Troubleshooting DPC Latency

If you're experiencing pops, clicks, dropouts, or unexpected audio device disconnections on Windows, DPC latency may be the cause. This guide walks through how to identify and resolve it step by step.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Common Symptoms
What is DPC?
Confirm if DPC Latency is the Issue
- What to look for
Quick Fix Checklist
Identify Outdated or Problematic Drivers (Device Manager)
Check Drivers and System Integrity
Network-Related Issues
Advanced Troubleshooting

Common Symptoms

Pops, clicks, crackling
Audio dropouts or stuttering
Audio interface disconnecting unexpectedly
High CPU usage or performance spikes during playback
Issues persist even after increasing buffer size
Problems occur when using certain plugins or heavier sessions

What is DPC?

DPC (Deferred Procedure Call) is how Windows prioritizes system tasks and drivers.

If background processes or drivers take too long to complete, they can interrupt real-time audio processing, leading to clicks, pops, or dropouts.

A common cause of DPC latency issues is outdated or poorly performing device drivers.

Confirm if DPC Latency is the Issue

To check if DPC latency is causing your problem, use a free tool called LatencyMon:

Download and install LatencyMon
Open the program and press Start
Play audio through your interface (DAW, streaming audio, etc.)
Let it run for several minutes

What to look for

If no issues are detected → DPC latency is likely not the cause
If warnings appear (red text) → DPC latency is detected
The tool will list the drivers/processes responsible

If LatencyMon reports issues, follow the steps below. Start with the quick fixes, then continue to deeper troubleshooting if needed.

Quick Fix Checklist

Before going deeper, try the following:

Power cycle your computer

Fully shut down your computer, wait a few seconds, then power it back on. This helps clear temporary system states and ensures any corrupted data in memory is fully reset.

Perform the latest Windows updates

Keeping Windows fully up to date ensures your system has the latest fixes for performance and driver-related issues.

[Install Windows Updates]

Update Windows fully

Check the manufacturer’s support page for your audio interface and install the latest available drivers. Outdated drivers are one of the most common causes of DPC latency issues.

Close background apps

Close any unnecessary background applications that may be using CPU resources.

You can open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and sort by CPU usage to identify processes that may be impacting performance.

High Performance mode

Set your system to High Performance mode (laptop users)

On laptops, power-saving settings can reduce CPU performance and affect real-time audio processing. Switching to a High Performance power plan can help ensure consistent performance while using audio software.

Identify Outdated or Problematic Drivers (Device Manager)

Since DPC latency issues are often related to drivers, the next step is to identify whether a device driver may be outdated, conflicting, or not functioning correctly.

Use Device Manager to check drivers

Device Manager allows you to review the status of your system’s hardware and drivers.

Right-click the Windows Start button → Device Manager
Look for any devices with warning icons (such as a yellow triangle)
Right-click a device and select Update driver to check for updates

Isolate problematic devices (if needed)

If no obvious issues are found, you can use a process of elimination to identify the cause:

In Device Manager, temporarily disable one non-essential device at a time (such as unused audio devices or network adapters)
Run LatencyMon again after each change
Monitor whether the reported latency improves

If disabling a device resolves the issue, that device or its driver is likely contributing to the problem.

Common devices that may cause DPC latency

Systems with multiple active audio devices (such as an audio interface and onboard sound card) may experience conflicts that impact performance. Some examples are:

Multiple audio devices (e.g., audio interface + onboard sound card)
Network / WiFi adapters
Graphics drivers
Card readers

In many systems, having multiple audio devices or active network drivers can lead to interruptions in real-time audio processing.

Check Drivers and System Integrity

If issues continue, check your system files and drivers.

Update drivers

Use Windows Update
Check your manufacturer’s website (PC, motherboard, GPU, etc.)

Run System File Checker (SFC)

Open Start menu → type cmd
Right-click → Run as Administrator
Enter
- sfc /scannow

Restart once complete

If LatencyMon flags specific drivers

Some common examples include:

Network drivers (ndis.sys)
Storage drivers (storport.sys)
USB/chipset drivers

In these cases:

Update the related driver from the manufacturer’s site
Test again!

Network drivers are one of the most common causes of DPC latency on Windows systems.

Try the following:

Temporarily disable WiFi in Device Manager
Update network adapter drivers
Test with WiFi off vs. on

Advanced Troubleshooting

For more persistent issues:

Check Disk & System Health

Run the following in Command Prompt (Admin):

chkdsk c: /r

BIOS & Power Settings

Ensure BIOS is up to date
Disable aggressive power-saving features if needed
Set system to High Performance mode

IRQ Conflicts

This step is for advanced users and is not required in most cases. You can check for hardware conflicts:

Open Device Manager
Go to View → Resources by type
Expand Interrupt request (IRQ)

Devices sharing IRQs may cause conflicts, though this is less common on modern systems.

When to Contact Support

If the issue persists, please provide:

A screenshot of your LatencyMon results
Send over an NFO file. If you need help searching for this information, view this article: Tips & Tricks | How to Export your System Information File
Your audio interface model
What steps you’ve already tried

Once you confirm all of this information, please submit a support ticket [HERE]. This will help us identify the cause more quickly!