How to Change IRQ Priority

You can change IRQ priority to improve device performance.

An Interrupt Request Line, or IRQ, is a hardware line over which a device can send interrupt signals to the microprocessor. Almost all components that are attached to your PC's motherboard have IRQs assigned to them. These include PCI slots, keyboard ports, mouse ports and processor slots. Interrupt request lines allow these components to function properly. You can change the priority of IRQs to improve the performance of targeted devices. This involves making changes to the registry, so follow the instructions to the letter.

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Instructions

- 1
  
  Go to "Start," type "msinfo32" in the run box and press "Enter." This starts the "System Information" utility. You can see what devices IRQs are assigned to.
- 2
  
  Go to "System Summary\Hardware Resources\IRQs" to see a list of all IRQs currently in use in your system and the devices that use them.
- 3
  
  Open the Registry Editor by typing "regedit" in the run box. The registry is a vital part of your operating system. Follow the instructions to the letter to prevent irreversible data loss.
- 4
  
  Navigate to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\PriorityControl" in the Registry Editor.
- 5
  
  Right click anywhere in the blank area in the right pane, click "New" and choose "DWORD Value."
- 6
  
  Name your new value "IRQ#Priority," where "#" is the IRQ of the device. For example, "IRQ13Priority" changes the priority of the numeric processor.
- 7
  
  Double click the new value and enter a number to set its priority. For example, enter "1" for top priority and "2" for second priority.
- 8
  
  Close the Registry Editor and restart the computer. Your new IRQ priorities will take effect after the reboot.