Resident Evil Requiem (RE9): Fix Audio Bugs and Issues

To fix the “micro-stutter” audio in Resident Evil Requiem, you need to resolve conflicts between the NVIDIA driver and Windows 11. These sound drops are usually caused by Multiplane Overlay (MPO) and unused audio device polling, rather than high GPU load.

The most effective solution is to disable MPO via the Windows Registry and streamline your audio endpoints by disabling any playback devices you aren’t currently using. Additionally, prevent Windows from powering down your Thunderbolt Controller in Device Manager to ensure a consistent, high-bandwidth data flow for your HDMI audio.

Table of Contents

HDMI Audio Fix

Primary Fix: Disable MPO by adding OverlayTestMode to your registry to stop display composition conflicts.
Audio Cleanup: Disable all virtual and unused audio devices in your sound settings; leave only your HDMI Output active.
Power Settings: Uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device” for your Thunderbolt/USB-C Controller in Device Manager.
Verification: Use LatencyMon to ensure dxgkrnl.sys execution times have stabilized into the “green” zone.

Resident Evil Requiem: The Definitive HDMI Audio & MPO Stutter Fix Guide

Below is a verified fix-list based on successful system LatencyMon testing on high-end hardware (Ryzen 7 9800X3D / NVIDIA RTX Series).

⚡ Quick Fix Checklist (The TL;DR)

If you want to get back to the game immediately, perform these three actions in order:

Disable MPO (Multiplane Overlay) via the Windows Registry.
Disable all unused audio playback/recording devices in Sound Settings.
Uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device” for your Thunderbolt Controller in Device Manager.

🔍 The Root Cause: It’s Not Your GPU Load

Contrary to popular belief, this issue is rarely caused by “maxing out” your graphics card or CPU affinity. Technical analysis via LatencyMon shows that the culprits are usually nvlddmkm.sys and dxgkrnl.sys.

This indicates a conflict in how Windows 11 handles Multiplane Overlay (MPO) and display composition while simultaneously pushing high-bandwidth audio through HDMI.

🛠 Step-by-Step Optimization Guide

1. Disable Multiplane Overlay (MPO)

MPO is a Windows feature intended to reduce GPU/CPU load for windowed applications, but it is notorious for causing stuttering and audio desync on NVIDIA cards.

How to do it:

Open Notepad and paste the following: registry Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Dwm] "OverlayTestMode"=dword:00000005
Save the file as mpo_disable.reg.
Double-click the file to run it, and reboot your PC.

[!TIP]

To Undo: If you need to restore MPO later, create a .reg file with "OverlayTestMode"=- under the same registry path and reboot.

2. Streamline Audio Endpoints

Windows often “polls” inactive audio devices, which can cause micro-interruptions in the active HDMI stream.

Go to Settings > System > Sound > More sound settings.
Disable every device you aren’t using (e.g., Virtual Audio cables, Monitor speakers, unused Headset jacks).
Leave only your primary HDMI Output active.

3. Power Management Tweaks

High-performance games like RE Requiem can trigger aggressive power-saving states on system controllers, interrupting the data flow.

Thunderbolt/USB-C: In Device Manager, find your Thunderbolt Controller. Right-click > Properties > Power Management. Uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
LAN Controllers: If you are using Wi-Fi, disable your Ethernet (LAN) controller in Device Manager to reduce interrupt requests (IRQs).

📊 Verification: Testing the Fix

To confirm the fix is working outside of the game, download LatencyMon.

Before Fix: You will likely see red bars and high execution times for dxgkrnl.sys.
After Fix: You should see a green message stating: “Your system appears to be suitable for handling real-time audio.”

Feature	Impact on Fix	Recommendation
MPO Disable	Critical	Do this first.
Device Cleanup	High	Eliminates polling conflicts.
GPU Overclock	Low	Usually not the cause; can stay on.
In-game Reverb	None	Does not fix HDMI path issues.

Conclusion

While Capcom may eventually release a patch for Resident Evil Requiem’s engine-level audio handling, these system-level adjustments solve the conflict between the NVIDIA driver and the Windows 11 desktop window manager.

Last Updated on March 13, 2026

Anay

An avid listener of music from a number of countries. Writing is his hobby and passion. A follower of all the latest android and PC games. Not to mention his favorite: Mobile Legends!