Studio 1737 DPC Latency

Is there any way to suspend the ACPI.sys thread OR change into MPS mode in the Vista SP1 home premium operating system?

If yes, can someone explain how to do it?

If no...which operating system will allow you to change these options and how do you do it?

For reference, I have a:

Thanks to anyone who can help and especially DjQuartz for all the time and energy he has put in (not only on this site) in trying to fix this problem and get it noticed by Dell.....Cheers =)

Very interesting how A07 did not clear up acpi.sys spikes. I'll be passing this feedback on. Regarding 1537, I had not opened inquiries on that platform yet. Will add it to my list. Thanks so much for the feedback.

thanks for your prompt response Bill B, i hope 1537 problem can be fixed too.

do i need to open a new thread regarding studio 1537 ?

DJ my 1737 came with the A06 Bios, I am trying to install xp but haven't had any luck  tryied the slip stream but still run into blue screens. Where you able to get your file made also how do i get a copy of the a05 bios.

Thanks in advance

Bob

thanks for your prompt response Bill B, i hope 1537 problem can be fixed too.   do i need to open a new thread regarding studio 1537 ?

Good point. If there's not a good thread on 1537 already, can you start one and have some other 1537 owners weigh in? The more the merrier. Post back the URL to the new thread here once you start/find it.

Is there any way to suspend the ACPI.sys thread OR change into MPS mode in the Vista SP1 home premium operating system?

Switching to MPS mode was my very 1st move trying to solve the DPC latency issue months ago... and it was a total wreck, couldn't start the OS with a multi-boot, etc...

Then DJQuartz saved us with his suspending ACPI thread trick under Win XP. So I made a multi-boot. Then someone found an app to suspend ACPI within Vista.

So I suggest you go that road, either XP or Vista. Under Vista you need to use Process Hacker. You'll find all the answers in DJQuartz' thread on NI forums.

http://www.native-instruments.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82401

And yes, as far as Dell techs are concerned, it's back to the drawing board. Maybe some more transparency would benefit everyone too, since the ones victims of the DPC latency issue are the power users.

And yes, as far as Dell techs are concerned, it's back to the drawing board. Maybe some more transparency would benefit everyone too, since the ones victims of the DPC latency issue are the power users.

Sorry if I'm not being transparent enough. What questions can I answer for you?

Maybe go a bit into the specifics : we know the ACPI is causing the high latency, so how come a BIOS update directly aimed at fixing how the laptop works with ACPI isn't producing any kind of change ? (I know it's also for win 7 compatibility, but still)

I mean it has been tested prior to release, right ? Simply running the DPC latency checker utility would have shown it wasn't working. Isn't it a matter of identifying the problem then fixing it ? Has the underlying cause even been identified ? Are the techs just taking guesses ? What made you  "almost" sure it fixed the latency issue in the 1st place ?

It just raises so many questions.

Then the most troubling one : how come DELL support centers abroad ignore the DPC latency issue ? It seems like the only place where DELL representatives are even allowed to admit the fact the so-called studio laptop can't handle real-time audio properly.

Nonetheless, thanks for sticking to this thread Bill B, you're our only link to the Dell nebula.

Maybe go a bit into the specifics : we know the ACPI is causing the high latency, so how come a BIOS update directly aimed at fixing how the laptop works with ACPI isn't producing any kind of change ? (I know it's also for win 7 compatibility, but still) I mean it has been tested prior to release, right ? Simply running the DPC latency checker utility would have shown it wasn't working. Isn't it a matter of identifying the problem then fixing it ? Has the underlying cause even been identified ? Are the techs just taking guesses ? What made you  "almost" sure it fixed the latency issue in the 1st place ? It just raises so many questions. Then the most troubling one : how come DELL support centers abroad ignore the DPC latency issue ? It seems like the only place where DELL representatives are even allowed to admit the fact the so-called studio laptop can't handle real-time audio properly. Nonetheless, thanks for sticking to this thread Bill B, you're our only link to the Dell nebula.

Some of those quesitons are beyond my scope but I'll give it a shot.

I thought this update would fix the ACPI issues myself. Had I known at the time I was going out on a limb by guessing same, I would not do it again.

I would assume they test them prior to release, but I am not sure what methodology they use. I am not on the BIOS engineering team, so I can't really speak to their testing process, but I can ask and post back their answer. Not sure if they fully understand the root cause, but I've done my level best to let them know the specific symptoms, and what the community members have been able to find out on your own. I doubt it's as simple as they are taking guesses. I was "almost" sure it would fix the ACPI latency issues because I specifically asked if there was a BIOS release upcoming to address the latency caused specifically by a conflict with ACPI.sys, and the answer was, "A07 will web post this week and addresses latency issues." I now know to ask them to expound on any future answers to that type of question with specific regard to exactly the symptom I am describing to them before I pass their answer on in part or fully.

Speaking for tech support abroad is another area beyond my expertise and scope of daily duties, but I can venture a guess. They typically only follow what they see in writing in our technical updates and knowledge base. Their not knowing of the issue, I would guess, would be because they have no supporting documentation provided by Dell engineering, which is another matter I will be discussing at my first opportunity.

You're welcome, and I'm proud to be a nebulous connection. I have arrived.

Good point. If there's not a good thread on 1537 already, can you start one and have some other 1537 owners weigh in? The more the merrier. Post back the URL to the new thread here once you start/find it.

thanks, here it is:

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/19292883/19547042.aspx#19547042

i call all other studio 1537 users to join in and share their experiences.

Hi All,

Soooooo glad I came across this forum. Have just spent all week trying to get my soundcard (soundblaster audigy 2nx) to workout with those lovely crackling sounds...

Drivers...OMG I have reloaded/updated/rebooted/BSOD'd/sworn/cried 10,000 times...

Then today, the heavens open.... and I find bios update AO7...  all sounds very nice when you read the description... BUT IT DONT FIX THE PROBLEM (yes.. the same old latency spikes...)

System is 1737 Vista Home Premium 64 SP1

I must say a BIG thank you to all the people that have put time into this problem and come up with a work around...

HOWEVER I would like to see DELL fix this problem.

Cheers..

@Bill B.

Thanks for the detailed answered, though I had figured they don't necessarily keep you in the loop, with all due respect. Maybe it's time to get into that loop a bit deeper, if we want to solve that thing, in order to :

1. give them all the info they need, like the most basic one : monitoring the latency with DPC latency checker

2. and get more info in return, because it doesn't take a degree in psychology to guess how frustrating it is not to hear about any progress made for periods of 2-3 months (not to mention Dell's image, whose laptop reputation has become awful in lots of online communities related to audio/video editing)

Then engineers should work hand-in-hand with this forum to get results. If you could give us clues as to how they do their testing and what they think the root cause is (if they have any idea), that would be a good thing.

And don't disappear ! We need to keep this thread alive.

Hello DudexSnave,

I can't seem to find the option to change from ACPI to MPS, I run Vista Home SP1. I just updated the Bios and I get a red spike each minute. Better then before but it doesn't even come close to the screen you're showing, the green spikes are much higher en I get a lot of yellow ones too. I also have to mention I recently bought a Firewire Expresscard with the Texas Instruments chipset because I was told the Ricoh chipset in the 1737 is worthless for audio. It works much better than before but still not perfect. (I rarely get pops but they still are there). It seems solving the DPC latency problem is a big problem for Dell.

I'm with you on that.  It seems that because of Vista, all of the "workarounds" do not work.  I even tried the debugger/process explorer route and cannot find acpi.sys in process explorer.  I actually can't find a .sys anything, they are all .exe.

I'd like to point out (to anyone who would care about this), that the only reason I bought this laptop was to stream audio.  The only one.  Dell essentially sold me a $1500 lemon and will not admit the issue, (besides in here, which is obviously informal and not regarded as an issue, as Dell will not even discuss latency over the phone and insists there is nothing wrong with this computer)

What I would like to see, is culpability by Dell and a quick resolution.  I want  an explanation as to why they would keep the sound issues of this computer from potential buyers, and a full refund of all the money we have spent.  (Which is small to Dell, huge to us, and a pittance compared to the amout of time I have spent trying to fix the issue on my own)

And I'd also like to point out that the laptop has grounding issues as well.  You can hear the inner workings amplified through any sound system, and ground loops are common because of the cheap ac adapter dell sends with these computers.

For myself, the damage has already been done, and I will discuss this with anyone from friends to family members and the University I work for to convince them to stay away from this company, as it will rip you off and sees no problem with it.  My only hope is that because of what Dell has done to me, I can dissuade as many other potential buyers from buying anything from Dell.

How about we all get our information together and report it to BBC Watchdog.  They have a way of getting these kind of issues sorted out very swiftly. There are also many, many other very unhappy users on the music forums (Native Instruments has a huge forum thread on this issue), which I think would be happy to put forward their experience with this.  I'm sure we could send Watchdog a story they would love to get stuck into.  It's amazing how quickly these companies start turning things around once they start advertising on TV that Dell laptops are completely useless for use with audio applications and how their support teams will not even admit the problem.

We will not admit the problem? Well, I think if you read through this thread you will see me more than admitting the problem. I appreciate your frustration. I would be frustrated, too, if I were you. Heck, I'm frustrated just trying to get a bona fide fix pushed through.

I let them know yesterday that A07 was no fix. I got a reply last night. The point of contact in engineering has messaged out to all engineers concerned with the Studio XPS line that we have a problem, and he will update me next week. As soon as I get some news, as always, I will post back.

I am not abandoning this issue until it's resolved. Thanks for your patience.

How about we all get our information together and report it to BBC Watchdog.  They have a way of getting these kind of issues sorted out very swiftly.

There are also many, many other very unhappy users on the music forums (Native Instruments has a huge forum thread on this issue), which I think would be happy to put forward their experience with this.  I'm sure we could send Watchdog a story they would love to get stuck into.  It's amazing how quickly these companies start turning things around once they start advertising on TV that Dell laptops are completely useless for use with audio applications and how their support teams will not even admit the problem.