Task Manager Lagging Issues on Laptops with Ultra Processors and RTX 50-Series GPUs

[Lilith_0721]

Hello, Intel Support Community!

My laptop Mechrevo 16 Ultra is equipped with the u7-255hx processor and an RTX 5070ti GPU. The task manager starts extremely slow. The symptoms are identical to those described in these posts:

(Severe Lag When Opening the “Performance” Tab in Task Manager on Core Ultra 9 275HX - Intel Community)

(Severe Lag when opening Performance TAB in Task manager! - Intel Community)

Unfortunately, I haven't found any methods that can successfully solve the problem from these posts. I turned to the OEM manufacturer for help, but they didn't even know the reason ! Then I posted on the Microsoft Learn Community, and this is what they said:

"From a technical perspective, the issue originates from a blockage in the Intel integrated graphics driver during Windows 11 graphics scheduling and power state switching. In hybrid output mode, the integrated graphics serves as the primary display controller. When the system invokes GPU-aware components such as Task Manager or the control center, it needs to simultaneously enumerate multiple GPUs and interact with the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) and the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM). The current driver experiences synchronization stutters in the new scheduling path adopted by the RTX 50 series, causing system threads to be briefly locked. This manifests as interface lag or even unresponsive mouse input, which is why the issue is less common in the 40 series but prevalent in the 50 series.

Currently, Microsoft has not released a fix. Realistic and practical workarounds are limited to persistently using the discrete graphics direct output mode, using only the integrated graphics, or reducing the frequency of occurrences by disabling features such as Advanced Optimus and Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling (HAGS). However, these measures cannot completely eliminate the problem."

Doesn't this mean that Microsoft doesn't know how to fix this problem? Then what should I do? Just endure it? When exactly is Intel going to solve this issue?

[JohnM_Intel]

Hello Lilith_0721,

Thank you for reaching out and for sharing the details of the issue you’re experiencing. I understand how frustrating this can be, especially after already checking with the OEM and reviewing information from Microsoft.

To help us investigate further, could you please confirm the following details:

Windows Version

• Which Windows 11 version and build are you currently using?

Driver Versions

• Intel graphics driver version
• Are these OEM drivers or downloaded directly from Intel/NVIDIA?

Issue Behavior

• Does the lag only happen when opening the Performance tab in Task Manager?
• Does it improve after a reboot?

BIOS Version

• What BIOS version is currently installed on your system?

Once we have this information, we can better determine whether this is a driver interaction issue or if it needs to be escalated for further review.

Thank you for your patience, and I look forward to your reply.

Regards,

John M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Lilith_0721]

Hi JohnM_Intel, 

Thank you for your reply!

1. Windows 11 25H2 Version 26200.7462

2. I have used DDU to uninstall and reinstall almost all different versions of drivers. None of them worked, including version 6629 downloaded from my OEM manufacturer's official website, version 6733 provided by Windows Update, and the latest version 8331 from Intel's official website. The same goes for NVIDIA drivers—neither the OEM drivers nor the latest official versions solved the problem.

3. Opening Task Manager takes about 5 seconds to fully load; it’s not just the Performance tab that launches slowly. Restarting the computer didn’t help either.

4. The BIOS has been updated to the latest version N.1.18MRO24.

It’s also worth noting that after the computer has been idle for a while, clicking the Action Center on the bottom-right taskbar will cause a freeze of two to three seconds, during which even the mouse pointer becomes unresponsive.

Previous posts mentioned that the issue emerged after the Windows update KB5070311, but I’ve tried performing clean installs of multiple Windows versions, including 21H2, 22H2, 23H2, and 24H2. The problem occurs as long as I install the Intel integrated graphics driver and enable the hybrid display mode. This should be an issue with the Intel integrated graphics driver.

Looking forward to your response.

[JohnM_Intel]

Hello Lilith_0721,

To further assist you, I kindly request that you download and execute the Intel System Support Utility (SSU) in order to provide me with a complete system specification, which will enable me to assist you in reviewing your system information.

• Intel® System Support Utility for Windows*

When the download is complete, launch SSU.exe.

1. Scan: Check the box Everything.

2. Click Scan.

3. Review: When finished scanning, click Next.

4. Click Save.

Regards,

John M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Lilith_0721]

Hello, JohnM_Intel, 

As you requested, I have attached the file.

[JohnM_Intel]

Hello Lilith_0721,

Thank you for providing the SSU. Upon checking, it appears that you are using older drivers. However, as you mentioned, you have already tried using DDU and installed the latest drivers available from both the OEM and Intel.

Kindly check if there are any pending Windows updates on your system, and if so, please install them.

While you are doing that on your end, I will continue to investigate this concern internally.

Regards,

John M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Lilith_0721]

Hello JohnM_Intel,

Thank you for your prompt reply and continued efforts in investigating this issue.

I have received your message and will immediately check for any pending Windows updates on my system, installing them as soon as they are available. I truly appreciate your hard work and dedication to resolving this matter, and I hope we can get it sorted out quickly.

[JohnM_Intel]

Hello Lilith_0721,

Thank you for the information you’ve shared.

To further isolate the issue, we would like to validate a few important points based on your response indicating “pending Windows updates” and your observation that the issue occurs when the Intel® integrated graphics driver is installed and Hybrid Display Mode is enabled.

Please help us confirm the following:

• Operating System Update
  • Kindly ensure that your Windows OS is fully updated and that there are no pending Windows updates. Let us know once this has been completed.
• Graphics Configuration Validation
  • You mentioned that the issue occurs when the Intel integrated graphics driver is installed and Hybrid Display Mode is enabled.
• To clarify, could you please confirm:
  • Does the system work normally when only the discrete GPU (dGPU) is enabled?
  • Does the system work normally when using only the Intel integrated graphics, with the dGPU disabled?
  • Please let us know the behavior in each scenario so we can determine whether the issue is isolated to Hybrid Graphics mode.

This validation will help us confirm whether the system is functioning correctly when using a single graphics source and narrow down the root cause.

We appreciate your cooperation and look forward to your response.

Regards,

John M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Lilith_0721]

Hello John M_Intel, 

In response to your requests for validation, I’m pleased to confirm the following:

Operating System Update:

My Windows OS is already fully updated, and there are no pending updates remaining. I have double-checked through Windows Update to ensure all available patches and updates have been successfully installed.

Graphics Configuration Validation:

When only the discrete GPU (dGPU) is enabled, the system operates normally without any issues.
When using only the Intel integrated graphics (with the dGPU disabled), the system also functions perfectly as expected.                           

As previously observed, the problem exclusively occurs when Hybrid Display Mode is enabled.

[JohnM_Intel]

Hello Lilith_0721,

Thank you very much for your patience and for carefully completing all the requested validation steps. I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into isolating the issue.

Based on the results you shared, we were able to clearly narrow this down:

• The system works as expected when only the discrete GPU (dGPU) is enabled.
• The system also functions normally when only the Intel integrated graphics is active.
• The issue consistently occurs only when Hybrid Display Mode is enabled and both GPUs are in use.

Since we’ve already gone through the necessary steps to isolate the behavior and the issue persists specifically in Hybrid mode, this points to a system-level interaction related to graphics switching. This functionality is controlled by the laptop manufacturer through their BIOS, firmware, and customized graphics implementation.

Because of this, the next best step would be to coordinate with your OEM or laptop manufacturer, as they will be in the best position to further investigate and provide a possible fix or update.

Have a great day!

Regards,

John M.

Intel Customer Support Technician

[Lilith_0721]

Hi, JohnM_Intel,

  Using Process Explorer, I captured the call stack of a stalled thread during the lag event. I guess the analysis  points to an Intel graphics driver deadlock:

       ntoskrnl.exe!KeSaveStateForHibernate+0x7d66
       ntoskrnl.exe!KeRemoveQueue+0xf84
       ntoskrnl.exe!ExAcquirePushLockSharedEx+0xb2d
       ntoskrnl.exe!KeWaitForSingleObject+0x859
       ntoskrnl.exe!RtlRbRemoveNode+0x6b77
       ntoskrnl.exe!ExReleaseFastMutexUnsafe+0xc71
       ntoskrnl.exe!KeRemoveQueue+0x102b
       ntoskrnl.exe!ExAcquirePushLockSharedEx+0xb2d
       ntoskrnl.exe!KeQueryLogicalProcessorRelationship+0xe08
       ntoskrnl.exe!SeLocateProcessImageName+0x414
       ntoskrnl.exe!setjmpex+0x91d5
       ntdll.dll!ZwWaitForAlertByThreadId+0x14
       ntdll.dll!RtlSleepConditionVariableSRW+0x1de
       KERNELBASE.dll!SleepConditionVariableSRW+0x38
       igd10umt64xe.DLL!QueryDesiredMode1+0x83129
       igd10umt64xe.DLL!QueryDesiredMode1+0x168a2b
       KERNEL32.DLL!BaseThreadInitThunk+0x17
       ntdll.dll!RtlUserThreadStart+0x2c

      Wait reason: WrAlertByThreadId

  The thread responsible for UI response is blocked inside the Intel User Mode Driver (igd10umt64xe.dll). It is calling SleepConditionVariableSRW, indicating it is waiting indefinitely for a synchronization event (likely related to multi-GPU state enumeration). The evidence probably confirms the issue is a software defect in the Intel Graphics Driver's synchronization logic within the Hybrid Graphics path. Intel is uniquely positioned to resolve this core synchronization problem.

[Dr_Dougherty]

It appears that you have captured the root cause of this 5 second Task Manager delay issue by using Process Explorer as shown from your post.

I own an HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14-fh0013dx laptop with a Core Ultra 7 256V (Lunar Lake) CPU.

This laptop does not have a discrete graphics card, but it does have Arc integrated graphics.

My OmniBook laptop happens to exhibit the same problem you described above, i.e., there is a noticeable 5 second delay between launching Task Manager and when it appears on the screen. By comparison, my older HP Pavilion x360 14m-dw1023dx with a Core i5-1135G7 (Tiger Lake) laptop has a much shorter delay between launching Task Manager and when it appears on the screen. I wonder if this issue is also related to using the Lunar Lake low power E-cores to launch Task Manager instead of the P-cores?

Intel needs to issue a software patch for this graphics driver issue ASAP since the ball is in their court now.

[Dr_Dougherty]

5-1-2026

As I mentioned in my prior post, there was a noticeable 5 second delay between launching Task Manager and when it appears on the screen. However, as of today, I am extremely pleased to report that Intel has fixed the Windows 11 25H2 Task Manager bug after releasing Arc graphics driver update version 32.0.101.8724. After installing this graphics driver update, Task Manager now launches just as fast on my Lunar Lake OmniBook as it does on my Tiger Lake laptop. 

Many thanks to the dedicated software developers at Intel for fixing this gnarly Task Manager bug on Lunar Lake!

[Dr_Dougherty]

Please note that after installing Arc graphics driver update version 32.0.101.8724, the delay time between launching Task Manager and when it appears on the screen has been reduced from 5 seconds to 2 seconds. This represents a substantial improvement for Lunar Lake laptops and is on par with the Task Manager delay time observed from my Tiger Lake laptop.

According to other online reports about this new Arc graphics driver, it also provides up to a 10% increase in average frame rates and up to 25% improvements in 1% low FPS. 

[Lilith_0721]

  I’m deeply dissatisfied with your decision to refer me back to the OEM, especially since I already made it clear that the OEM couldn’t even identify the root cause of the Task Manager lag issue. I guess this it. Intel doesn't know the solution. There’s simply no other option but to put up with it. 

[MVP001]

Same issue with my new laptop, ACER PREDATOR HELIOS NEO 16s AI, 

Specification = Intel Core ultra 7 255 HX 
GPU = RTX 5060

In hybrid mode it lags to open task manager and lags while loading it's content. 
Used DDU, OEM drivers, intel generic latest drivers, Win 11 full reset, Various diagnostic scans (all available). 

But result no improvements.

I think spending this much money and laptop fails to even open task manager smoothly is hilarious. 

@JohnM_Intel  please resolve or escalate to your team, or else tell us whom should i have to contact.  

Issue is same = 

On Igpu or hybrid mode it lags

While on DGPU it runs smoothly. 

Such a wasteful intel team behaviour in addressing arising concerns.