AN515-45: I'm having latency issues when using my laptop for Video djing

Dazc1971

Hi all I'm having latency issues when using my laptop for Video djing,

I used to have a older less capable acer As15-51 machine which ran 2 different software solutions well, then suddenly I started getting audio drop outs, So I've replaced my external hardrive and brought an Acer Nitro AN515-45 to ensure it was well in spec of either software solution, but it transpire the issue is something else.

I've disabled CPU throttling, Set the device for high performance, but keep getting issues. I can't find anything else I can do. Latency monitors shows issues with the wdf0100.sys. I've updated all drivers where I can,

I've goggled everything I can and done everything within the limitations of my knowledge - having spent a good 12 hours solid on it but no joy.

latency issues.docx

[Title edited to add the topic issue]

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JackE

>>>I used to have a older less capable acer As15-51 machine which ran 2 different software solutions well, then suddenly I started getting audio drop outs, So I've replaced my external hardrive and brought an Acer Nitro AN515-45 to ensure it was well in spec of either software solution, but it transpire the issue is something else.>>>

So are you saying that it started happening with the old A515-51 and it's still happening with the new AN515-45? So if you haven't done so already try the steps in this link to see if one of them will fix the issue.

Dazc1971

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1155482#Comment_1155482

I did run the DSIM aspect of this but made no difference, i've not had fortunately the BSOD yet (fingers crossed). Not tried restoro but from experience - you install it but can't fix a problem without paying money. I've also updated all drivers - checked them all - also ensured everyhting in CPU throttling is set for high performance / disabled. switched wifi off. One of the software suppliers suggested I buy a new machine with an intel processor as a few people with AMD processers has such issue. I told them the old device had an I5! also done a chkdsk, reset laptop, not restored as it did it pretty much first time I used either software and this device was brand new, no malware - checked. no faulty apps either

The only highest reported DPC routine execution time is the nvida windows driver kernal nvlddkm.sys (version 522.30), highest ISR is the WDF0100.sys kernal driver

JackE

If you've had the same problem with both the old and new machines, seems like something's amiss with your video software not the machines.

Dazc1971

Still looking for help, I've optimised my machine for pro audio use, latest drivers, set everything I can find for maximum performance still get wfd01000.sys issues, but also had directxkernel.sys dpc latency issues. I had issues with my older Asus Aspire laptop so follwoing the software suppliers advice virtualdj replaced my laptop to a nitro 5. I also have the wfd issue with an asus laptop but this wasn't set up for pro audio use.

The responses from the software supplier are not always been useful. I'm now told "just because the laptop on paper exceeds specifications doesn't mean it will be suitable for Pro audio especially if the devices have poorly written drivers. This issue is not a fault of our software but rather the manufacturer and the components and drivers used."

The other issue I have is an alertnative software solution is also having similar issues on the nitro 5. What's annoying the software used to work on the aspire laptop even though it didnt meet the specification but started to glitch a few times a night about 3 months ago, so may be either windows or the vdj software - interstingly the old laptop was never set up for high performance use but worked fine for nearly 3 years!.

JackE

>>>What's annoying the software used to work on the aspire laptop even though it didnt meet the specification but started to glitch a few times a night about 3 months ago, so may be either windows or the vdj software>>>

Yes. Possible. Maybe even likely. Especially with the rapid fire Windows updates. But when it started happening 3 mos ago, Control Panel's restore point app should've been checked immediately to see if an errant Windows or vDJ update might've caused the issue. Unfortunately, unless SystemProtection was turned on AND default restore point storage space was manually increased, those automatic restore points are long gone by now. Accordingly, about the only option to get back to the way it was is a factory reset. Then turn on System Protection. Then wait for it to happen again in order to identify and reverse the offending update.

Dazc1971

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1156848#Comment_1156848

The original machine isn't usually on the net that often as I usually have it switched off, I'm not too sure when it started to be a problem as I initially thought it was the hardrive that was failing - so brought a new one, which didn't make any difference. I don't think I've ever touched the update - the machine won't run windows 11 for example. On the Nitro 5 it did it from the outset but don't recall if it had upgraded itself to windows 11 first or not, I tried to reset that but it would only go back to the first windows 11 state as I had a gig didn't have the time to remove 11 and start again, downside was I can't see the option to roll back to a previous version of windows.

JackE

>>>The original machine isn't usually on the net that often as I usually have it switched off>>>

Sorry "Usually" doesn't cut it---usually. 🙂

All it takes is one short trip connected. And then auto updates will pour in fast and furious when you're not looking.

If you have one machine that seemed to work OK out of the box when you first got it AND it has the original factory drive with the hidden Acer OEM reset partition still intact, then we can probably get it back to the out of the box state. However, any Windows upgrades (not updates) or generic Microsoft Windows re-installs or cloning operations will likely render this hidden ACER factory partition unusable.

Dazc1971

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1156853#Comment_1156853

I had other machines so didn't usually need to connect to the net, as I usually copied music videos to the drive from this laptop. I'm not too sure with the nitro 5 as it upgraded to windows 11 I think before I gigged it, and the restore to old version of windows wasn't there. I know the first time I gigged the nitro 5 on occasions the sound on a new track stuttered, but when reloading it and starting again it stopped for a while and was ok. At that point I had not touched any other settings, CPU throttling, power settings or anything. the old machine was on windows 10. I video Dj so had to make sure that VDJ was using the graphic card for the video apect. I found once I started to follow the advice from support (VDJ) the sound issues are now glitches every 30 minutes where sound glitches for about a second, and I get wfd.0100.sys issue, and then started to occasionally get directxkernel.sys I have been monitoring latency monitor but a lot of this is a bit beyond my computer knowledge, but have followed all prompts from VDJ, links and followed all steps, I also checked BIOS but could not see any update of any relevance.

JackE

>>>I used to have a older less capable acer A515-51 machine which ran 2 different software solutions well, then suddenly I started getting audio drop outs, So I've replaced my external hardrive>>>

>>>This issue is not a fault of our software but rather the manufacturer and the components and drivers used.">>>

Seems like the A515-51 is the only machine that was originally OK and that we can try to reset to the original out of the box factory state in order to rule in or rule out a vDJ software issue.

Dazc1971

VDJ are claiming its not their software and even using an older version of VDJ will make no difference as the issue is outside VDJ. I have factory reset the Nitro 5. I am updating the BIOS well only thr nvidia discrete VGA VBIOS and improve performance. No t touching the other 4 for now. Re downloading any driver updates realtek, chipset, lan driver, vga driver rtx3060, wireless LAN, but not too sure about the vga utility, then re optimising for high performance but this time on windows 10, not 11.

JackE

>>>VDJ are claiming its not their software>>>

Yes, I understand their claim. And the only way to rule in or rule out their claim is by factory resetting your older less capable A515-51 to see if it can be made to work properly again with their software.

Dazc1971

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1156973#Comment_1156973

They are telling me its pointless doing that as the machine did not and does not meet their minimum software requirements for video, and if it worked I was purely very lucky and it will not work now.

Dazc1971

The AMD chipset software update fails to install. on the nitro 5

JackE

Try downloading, unzipping & installing again from this link the AN515-45

https://global-download.acer.com/GDFiles/Driver/Chipset/Chipset_AMD_2.01.06.2126_W11x64_A.zip?acerid=637727975807387517&Step1=&Step2=&Step3=NITRO%20AN515-45&OS=ALL&LC=en&BC=ACER&SC=PA_6

Dazc1971

didn't work again.

tried to move to geforce experience game driver as currently set for studio but that also failed to install this time

not even run vdj and latency monitor has already shown directx kernel to be one of the highest DPC latency issues, first time, seems ok at present but not yet run vdj

Dazc1971

i've left it on studio driver, don't think game driver is right anyway. I've left the 2 driver updates = and just otpimised eveything else that I know about - may have missed something as I've been trying different things now for weeks. Currently also using an older version on VDJ despite them saying its pointless - which it may be if the latency issue appeared before I even used it.

Dazc1971

Ran the nitro 5 on revised setting for over an hour at present - and currently the highest DPC rouitine execution is the wdf01000.sys 584.025 and highest measured interpt to latency is 594.40. The highest DPC counts are WDF01.000,sys, then dxgkrnl.sys, rspLLL64.sys - latency monitor. It worked fine for 5 hours the other day then started generating issues next time I used it. Sounds not dropped at all yet like it did every 30 minutes on Saturday night - fingers crossed

DenonDJMC6000MK2.sys, NVlDDmkm.sys, ntoskrnl.exe, ndis.sys, storport.sys, at some point I have looked into thse on the previous et up as all caused issues at some point.

JackE

>>>Sounds not dropped at all yet like it did every 30 minutes on Saturday night>>>

You might want to peek at CPU/GPU temps if things start to go south. Keep machine raised about an inch above a hard surface to promote better air flow taking care not to block vents. I used a grilling rack from a toaster oven to raise mine.

Dazc1971

when I'm djing it was on felt shelf above the midi controller however there are two blocks in the corners that I use to raise the back up off the shelf by an inch but can use a seperate laptop stand instead if needed. Interstingly the CPU temp range this pm has been between 68 and 71c, and the GPU 38 and 39 fan control on nitrosense if set to auto and power plan high performsance cpu fan usually 3061 gpu 3658 - 3703 with coolboost on. cpu is only loaded to 1-2% gpu is 98-100% but thats becasue I've set the external video display to GPU and the video split from audio CPU does mathengine, and gpu does the video. 3hrs 15 i n no latency or dpc issues recorded today - will try again later in the week. When I was djing I hadn't got latency monitor on as I wanted to minimse the draw on the laptop to the absolute minimium. I also have laptop risers with PSU powered fans but these may need a clean as the laptops in the house sit on them I never place a laptop onto a flat surface, with no ventilation never have.

thanks for your continued support - it is apprecaited I feel a little let down by VDJ and Dex3 helpful in one respect but not in another

Dazc1971

The latency issue still comes and goes, yesterday the directx12kernel came up, today just the wfd0100.sys (others as listed in the post above have also appeared in the last 2 weeks) but after restarting worked ok for a while.

Resume of the background.

I've always had a back-up machine and software solution that I could use in an emergency. My office laptop, an Asus device was the back up with Dex3 but never used.

My original not to VDJ spec Acer Aspire 5 A515-51, (windows 10) was my main dj laptop, not optimised in any way except wifi switched off. It worked until 3 months ago when several times a night a track would stutter until I reloaded it then it worked ok.

When I enquired with VDJ what the issue was they said it wasn't to spec so would never work, and I was lucky that it did. Temporarily I moved to Dex 3.0 which worked ok but is not as functional as I'd like. So following dialogue with VDJ I sourced a new machine the Nitro 5. I was told it had to have a geforce RTX graphic card of 4gb or more.

Upon installing and using VDJ from new the same issue on this new machine, at this point I didn't know much about setting a laptop up for pro audio use other than keeping it off the net when djing. As the same issue occurred on the nitro 5, I tried using Dex 3 but this also had latency issues and would not work. So in effect I have a new machine that I cannot use with any confidence, if anything as I have followed all the guidance and links given by VDJ if anything it's got worse not better. So now I have factory reset the nitro 5, and gone through all optimisation steps the first plan is to re run the software in the coming days, and monitor it again on 4 separate occasions.

I have also tried my 18 month old Asus machine (which should be capable of running vdj and dex3). I've optimised for performance but as that machine is my photography/ email / office / laptop can't remove everything from it, however both VDJ and now Dex 3 have similar latency issues.

My second plan is to re try the Acer aspire again to see if Dex3 will work without issue but I know I have latency issues on VDJ.

In a nut shell I now have 3 different machines of which all have latency / dpc issues with Wdf0100.sys etc.

The Nitro 5 is the machine that I want to use for DJing, its well above the system requirements to run VDJ for video, but I can't get it to work without sound drop outs, both on VDJ and also now Dex 3

Today VDJ suggested I contact Acer for solutions? Through process I've proved the issue has affected windows 10 and 11, different laptops and configurations, both intel and AMD processors, and whilst I thought could be VDJ I think it must be windows as it affects Dex 3 as well.

I've gone through everything I can, all I get told is the Nitro 5 may not be suited to pro audio use, not to use an AMD processor (the acer aspire is an intel?) I've reviewed dozens of wed pages and forums for various driver issues relating to wfd0100.sys, pro audio optimisation, and links provided by VDJ - none seem to have a resolution, each machine spec and its use / application differs and some of the threads are 12 months to 5 years old.

I'd like to thank JackE for at least trying to provide me with some advice and guidance, I have 15 discos and late September spend nearly £900 on the nitro 5 to help me sort out the problem but at present I don't have a solution.

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