Issue remains unresolved after all attempts.
Issue remains unresolved after all attempts.
Some useful tips to consider:
Combine chipset with ME drivers and install the newest versions directly from AMD, not just through Windows Update. This often significantly lowers DPC spikes.
Adjust BIOS power settings by turning off CPU power-saving states, C-states, and global C1E. Also set Windows power plan to High Performance.
Check network/wifi drivers since they’re known to trigger periodic DPC stutters. Disable the adapter fully to test if the issue disappears.
Inspect USB controllers; latencyMon spikes may stem from faulty USB devices. Remove unnecessary peripherals and retest.
Consider using the NVIDIA driver, or try an older branch of the Studio driver; Game Ready updates can sometimes cause DPC spikes.
Perform a fresh Windows installation using a clean ISO from Microsoft’s site, rather than using the same USB stick.
Your monitoring graphs indicating low CPU/GPU/RAM usage suggest the problem isn’t due to overall load, but rather interrupt latency. The positive side is that it’s fixable—usually at the driver or OS level, not hardware failure. 😊
What GeForce driver version is installed? Check v566.36, the previously known stable driver for 3xxx/4xxx cards prior to 5xxx releases. Newer versions after 566.36 have led to performance problems with older cards. I'm not certain about the most recent driver, but during that period, upgrades were often rolled back to v566.36.
I followed all the suggestions you provided.
I retrieved every available update but received only Ryzen Master as a driver, so I obtained the chipsets from the motherboard page.
I turned off C-states but couldn't locate C1E in BIOS; I enabled the enhanced power plan, which was better than high performance, yet no improvement occurred.
I have an Ethernet connection, but I'm unsure how to test in Eve Online without a network link since I haven't played single-player games yet.
I disconnected all NVIDIA-related drivers using DDU and reinstalled the old ones; it seemed to help when I switched my games to SSDs as well.
I recently reinstalled Windows with two different external drives, both being the latest Windows 10 mirror, and I've performed around 15 installations now.
It seems you’ve already addressed the main points, so let’s explore further:
Examine the DPC culprit in LatencyMon. If dxgkrnl.sys and storport.sys alternate alongside spikes, it usually indicates a problem with PCIe/ASP power management. In the BIOS, turn off PCIe ASPM and Global C-state Control.
Consider forcing the PCIe Gen mode to Gen3 rather than Auto or Gen4, as Gen4 connections on certain chipsets like B450/X470 can lead to periodic stutters.
Turn off HPET in BIOS/Device Manager; inconsistent timers may cause micro-stutters.
USB devices: excessive DPC latency often stems from inexpensive USB hubs or wireless adapters. When feasible, test using just the mouse and keyboard on the chipset ports, excluding the hub.
Network stack: even with Ethernet enabled, temporarily disable the network interface in Device Manager. Realtek LAN drivers are commonly associated with DPC issues.
GPU drivers: reverting to older versions like 522.xx–536.xx is popular, while newer releases such as 55x.xx may trigger stuttering.
Windows scheduling: run PowerShell commands like bcdedit /set useplatformtick yes and reboot. This ensures a consistent clock source for the scheduler.
Given how many times you’ve reinstalled, hardware issues are unlikely. The problem likely lies in a driver or BIOS configuration. Narrowing it down using LatencyMon while disabling one component at a time is typically effective.
The positive outcome: these DPC spikes are generally resolvable through BIOS/driver adjustments.
So I turned off PCIe ASPM and global C-state. The PCIe Gen mode only offered the gen4 option, which I disabled. It looks like there’s no HPET on the ASUS motherboards. I only use the chipset USB port, but in the game I disabled the Realtek PCIe GbE Family controller (assuming that’s what you meant by NIC in Device Manager) and removed all USB devices except the mouse and keyboard. I rolled back to the 566 driver after a full clean with DDU. I also ran a powershell command. I tried a completely different motherboard before this, so if it was a BIOS issue, it should be fixed with another board. Maybe there’s another subsystem I can disable?
Additional advanced verification steps:
LatencyMon behavior: When it repeatedly switches between dxgkrnl.sys and storport.sys, storage drivers are likely involved. Consider changing the SATA/AHCI controller driver—either Microsoft Standard AHCI or AMD/Intel variant. Sometimes vendor-specific drivers perform better.
Power management settings: In Device Manager, navigate to your drives → Policies. Temporarily disable Enable write caching and also turn off HIPM/DIPM power saving in advanced power options.
BIOS configuration: Even without the HPET option, verify if TSC/RTC or Timer Source is accessible. Disabling HPET through Device Manager suffices if BIOS doesn’t display it.
Driver logs: Check DPC stack traces; LatencyMon can export ETW data. Running xperf -on latency followed by xperf -d trace.etl reveals which driver routine is causing delays. This often pinpoints the exact issue.
Given these adjustments, hardware failure seems improbable since you replaced motherboards. It appears to stem from a low-level driver or power management issue. Using LatencyMon alongside xperf should help identify the precise bottleneck.
Sure, I can help with that. You should run these commands in the appropriate directory where your AMD system is located.
Check if the old HDD is still linked. Consider unplugging it.
Open Device Manager → expand IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers or Storage Controllers on some boards
Right-click your SATA AHCI controller → Update driver
Choose Browse my computer → Let me pick from a list.
You should see options like Standard SATA AHCI Controller Microsoft or the AMD one if installed.
Select one, reboot, then test LatencyMon. If it’s worse, you can roll back the same way.
For the xperf command:
You need the Windows Performance Toolkit part of the Windows ADK
Install it, then open Command Prompt Admin or PowerShell Admin.
Run:
xperf -on latency
Let the stutter happen for a minute or two.
Then run:
xperf -d trace.etl
This will save a trace file in the folder you ran it from. You can open that file in Windows Performance Analyzer WPA to see which driver routine is causing the spike.