Windows 8 is sh1t!!!

**blatterjr** · 10-16-2014, 06:22 AM

Originally Posted by nem0nic

Yes there is. Unfortunately wireless networking drivers are still one of the most common sources of DPC problems. This is really the main reason most Windows users are hinky about networking.

I've never run into DPC latency (DJ or otherwise) that wasn't tied to an Intel chipset driver issue. That said, turning off Wifi while you're playing will solve it. If it doesn't, it's not a DPC problem.

**Daaruz** · 10-17-2014, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by lucidstrings

Windows 7 is really way to go

Just came in to say this, after reading the title.

Disable every service not needed, and it makes W7 pretty stable for DJing.

**nem0nic** · 10-17-2014, 05:55 AM

I've never run into DPC latency (DJ or otherwise) that wasn't tied to an Intel chipset driver issue. That said, turning off Wifi while you're playing will solve it. If it doesn't, it's not a DPC problem.

Intel isn't the only culprit, and turning off the suspected part doesn't always do the trick. If you have a dedicated Windows machine for audio, sometimes it makes more sense to disable the device via device manager. Sometimes it's necessary to stop a service associated with the component.

A great example of this was with nVidia cards circa 2008-ish. There was a relatively unknown service related to the driver for these cards that would cause DPC spikes that would always result in audio dropouts. The service (called powermizer) was poorly implemented when it was first introduced, and the bug lasted for a couple of years. It actually ran long enough that several utilities were developed by users to either manually control or turn off the service. This was a difficult issue to address on it's own, because none of the available drivers offered any control of the setting.

DPC issues are not limited to Intel chipsets, and you don't always have the luxury of being able to just turn off the offending component. But there are a number of great free tools available to help troubleshoot the problem.

**Patch** · 10-21-2014, 06:41 AM

Here's a funny one for you.

I've stripped Win 8.1 right down, and I'm getting ready to install Traktor. So, out of interest, I did a check of the Windows Experience Index using ChrisPC's WEI checker for Win 8...

My scores were all really good (7.9's and 8.1's), BUT, for the graphics elements, the scores were REALLY low. I think 3D was around 5.7, and general graphics was 5.9.

How the hell can that be? I've got a NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) card in there??? I thought that was a pretty decent card?

I've run LatencyMon, and don't have ANY problems with real-time audio (great) - but that Windows Experience Indoex score is making me think that my Graphics Card could be doing more work!

Any suggestions?

**blatterjr** · 10-21-2014, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by nem0nic

Intel isn't the only culprit, and turning off the suspected part doesn't always do the trick. If you have a dedicated Windows machine for audio, sometimes it makes more sense to disable the device via device manager. Sometimes it's necessary to stop a service associated with the component.

I won't tell you how to run your own machine, but I'd never let one of my users disable services that way... that and disabling a service designed to handle that function, thereby flowing that function directly to cache, can add more latency than it removes.

**Alubat** · 10-21-2014, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Patch

Here's a funny one for you.

I've stripped Win 8.1 right down, and I'm getting ready to install Traktor. So, out of interest, I did a check of the Windows Experience Index using ChrisPC's WEI checker for Win 8...

My scores were all really good (7.9's and 8.1's), BUT, for the graphics elements, the scores were REALLY low. I think 3D was around 5.7, and general graphics was 5.9.

How the hell can that be? I've got a NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) card in there??? I thought that was a pretty decent card?

I've run LatencyMon, and don't have ANY problems with real-time audio (great) - but that Windows Experience Indoex score is making me think that my Graphics Card could be doing more work!

Any suggestions?

In my desktop pc I have a Nvidia Geforce GTX 760 with a score of 7.9 In both desktop and 3d gfx. (win7)
I think your score looks ok for laptop gfx card. You can always disable eye candy gfx features in nvidia controlpanel if cpu temp is affekted by gfx

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gp...u=GeForce+840M

**nem0nic** · 10-21-2014, 04:52 PM

I won't tell you how to run your own machine, but I'd never let one of my users disable services that way... that and disabling a service designed to handle that function, thereby flowing that function directly to cache, can add more latency than it removes.

I'm going to assume by this statement that you have a lot of experience in office IT, and virtually none in audio production. I've written guides on Windows optimization for audio applications, consulted with manufacturers of boutique audio PCs (Rain Computers), and worked in professional production environments with Windows since NT4. I've been working with DAWs since the Studer Dyaxis. These tips might not be for you, but they are (a) effective, (b) minimally impactful unless otherwise noted, and (c) tried and tested.

How the hell can that be? I've got a NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) card in there??? I thought that was a pretty decent card?

That's a mobile solution - not a performance card. Here's a comparison at FutureMark with the 840M. http://www.futuremark.com/hardware/g...ce+840M/review

Still totally respectable for an integrated graphics solution.

**ImNoDJ** · 10-21-2014, 05:12 PM

Originally Posted by Patch

Here's a funny one for you.

I've stripped Win 8.1 right down, and I'm getting ready to install Traktor. So, out of interest, I did a check of the Windows Experience Index using ChrisPC's WEI checker for Win 8...

My scores were all really good (7.9's and 8.1's), BUT, for the graphics elements, the scores were REALLY low. I think 3D was around 5.7, and general graphics was 5.9.

How the hell can that be? I've got a NVIDIA GeForce GT 840M (2 GB DDR3 dedicated) card in there??? I thought that was a pretty decent card?

I've run LatencyMon, and don't have ANY problems with real-time audio (great) - but that Windows Experience Indoex score is making me think that my Graphics Card could be doing more work!

Any suggestions?

The Windows Experience Index is worthless and Ive never come across anyone ever using it as a benchmark in industry.

Use one of the many Graphics benchmarks available to test your graphics.

**blatterjr** · 10-22-2014, 06:37 AM

Originally Posted by nem0nic

I've written guides on Windows optimization for audio applications, consulted with manufacturers of boutique audio PCs (Rain Computers), and worked in professional production environments with Windows since NT4.

I'm long in the tooth and have a broad range of experience... that said, link me your guides. I'm interested.