Interrupt moderation is a technique used in computer networking and device management to reduce the number of interrupts generated by a device, such as a network card, when processing incoming data. Instead of sending an interrupt for every single packet received, interrupt moderation allows the device to batch multiple packets and generate interrupts at a more controlled rate. This can help to reduce CPU overhead and improve overall system performance, especially in high-throughput environments.
Benefits:
- Reduced CPU Load: By minimizing the number of interrupts, interrupt moderation can help reduce the burden on the CPU, allowing it to perform other tasks more efficiently.
- Improved Throughput: With fewer interrupts being processed, systems can handle a higher volume of data traffic, which can be beneficial for applications that require high data rates.
- Better Power Management: Lower interrupt rates can lead to better power consumption characteristics, which is particularly beneficial in mobile or embedded devices.
Drawbacks for Gaming:
- Increased Latency: While interrupt moderation can enhance throughput and reduce CPU overhead, it may introduce additional latency. For real-time applications like gaming, increased latency can negatively impact responsiveness.
- Potential for Packet Loss: If packets are held for longer to batch them before an interrupt is generated, this could lead to situations where important data may be dropped if the system is overwhelmed.
Conclusion:
For gaming, low latency is crucial, so while interrupt moderation can bring benefits in terms of resource utilization, it may not always be ideal. Many gamers and gamers' systems prefer to minimize latency, often favoring configurations that may increase the number of interrupts for the sake of responsiveness.
Ultimately, whether interrupt moderation is good or bad for gaming can depend on the specific game, hardware, and the overall system configuration. If you're particularly concerned about latency in gaming, you might want to test your system with and without interrupt moderation to see which configuration gives you the best performance.