Is Windows 8 lagware? Let's find out.

[Audio-Purity]

If you're running Windows 8, post a screenshot of your DPC latency using DPC Latency Checker.

Make sure the version of Windows & build number are clearly visible on the desktop when you take your screenshot.

Don't forget to specify if you're using the 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows 8.

Here's my screenshot of Windows 8: Release Preview (64 bit)

Here's my screenshot of Windows 7: SP1 (64 bit)

I use my computer for listening to music, watching movies, gaming, and streaming audio & video.

I want the best experience possible.

Side effects of high DPC latency are crackles, pops, stutter, drop-out problems, and underruns within an audio stream.

This can destroy the experience when listening to music, playing a game, or watching a movie.

Some info on DPC latency & why it's important: http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

DPC Latency Checker can be found here: http://www.thesycon.de/dpclat/dpclat.exe

Another good program to use to measure DPC latency is LatencyMon: http://www.resplendence.com/latencymon

The purpose of this thread is to find out what the DPC latency is in Windows 8 (current DPC latency & absolute maximum DPC latency) and compare it to the DPC latency in Windows 7.

Post your screenshots of your DPC latency in Windows 8 & let's determine if Windows 8 is lagware.

 

[XOR != OR]

I think I'd wait until we actually see a retail release before getting upset about performance.

 

[Dan_D]

Ugh there is still a 32bit version of Windows? Good lord.

 

[Tawnos]

You should read the text in dpc checker, where it says "some device drivers on this machine behave badly"

 

[Audio-Purity]

The current DPC latency in Windows 8 is usually 1000 microseconds or higher, regardless of the hardware or drivers you're using.

"Why is DPC Latency so bad in Windows 8? I used a program DPC Latency Checker to measure. Windows 7 shows about 90u while sitting on the desktop but Windows 8 CP never shows anything lower than 1000u."

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-8/05ef48a6-7775-4526-9e5b-32c5951b8dbf

"On Windows 8, it reports DPC latency of 1000us (1ms) at the very lowest. It never reaches below 1000us, ever. It regularly spikes up in the 2-3ms (2,000-3,000us) range, and often spikes into the 20-30ms (!) range during processing."

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...f/thread/aa16c25a-9c72-4579-ba02-cea920296271

I encourage anyone using Windows 8 to post a screenshot of their DPC latency using DPC Latency Checker.

Make sure the version of Windows & build number are clearly visible on the desktop when you take your screenshot.

Don't forget to specify if you're using the 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows 8.

Let's see what results people are getting.

 

[Monkey God]

I think I'd wait until we actually see a retail release before getting upset about performance.

Does anything else need to be said? Nope.

 

[Audio-Purity]

Every version of Windows 8 I've tried has major problems with DPC latency.

This includes Windows 8: Release Preview & Windows 8: Consumer Preview.

Windows 8 is going to reach RTM status soon.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/31/delivering-the-windows-8-release-preview.aspx

Only time will tell if this problem will be fixed in the final version of Windows 8.

One thing is for sure: the first programs I'm going to run after I install the final version of Windows 8 are: DPC Latency Checker & LatencyMon.

If the DPC latency is not as good or better than Windows 7, then I'm going to stick with Windows 7.

 

[XOR != OR]

Every version of Windows 8 I've tried has major problems with DPC latency.

This includes Windows 8: Release Preview & Windows 8: Consumer Preview.

Windows 8 is going to reach RTM status soon.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/05/31/delivering-the-windows-8-release-preview.aspx

Only time will tell if this problem will be fixed in the final version of Windows 8.

One thing is for sure: the first programs I'm going to run after I install the final version of Windows 8 are: DPC Latency Checker & LatencyMon.

Which is fair, and at that point they'll produce interesting results.

I will be very interested if these results are repeatable on a RTM version of windows.

 

[Ur_Mom]

I think I'd wait until we actually see a retail release before getting upset about performance.

Agreed. Drivers aren't even officially out for your devices. I'd wait to bitch about those things until it hits RTM and drivers are more widely available for Windows 8.

That's one of the caveats of using beta software - performance is an issue. Availability of drivers (why release drivers for an unreleased product).

Hopefully, it DOES get better with the final release, though.

 

[Audio-Purity]

In case anyone missed the intent of this post, let me clarify:

Post a screenshot of your DPC latency using DPC Latency Checker, If you're running Windows 8.

Make sure the version of Windows & build number are clearly visible on the desktop when you take your screenshot.

Don't forget to specify if you're using the 32 bit or 64 bit version of Windows 8.

 

[heatlesssun]

Ugh there is still a 32bit version of Windows? Good lord.

Atoms and ARM are still 32 bit.

 

[Audio-Purity]

I'm not going to wait until Windows 8 goes RTM to talk about this.

Not one computer hardware website that I'm aware of even mentioned DPC latency when reviewing pre-release builds of Windows 8.

Maybe they will now that I'm posting about it.

Most people I know didn't even know what DPC latency was until I talked to them about it.

Windows 8 is still under development.

I'm not going to wait until it's too late.

I don't want the final version of Windows 8 to be lagware.

I'm going to bring this problem to people's attention now, while there's still hope that it will be fixed in time for the final release of Windows 8.

 

[geraltofrivia]

Have you tried playing with your timer settings? I think they dropped LAPICs totally for W8 so its either TSC + HPET or just HPET. I'd recommend trying HPET-only to see if that drops your DPC, or disable HPET in both BIOS and OS, see which one is better for you.

http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=327922
http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1...s-for-better-performance-and-fps/page__st__15


There is also the settimerresolution utility which will drop it to <20, but I believe it is no longer freeware (costs $10 now )

http://www.lucashale.com/timer-resolution/

I'm not going to wait until Windows 8 goes RTM to talk about this.

Not one computer hardware website that I'm aware of even mentioned DPC latency when reviewing pre-release builds of Windows 8.

Maybe they will now that I'm posting about it.

Most people I know didn't even know what DPC latency was until I talked to them about it.

Windows 8 is still under development.

I'm not going to wait until it's too late.

I don't want the final version of Windows 8 to be lagware.

I'm going to bring this problem to people's attention now, while there's still hope that it will be fixed in time for the final release of Windows 8.

 

[Dan_D]

Atoms and ARM are still 32 bit.

Fair enough. I hadn't considered that.

 

[Veilrap]

I'm not at my computer ATM, but I've been playing a heavy load of online games and streaming a considerable amount of music through google music and pandora and yet to have a single issue. So while I cannot check my DPC I suspect it is fine.

 

[bigdogchris]

DPC latency is largely due to poor drivers, which will take time to be released.

Disable devices to find out what is causing it (which needs a driver fix)

Right from the DPC site:

In many cases DPC latency problems are caused by specific types of devices. So you should try the device types listed below first.

Network adapters for Ethernet and Wireless LAN (W-LAN)
Internal modems
Internal sound devices (on-board sound systems)
Any PCI or PCI Express add-on card, any PCCard or ExpressCard, e.g. TV tuner cards, ISDN or DSL adapters, modems, etc.

Warning: Don't disable devices that are essential for your computer to function!

You should not disable:

any device listed in Device Manager under System devices or Computer,
the hard disk that contains the system partition,
the IDE/ATAPI or SATA controller this hard disk is connected to,
the system keyboard,
the mouse, track point or touch pad device,
the USB controller external keyboard and/or mouse devices are connected to,
the display controller listed under Display adapters.

 

[GushpinBob]

Don't pre-release versions of Windows have a bunch of debugging checks enabled and compiler optimizations disabled? Perhaps it would be fairer to compare Windows 8 RP to a "checked build" version of Windows 7.

Atoms and ARM are still 32 bit.

Newer Atoms contain 64-bit extensions and have been out for a while now.

 

[Unknown-One]

It's also possible DPC Latency Checker simply hasn't been updated for Windows 8 and isn't reading correctly. The tip-off is that readings under Windows 8 seem to be exactly 1ms different from readings under Windows 7 at all times. Seems like there might be something generating an offset.

To the OP, Xonar drivers from Asus are known to cause DPC latency issues under all versions of Windows. You might want to try the low-latency UNi-Xonar drivers from here: http://brainbit.wordpress.com/category/uni-xonar/

 

[Audio-Purity]

Please read each post carefully so that people don't have to repeat themselves.

For anyone who missed my earlier post:

The current DPC latency in Windows 8 is usually 1000 microseconds or higher, regardless of the hardware or drivers you're using.

"Why is DPC Latency so bad in Windows 8? I used a program DPC Latency Checker to measure. Windows 7 shows about 90u while sitting on the desktop but Windows 8 CP never shows anything lower than 1000u."

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...indows-8/05ef48a6-7775-4526-9e5b-32c5951b8dbf

"On Windows 8, it reports DPC latency of 1000us (1ms) at the very lowest. It never reaches below 1000us, ever. It regularly spikes up in the 2-3ms (2,000-3,000us) range, and often spikes into the 20-30ms range during processing."

http://social.technet.microsoft.com...f/thread/aa16c25a-9c72-4579-ba02-cea920296271

When I have time, I will test the DPC latency in Windows 7 & Windows 8 using the on-board audio on the motherboard.

I will also test the DPC latency using the Asus: Xonar Essence ST Deluxe to see if it makes any difference.

I will use the latest versions of DPC Latency Checker & LatencyMon to measure the DPC latency in Windows 7 & Windows 8.

I will also contact the creators of DPC Latency Checker & LatencyMon and see if there's any chance that their software isn't measuring the DPC latency in Windows 8 accurately.

 

[Eman D. Rahym]

Slightly OT: How did you get the Xonar Audio Center control panel to work in 64 bit Windows 8?

Back on topic: As you point out, DPC latency may cause problems with the audio stream, but it doesn't necessarily cause problems. Are you actually having issues with the audio stream on your PC? I ask because I've listened to quite a bit of music on my PC while using 64 bit Windows 8, both the CP and the RP, and I've not noticed any issues at all with the audio stream. It sounds pretty much identical to what I heard in Windows 7.

OK, I'm too clueless to figure out how to post a screen grab. Any hints?

 

[heatlesssun]

There was a blog post a week or ago about media playback in Windows 8 on the Building Windows 8 Blog: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/06/08/building-a-rich-and-extensible-media-platform.aspx

Is there any possibility that this is by design and meant as a power efficiency thing? But until there's final drivers and OS I don't think we know how to look at it unless we look at prior test versions of Windows.

 

[Audio-Purity]

Until I can get the following questions answered about the custom "UNi Xonar" drivers to my satisfaction, I'm going to use the official Asus Xonar drivers.

Is the driver WHQL certified?

Is the driver certified for Windows 7?

Do any actual sound cards officially use the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

Do any actual sound cards ship with the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

Do any actual sound cards use ASIO 2.0.0.10 officially?

Where is the changelog for ASIO 2.0.0.10?

Where is the changelog for the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

How are the drivers and files obtained?

Exactly what makes the "custom driver" different from the one provided by Asus?

Newer dates on the files don't mean anything because anyone can modify the dates and files.

Why does the ASIO 2.0.0.07 driver seem better than the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver?

Is there any proof that the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver is an official release?

The official ASIO 2.0.0.07 driver has latency settings from 1ms to 80ms.

Why does the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver only have latency settings from 10ms to 80ms?

What are the supposed "problems" with the official Asus Xonar version: 7.12.8.1794 drivers?

What are the supposed "problems" with the official ASIO 2.0.0.07 drivers provided by Asus?

Exactly what proof do you have that the official Asus drivers have "high" DPC latency issues?

Please delineate all the "problems" in as much detail as possible so I can independently verify them.

If there are indeed problems with the Asus drivers, Asus should be made aware of them so they can fix them as soon as possible.

Official Asus Xonar 7.12.8.1794 drivers vs "custom" UNi Xonar 1796 v1.53 in pictures:


Lowest selectable latency with Official Asus Xonar 7.12.8.1794 drivers (which use official ASIO 2.0.0.07 drivers)

Highest selectable latency with Official Asus Xonar 7.12.8.1794 drivers (which use official ASIO 2.0.0.07 drivers)

Lowest selectable latency with "custom" UNi Xonar 1796 v1.53 (which use "ASIO 2.0.0.10" drivers)

It's possible to install the official Auzentech: X-Meridian 7.1 2G drivers if you have an Asus Xonar sound card.

http://www.auzensupport.com/site/download/updates.php#xmeridian2g

The official Auzentech: X-Meridian 7.1 2G are WHQL certified & certified for Windows 7.

I have tried them with my Asus: Xonar Essence ST Deluxe.

However, I still prefer the official Asus: Xonar 7.12.8.1794 drivers, mostly because of the inclusion of the Xonar: Audio Center.

It has a "Hi-Fi" mode, which automatically turns off all DSPs, EQs, and effects.

I want the purest sound I can possibly get.

So, I usually use Hi-Fi mode.

I also use ASIO in software that supports it, such as Foobar 2000 & JRiver: Media Center 17.

The ASIO drivers included in the Asus: Xonar driver package are outstanding.

Some people falsely claim that using ASIO doesn't improve sound quality.

ASIO is a bit-perfect technology.

ASIO bypasses layers of intermediary Windows operating system software so that an application connects directly to the sound card hardware.

Those who claim they "can't tell the difference" are probably using inadequate sound equipment.

It wouldn't surprise me if they were using on-board audio and the headphones that came free with their iPod to listen to 128 kBps MP3s.

I have high quality music in the form of CDs, DVD-Audio, Blu-Ray, and FLAC.

I even have Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album on Blu-Ray in 24 bits, 96 kHz.

I album you see me listening to in the screenshots is Nine Inch Nails: The Slip in 24 bits, 96 kHz, which I got directly from the band's website.

My headphones are designed for a professional recording engineer.

I also have what I consider to be the best sound card on the market.

To me, ASIO sounds better than KMixer or "DirectSound"

The official Asus: Xonar drivers are designed to work with sound cards like the Essence ST, which have a high quality built-in headphone amplifier that can drive any headphone on the market.

You can select the gain based on the impedance of your headphones, which is measured in ohms (&#937.

Normal Gain (0dB for <64 &#937
High Gain (+12dB for 64 - 300 &#937
Extra High Gain (+18dB for 300-600 &#937

I have Sennheiser headphones that are 300 &#937;

http://en-de.sennheiser.com/hd-650

So I use the extra high gain setting.

 

[Eman D. Rahym]

Thanks for all the info! I've actually got the Xonar 7.12.8.1794 drivers on my Windows 8 RC machine. They sound fine. However, I cannot get the dratted Xonar Audio Center to open. That of course means I can't get access to all the nifty features on my Xonar Essence ST that you've pointed out above, most importantly the ability to switch over to the headphone amp. They worked fine in Windows 7. I'm curious, have you switched off driver signing on your Windows 8 machine?

Then again, I can't even figure out how to post a screenshot of my desktop on this forum. Each time I use the "Insert Image" button and paste in the URL nothing seems to happen.

Anyhow, here's my PC running DPC Latency checker. This is indeed much higher than the values I see when I run DPC Latency checker on the Windows 7 partition of the same machine, about ten times higher in fact. However, it still sounds fine to me, just as it did on Windows 7. Your Windows 7 screen shot shows DPC Latency as being comparable to my Windows 7. Your Windows 8 screen shot does look alarming! Again though, can you actually hear interference from this?

http://imgur.com/aur1S

 

[Audio-Purity]

How to take a screenshot:

Press PrtScn (print screen) on the keyboard.

Open up MSPaint.exe (Microsoft Paint)

Hold down the left control key & press V.

Click on the icon that looks like a blue floppy disk.

Save the image.

Post the image to an image hosting website, such as http://imgur.com (it helps if you have a free imgur.com account because you can manage your uploaded pictures)

Use brackets and type IMG inside the brackets. (Place this right before the URL)

Post the link right after the brackets.

Use brackets & type \IMG inside in brackets. (Place this right at the very end of the url)

It should look like this if done correctly

When I say URL, I mean the direct link to the image.

An example of a URL is http://i.imgur.com/qJ9HN.jpg

Put

in the text of the body of the message and the screenshot will be posted when you submit your post.

Let me know if this works for you.

 

[Eman D. Rahym]

Ah! Got it to work! The problem was a malformed link. It needs to have a .jpg at the end of it before it will work.

Anyhow, I'm still dying to know how you got the Xonar control panel to work!

 

[Audio-Purity]

Download the official Asus: Xonar Essence ST driver for Windows 7 (64 bit)
Version: 7.12.8.1794 from the official website of Asus.

Here is the link: http://dlcdnet.asus.com/pub/ASUS/Audio_Card/Xonar_Essence_ST/PCI_ST_7_12_8_1794_W7.rar

Extract the .rar file using good software, such as WinRar

Go inside the "WIN7" folder that's located in the "PCI-ST-110512-7.12.8.1794(W7-FR)" folder.

PCI-ST-110512-7.12.8.1794(W7-FR)\WIN7

Right click on the Setup.exe and choose "Run as Administrator"

If it won't install, right click on Setup.exe and select "properties"

Click on the "compatibility" tab & set things up exactly as you see in this screenshot:

Make sure you check the compatibility box and select "run this program in compatibility mode for Windows 7"

Make sure you check the "privilege level" box and select "run this program as an administrator"

Click "apply"

Click "ok"

Run the Setup.exe file (as an administrator)

Restart the computer after the installation completely finishes & prompts you to restart.

Let me know if this works.

 

[Tawnos]

Audio-Purity - you do know that you don't need to put every sentence on a separate line, with separation, right? We can read paragraphs... As for screenshots: on win8, hold the windows key and hit printscreen. The screen will be saved in Libraries > Pictures > Screenshots

 

[Eman D. Rahym]

Gee, Audio-Purity, thanks for all your time and trouble with this! It's much appreciated! I'm so used to being the IT department for my friends and family that it makes me feel guilty to have someone else do it for me!

Sadly, no, none of those steps you outlined work. That's why I was so intrigued to see that control panel open on your desktop right above the Windows 8 Release Preview watermark. To rub it in, you even have your headphone amp switched on!

I'd come to the conclusion that the issue was the console was not "signed" by ASUS for Windows 8 and so the 64 bit version simply refuses to run it. It's odd though how it installs partly at least. In my Device Manager I show the ASUS Xonar ST Audio Device , the General Properties Tab tells me the device is working properly, indeed, it plays music just fine, and in the control panel there is an entry for Xonar Essence ST Audio Center, just like back in the Windows 7 days. ASUSAudioCenter itself is tucked away where it belongs in the ASUS folder in Program Files. The darned thing just won't run.

Anyhow, please don't spend a lot of time brain storming this. I was just hoping you had some quick tweak that I hadn't thought of before. Thanks again for your time and effort!

 

[Audio-Purity]

On the internet, there are a lot of people whose reading comprehension isn't very high.

Putting every sentence on a separate line makes things much easier to read & increases the chance that what I say will be fully understood.

I won't have to repeat myself as much.

It also makes things easier to scan for people who speed read.

Read all the posts in this thread.

You'll see that I've already had to repeat myself because people either didn't read what I said carefully or didn't understand what they read.

Trying to squeeze everything I have to say into one paragraph will only make matters worse.

The screenshot instructions I gave work on most Windows operating systems, not just Windows 8.

I already deleted Windows 8 off my SSD & put Windows 7: Service Pack 1 in its place.

So the Windows 8 keyboard shortcuts aren't fresh in my mind.

What is fresh in my mind is the definition of lagware: "a program or software that generally has no efficiency advantage. Being just for looks, all it really does is slow down your computer."

If any software or OS even remotely resembles lagware, I won't be using it.

 

[BigJayDogg3]

On the internet, there are a lot of people whose reading comprehension isn't very high.

Putting every sentence on a separate line makes things much easier to read & increases the chance that what I say will be fully understood.

I won't have to repeat myself as much.

You sure? Because I didn't read past this point. Putting every statement on a separate line makes your posts far more difficult to read, if for no other reason than the fact I have to continually scroll to get the message on the screen.

 

[Audio-Purity]

I'm not going to tell anyone how they should post or whether or not they should use textbook English grammar or perfect spelling.

I'm not going to tell anyone to stop using signatures that waste a lot of space and become very tiring, especially after someone's seen the same signature hundreds of times.

I'm not going to tell people to stop quoting others, especially when the quoted reference is located directly above the reply the person is making to the post.

So, please don't tell me how to post or how to write.

This post is about DPC latency problems in Windows 8.

It is not about English composition, English grammar, or proper spelling & punctuation.

Even if someone couldn't read English or speak it, they could still tell something is wrong with Windows 8 just by looking at the screenshots that compare its DPC latency with the DPC latency in Windows 7.

They could also tell something is wrong with Windows 8 if they experience stutter, crackles, pops, underruns, or drop-out problems while listening to music or watching a movie on their computer.

If Windows 8 is lagware, don't blame me, I didn't design it.

Don't shoot the messenger.

The more people who become aware of the problem, the more likely it is to be fixed.

Judge a post by the quality of its content, not on how many paragraphs are used to convey the message.

Now let's get back on topic.

 

[Audio-Purity]

Anyone having trouble using or installing drivers that aren't signed for Windows 8 should enable test mode.

Try installing the Official Asus: Xonar Windows 7 (64 bit) driver with test mode enabled.

Find cmd.exe in the C:\Windows\System32 folder.

Right click on cmd.exe

Choose "run as administrator"

To enable driver test-signing, use the following BCDEdit command: Bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING ON

After you change the TESTSIGNING boot configuration option, restart the computer for the change to take effect.

You can confirm if it worked if you see "test mode" right above the date & time in the taskbar on the desktop.

To disable test-signing, use the following BCDEdit command: Bcdedit.exe -set TESTSIGNING OFF

If the driver & related programs will only install & work properly with test mode enabled, then you will need to leave test mode enabled until there are official Asus: Xonar Windows 8 drivers.

 

[Skripka]

Thanks for scoping this out. And please do test an onboard Realtek DAC for comparison (stating what board and realtek chip set of) if you can. Xonars have been known to have high latency even on the best of days since the day they were released which was the unofficial "unified" drivers came to be cooked up in the first place.

 

[heatlesssun]

Wow, I appreciate your enthusiasm but you're spamming your own thread at this point.

 

[Audio-Purity]

Helping people install drivers on their Windows 8 systems that they would never otherwise be able to install is "spamming?"

Let me check the definition & see if you're correct.

Spamming: "use of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately."

Looks like you're wrong.

Please consult the dictionary before you use words you don't know the meaning of or make wild & unfounded accusation against people who are only trying to help.

 

[Unknown-One]

Until I can get the following questions answered about the custom "UNi Xonar" drivers to my satisfaction, I'm going to use the official Asus Xonar drivers.

Whatever floats your boat, but I've had nothing but trouble with the official Asus drivers... the UNi Xonar drivers at least made my card usable (I was tempted to return it and go back to my Audigy 2 at first...)

Is the driver WHQL certified?

The original base drivers in their original configuration from Asus and/or C-Media are WHQL Certified.

I don't believe the WHQL certification is still fully valid when files have been mixed and matched, though.

Is the driver certified for Windows 7?

The original drivers were certified for Windows 7 and have a valid signature.

Most files contained within the driver are not, and CANNOT be modified, because doing so would break this signature and prevent the driver from installing on 64bit Windows 7 without entering "Test Mode"

Do any actual sound cards officially use the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

Yes. The Uni Xonar drivers are based directly upon the official Asus Xonar drivers and the official C-Media audio drivers that Asus uses as a base for their audio drivers.

Do any actual sound cards ship with the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

Yes, all "Oxygen HD" based sound cards (such as the Xonar) use drivers that Uni-Xonar uses as its basis.

Do any actual sound cards use ASIO 2.0.0.10 officially?

Yes, C-Media includes ASIO 2.0.0.10 in their audio drivers. The official Xonar drivers from Asus are modified C-Media audio drivers. It's unclear why Asus has not yet updated to the most recent version of ASIO in their modified driver.

If you're worried about file authenticity, the ASIO portion of the Uni Xonar driver was pulled directly from C-Media's generic Oxygen HD driver/

Where is the changelog for ASIO 2.0.0.10?

I cannot locate a changelog for ANY version of ASIO.

Where is the changelog for the driver upon which the "UNi Xonar" driver is based?

If changelogs are kept for the base-drivers used to build UNi-Xonar, they would be located on C-Media and Asus's websites.

How are the drivers and files obtained?

The files are extracted from C-Media and Asus driver packages.

Exactly what makes the "custom driver" different from the one provided by Asus?

This was on the site that I linked you to, along with the download link. I'll quote it here though.

1. Unified driver
- - A single driver installer that works with all Xonar sound cards.


2. 5.1 "stereo-upmix" issue resolved
- - Asus upmixes ALL audio to 5.1 by default (unless you use ASIO, which bypasses a lot of the effects Asus applies). If you have surround sound hooked up and you play stereo audio, it comes out of all of your speakers rather than just front L/R, weather you want it to or not. This also messes with Dolby Headphone functionality, since it will attempt to specialize the upmixed sound rather than simply playing it as stereo audio.

- - This is one of the biggest reasons I use the UNi-Xonar driver. I can turn off stereo-upmix so that I can hear my stereo audio as it was originally intended without using an ASIO player.


3. Updated OpenAL from 2.0.4 to 2.1.0.
- - Asus original audio drivers have OpenAL 2.0.4 integrated. C-Media's original audio drivers have OpenAL 2.1.0 integrated. He's simply swapped-in the newer version.


4. Side/rear channel delay has been removed.
- - My default, Asus artificially delays audio being sent to side/rear speaker channels. This can cause you to hear weird echo effects. The UNi-Xonar drivers fix this.


5. *Only for "Low-DPC-Latency" version* Xonar Audio Center will be started at user discretion.
- - Doesn't automatically start the Xonar Audio Center (all your settings and effects stay enabled, it just doesn't start the audio center)

- - This alone can reduce DPC latency from 200 microseconds (this depends on what effects you have enabled) to 80 microseconds.

- - The "Low-DPC-Latency" version of the UNi-Xonar driver also fully removes "GX Mode," which is a DirectSound emulation layer that allows the Xonar to emulate Creative EAX modes.


7. *Only for "C-Media Panel" version* Drastically reduced DPC latency.
- - A much lighter audio center (from the C-Media drivers rather than the Asus drivers) which gives access to almost all of the same features.

- - Reduces memory usage by roughly 30 mb.

- - Uses the original (rather than Asus-modified) Dolby effects versions from the C-Media driver. This may subjectively sound better and can fix some weird distortion issues when using Dolby effects.

- - GX Mode works in this version, but there's no button for it in the C-Media panel. The UNi-Xonar drivers include a shortcut in the start menu to toggle GX Mode on or off.

8. Driver signature remains intact.
- - The original driver signatures from Asus and C-Media remain intact, allowing the drivers to be installed on Windows 7 64bit without complaint.

Newer dates on the files don't mean anything because anyone can modify the dates and files.

Was this a question? The newer dates are from the files pulled from the original C-Media drivers. C-Media updates their drivers fairly often, Asus only pulls updated files from C-Media when they feel like it.

Why does the ASIO 2.0.0.07 driver seem better than the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver?

I can't answer that because "better" is subjective. In what way is the older version better than the newer version?

Is there any proof that the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver is an official release?

It's in the C-Media driver for generic Oxygen HD based sound cards. Seems official.

The official ASIO 2.0.0.07 driver has latency settings from 1ms to 80ms.

Why does the "ASIO 2.0.0.10" driver only have latency settings from 10ms to 80ms?

Seems to be a bug in the selection dialog box. I can still select 1ms with ASIO 2.0.0.10 in individual programs with ASIO support (Audacity, Open Mod Plug Tracker, etc.)

What are the supposed "problems" with the official Asus Xonar version: 7.12.8.1794 drivers?

I'm not sure if a complete list exists, but I can tell you what I've experienced personally.

1. Front-right channel fade bug.
- - Bug occurs once every couple weeks. The front-right channel on the Xonar becomes VERY quiet compared to the front-left channel. The Xonar must be disabled and then re-enabled from the device manager to solve this problem (this problem has not occurred once since installing the UNi Xonar drivers)

2. Stereo upmix issue.
- - This one is so annoying that I almost consider it a bug. Asus upmixes all audio to 5.1, even stereo audio, and gives you no option to disable this behavior. As a result, it's impossible to properly listen to stereo sound through a surround-sound speaker system, and dolby-headphone / Dolby Virtual Speaker ends up spacializing audio that it should just pass through as original stereo.

3. The Asus driver generates fairly high DPC latency (and the more effects you enable, the worse it gets). The UNi-Xonar drivers brought my DPC latency back down to sane levels... still not as good as my Audigy 2 with Creative's official drivers, but far better than the original Asus drivers.

4. Fixes the weird "echo" you hear on 5.1 speaker systems due to Asus forcing a delay on side/rear speakers.

What are the supposed "problems" with the official ASIO 2.0.0.07 drivers provided by Asus?

I don't believe he ever claimed to have a problem with v2.0.0.07, he simply keeps the ASIO version up to date with the files included in the C-Media drivers.

Exactly what proof do you have that the official Asus drivers have "high" DPC latency issues?

Please delineate all the "problems" in as much detail as possible so I can independently verify them.

The official Asus drivers cause my DPC latency to hover just under 500 microseconds.

This is HORRIFIC compared to other sound cards and drivers. My Audigy 2 using Creative's official drivers caused DPC latency to hover at only 5-10 microseconds.

Like I mentioned above, the UNi-Xonar drivers are based heavily on the original C-Media drivers rather than the modified Asus C-Media drivers. DPC latency is greatly reduced on my system (still not as good as the Creative card, but much better).

If there are indeed problems with the Asus drivers, Asus should be made aware of them so they can fix them as soon as possible.

These issues have been known for ages, Asus appears totally unresponsive in helping its users resolve them.

 

[heatlesssun]

Helping people install drivers on their Windows 8 systems that they would never otherwise be able to install is "spamming?"

I Windows 8 installed on three tablets, three convertibles, a laptop, a netbook and dual screen desktop and no one gives a flying fuck about Windows 8 round here. They may like your thread because of it's negative implications but I've played everything from Netflix to Amazon Prime to Zune to BDs to DVDs and everything in between and haven't seen any issues with media playback. So yeah, spam.

I'm sure you'll see a ton of people hop on this thread with no clue now.

 

[Audio-Purity]

Did you see my screenshot of Windows 7: SP1 in the very first post on this thread?

I'm using the latest official Asus drivers for Windows 7 (64 bit)

My current DPC latency is 127 &#956;s (microseconds) and my absolute maximum DPC latency is 274 &#956;s.

How do you explain that?

 

[heatlesssun]

How do you explain that?

I can't explain it but I can tell you that in has made ZERO difference in my testing. Show a difference in real world use and then you a better base.

 

[Audio-Purity]

The question was meant for Unknown-One, not you.

Unknown-One claims that the official Asus: Xonar drivers cause high DPC latency.