CakeAlexS
Paul Intel autoupdate should have sorted the chip set drivers.
Yes, but Windows also does a good job. That general idea is also reflected in the Intel driver utility's READ ME:
"Some Intel(R) chipset platforms already are supported by Windows 7* so it may not be necessary to use the INF files provided by this software to update Windows 7*." Either or, I ran it; it installed nothing. Now for an update...
So far, no resolution. I contacted nVidia and went through various uninstalls and tests. The tech support guy was very understanding and appreciated all of the troubleshooting, driver latency information, and tests up to this point. He seemed to think it could be a driver conflict causing the problems. However, he was unable to resolve the issue, so I have been escalated to a Level-2 support ticket. We'll see what happens.
Today, I also received an email reply back from Focusrite. A couple of days ago, I sent them an email asking about possible latency issues with their drivers and certain hardware. The tech's response is interesting:
"Sounds like you are quite savvy with the DPC Latency issues! [
] We do sometimes have customers with DPC Latency causing clicks and pops coming from a variety of sources. Nvidia or DirectX drivers can be a common one. ...unfortunately Nvidia cards themselves and their drivers are more prone to this DPC Latency issue than ATI Raedon cards. Some DAW Companies, such as Avid, do not recommend Nvidia for this reason." The last statement is interesting. Cakewalk should take note.