New popping noises and static -- video driver was main issue

Thanks, Danny.

I've never wanted to build my own PC, but I'm starting to see why you might do it.

[mdyde]

Thanks, Mark, for the useful information, and glad to hear you've managed to resolve it.

Well, rats.

Not only is the NVIDIA Low Latency Mode Ultra setting not persistent, but reapplying it doesn't always work. The driver latency is back up high and the graphics settings aren't having any effect. Same process magically worked yesterday.

Hauptwerk is still okay, because the worst graphics interrupts are off on core 12.

Morning well spent! I found out how to enable the Intel UHD graphics adapter on Dell, ganked the NVIDIA, and DPC latency is good.

In Dell BIOS, enable Advanced > Power Options > Intel Multi-display.
Connect a second monitor to the built-in UHD port.
Install the Intel integrated graphics driver from Dell driver downloads.
(It won't install the driver without a monitor attached.)
Enable the adapter in Devicd Manager. May need View | Show hidden devices.
Duplicate displays 1|2 so you don't lose video.
Reboot . It took several tries before it would boot with just the Intel adapter attached.
Disable the NVIDIA driver in Device Manager.
Reboot with fingers crossed.
Uncross them to play organ.

[mdyde]

Uncross them to play organ.

Most excellent!

You might also consider uninstalling of the Nvidia drivers and use the generic windows VGA drivers. If you don’t need a fast gpu for games etc, then for Hauptwerk this is usable.
But then you have to turn off win update i think, otherwise win will install geforce drivers.

Thank you. Since I changed the monitor over to the Intel integrated UHD graphics adapter and disabled the NVIDIA driver, the DPC latency is good. After updates, I always have to go through settings and disable things again anyway, and I can't really prevent updates permanently.

Thank you. Since I changed the monitor over to the Intel integrated UHD graphics adapter and disabled the NVIDIA driver, the DPC latency is good. After updates, I always have to go through settings and disable things again anyway, and I can't really prevent updates permanently.

Have you tried the Nvidia studio drivers, rather than their "game ready" ones?

No, I didn't, although the driver that was automatically updated might have been studio since Dell considers this a business computer. Device Manager only lists version numbers, not whether it's studio and game ready. The version number isn't as shown by NVIDIA but something made up bg Dell or MS, and looking that up, it only refers to the version number at NVIDIA, which has both a studio and a game ready incarnation.

I couldn't get Windows to keep an NVIDIA driver I installed -- each reboot restored the one they supplied while off the internet.

Which video cards would you recommend for someone who needs 4 monitors for hauptwerk, and plays slow, strategy type games (divinity, civilization) without caring what they look like?

Also, is it possible or recommended to get a PC without built in sound, if that is a potential source of problems?

You might want to make a new post for this in Computer Hardware.