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What is HP Smart Sense and How It Will Make Your Life Easier
August 19, 2021
Do you ever wonder what’s going on inside your computer? Sure, you may know that it’s working overtime when the fan is especially loud or it’s hot to the touch, but it’s not always easy to tell if your laptop is running as it should.
While there are ways to tweak your settings on your computer to keep it at its top performance, better technology and AI have made it possible to take a more hands-off approach to PC optimization. That’s exactly what HP Smart Sense offers, allowing your laptop to better handle its resources and power.
Here’s how HP Smart Sense works and why it can change your computing experience for the better.
What is HP Smart Sense?
HP’s Smart Sense technology is a utility that balances the resources in HP Spectre and HP ENVY laptops. Its intelligence runs on its own, so you don’t have to take any action to keep your laptop running properly or to optimize your fan and temperature.
HP Smart Sense is one of the new intelligence features on HP Spectre and HP ENVY laptops that ensure these laptops work efficiently. It’s an automatic tool that optimizes as it runs which means it only gets better over time, as it adapts to your use patterns.
You can adjust fan noise, conserve energy, and even optimize CPU temperature with HP Smart Sense.
Why does HP Smart Sense matter?
Computer overheating is a major concern for laptop users. So much so, in fact, there is a significant market for products that claim to help keep your device cool, such as external fans and special laptop stands. While these products may help with the symptoms of overheating, they don’t address the cause, which often comes down to your computer using its resources properly.
The problem: Overheating and fan noise
Your fan shouldn’t run all the time, and your computer shouldn’t get too hot. Why does this happen?
From processors to graphics cards, every component in your laptop generates energy that can build up heat and generate noise. Some of these components don’t need to always run at their peak capacity, but they may do so because the computer doesn't notice it’s happening, so it doesn’t lower the component’s output.
This inefficiency isn't just a mere annoyance, it also takes a toll on your computer’s hardware, which may shorten its lifespan. CPU temp may be one of the most common complaints from laptop users, and it’s a real problem for the health of your PC.
The solution: Monitor your computer’s most vital components
HP Smart Sense can monitor your computer's vitals, making automatic adjustments to energy-hogging resources to keep the battery, fan, processor, and everything that runs inside your laptop in balance.
If a process isn’t needed, the laptop can dial it back, using intelligence built into the HP Smart Sense programming. It works in conjunction with your components, too, like the CPU cooler and power supply.
The result is a computer that makes better use of its parts and energy. For you, this may mean gaming on an HP Spectre laptop PC that’s cooler to the touch, or a quieter fan in your HP ENVY that won’t interrupt your Zoom meetings. It may even mean that your laptop lasts months or years longer than a computer without HP Smart Sense. Components that only run when they have to won’t wear out as quickly.
Additional benefits of HP Smart Sense
With the perks of this tech tool at your fingertips, it may be hard to believe that there are other reasons to consider a device with HP Smart Sense. Given how intuitive it is, though, there are other perks to consider.
Hands-free solutions
You can forget about Googling tutorials on how to quiet your fan or adjust your battery settings for longer charges. HP Smart Sense doesn’t require you to check-in, check boxes, or check your task manager to see which program is using up all your resources.
In fact, it’s better if you don’t participate in this automated feature at all. The laptop will make adjustments in a more informed way than you could, thanks to AI. And because it sees all the things inside your laptop that you can't, with HP Smart Sense enabled, you can focus on your work and trust your laptop is doing the heavy lifting in the background.
It will also sense when you are using your laptop on your lap versus a table and adjust the temperature accordingly for a more comfortable experience.
Real-time support
With every click of your keyboard, your laptop is processing new information and deploying resources to help you do your best work. HP Smart Sense technology is aware of these resource changes in real-time and responds as needed to balance your components. Whether you’re streaming movies or rendering videos, your laptop works with up-to-date data to allocate resources.
Optimize power consumption
Battery life is a fickle measurement. If you use very intense applications, you won’t get as much juice out of a full charge as when you’re simply writing in a word processing document. Smart Sense works to give you every last bit of energy from your battery, so you can stay unplugged for longer. And because it decides when to allocate energy to various processes, you won’t use as much energy – helping you save power.
Manage CPU power bursts
Every processor request uses memory and power. When you request multiple resources at once (by opening several programs) or use a CPU-intense program (such as photo or video editing software), your CPU draws a lot of power at once. Your laptop may need to manage those tasks so they don’t occur at once and compete for energy.
Smart Sense can prioritize and monitor them so your laptop uses that energy at the right moment to finish tasks without waiting for more resources. For you, that means less lag and lower temperatures. With this HP Smart Sense performance boost, you’ll get all the help you can from your computer.
Reduce loud fan noise
There are few things more annoying than the sudden, high-pitched whirring of a laptop fan. Fan noise seems to happen at the most inopportune time, too, like in the middle of an important Zoom meeting or when recording audio.
While you may assume you need to close programs or use Task Manager to check up on your PC status, Smart Sense actually handles all of that for you. It redirects resources to just the programs that need it, creating lower temperatures and triggering appropriate fan speeds.
It will also take into account your actual computer activity. If you’re watching a movie, for example, it can keep fan noise quieter, so your experience isn't ruined by loud whirring. You won’t have to Ctrl+Alt+Delete your way to a quieter computing experience or use a third-party fan management application to take temperature readings and shortcut fan control.
Where can I find HP Smart Sense technology?
Not all HP laptops have the tech installed, but more models are joining the ranks. Here are two notable products that come with HP Smart Sense.
HP Spectre x360 convertible laptop
The HP Spectre x360 is a 3-in-1 device with tablet, laptop, and tent modes, boasting innovative detection features. It can tell when you’re using it to watch movies or when it’s in a bag. Everything from light, hues, and colours to the screen orientation is automatically adjusted as you use the device. It will give you the best performance for your situation without you having to do a thing.
HP ENVY x360 laptop
Draw, share, and enjoy incredible performance with the HP ENVY x360, which boasts a highly responsive pen-enabled touch screen and tablet mode. It also has HP Smart Sense benefits, because you can access user-activated controls for Smart Sense in the HP Command Centre. Shut down fan noise or cool your device with just a button push, or boost your processing power for creative projects.
When you purchase either of these laptops, you’ll enjoy more than just their already incredible convertible features. You get protection against high temperatures and inefficient CPU or GPU processes with HP Smart Sense.
Summary
There are many exciting possibilities when your laptop works smarter, not harder. With HP Smart Sense, you will enjoy the benefits of maximized performance and better resource management without having to lift a finger.
HP Smart Sense is just one way HP laptops are changing the way we use data intelligence in our daily lives. As this tech gets smarter, you’ll have even less to worry about to keep your equipment in its best shape while getting the most out of your device.
About the Author: Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
Article reposted with permission from HP Tech Takes
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