---
title: "MSI mode for USB and NVMe controllers: what message signaled interrupts change"
description: "Devices tell the processor they need attention through interrupts. What the tweak changes, when it helps, when it hurts and how to undo it."
url: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/msi-mode-usb-nvme
author: Frost LIVE, Founder of Frozen Tweaks
published: 2026-10-08
updated: 2026-10-08
category: "GPU"
source: Frozen Tweaks (https://frozentweaks.com)
---

# MSI mode for USB and NVMe controllers: what message signaled interrupts change

**Short answer:** Devices tell the processor they need attention through interrupts. The older line-based kind can be shared between devices; message signaled interrupts (MSI) cannot, and are handled faster. This tweak switches MSI on for the USB and NVMe controllers that report they support it.

## In the app

- Switch: Force MSI for USB & NVMe (GPU, Pro, Advanced)
- Undo: Yes. Switching it off restores each controller's previous MSI setting, which the app saves before changing it.
- Game profiles that switch it on: Apex Legends, ARC Raiders, Battlefield 6 and 18 more
- Catalog row: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks#t-1030

## What it does

Devices tell the processor they need attention through interrupts. The older line-based kind can be shared between devices; message signaled interrupts (MSI) cannot, and are handled faster. This tweak switches MSI on for the USB and NVMe controllers that report they support it.

In the app the switch is called "Force MSI for USB & NVMe", described there as: Enables MSI on the USB and NVMe controllers that report support for it, to cut ISR/DPC latency (reboot).

## When it helps

- Systems where a USB or storage controller still runs on a shared line-based interrupt, which can show as high DPC latency.

## When it hurts

- Most modern controllers already use MSI, so there is often nothing to change.
- A controller that claims support but handles it badly can misbehave, which is why the app only touches devices that report support and saves their own setting first.

## What it writes

Read from the app's source. "Switching it off" is what the app writes when you turn the tweak off again.

This tweak has no fixed list of registry values: it works through a driver's own settings, scheduled tasks or values that differ from PC to PC. The app reads what your PC has and changes only that.

## How to undo it

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks.

## Verdict

Useful on the systems that need it and a no-op on the rest. It needs a restart.

## Questions

### Is "Force MSI for USB & NVMe" safe to switch on?

Useful on the systems that need it and a no-op on the rest. It needs a restart. The main cost: Most modern controllers already use MSI, so there is often nothing to change.

### How do I undo it?

Switch the tweak off in Frozen Tweaks. Switching it off restores each controller's previous MSI setting, which the app saves before changing it.

### Does it need a restart?

Yes, the change applies after a restart.

### Is "Force MSI for USB & NVMe" free in Frozen Tweaks?

It is part of Frozen Pro and Elite. You can also make the change by hand with the values on this page.

## Related guides

- [How to Reduce Input Lag on PC: The Whole Latency Chain](https://frozentweaks.com/guides/reduce-input-lag)

## More tweak explainers

- [TdrDelay](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/tdr-delay)
- [NVIDIA Low Latency Mode and power management](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/nvidia-low-latency-mode-and-power-management)
- [AMD Radeon Anti-Lag](https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/amd-radeon-anti-lag)

---
Written by Frost LIVE, founder of Frozen Tweaks. Canonical version: https://frozentweaks.com/tweaks/msi-mode-usb-nvme