Graphics cards DO matter for music production... A LOT.

Discussion in 'Computer Hardware' started by Torrao, Nov 1, 2017.

  1. vanhaze

    vanhaze Platinum Record

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    That's the whole odd and bad thing for using a pc/laptop for audio/music production:
    You think you have a badass system with great hardware specs.
    And then to discover those great hardware specs aren't always the gateway to fluid DAW performance.
    Fluid RT Audio is something really special, compared to gaming performance and video editing performance.
     
  2. kolutshan

    kolutshan Member

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    I had never issues and audio drop outs however LatencyMon listed dxgkrnl.sys and nvlddmkm.sys with high latency spikes. After fiddling around with the nvida driver (uninstalling hd audio, geforce experience etc.) the game changer for me was to disable the "global c state control" in my bios (nvlddmkm.sys went from almost 0,9ms down to 0,5ms). I have an Amd Ryzen based system so I don't know if you can replicate this on an Intel machine.
     
  3. Xupito

    Xupito Audiosexual

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    This brings an interesting point. I'm used to optimize Windows for low RAM usage and also for speed.
    Besides the classic and of course mandatory disabling of services/auto-start stuff I first recommend another step.
    First, disable the hardware, in the BIOS or even the device manager. You can get rid of very nasty complicated low-level issues (like DAW latency) and of course the associated services won't even load (not always though).

    Regarding the drivers, be it Nvidia OR Amd/Ati, often it's like rocket science to find the better ones, specially if your GPU is older than 2 years.

    PS.
    guess what I was doing while I wrote this post :rofl:
     
  4. SineWave

    SineWave Audiosexual

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    When looking for an audio laptop or a desktop, always get the one with less features and better CPU, enough RAM. 3 network cards, camera, gazillion of different ports can all trump your audio performance, if you don't disable them. Always look for the minimum you need. For example, I can guarantee you that the most expensive ASUS motherboard with everything imaginable will be a worse choice than a carefully picked mid-range one. Same with laptops and laptops are always worse, harder to tame. They also lack BIOS features to play with.
     
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  5. AudioDesigner

    AudioDesigner Ultrasonic

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    When installing NVIDIA Drivers checkbox just the driver only, some other stuff will still install regardless.
    When installed go to your windows services and disable any NVIDIA services.
    If your not going to be gaming rename the NVIDIA control panel app to a different name.
    You can find it in the Task manager locate it and rename it, right click open file location.
    NVIDIA cards are always better for gaming but AMD make up for better options for professionals that do work outside of games.

    Hope that helps.
     
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  6. Torrao

    Torrao Platinum Record

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    That sums this thread up, kinda :)
     
  7. marshall stack 666

    marshall stack 666 Member

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    I have disabled all of these in hosts file, but I'm not sure if these services are adding allot of extra latency, but since I removed my Nvidia 750ti my latency has definitely dropped allot.

    0.0.0.0 vortex.data.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 vortex-win.data.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 telecommand.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
    0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 oca.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
    0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 sqm.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
    0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 watson.telemetry.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
    0.0.0.0 redir.metaservices.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 choice.microsoft.com.nsatc.net
    0.0.0.0 df.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 reports.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 services.wes.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 sqm.df.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 watson.ppe.telemetry.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net
    0.0.0.0 telemetry.urs.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 telemetry.appex.bing.net:443
    0.0.0.0 settings-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
    0.0.0.0 vortex-sandbox.data.microsoft.com
     
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  8. SineWave

    SineWave Audiosexual

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    I have managed to drop the DPC latency to between 200-300 micro-seconds on my Thinkpad T410S laptop, but still my desktop is the best as there it doesn't go beyond ~200ms at any point, even though I have an older Nvidia card in it. These days you're better off with just an on-CPU Intel GPU, or AMD GPU, I guess. APUs are becoming increasingly more interesting for musicians as AMD releases these new, rather powerful Ryzen APUs. $100 for a 4-core and $170 for a 4-core with 8 threads @ 3.7GHz. That's a steal. :wink:
     
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  9. Heels Machine

    Heels Machine Kapellmeister

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    Sorry but this is all bullshit. I have a Nvidia 1080 TI, a scarlett 2i2, and never had any issue at all.
    I do music production since 2002 and never had any issue related to a graphic card. If you have latency problems check your system for rogue background apps
     
  10. AudioDesigner

    AudioDesigner Ultrasonic

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    It is bullshit if your using say a i5-i7 Z170 upwards because Moore's Bogus Laws kinda of ends there.
    I have the ASUS 1080 TI also and never had no problems but this is for people who do and AMD cards play a bit nicer because it has less interrupts on the driver side.
    If you don't want to optimise Windows always use RME cards I have the baby face pro latency in that DPC don't matter.
     
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  11. korte1975

    korte1975 Guest

     
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  12. Torrao

    Torrao Platinum Record

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    I did. I found a massive rogue background hog called "Nvlddmkm.sys". :rofl:
     
  13. tzzsmk

    tzzsmk Audiosexual

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    no problems with nvidia GTX980Ti drivers on my El Capo hackintosh :rofl:
     
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  14. BibouLeNoob

    BibouLeNoob Kapellmeister

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    Conflicting drivers might cause issues.
    Also, whoever thought many vst nowadays use use GPU rendering should get informed a little bit. Apart from a handful of developers nobody does (unfortunately).
     
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  15. DonCaballero

    DonCaballero Producer

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    This is my experience 100%. Great looking specs on paper, but shitty for a DAW. My desktop was built from random components but actually works as it's supposed to. You'd think a large company selling a limited number of models would be able to make them work without constant throttling. To add insult to injury, the model is called "Stealth" yet the fans are loud as hell.

    Lesson learned I guess. My 7 year old Dell laptop was actually more reliable than this pimped out, high spec gaming machine. Time to save up for a new desktop...
     
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  16. loCurnus

    loCurnus Ultrasonic

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    ok most of the latency problems cause to the wild using of new and old hard/ software mixed up together. if you use a win7 DAW (the only way to do really issue free audiostuff) actually with digital connected and good sorted tool you normal NOT have issues like that.

    you VGAcard is from 2013 your Audio Card is a juli@ v1! and so on....

    you use ableton 8 now!

    you are using the old wizoo verb...

    ah ja, you are now using the old esi driver for the juli@ for win64


    the new one did not work !!!


    wild installing (TEstING) all new vsti STUFF


    and so on 1999-2014
    mixed perfect together and call it DAW...
    ----

    audio artefacts like that just the symptom.
    you can buildup D/A boxes cable stuff for your (you call it) analog hardware and use spdif for all connections whips.

    thats all... 2018 you dont need to have issues like that. sort simple your stuff...

    LESS is MORE

    and CLEAN your hardware, cables etc ..

    and WELCuME digital CONNECTIONS NOW.....

    actually ultra digital is still waiting to you ....

    8k premium AUDIO !!! and the colors dammmmmn ====<<<<kidding!
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018
  17. kokorico

    kokorico Platinum Record

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    Since I removed my msi Gfeorce gtx 1050 TI my latency is better. I use now the intel onboard GPU (530 hd graphics+ I7 6700K+ 16 gig lpx vengeance 2300).
    Apollo twin thunderbolt/ Win10 pro x64.

    The RspLLL.sys.64 comes from the latencymon software?
     

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  18. ddiggles

    ddiggles Member

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    Huh... looks like you might be right. At least as far as my system is concerned. Untitled.png Untitled 2.png
     
  19. Torrao

    Torrao Platinum Record

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    Yes.

    Yup. Highest latency process, as usual.
     
  20. Blorg

    Blorg Producer

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    While my box appears to be suitable for handling real-time audio,
    [​IMG]
    I got bigger problems ... my CPU is running at 1MHz (the first IBM PC ran at 4.7MHz) :(
    [​IMG]
    Wat do, OP?

    BTW, you do know that the numbers you see are μs, not ms, right? And that (at least for my box, your results will vary) the
    Total time spent in ISRs (%) 0.184019 (from the app's "Stats" tab)
    right? We're talking .2%, total.
     
    Last edited: Jan 15, 2018
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