How to Fix DPC Latency Spikes in Windows 11 (nvlddmkm.sys & ACPI.sys)?
DPC latency spikes traced to nvlddmkm.sys or ACPI.sys? Here's how ISR/DPC execution actually works and how to fix both culprits properly.
How to Fix DPC Latency Spikes in Windows 11 (nvlddmkm.sys & ACPI.sys)?
If you've already run LatencyMon and it's pointing the finger at either nvlddmkm.sys or ACPI.sys, generic driver update advice isn't going to cut it. These two are some of the most common repeat offenders in DPC latency reports, and they each spike for completely different, specific reasons. Let's get into what's actually happening under the hood and how to fix each one properly. First, How ISR and DPC Execution Actually Works To fix this correctly, you need to understand the handoff happening at the hardware level, because it explains why these specific spikes cause the symptoms they do. When a piece of hardware, say your GPU or your audio interface, needs the CPU's attention, it fires a hardware interrupt. The CPU immediately jumps to an Interrupt Service Routine, or ISR, tied to that device. ISRs are designed to be extremely short. Their entire job is to acknowledge the interrupt and queue up the actual work as a Deferred Procedure Call, or DPC, which then runs…
About the author
Gnaneshwar Gaddam is an Electrical Engineer based in Hyderabad with 15+ years of hands-on experience in PC hardware, software troubleshooting, cybersecurity awareness and tech advisory. He founded Digitnaut to cut through tech hype and deliver pract…
