Audio glitches—those random pops, clicks, or dropouts—can ruin music production, podcasting, or streaming. Surprisingly, the issue often isn’t your software or interface. It’s DPC latency.
What is DPC Latency?
DPC (Deferred Procedure Call) latency is the time Windows waits to process hardware interrupts. In simpler terms, it’s how fast your system can respond to real-time tasks like audio playback.
If a device driver delays response—even slightly—audio data gets dropped, resulting in glitches.
How to Diagnose It
Use LatencyMon, a free tool designed for this purpose:
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Download from [Link to LatencyMon]
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Run the software and click “Start Monitoring”
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Let it run for 5–10 minutes during typical use
Check for red or yellow warnings, and identify drivers causing high latency.
Common Culprits
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Network adapter drivers (especially Killer or Realtek)
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Graphics card drivers
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ACPI or Intel chipset-related drivers
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USB controllers
Fixing the Issue
1. Update or Roll Back Drivers
Use Device Manager or manufacturer websites to test both the newest and one version older drivers.
2. Disable Unnecessary Devices
In Device Manager:
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Disable Bluetooth, webcam, or network card temporarily and re-test latency
3. Adjust Power Settings
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Set your power plan to High Performance
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In Advanced settings, disable USB selective suspend and PCI Express link state power management
4. Change BIOS Settings
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Disable C-State, SpeedStep, or Cool’n’Quiet (in BIOS/UEFI)
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Useful especially on audio workstations
5. Use Dedicated Audio Interface with ASIO Driver
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Avoid Windows default drivers
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Use ASIO4ALL only as last resort
With these adjustments, many users have eliminated crackling and latency issues completely—even on consumer laptops.