Core Ultra 5 125H: Video playback stutters on battery

[mcarras]

Hello,

I recently bought an IdeaPad Pro 5i last-gen built with an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H CPU that includes Intel Arc graphics. Overall, the laptop works well, even in demanding games. 

However, when using the battery, video playback gets EXTREMELY choppy (to the point you couldn't see a movie, because it's really annoying). If you plug the computer to the wall, then the problem seems to disappear.

I have tried with both Lenovo-provided and official up-to-date Intel drivers. I have messed just a bit with the energy setup but I've returned everything to default -as it either did not work or should not be a problem in theory.

Maybe, it is a problem of driver optimization. At last, Core Ultra's are quite recent. Nevertheless, I officialy ask for your support.

Thanks in advance

[Vincho]

Hi, I have same laptop, and same issue happened to me. Using chrome i don´t have this problem. If you use Edge you have to disable hardaware acceleration and power saving mode on browser. Using VLC with different playback lists, I disabled hardware acceleration too, and i changed output format from automatic to Open GL for windows. It works for me when I use battery and even with power saving mode activated. The problem is that other media players that dont have any preferences to change, works really choppy. Intel you have to investigate this issue and give us a solution. It seems to be drivers related.

[mcarras · Accepted solution]

Hello,

It seems that the problem has been solved with the latest release of drivers, rev 31.0.101.5333.

Now it apparently works well even in power saving mode.

Thanks!

[Vincho]

Hi, did you try use VLC playing some playlist like m3u format? For me still happening even with latest drivers. Which apps were causing the issue for you? Thanks in advice.

[mcarras]

Hello Vincho,

I did not try VLC. For video files I'm using Windows 11 default media player. It lagged before, as did, in fact, any video source, whether it was on a web browser (youtube, streaming services...) or not.

Check you have the latest drivers, I updated mines just yesterday.

[mcarras]

Well, I hate to post this, but the problem has come back after the last two driver updates.

Please, fix it.

[TimNguyen]

I have same problem with core ultra 7 155h ... battery saving mode cant play smooth video !

[mcarras]

It has been more than five months since the notification of these problems and it is still happening, no matter the monthly driver updates nor any other (for instance, BIOS).

Please, at list mark this issue as UNSOLVED.

[HieuGboiz22]

Hey, I think this way can reduce your porblem.

I tried on Asus zenbook with Intel core ultra 5 125H and I think you should try ^^

Change the power mode from efficiency to balanced or maximum performance, your computer may heated more than before, but the problem has gone 🙂

Glad to hear from you soon, and sorry for my bad English 😞

[Jayaram_Satwik]

Hi there I have the same machine as yours and I have a similar problem, the GPU is throttling when I plug my charger and the performance drastically decreases (stutters a lot in games, choppy video play back just like you mentioned), I even tired reinstalling windows, lastest driver updates still it's the same, any suggestions from you would be really helpful
I'm dropping my mail id: satwikjayaram@gmail.com
Thank you

[mcarras]

After discussing the matter directly with Intel support via email, it was found that the video problems are only happening in Microsoft Edge browser, while playback is perfectly smooth in battery mode in other browsers, such as Chrome.

I own another laptop, an HP Elitebook with a Ryzen 5650U processor, and Edge is not presenting any problem of this kind, so I understand that the issue with Core Ultra CPUs is caused a faulty implementation of the Edge battery-saving mode in the Intel drivers.

[HieuGboiz22]

Using chrome just reduce the lagging a little bit, if you keep your power mode to efficiency, they still lagging and shuttering. And if you switching to chrome, the battery will dead sooner than using Edge (my laptop can run for 5 hours without charging with Edge while just 4 hours with Chrome).
However, I hope Intel and Microsoft will release updates soon to fix this problem.

[mcarras]

Actually, I am seeing a neat difference between Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. The latter playbacks video perfectly even un "power-saving" mode. Edge still stutters badly (even after the most recent Windows 11 update).

[HieuGboiz22]

I don't know why, but Chrome is acting like Edge on my laptop (the videos were smooth, sometimes lagging a little bit, but the audio was terrible: shuttering, sometimes it make me think that I'm hearing the radio from 90s). But it disappeared when my laptop was plugged in, the balance power mode doesn't work on battery (still lagging but it's not too frequent). To be honest, I don't like to charge my laptop very much due to it's terrible temperature (around 70 Celsius when watching videos). Hope they will fix the problem soon.

*Note: the audio was terrible, but not always, it's shuttering for 1 or 2 seconds (enough for me to become angry🤬)