2.3)

• Some combinations will keep laptop working
• Some combinations will lead to laptop freeze/black screen

3 - Now more subtile. The way laptop is put to sleep or stop, may switch on next start or wakeup, to a different mode 1.1 or 1.2:

3.1 start mode = 1.1 after:
3.1.1 reboot
3.1.2 Power Off / Power On cycle, with "Fast Startup" DISABLED

3.2 start mode = 1.2 after:
3.2.1 Hibernation
3.2.2 Power Off / Power On cycle with "Fast Startup" ENABLED
3.2.3 Power Off / Power On with Power Button long press (for instance, action in case of freeze)

3.3 start mode unchanged after:
3.3.1 Modern Standby S0

4 - As noticed per experience, here are some combinations of (1.1, 1.2) and (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) , leading to "stable" and "unstable (freeze)" situations:

4.1 Stable combinations

• Mode 1.1 + Sleep 2.1
• Mode 1.1 + Stop 2.3
• Mode 1.2 + Sleep 2.2
• Mode 1.2 + Stop 2.3

4.2 Unstable mode => go to Freeze = Game over

• Mode 1.2 + Sleep 2.1

For example:

You set "Fast Startup" Disabled and reboot your laptop.
You will restart in mode 1.1
Then you start a Hibernation
On wake up, you will be switched to mode 1.2
Then you start a Modern Standby S0 sleep (2.1)
As you are in mode 1.2, you will hit condition 4.2 above, and go to freeze

For my usage, I keep mode 1.1 + sleep 2.1 or 2.3 and is pretty stable. I banned Hibernation, as it switches to Mode 1.2 on wakeup, currently incompatible with S0 Modern Standby wakeup

Other hints:

• using Hibernation sets mode 1.2, so even if you have "Fast Startup" disabled, you will wakeup from Hibernation in mode 1.2 => risk to hit combination 4.2
• when you freeze, and force a shutdown+restart with Power button, you will restart in mode 1.2.
  => If you want to go to back to mode 1.1, then you need to reboot laptop immediately

[Abra]

In my case I have fast startup disabled. The sleep or hibernation programming is disabled. The programming of the monitors I have them that never turn off only I activate the windows screen saver.

With this configuration there are no problems of any kind.

[Pieloth]

In this case, you will stay always in mode 1.1 (according to my previous post), which is, if you never use sleep mode, very stable

[Gallardo994]

Has anyone managed to find a fix for washed-out colors when switching to nvidia-only mode in bios / armory crate (specifically them, not nvidia control panel mux switch)? Aka "Ultimate" mode. Thanks.