{"id":1771015,"date":"2022-09-16T14:53:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-16T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=1771015"},"modified":"2025-04-23T14:51:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T18:51:58","slug":"causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In this guide, we will show you how to fix common causes that contribute to DPC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/what-latency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">latency<\/a>. Follow our instructions below to learn more about common causes and how to solve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><a href=\"#Common-causes-of-DPC-latency\"> <strong>Common causes of DPC latency<\/strong><\/a><ul><li><a href=\"#ndis-sys\"><strong>ndis.sys<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#TCP-IP-sys\">TCP\/IP.sys<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#ohci1394-sys\">ohci1394.sys<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#USBPORT-sys\">USBPORT.sys<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#nvlddmkm-sys\">nvlddmkm.sys<\/a><\/strong> <\/li><li><a href=\"#ACPI-sys\"><strong>ACPI.sys<\/strong> <\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"#How-to-check-for-IRQ-conflicts\"> <strong>How to check for IRQ conflicts<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Check-the-BIOS-advanced-users\"> <strong>Check the BIOS (advanced users)<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Common-causes-of-DPC-latency\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Common causes of DPC latency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of the time, the cause of a DPC latency issue is incompatible or out-of-date hardware drivers or adapters. For example, if you see that <strong>ndis.sys<\/strong> is causing the problem when using latency-monitoring software like <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resplendence.com\/latencymon\" target=\"_blank\">LatencyMon<\/a>, the file may be out of date, which, in turn, causes <strong>ndis.sys<\/strong> latency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When\ntroubleshooting DPC latency, the first thing to do is disconnect and\nreconnect hardware to different ports to see if that solves the\nproblem. If that doesn\u2019t help, then check the problematic drivers\nto find the source of the issue. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"ndis-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">ndis.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Network\nDriver Interface Specification, or ndis.sys, is a critical component\nof Windows; it\u2019s the component and settings for Windows network\nsettings. This file helps networked computers as well as any\nconnected device or hardware. If there\u2019s latency caused by\nndis.sys, or if it becomes corrupt, it often results in audio\nartifacts, decreased system performance, and even blue screens of\ndeath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f2f1f0\"><strong>TIP:\n<\/strong>Before\ntrying any of the following solutions, try disabling Wi-Fi and\nnetwork adapters in Device Manager. This will frequently help narrow\ndown ndis.sys latency problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Device-manager\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Device manager<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>\nRight-click\n\tthe Windows icon on the toolbar, then select <strong>Device\n\tManager<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nLocate\n\tthe network adapters, right-click each device, click <strong>Update\n\tdriver<\/strong>,\n\tand then select <strong>Search\n\tautomatically for drivers<\/strong>.\n\t<ul><li>\nRight-click\n\t\tthe network adapter and select <strong>Disable\n\t\tdevice<\/strong>\n\t\twhen troubleshooting.\n\t<\/li><\/ul>\n\t<\/li><li>\nOnce\n\tall of the drivers are updated, restart your computer. If the issue\n\tpersists, follow the next set of instructions.\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092009.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092009.png\" alt=\"Network adapters in device manager\" class=\"wp-image-1771018\" width=\"371\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092009.png 741w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092009-266x300.png 266w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 371px) 100vw, 371px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Network adapters within Device Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"System-file-check-SFC\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh4 swheader\">System file check (SFC)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff5c7\"><strong>IMPORTANT<\/strong>: The commands you need to type are case-sensitive, so be sure to enter them <em>exactly<\/em> as they\u2019re written below; otherwise, it won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>\nClick\n\tthe <strong>Windows<\/strong>\n\ticon on the toolbar, then type \u201ccmd\u201d.\n\t<\/li><li>\nRight-click\n\t<strong>Command\n\tPrompt<\/strong>,\n\tthen select <strong>Run\n\tas Administrator<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nWhen\n\tthe window opens, type \u201csfc \/scannow\u201d and then press the <strong>Enter<\/strong>\n\tkey.\n\t<ul><li>\nBe\n\t\tpatient, as the scan takes a bit of time. Do not exit the window\n\t\twhile the scan is being performed.\n\t<\/li><\/ul>\n\t<\/li><li>\nOnce\n\tthe scan is complete, restart your computer.\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092601.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092601.png\" alt=\"sfc scannow\" class=\"wp-image-1771020\" width=\"384\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092601.png 767w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_092601-300x260.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Running sfc \/scannow<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Checking-disk-health\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Checking disk health<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#f2f1f0\"><strong>NOTE: <\/strong>If you receive a the message &#8220;Chkdsk can&#8217;t run because the volume is in use by another process&#8221;, press <strong>Y <\/strong>and restart your computer so the chkdsk operation can run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li> Click the <strong>Windows<\/strong> icon on the toolbar, then type \u201ccmd\u201d. <\/li><li> Right-click <strong>Command Prompt<\/strong>, then select <strong>Run as Administrator<\/strong>. <\/li><li> When the window opens, type \u201cchkdsk c: \/r\u201d and then press the <strong>Enter<\/strong> key. <\/li><li> Once the scan is complete, restart your computer. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"Deployment-Image-Servicing-and-Management-tool-DISM\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool (DISM)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>\nClick\n\tthe Windows icon on the toolbar, then type \u201ccmd\u201d.\n\t<\/li><li>\nRight-click\n\t<strong>Command\n\tPrompt<\/strong>,\n\tthen select <strong>Run\n\tas Administrator<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nWhen\n\tthe window opens, type \u201cDISM \/online \/Cleanup-Image \/ScanHealth\u201d\n\tand then press the <strong>Enter\n\t<\/strong>key.\n\t<ul><li>\nIf\n\t\tyou see \u201cNo component store corruption detected,\u201d then there is\n\t\tno need to move forward.\n\t<\/li><\/ul>\n\t<\/li><li>\nIf\n\tyou receive an error about component store corruption, please enter\n\t\u201cDISM \/online \/Cleanup-Image \/RestoreHealth\u201d.\n\t<\/li><li>\nOnce\n\tcomplete, restart your computer.\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093420.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093420.png\" alt=\"Using DISM health to check hard disk health\" class=\"wp-image-1771024\" width=\"345\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093420.png 690w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093420-300x278.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 345px) 100vw, 345px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Using DISM to check the hard disk health<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"TCP-IP-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">TCP\/IP.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Transmission\nControl Protocol\/Internet Protocol, or TCP\/IP.sys, handles\ncommunication between computers. If TCP\/IP.sys becomes corrupt, it\nwill often result in stuttering audio and blue screens of death. Like\nndis.sys, the most common fix will require you to run Command Prompt\nas Administrator. However, you will need to enter a different set of\ncommands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>\nClick\n\tthe <strong>Windows\n\t<\/strong>icon,\n\ttype \u201ccmd\u201d, then right-click Command Prompt and select <strong>Run\n\tas Administrator<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nType\n\t\u201cnetsh winsock reset\u201d, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nType\n\t\u201cnetsh int ip reset\u201d, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nType\n\t\u201cipconfig \/release\u201d, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nType\n\t\u201cipconfig \/renew\u201d, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nType\n\t\u201cipconfig \/flushdns\u201d, then press <strong>Enter<\/strong>.\n\t<\/li><li>\nReboot\n\tyour computer.\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093744.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093744.png\" alt=\"Fixing TCP\/IP issues\" class=\"wp-image-1771027\" width=\"428\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093744.png 856w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093744-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_093744-768x582.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 428px) 100vw, 428px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Fixing TCP\/IP.sys issues in Command Prompt.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"ohci1394-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">ohci1394.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another critical Windows component is ohci1394.sys, but only for systems that have FireWire cards or devices. If there is a driver conflict or the .sys file is corrupt, there are various solutions. If you\u2019re using Windows 10, you must <a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/download\/details.aspx?id=44218\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">download and install a legacy driver<\/a>, as Microsoft has discontinued FireWire support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li> Try unplugging any FireWire devices and retest for latency issues. <\/li><li> If you have a built-in FireWire port, then try using a PCI or PCIe FireWire card instead. <\/li><li> Update any drivers for your FireWire devices and try again. <\/li><li> Check for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/interrupt-interrupt-request-irq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">IRQ<\/a> conflicts, particularly with video drivers. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"USBPORT-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">USBPORT.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>USBPORT.sys is linked to your motherboard. This issue is probably the easiest to solve, as downloading the latest chipset drivers for your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/motherboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">motherboard<\/a> will often fix the problem. These drivers are available from your computer or motherboard manufacturer\u2019s support website. If you aren\u2019t sure which motherboard you have, then check out our guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-do-i-find-my-computers-specs\/#Advanced-PC-specs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">check your system specs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li> If you are using Windows 7 SP1, downloading <a href=\"http:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/kb\/2529073\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">this service pack update<\/a> may fix your problem. <\/li><li> In rare cases, we\u2019ve seen certain computers with internal SD card reader slots cause high DPC latency. Disabling any SD\/MMC\/Compact Flash entries from within Device Manager can solve this. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/how-do-i-update-my-pcs-usb-3-0-chipset-drivers\/\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2013\/08\/USB-chipset-driver-update-featured-image@0.5x.png);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">How do I update my PC&#8217;s USB 3.0 chipset drivers?<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Learn more about how to update your USB chipset drivers.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"nvlddmkm-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">nvlddmkm.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The core driver file for NVIDIA graphics cards is nvlddmkm.sys. You can get latency and blue screens of death if the driver is out of date or has been corrupted. While it\u2019s rare, you can also get spikes in latency if the graphics card isn\u2019t seated correctly or isn\u2019t getting enough power. There are a couple of ways to fix this.<br> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li> Go to Device Manager, then click the <strong>Display adapters<\/strong> dropdown to see which graphics card you have. <\/li><li> Keep the Device Manager window open. <\/li><li> Visit the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/Download\/index.aspx?lang=en-us\" target=\"_blank\">NVIDIA driver download page<\/a>, locate the latest drivers for your video card, and download the latest version.  <\/li><li> Go back to Device Manager, right-click your graphics card, then click <strong>Uninstall<\/strong> <strong>device<\/strong>. <\/li><li> Check the box that says, \u201cDelete the driver software for this device.\u201d <\/li><li> After the driver and driver software have been fully uninstalled, run the installer you downloaded in step 2.  <\/li><li> Once the installation is complete, restart your computer.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If reinstalling the graphics driver didn\u2019t work, then double-check for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/interrupt-interrupt-request-irq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">IRQ<\/a> conflicts between your video card and other devices on your system, particularly the IEEE 1394 Controller. These may also be related to your motherboard chipset drivers on specific computers, which means you\u2019ll need to download and install the latest motherboard drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If none of the above fix the issue, it may be caused by the computer being overclocked. Also, in rare cases, it could be due to faulty <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/ram\/\" target=\"_blank\">RAM<\/a> or a defective video card. If either of these is the case, then you will need to contact the manufacturer for further information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nvidia.com\/Download\/index.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/07\/nvidia-driver-download-page-1024x616.png\" alt=\"nvidia driver download page\" class=\"wp-image-1763652\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/07\/nvidia-driver-download-page-1024x616.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/07\/nvidia-driver-download-page-300x181.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/07\/nvidia-driver-download-page-768x462.png 768w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2020\/07\/nvidia-driver-download-page.png 1475w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Click the image to download the latest driver for your NVIDIA graphics card<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 id=\"How-do-I-check-what-graphics-card-I-have\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">How do I check what graphics card I have?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nyou aren\u2019t sure what graphics card you have, you can check by\nfollowing these instructions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li>\nClick\n\ton the <strong>Windows\n\t<\/strong>icon,\n\tthen type \u201cSettings\u201d.\n\t<\/li><li>\nSelect\n\t<strong>System<\/strong>,\n\tclick <strong>Display<\/strong>.\n\t\n\t<\/li><li>\nLastly,\n\tclick <strong>Advanced\n\tdisplay settings<\/strong>.\n\tYour graphics card will be listed underneath Display Information.\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_094456.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_094456.png\" alt=\"Advanced display settings\" class=\"wp-image-1771029\" width=\"477\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_094456.png 954w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_094456-300x287.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_094456-768x734.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 477px) 100vw, 477px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Advanced display settings window<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"ACPI-sys\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">ACPI.sys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Advanced Configuration and Power Interface, or ACPI.sys, handles the computer\u2019s power management, which controls different power modes, such as turning the power on from sleep mode when a peripheral such as a mouse is moved, when to operate the hard drive once connected, and conserving energy once the battery gets low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First,\ndisable any sleep settings on your PC and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/pc-optimization-guide-for-windows-10\/#poweranddiskoptimization\">optimize\nthe power settings<\/a>.\nIn some cases, disabling the ACPI battery from within Device Manager\nalso helps. That being said, it may disable the ability of the PC to\ncharge the battery on a laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/windows-11-pc-optimization-for-recording\/#Power-plan-settings-and-Windows-11-disk-optimizations\" class=\"relatedcontent_link\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-related-content\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_block\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/Windows-11-Optimization-guide-featured-image.jpg);background-size:cover;background-position:center\"><div class=\"relatedcontent_overlay_content\"><\/div><div class=\"relatedcontent-text relatedcontent_content\"><p class=\"relatedcontent_title\" style=\"color:#fff\">Windows 11 PC Optimization for Recording<\/p><p class=\"relatedcontent_subhead\" style=\"color:#fff;border:none\">Learn more about how to optimize power and disk settings on a Windows PC.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"How-to-check-for-IRQ-conflicts\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">How to check for IRQ conflicts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/interrupt-interrupt-request-irq\/\">IRQs<\/a> (interrupt requests) are used for operations such as mouse clicks or keystrokes. Any time you perform a task, like pressing a key on a MIDI keyboard, it tells the processor to stop what it\u2019s doing in order to register the operation requested. Each of these operations communicates via a channel. An IRQ conflict means that two pieces of hardware are trying to communicate over the same channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Checking\nfor IRQ conflicts may be confusing, but it\u2019s straightforward to\nopen and navigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li> Launch Device Manager, click <strong>View<\/strong>, then select <strong>Resources by type<\/strong>. <\/li><li> Expand <strong>Interrupt request<\/strong> (IRQ), then scroll down to the PCI section of the window. <ul><li> Conflicts will be identified by an exclamation mark inside a yellow circle.  <\/li><\/ul><\/li><li> Right-click one of the devices, then click the <strong>Resources<\/strong> tab. <\/li><li> If the Change Settings box isn\u2019t grayed out, select a new IRQ number, then click <strong>OK<\/strong>. <ul><li> If the Change Settings box is grayed out, then you must update your hardware and OS drivers.  <\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_104238.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_104238.png\" alt=\"PCI location in Device Manager\" class=\"wp-image-1771039\" width=\"448\" height=\"358\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_104238.png 895w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_104238-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/image_2021-10-27_104238-768x614.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Locating PCI resources in Device Manager<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"Check-the-BIOS-advanced-users\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Check the BIOS (advanced users)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff5c7\"><strong>IMPORTANT:\n<\/strong>\nIf you\u2019re not sure how to navigate your BIOS, then please refer to\nthe motherboard manufacturer\u2019s manual since the language may\ndiffer, and follow their instructions to the letter. Disabling an\nincorrect setting can cause system instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One last thing to check is your BIOS. Disable any unnecessary devices in your BIOS, including Legacy Drive A options, Serial Port and Parallel Port options, as well as Onboard Audio. If you\u2019re still having problems, then consider disabling any stepping technologies like Intel SpeedStep (EIST)or AMD K8 Cool\u2019n\u2019Quiet.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>\nDisabling\n\tIntel SpeedStep or AMD\u2019s Cool\u2019n\u2019Quiet can result in your CPU\n\trunning at max clock. If you\u2019re on a laptop, this also means that\n\tyou will see degraded battery life.\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1771043,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[],"storecat":[],"itemids":[353496,353495,353497,353498,353499,231290],"manufacturers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out the Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them page at Sweetwater \u2014 the world&#039;s leading music technology and instrument retailer!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them - SweetCare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this guide, we will show you how to fix common causes that contribute to DPC latency. 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Common causes of DPC latency ndis.sys TCP\/IP.sys ohci1394.sys USBPORT.sys nvlddmkm.sys ACPI.sys How to check for IRQ conflicts Check the BIOS (advanced users) Most [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SweetCare\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-23T18:51:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/DPC-and-how-to-solve-featured-image.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"628\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/\",\"name\":\"SweetCare\",\"description\":\"Service and Support\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/DPC-and-how-to-solve-featured-image.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/10\/DPC-and-how-to-solve-featured-image.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":628},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/\",\"name\":\"Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them - SweetCare\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-09-16T14:53:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-23T18:51:58+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them\"}]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"description":"Check out the Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them page at Sweetwater \u2014 the world's leading music technology and instrument retailer!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/causes-of-dpc-latency-and-how-to-fix-them\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Causes of DPC Latency and How to Fix Them - SweetCare","og_description":"In this guide, we will show you how to fix common causes that contribute to DPC latency. 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