Audio playback device causing input lag/unsmooth gameplay

[L1ghtning]

When I have my playback device set to my monitor my games feels perfect, no input lag, very smooth, but when it is switched to my sound that I usually use(goxlr connected to 2nd pc, audio out from gaming pc to goxlr) it adds noticeable input lag and the game becomes less smooth. It's still definitely playable, but feeling the difference makes me want the feeling that the monitor playback device gives me. My question is what could be causing this? My cables are quite messy could it be some sort of interference issue?

[Slender]

same, check my topic

[Thatweirdinputlag]

When I have my playback device set to my monitor my games feels perfect, no input lag, very smooth, but when it is switched to my sound that I usually use(goxlr connected to 2nd pc, audio out from gaming pc to goxlr) it adds noticeable input lag and the game becomes less smooth. It's still definitely playable, but feeling the difference makes me want the feeling that the monitor playback device gives me. My question is what could be causing this? My cables are quite messy could it be some sort of interference issue?

GoXLR is an audio interface which might be recognized by windows as "Pro Audio" depending on how the driver classifies itself, but most audio companies usually go that way. As good as that might sound for your audio quality, it might be not the best when it comes to gaming. If you check MMCS in regedit, Pro Audio will always have priority 1 over everything else. You can try setting the priority and other parameters to match the one for the normal "Audio" and see if it helps. You can also open the GoXLR control panel and slightly increase the buffer size, after that go into your windows sound settings - playback devices and set the sample rate quality for GoXLR lower "you'll only see 48k" but there are different versions, you might need to set the same for every driver it has installed "I.E. Game, Chat, System, etc.." Try to lower it to something like DVD quality and check if that helps.

P.S. try the option with MMCS first and then go from there. Good luck

Add-on: Please do not forget to save that MMCS regedit folder in order to revert the changes if they did not add any benefit.

[timecard]

Typically applications request MMCSS not devices/drivers. This should help.

https://www.overclock.net/threads/resea ... s.1774590/

[Thatweirdinputlag]

Typically applications request MMCSS not devices/drivers. This should help.

https://www.overclock.net/threads/resea ... s.1774590/

That's a really nice research you had there, your github link is down btw. As for GoXLR, it needs its own app to be running in the background for the AI to run.

As for your research, when CSGO was classified as Audio, and Audio by default "at least in Win 11" runs as a background only process, how would the thread be effected if Audio parameters are adjusted? higher or lower priority. And would the game benefit if the MMCSS was left on default but the system was focused on Background Services instead of Programs?

[L1ghtning]

I appreciate the help, I seem to have fixed my issue and then some, my game feels extremely smooth and snappy now.

This is what I did after testing a bunch of stuff in MMCSS:
I added NoLazyMode (not exactly sure what that did but it seemed to help)
I changed Gpu Priority and Priority to 8 and 6 on both Audio and Pro Audio
I changed Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority both to High on Audio but left it on default(Medium and Normal on Pro Audio), during my testing there was a noticeable difference in the feeling of the game for some reason when I had Pro Audio on High for both parameters.
The biggest difference I felt was when I was messing around with Playback, I changed Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority both to High, I changed Gpu Priority and Priority to match the Games folder and I increased the Background Priority. Idk why, but changing the background priority made a massive difference.
I also changed some things in DisplayPostProcessing that seemed to help too.

I tested this stuff for hours, I don't quite fully understand all of it with my limited time reading about it and I don't know why these particular settings worked, but my game feels fantastic now

Edit: On a second test having Audio and Pro Audio the same Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority feels the same/maybe a little better

[Thatweirdinputlag]

I appreciate the help, I seem to have fixed my issue and then some, my game feels extremely smooth and snappy now.

This is what I did after testing a bunch of stuff in MMCSS:
I added NoLazyMode (not exactly sure what that did but it seemed to help)
I changed Gpu Priority and Priority to 8 and 6 on both Audio and Pro Audio
I changed Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority both to High on Audio but left it on default(Medium and Normal on Pro Audio), during my testing there was a noticeable difference in the feeling of the game for some reason when I had Pro Audio on High for both parameters.
The biggest difference I felt was when I was messing around with Playback, I changed Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority both to High, I changed Gpu Priority and Priority to match the Games folder and I increased the Background Priority. Idk why, but changing the background priority made a massive difference.
I also changed some things in DisplayPostProcessing that seemed to help too.

I tested this stuff for hours, I don't quite fully understand all of it with my limited time reading about it and I don't know why these particular settings worked, but my game feels fantastic now

Edit: On a second test having Audio and Pro Audio the same Scheduling Category and SFIO Priority feels the same/maybe a little better

I mean if it works it works ..