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How to resolve mouse or window latency, desktop pixelation, or other performance related issues

← Troubleshooting: Windows
This article intends to help users improve performance with DisplayLink displays, especially if you are suffering from the following symptoms:
  • Your mouse cursor is slow to move across your attached display
  • Application windows are slow to move across your attached display
  • You observe pixelation on your attached display
  • Video playback is not smooth
Some modern PCs promote battery life over performance and to that end will attempt to clock down parts of the system to improve battery life. The knock on effect of this is that it will affect performance.

This article suggests how you can:
  • Improve performance in general
  • Improve performance by preventing the PC from clocking down parts of the system
  • Improve video playback performance

Improving performance in general

Check if you have the latest DisplayLink software installed


You can locate the latest version on this page

Check if you have the latest graphics driver installed on your PC


  • Click here for where to obtain the latest Intel graphics driver
  • Click here for where to obtain the latest AMD graphics driver
  • Click here for where to obtain the latest Nvidia graphics driver
Note that you may need to install the latest Intel graphics driver manually (not by using Setup.exe) if you see this message: "The driver being installed is not validated for this computer". To do this please follow these steps.

Check if you have the latest USB 3.0 host controller driver installed on your PC

  • If you have Windows 7 installed see this article for where to obtain the latest USB 3.0 host controller driver
  • If you have Windows 8 or above installed then the driver is supplied and controlled by Microsoft

Check if you have the latest USB hub firmware programmed on your product


Check with your product manufacturer to see if there is a usb hub firmware update available

Check if you have the latest BIOS version installed on your PC


Check with your PC manufacturer to see if there is a BIOS update available

Also check if USB 3.0 mode (if present) is enabled in your BIOS

Check if your product is connected to a USB 3.0 port on your PC


USB 3.0 enables greater bandwidth than USB 2.0. You can check that you are connected at USB 3.0 by opening device manager, and choosing the menu option View -> Devices by connection. Under the PCI bus you will find the USB 3.0 host controller driver for the computer, and you can open up the entries under this to find the DisplayLink dock, as shown in the example below:


Check if your notebook is mains powered


The notebook's performance will decrease when running off its battery

If you are using a wireless mouse or keyboard


Ensure you plug in the wireless receiver to a USB port away from the USB 3.0 port that your product is connected to or you may suffer from USB 3.0 interference. See this article for further details

Upgrade to Windows 8.1 if you have Windows 8 installed


Windows 8.1 includes performance improvements over it's predecessor

Improving performance when using productivity software

Change your power plan to High Performance


See this article for more information on power plans

Disable Intel Dynamic Platform and Thermal Framework

  • This is a BIOS option that can affect certain systems that have been upgraded to Windows 8.1
  • Disabling this can also improve the performance of notebooks that are being run with the lid closed

Set your Intel Graphics power plan to Maximum Performance

  • Navigate to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options
  • Select your current power plan and select "Change plan settings"
  • On the next page select "Change advanced power settings".
  • Scroll through the settings until you see "Intel(R) Graphics Settings",
  • Select "Intel(R) Graphics Power Plan" and change the power plan.
We recommend you change this for the "Plugged in:" option only.

Set your Processor power management minimum processor state to 50%


  • Navigate to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options
  • Select your current power plan and select "Change plan settings"
  • On the next page select "Change advanced power settings".
  • Scroll through the settings until you see "Processor power management",
  • Select "Minimum processor state" and change the setting to 50%.
We recommend you change this for the "Plugged in:" option only.

Check for the existence of utilities that clock down your notebook processor


There are some utilities that will slow down your CPU to save power, but impact the system performance.
  • On Lenovo systems there is a utility named TPFanControl. Disable this utility to prevent it slowing down the system
  • On Samsung systems the utility is named Samsung Settings (set to Silent Mode)

Improving performance when playing videos

Check you have the latest codecs installed

Codec packs such as K-Lite Codec Pack Standard are essential for playing MP4 files on Windows 7

Check your hardware decoder


In the K-Lite Codec pack you can choose from different decoder options. We recommend using the DXVA2 native decoder

Try alternative media players


For some content the Windows 8.1 Video app may be better than the Windows Media Player application

Troubleshooting: Windows

  1. My Device is not Working Properly on Windows 10 Anniversary or Creators Update
  2. How can I report Windows issues to DisplayLink?
  3. How can I report Windows installation issues to DisplayLink?
  4. No option to duplicate monitors on Windows 10 Anniversary and Creators Update
  5. My DisplayLink device does not work at all, or I get the message "USB device not recognized", when connecting on Windows.
  6. What are the minimum PC requirements for Windows DisplayLink software?
  7. Issues with USB 3 host controllers and DisplayLink
  8. How to fix your DisplayLink product from repeatedly disconnecting and reconnecting, or freezing
  9. How to resolve mouse or window latency, desktop pixelation, or other performance related issues
  10. How to resolve screen corruption, leftover artefacts or blank screens
  11. Overlapped I/O operation in progress message seen on installation
  12. Message: "The software package appears to have been modified." when trying to install
  13. Cannot upgrade or uninstall DisplayLink software
  14. Which Windows applications do DisplayLink displays support?
  15. PC hangs when booting with USB devices attached
  16. Cannot uninstall "DisplayLink Core Software" under "Add/Remove Programs"
  17. DisplayLink Compatibility with NVIDIA GeForce 6 Series or GeForce 7 Series GPUs
  18. Games do not work on Windows with DisplayLink software installed
  19. Error Message "The system cannot write to the specified device"
  20. DisplayLink driver compatibility with Intel Atom Tablets (Clover Trail)
  21. Message "Incompatible display driver" on install or device connection
  22. How to uninstall j5Create (MCT) software
  23. How to uninstall Fresco Logic USB graphics software
  24. How to uninstall SMSC USB Graphics software
  25. Problems configuring Wake On LAN on DisplayLink DL-3000 products
  26. Can I duplicate or mirror a screen to more than one display in Windows?
  27. Monitor mode or resolution not available when connecting with DisplayLink device
  28. Windows Display Properties "Identify" numbers are incorrect
  29. Windows Desktop background is not shown on some extended displays
  30. DisplayLink display is blank and only shows mouse cursor when using a basic graphics theme
  31. Problems installing DisplayLink software with the Kensington sd400v dock
  32. Error message 2738 or property.CORENOTINSTALLED or VB script disabled when trying to install DisplayLink Software
  33. Third Party Graphics Card Utilities and DisplayLink Driver
  34. My DisplayLink wireless video device does not work
  35. Error message: Windows requires a digitally signed driver
  36. Blank DisplayLink Monitors on Windows 7 with Nvidia Latest Drivers

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