If ARC Raiders stutters, hitches, or suffers sudden FPS drops on PC, start by clearing the GPU shader cache, updating Windows and your graphics driver, and checking the game’s performance overlay to identify whether the limit is the GPU, CPU game thread, or CPU rendering. Then verify the game files and reduce the settings that actually affect your bottleneck.
ARC Raiders requires 64-bit Windows 10 or later, DirectX 12, and at least 12 GB of RAM. Its minimum GPUs are the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, Radeon RX 580, and Intel Arc A380; the recommended target is a Core i5-9600K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, and an RTX 2070, RX 5700 XT, or Arc B570. Check the current Steam requirements before troubleshooting performance on hardware below those specifications.
1. Clear the shader cache first
Corrupted shader-cache files can cause launch crashes, visual artifacts, reduced performance, and recurring stutter. Clearing them makes ARC Raiders rebuild the shaders automatically. The first launch afterward may take longer, and shader pre-compilation can temporarily make the game appear busy.
NVIDIA: use the current NVIDIA App procedure
- Open NVIDIA App.
- Go to Graphics → Global Settings.
- Search for Shader Cache Size.
- Under Cache Size, select Off.
- Click Apply and reboot the PC.
- Press Win + R, enter
%USERPROFILE%AppDataLocal, and press Enter. - Open
NVIDIADXCacheand delete its contents. - Open
NVIDIAGLCacheand delete its contents. - Open
NVIDIA CorporationNV_Cacheand delete its contents. - Return to NVIDIA App → Graphics → Global Settings → Shader Cache Size, set it to Driver Default, click Apply, and restart again.
NVIDIA’s current support instructions identify Driver Default as 16 GB. Do not leave shader caching disabled permanently: disabling it is a temporary cleanup step, not the recommended final setting. See NVIDIA’s cache-cleanup instructions.
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NVIDIA: alternative DDU cleanup
If the normal cleanup does not help, NVIDIA documents a DDU option specifically for shader caches:
- Open DDU.
- In Select device type, choose GPU.
- In Select device, choose NVIDIA.
- Click Clean Shader Cache (Only).
- Choose Yes when prompted to exit.
- Restore NVIDIA App’s Shader Cache Size to Driver Default, click Apply, and restart.
AMD: reset the shader cache
- Right-click the desktop and open AMD Radeon Settings (Adrenalin Edition).
- Open Settings → Graphics.
- Select Reset Shader Cache and confirm.
- Restart Windows before launching ARC Raiders.
After either vendor’s cleanup, let shader pre-compilation finish. Do not switch windows or run other operations during compilation; interrupting that process can make the first run less reliable. Read the documented shader-compilation guidance.
2. Update the driver, Windows, and DirectX
ARC Raiders support lists outdated or incompatible graphics drivers, outdated DirectX, and outdated Windows as common causes of crashes and compatibility problems.
To identify your hardware, press Win + R, type dxdiag, press Enter, and open the Display tab. The support guidance names these driver tools:
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After updating, restart Windows even if the installer does not insist on it. If the problem began immediately after a driver update, a clean reinstall or a known-stable driver may be worth trying, but avoid changing several variables at once.
3. Check whether the spike is GPU-, CPU-, or shader-related
Enable In-Game Performance Overlay and choose Detailed. The Simple mode only shows FPS; Detailed mode shows frame-time metrics and identifies the limiting factor.
- CPU – Game: lowering graphics settings will not solve this particular limit. The game thread is the bottleneck.
- CPU – Render: lower settings that affect CPU rendering, especially view distance and other scene-complexity options.
- GPU: lower GPU-heavy settings and check whether the frame-time spikes occur during shader compilation, effects, reflections, or ray-traced lighting.
Use the overlay while reproducing the hitch rather than judging only by the average FPS counter. A high average can still hide severe frame-time spikes.
4. Reduce the settings most likely to cause GPU spikes
Change one setting at a time, restart or reload only when necessary, and use the detailed overlay to confirm whether frame times improve.
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- Shadows: a major GPU impact and a moderate CPU-render impact. Lower this first for GPU-limited spikes.
- View Distance: moderate GPU impact and minor CPU-render impact. Lower it when distant scene detail coincides with CPU-render or GPU pressure.
- Post-Processing, Effects, Reflections, Foliage, and Global Illumination Resolution: each has moderate GPU impact.
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Avoid repeatedly changing Overall Quality Level or Effects in-game. The settings reference warns that either change can trigger additional shader preloading, which may look like a new stutter problem.
5. Stabilize frame pacing instead of chasing the highest FPS
ARC Raiders provides VSync and Frame Rate Limit. VSync synchronizes and caps FPS to the monitor’s refresh rate, while Frame Rate Limit caps FPS at the selected value; its documented default is 60.
If FPS repeatedly swings between a high and low value, try a stable frame-rate limit that your PC can sustain. A consistent frame time usually feels better than an uncapped frame rate that frequently hits the GPU limit. Test VSync separately from the frame-rate cap so you can identify which option changes the behavior.
6. Treat frame generation as a separate troubleshooting variable
The available setting depends on the GPU and driver: it may be AMD FSR 3 Frame Generation or NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation. NVIDIA’s documented hardware limits are:
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Enabling frame generation automatically enables NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency and disables VSync. Therefore, changing frame generation can also change latency and synchronization behavior. Disable it temporarily while diagnosing raw rendering performance, then test it again after the base frame rate is stable.
NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency is listed as On by default. Its Boost mode can reduce latency in CPU-bound cases, but may slightly reduce FPS and increase GPU power draw. Use Boost only when latency is the priority and the resulting performance remains stable.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Clean up a failed previous launch
ARC Raiders support says crashes can persist after an abnormal exit if ARC Raiders processes remain active.
- Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
- End every remaining ARC Raiders process.
- Restart the PC.
- Launch the game again.
This is especially useful when the game crashed once and every subsequent launch behaves differently.
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8. Verify the installation and remove software conflicts
If the cache reset and updates do not resolve the stutter or crashes, use Steam’s Verify integrity of game files function. If corrupted or missing files are found, allow Steam to replace them.
Next, temporarily disable overlays and third-party software, including performance monitors, recording tools, and other in-game overlays. If the problem disappears, re-enable them one at a time to identify the conflict. ARC Raiders’ official troubleshooting fallback also lists reinstalling the game if file verification and software cleanup fail. See ARC Raiders’ official troubleshooting page.
What not to rely on as a first-line fix
Do not assume -dx11 is a supported solution
Steam lists ARC Raiders as a DirectX 12 game. Community posts frequently suggest a -dx11 launch option, but the current official sources do not document a supported DirectX 11 mode or a valid ARC Raiders -dx11 command. Treat that advice as unverified or outdated rather than an official fix.
Be cautious with community cache and ownership changes
Deleting files under %LOCALAPPDATA%PioneerGameSaved, changing folder ownership, setting NVIDIA’s cache to exactly 10 GB, or using very large values such as 100 GB are community-reported workarounds. They are not part of NVIDIA’s current documented cache-reset procedure or the ARC Raiders support instructions. Start with the supported cleanup steps above.
Quick Recap
A practical order of operations
- Confirm the PC meets ARC Raiders’ current requirements.
- Enable the Detailed In-Game Performance Overlay.
- Update Windows and the GPU driver.
- Clear and rebuild the shader cache, restoring NVIDIA Shader Cache Size to Driver Default afterward.
- Restart and allow shader pre-compilation to finish without switching windows.
- Identify whether the overlay reports GPU, CPU – Game, or CPU – Render.
- Lower the settings associated with that bottleneck, starting with Shadows for GPU spikes.
- Temporarily disable frame generation and overlays while testing.
- End leftover ARC Raiders processes, verify Steam files, and reinstall only if necessary.
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