Performance Issue ARC Raiders

Arc Raiders Stuttering on ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701 - Performance Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 0 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

The primary fix is to perform a clean installation of the latest NVIDIA Studio Driver and disable the laptop's integrated Intel GPU to force dedicated GPU usage.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

This error is defined as persistent, low-frequency stuttering and frame-time inconsistency in Arc Raiders on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S17 GX701 laptop, regardless of in-game graphical settings. The problem manifests exclusively on the Windows platform, specifically on high-performance gaming laptops with hybrid graphics architectures (NVIDIA Optimus). The error occurs across all public game versions of Arc Raiders. This is a common issue for this specific hardware configuration. The severity is game-breaking, as the stuttering renders the game unplayable. No explicit error codes are generated; the failure is purely performance-based. The extended driver installation time (20-25 minutes) reported is a secondary symptom indicating potential underlying system or driver management conflicts.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application exhibits severe and consistent micro-stuttering immediately upon entering the game world. Frame times show high variance despite potentially acceptable average FPS. The stuttering persists when all in-game graphical settings are set to their minimum values. The system's dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU may fail to engage correctly, leading to the game rendering on the lower-power integrated Intel GPU. The driver installation process requires an abnormally long duration (20-25 minutes), indicating potential conflicts with existing driver components or system management software.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The game executable (ArcRaiders.exe) is configured by Windows to run on the integrated Intel GPU instead of the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. This occurs due to incorrect settings in the NVIDIA Control Panel or Windows Graphics Settings. Why this causes the problem: The integrated GPU lacks the processing power and VRAM required for stable gameplay, causing immediate and severe stuttering. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated, corrupted, or standard Game Ready NVIDIA drivers conflict with the laptop's OEM-specific VBIOS or ASUS Armoury Crate performance profiles. Why this causes the problem: The conflict prevents proper power delivery and clock management for the dedicated GPU, leading to inconsistent performance and extended driver installation times. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: The laptop's thermal management system is failing, causing thermal throttling of the CPU or GPU immediately under load. Why this causes the problem: Throttling reduces clock speeds dynamically, creating sudden drops in performance that manifest as stuttering. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: Windows power plan or ASUS performance profile is set to a power-saving mode (e.g., "Silent," "Windows Balanced"). Why this causes the problem: These modes restrict the CPU's boost clocks and the GPU's power limit, preventing the hardware from achieving the necessary performance state. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Background processes from ASUS utilities (Armoury Crate, GameFirst, Sonic Studio) or other system monitoring software (MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner) interfere with the game's rendering pipeline. Why this causes the problem: These processes can cause scheduling conflicts, interrupt GPU rendering tasks, or inject overlays that destabilize the DirectX 12 runtime. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: Arc Raiders' rendering engine contains a shader compilation stutter issue common to Unreal Engine 5 titles, exacerbated by the laptop's specific GPU and CPU combination. Why this causes the problem: The game compiles shaders in real-time during gameplay, causing hitches. This is worsened if the game is incorrectly using the CPU's integrated graphics for this task.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Force Dedicated GPU Usage and Configure Power

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: NVIDIA Control Panel installed Steps:

Right-click on the Windows desktop and select NVIDIA Control Panel.
Navigate to Manage 3D settings > Program Settings.
Click Add and browse to the Arc Raiders installation directory (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arc Raiders). Select ArcRaiders.exe.
Set Preferred graphics processor to High-performance NVIDIA processor.
In the same menu, set Power management mode to Prefer maximum performance.
Open Windows Settings > System > Display > Graphics. Find ArcRaiders.exe in the list, click Options, and select High performance.
Open Windows Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Select the High performance power plan.

Technical Explanation: This configuration overrides the default Optimus behavior, forcing the system to allocate all rendering tasks for Arc Raiders to the dedicated NVIDIA GPU and removing power-saving restrictions that cause clock speed fluctuations. Verification: Launch Arc Raiders and open the NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay (Alt+Z). The performance overlay should confirm the game is utilizing the NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. Stuttering should be significantly reduced or eliminated.

Solution 2: Clean Installation of NVIDIA Studio Driver

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 25 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Internet connection, administrator rights Steps:

Download the latest NVIDIA Studio Driver (not Game Ready Driver) from the NVIDIA website.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from www.guru3d.com.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. (Open msconfig.exe, under the Boot tab, check Safe boot > Minimal, restart).
Run DDU in Safe Mode. Select Clean and restart for NVIDIA graphics.
After the restart, install the downloaded NVIDIA Studio Driver. Select Custom (Advanced) installation and check Perform a clean installation.
Do not install GeForce Experience unless required.

Technical Explanation: Studio Drivers are often more stable for content creation workloads and may avoid conflicts with OEM tuning software. DDU removes all remnants of previous drivers, including registry entries and leftover files that cause corruption and extended install times. Verification: The driver installation should complete in under 10 minutes. Verify the driver version in NVIDIA Control Panel under System Information. Launch the game to test for stuttering.

Solution 3: Disable Integrated GPU via Device Manager

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator rights, external monitor recommended for recovery Steps:

Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager.
Expand Display adapters.
Right-click on the Intel(R) UHD Graphics device (exact name may vary).
Select Disable device. Confirm the warning.
Restart the laptop.

Technical Explanation: This physically disables the hybrid graphics (Optimus) feature at the system level, forcing all display output through the dedicated NVIDIA GPU. This eliminates the possibility of the game launching on the wrong GPU. Verification: The Device Manager will show the Intel GPU as disabled. The NVIDIA Control Panel will be the only available graphics control panel. Performance should be consistent. Note: Re-enable the device if you need to use battery-saving features.

Solution 4: Optimize BIOS and Thermal Settings

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Basic BIOS navigation knowledge Steps:

Restart the laptop and press F2 or Delete during boot to enter the BIOS/UEFI.
Locate settings related to iGPU or MSHybrid mode. Disable this setting if available (this may be labeled differently per BIOS version).
Ensure the dGPU mode is set to Enabled or Optimized.
Save changes and exit the BIOS.
Boot into Windows. Open Armoury Crate and set the system performance profile to Turbo or Performance for gaming sessions.
Ensure the laptop is on a hard, flat surface and consider using a cooling pad to mitigate thermal throttling.

Technical Explanation: Disabling hybrid graphics in BIOS provides a hardware-level enforcement of dedicated GPU usage. The Turbo performance profile maximizes fan speeds and power limits, preventing thermal and power-related throttling that causes stuttering. Verification: Monitor CPU and GPU temperatures and clock speeds using HWInfo64 during gameplay. CPU temperatures should remain below 95°C and GPU below 87°C, with clock speeds maintaining stable, high values.

Solution 5: Modify Game Configuration File

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Locate game configuration files Steps:

Navigate to the game's configuration directory. This is typically in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Arc Raiders\Saved\Config\WindowsClient\.
Open the GameUserSettings.ini file with a text editor like Notepad.
Locate the [ScalabilityGroups] section. If it does not exist, add it at the end of the file.
Add or modify the following lines:

` sg.ResolutionQuality=100 sg.ViewDistanceQuality=0 sg.AntiAliasingQuality=0 sg.ShadowQuality=0 sg.PostProcessQuality=0 sg.TextureQuality=0 sg.EffectsQuality=0 sg.FoliageQuality=0 sg.ShadingQuality=0 `

Add a new line: [SystemSettings].
Add the line: r.ShaderPipelineCache.Enabled=1.
Save the file. Right-click the file, select Properties, and check Read-only to prevent the game from overwriting it.

Technical Explanation: This forces the lowest possible in-engine settings beyond what the in-game menu offers and enables the shader pipeline cache, which can reduce runtime shader compilation stutters inherent to Unreal Engine 5. Verification: Launch the game. The in-game settings menu will show "Low" for all settings. Observe if the initial stuttering upon entering the world is reduced.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

To prevent recurrence, establish a quarterly schedule for clean-installing the latest NVIDIA Studio Driver using Display Driver Uninstaller. Permanently configure the High-Performance power plan and dedicated GPU preference for ArcRaiders.exe. Disable automatic driver updates via Windows Update using the "Show or hide updates" troubleshooter tool from Microsoft. Maintain the laptop's cooling system by cleaning dust from vents every six months. Before launching any new game, verify its GPU assignment in the NVIDIA Control Panel and Windows Graphics Settings. Monitor system thermals during initial gameplay sessions to identify early signs of throttling.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Embark Studios support if all solutions fail and stuttering persists exclusively in Arc Raiders while other demanding titles run correctly. Provide the full system specifications, the exact NVIDIA driver version installed, and the DXDiag report (dxdiag.exe > Save All Information). Include the game's log files located in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Arc Raiders\Saved\Logs. Official support channels are accessible through the Arc Raiders website or the game's official Discord server, listed under the "Support" section.