: Does sleep state affect Bluetooth audio stutter?
: Does sleep state affect Bluetooth audio stutter?
Hi! I have an
Asus
Vivobook S 14 M3402RA laptop
with an Intel AX210 WiFi/BT chip.
Laptop is running Windows 11 24H2 but I also tried Windows10.
I have a major issue
. When my laptop enters sleep mode while
bluetooth is on and playing music
, it
starts stuttering a bit, skipping audio from time to time
.
I tried a tremendous number of different drivers and updates but it stays the same. The only things I could discover:
If I disable AMD GPU driver in Device manager, the basic GPU driver comes into play and bluetooth stutter stops but I can't use an external monitor.
If my AMD GPU drivers are activated any music that is played (both locally from hard drive or online, like from youtube) stutters but if I put on a twitch stream and lock my screen, the audio is fine.
It's somehow connected to how the laptop enters S0 sleep state which is impossible to turn off and go back to S3. Any Ideas would be appreciated
The problem could relate to "supported" sleep modes....
Are you aware of the powercfg utility?
You referred to "S0" but it’s not harmful to ask.
FYI:
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-deter...windows-10
Understanding these details is important.
= = = =
In summary, I’m wondering why the laptop attempts to switch sleep states even when Bluetooth is on and music is playing. It feels confusing.
Checking Task Manager under Startup and Task Scheduler can be useful.
Task Manager shows what starts at boot, while Task Scheduler reveals processes that might trigger changes later.
Event Viewer or Reliability History may log error codes, warnings, or events linked to power state transitions.
The goal is to identify what’s occurring or not happening.
Search for possible solutions if needed.
I noticed the information you provided. Intel AX210. You may want to refresh the driver from the links below:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/...etect.html or here
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/...loads.html
The driver version is from 12-17-2024. Since the Bluetooth appears to be routed through the USB port, ensure your BIOS is current and USB drivers are up to date (chipset update). Also verify that the USB device won’t enter sleep mode. Go to Device Manager, locate the USB device, and adjust settings to prevent it from sleeping. Then test if the issue continues.
System specifications:
- System Interface Type: Wi-Fi (PCIe), BT (USB)
- I believe some drivers alter power output to the antenna when switching sleep modes. This may affect connections based on distance between speaker and Bluetooth. First, update the driver, then use the control panel or Device Manager to instruct the system not to put the device to sleep, and observe any changes.
You could also check the Wi-Fi connect firmware here:
https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-ho...iv...000-Series
The firmware was last updated on 2023/06/01.
Next, update the Realtek WLAN Driver (dated 2022/08/29):
https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-ho...iv...000-Series
Please run cmd.exe as administrator and execute powercfg.exe /energy to generate a report you can review in a browser. This may reveal any underlying issues.
Most solutions involve updating the BIOS and drivers; some devices might require firmware upgrades.
This is what I get after
powercfg /a
.
Seems like my laptop doesnt support any other S state. There is nothing about sleep states in BIOS. TO be honest, available settings in BIOS are very meagre, there's not much to set.
As you can see from the screeshot it says S0 lower power idle Network connected. I think this is why it goes to sleep while trying to keep the connection with BT.
I tried all of the available drivers from Windows Update Center, myAsus, Asus website and AMD website. Everything is up to date and everything is the latest version.
I tried every possible setting that controls the laptop going to sleep but whatever I do after the screen goes black the lags happen and on wake the laptop is locked.
It ignores every setting stopping it from going to sleep.
your machine was released in april 2023 and should function properly in sleep mode unless it is disabled or incorrect drivers are installed. a possible solution is to configure your system to operate in high power mode and avoid entering sleep. it would be better to resolve the issue directly. run cmd.exe with admin privileges, then execute powercfg.exe /energy and review the report using a browser. you should also be able to access the control panel, device manager, locate the usb hub connected by the blue tooth device, and disable its low power state. in the control panel, device manager, locate the usb hub, expand it, right-click to open properties, select the power management tab and uncheck the option allowing the computer to turn off the device to conserve energy.
Nah, it came out earlier. I purchased it in February 2023 just for your reference.
I made the report but am unsure how to interpret it.
I've attached a link to it.
If that's acceptable, perhaps you can assist with clarifying it.
In the device manager, there is a tree for Universal Serial Bus controllers. The list appears as follows:
AMD USB 2.0 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.20 (Microsoft)
AMD USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.20 (Microsoft)
AMD USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.20 (Microsoft)
AMD USB 3.10 eXtensible Host Controller - 1.20 (Microsoft)
USB Composite Device
USB Root Hub (UBS 3.0)
USB Root Hub (UBS 3.0)
USB Root Hub (UBS 3.0)
USB Root Hub (UBS 3.0)
I have unchecked Allow the computer to turn off this device to conserve power in all instances where it was possible. I believe I did this before, but I'm open to your input.
After disabling everything and pressing Ok, I locked the screen using Win + L. There was a brief crackle immediately after the shutdown, but I'd like to verify it further.
Additionally, I removed this option from AMD GPIO Controller, AMD Audio CoProcessor, and I2C HID Device.
Report: The provided link only contains HTML code. Visit the location where the file is kept and open the .html file in a browser.
Note:
file:///C:/Windows/System32/energy-report.html
The document should now be accessible.
Capture the screenshots and share them instead of using the link.
Screenshot
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Phew, that was unexpectedly complicated. This is a new report. FYI you can download the file via previous link on your disk and open it in your browser and it will work. I am guessing it's for security reasons though.
Right now I have 304 bios from M5402RA. It was a desperate measure which didn't pay off in any way. Answering before hand i can say that having the latest 306 bios for my laptop doesn't change absolutely anything. Been there, tried that. But I will revert back to the original 306 bios in a couple of days.
The issue described is clear.
When my laptop goes into sleep mode while Bluetooth is active and music is playing, it experiences occasional stuttering and audio skips.
From the documentation, screenshots 1 through 4 provide evidence.
For instance, Screenshot 1 shows five immediate errors.
Screenshot 2 contains four warnings: one about Microsoft Edge (timer) and three related to the CPU.
Screenshot 3 mentions a default platform timer resolution that should be used during idle periods; increasing it may render "power management technologies ineffective," suggesting potential malfunctions.
The warnings also reference power plans such as OEM (Balanced) and On Battery, with a "Personality" setting set to Balanced.
Screenshot 4 offers more details about Power Policy concerning plugged in or battery-powered states, Radio Power, and Video Quality.
It is noted that Sleepstates S1, S2, and S3 are not supported (Sleep Supported: false).
S4 is supported according to the report.
Additionally, Connected Standby is enabled.
It appears the laptop is attempting to transition between sleep states, possibly due to conflicting settings or incorrect configurations.
This could be problematic if the Sleep state or related settings are misconfigured or unsupported.
My advice: review the report in a browser and print it for reference. Then disable all power-saving features.
Run "dism" and "sfc /scannow" to detect and repair any corrupted files.
After that, rerun the report.
You may want to compare the reports to spot differences and then try controlled power saving on battery mode.
Make adjustments one at a time, giving yourself time between changes.
Continue listening to music via Bluetooth as usual.
Test Microsoft Edge and try other browsers as well.