BIOS SETTINGS TO REDUCE INPUT LATENCY

Input latency reduction doesn't stop at the Windows level. Some of the biggest improvements are available only in the BIOS — the layer of software that runs below your operating system. The defaults are almost always optimized for compatibility rather than performance.

Why BIOS Affects Input Latency

BIOS settings affect USB interrupt handling, CPU frequency behavior, memory access timing, and power state transitions — all of which contribute to the total latency chain. Optimizing these can reduce total system latency by 15–40% compared to default settings.

Disable C-States for Consistent CPU Response

CPU C-States allow your processor to enter low-power sleep modes between tasks, adding microseconds of wake-up latency to each input event. Disable C-States (C6, C7, C8) in your BIOS under CPU power management settings.

PCIe Power Management

Find PCIe Power Management, ASPM, or L0s/L1 Link State in your BIOS. Set these to Disabled. These features allow PCIe devices including your GPU to enter reduced power states, adding latency to data transfers.

Resizable BAR

Enable Resizable BAR (Above 4G Decoding) to allow the CPU to directly access full GPU VRAM. This reduces CPU-to-GPU communication cycle overhead, affecting how quickly rendered frames reach your display.