Windows 11 26H2: Random Audio Crackling and Frame Drops – High DPC Latency from NVIDIA and DirectX Drivers

Xdjustwill 20 Reputation points
2026-11-08T21:40:03.2366667+00:00

Problem

I’m experiencing intermittent audio crackling/stuttering and random frame drops on my Windows 11 PC. The audio issue happens even when I’m not gaming. Frame drops also occur outside of Cyberpunk 2077.

I’m trying to determine whether this is related to DPC/ISR latency, the NVIDIA graphics driver, or another system-level driver issue.

System specifications

  • OS: Windows 11 26H2, build 26300.8711
  • GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti Founders Edition
  • NVIDIA driver: 621.01
  • GPU settings: Stock settings, no overclock or undervolt
  • GPU temperature while gaming: Approximately 77°C

LatencyMon results

LatencyMon reported that my system may have difficulty handling real-time audio.

The Drivers tab showed these results:

  • nvlddmkm.sys: Highest execution time: 1.334710 ms. Total execution time: 2097.982240 ms. DPC count: 122,759.
  • rspLLL64.sys: Highest execution time: 0.738580 ms. Total execution time: 225.767040 ms. DPC count: 78,999.
  • dxgkrnl.sys: Highest execution time: 0.490330 ms. Total execution time: 1746.867870 ms. DPC count: 59,552.
  • ndis.sys: Highest execution time: 0.464110 ms. Total execution time: 56.593760 ms.
  • Wdf01000.sys: Highest execution time: 0.315110 ms. Total execution time: 998.157540 ms.

Related Windows errors

I’ve also found several graphics-related errors in Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer.

LiveKernelEvent 141

  • Description: VIDEO_ENGINE_TIMEOUT_DETECTED
  • Failure bucket: LKD_0x141_IMAGE_nvlddmkm.sys
  • The dump identifies nvlddmkm.sys as the image involved.
  • Cyberpunk 2077 was running when this occurred.

LiveKernelEvent 193

  • Multiple reports have appeared in Reliability Monitor.

NVIDIA Event ID 153

  • Source: nvlddmkm
  • Message references \Device\Video3 and GPUID: 900.
  • This occurred around the same time as one of the graphics-related crashes.

I also experienced a Cyberpunk 2077 crash involving a breakpoint exception, but I’m not sure whether it is related to the system-wide audio and performance issues.

Troubleshooting already performed

  • Reinstalled the NVIDIA graphics driver.
  • Confirmed the GPU is running at stock settings.
  • Monitored GPU temperatures while gaming.
  • Checked LatencyMon results.
  • Reviewed Reliability Monitor and Event Viewer for related errors.

The issues existed before the driver reinstall and continued afterward.

Question

What would be the best way to identify the cause of these intermittent audio crackles and frame drops? Could the DPC execution times from nvlddmkm.sys and dxgkrnl.sys be contributing to the problem, or should I investigate other drivers and hardware?

I can provide the full LatencyMon report, screenshots, and additional WinDbg dump analysis if I can find it.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures
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  1. Kai-H 31,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-11-09T09:10:15.2033333+00:00

    Hi, @Xdjustwill

    Thanks for the very thorough report, that made this easier. Short version: yes, the DPC numbers from nvlddmkm.sys are high enough to cause audio dropouts on their own, and the LiveKernelEvent 141 and Event ID 153 entries point to the same place, the NVIDIA driver stack. Also, don't chase rspLLL64.sys, that one is LatencyMon's own kernel driver, so it shows up in every report. Worth noting that stutter and DPC spikes that build up over time have been reported specifically after driver 621.01, which is the version you're on.

    Here are some suggestions you can try:

    Do a proper clean driver swap instead of a plain reinstall. Download DDU, boot into Safe Mode, run it with "Clean and do not restart", then install either the newer 621.14 or an older driver you know was stable (something from a few months back). Choose "Custom" > "Perform a clean installation" and skip extras like GeForce Experience/NVIDIA App while testing. A normal reinstall over the top keeps old settings and files, which is likely why it didn't change anything.

    In NVIDIA Control Panel > Manage 3D Settings, set Power management mode to "Prefer maximum performance". The card dropping in and out of low power states at idle is a common source of those DPC spikes, which lines up with your crackling happening outside of games.

    In Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics > Default graphics settings, turn off Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling and reboot.

    If you're not using HDMI/DisplayPort audio, disable "NVIDIA High Definition Audio" in Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers.

    Run LatencyMon again for 10 to 15 minutes after each change so you can see which one actually moves the nvlddmkm.sys numbers.

    If after the clean driver swap the 141 events still appear with the card at stock, then it's time to look at the PSU cables and RAM (run a MemTest86 pass), since a GPU timeout that survives multiple drivers usually isn't software anymore. Feel free to post the new LatencyMon results and we can go from there.

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