Dell Latitude DPC Latency Issues

Hi John. I've disabled everything in the BIOS one at a time a rebooted at each device with no success. Do you think its worth downloading something like ubuntu (or whatever is currently the flavour of the month in the linux world) and then see if the problem persists?

It feels like a bit of a desperate last attempt, but I've run out of ideas.

Ta

P

 

If you can detect the problem under Linux (I don't know how you can do that) then it will definitely prove that the latency problem is being caused at the BIOS level.

John

 

I gave up on the linux idea. I cant run any of my software on it so all I would be doing is tormenting myself, even if it worked!

So, just because there is a chance that I've missed something, I've done the following without success:

Reinstalled Win7
Installed WinXP
Turned off everything in the BIOS one at a time
Installed and run Xperf (ndis.sys was the offender)

I think I'm just going to have to go buy something else. (probably a Mac). Pretty gauling seeing as I spent over £800 on the Dell.

Thanks for your help john.

Steve

 

Hi I have Dell Precision M4400 and with DPC latency checker 1.1.0 I have values from 300 to 500 microseconds. No periodical spikes but still isn't that quite high?

On my desktop from Dell (Optiplex 760) I have this latency only from 3 to 30 under any circumstances.

On M4400 I have latest BIOS, drivers (including Intel Matrix), using AHCI... doesn't matter if I turn of wifi or BT. I had these values on WinXP Pro x86 and I have them the same also with Win7 Pro x64.

 

FYI. Dell are giving me a refund. Whohoo! Back to the drawing board. Anyone out there recommend a 12-13" laptop for music?

Thanks again John

Steve

 

Is the Latitude E4300 worth looking at? The latency issues in the current E series have now been debugged.

One can usually track down some good deals in Dell Outlet.

John

 

I have a DELL PRECISION M6300
3gb RAM quadro 3600M graphics card
T9300 Processor

I have latency issues when perform live in Ableton software.
I am using a good external M-Audio Firewire solo soundcard.

I have tried on windows7 with no luck and am back to XP.
I have removed all unnecessary services and am down to the BARE minimum there is nothing else to do!

The latency problems still exist... spikes occur but not really periodically.
When they do occur, they are BAD, high spikes.

I notice that spikes occur when the laptop starts to get warm and when the fans turn on. There is also a large spike when the fan turns off.

I have noticed though, that taking out the battery solves the issue somewhat, but NOT COMPLETELY.

This issue has been around since 2008 (as I have seen other posts related to this issue and the m6300) and DELL has done nothing about it.
I am about to return this otherwise great laptop for another kind (mac?).
It is simply not usable for audio production!!
I'll stick with it for a few more months to see if there is a fix and then its going back to DELL.

I have a feeling this is certainly a BIOS issue, and would like DELL to please look into this!
It is a shame this is classified as a workstation laptop and cannot be used for PROFESSIONAL audio production.

~Steve

 

I am having the same problem over here with my 2-months-old m4400: no regular spikes but infrequent ones. They are huge and make my sound stutter. I have tried everything (new drivers, different drivers, activating/deactivating components and eSATA, etc.) - no help.

I can't believe that Dell has known this problem for YEARS and still has no solution. It might have been the last Dell I've ever bought (in my pastime, I'm musician, too, so latency is an unacceptable defect to me).

 

I thought I would try the latest Dell version of the Intel Rapid Storage Technology software. It is bad new for latency compared with the basic latest AHCI driver direct from Intel. I assume that the IRST software is polling the hardware at about 10s intervals and everything else has to wait while it does it. IRST is the Matrix Storage software under a new name but still has the old habits.

John

 

Has anyone tested the latency on the new 6410/6510 models yet?
Thx!