Performance Issue ARC Raiders

DLSS Override Stuttering on RTX 5080 - ARC Raiders Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 11 ⚡ Severity: 🟡 Medium

🎯 Quick Answer

Disable the "Recommended" DLSS override in NVIDIA Profile Inspector and perform a clean driver reinstall using Display Driver Uninstaller to resolve stuttering on RTX 5080 in ARC Raiders.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The DLSS Override instability is a performance degradation error specific to the NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU within ARC Raiders. This error manifests when the GPU driver's Deep Learning Super Sampling feature is forced to use a specific DLSS model file (designated M, L, K, etc.) that conflicts with the game's internal rendering pipeline or driver-level optimizations. The affected platform is Windows 10 and 11. The error occurs across all public game versions following the integration of updated DLSS libraries from NVIDIA. This is a common issue for RTX 5080 owners utilizing override tools. The severity is high, causing game-breaking stuttering and frame-time inconsistency that renders gameplay unplayable. No explicit error code is generated; the failure is purely performance-based.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application exhibits severe frame-time inconsistency during gameplay. Massive stutters and multi-second freezes occur at regular intervals, typically every few seconds. The graphical output halts while audio may continue. Performance monitoring software shows extreme spikes in frame time (e.g., from 16ms to 500ms+). The issue initiates immediately upon launching the game and persists throughout all gameplay scenarios. The instability ceases only when DLSS is disabled within the game's graphics settings or when DLSS overrides are removed from external configuration tools. The visual experience is characterized by a non-fluid, hitch-ridden image.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: An incompatible DLSS model file override is applied via NVIDIA Profile Inspector or NVIDIA Control Panel. The "Recommended" setting automatically selects a model file (M, L, K) that is not optimized for the RTX 5080's architecture within ARC Raiders. Why this causes the problem: The override forces the game to use a DLL not validated for this specific GPU/game combination, causing shader compilation stalls and memory management conflicts. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Corrupted or conflicting NVIDIA Display Driver components, specifically the NGXCore and DLSS runtime libraries. Why this causes the problem: A partial or faulty driver installation results in the DLSS pipeline failing to execute asynchronously, causing the render thread to wait on model inferences. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: ARC Raiders' internal graphics settings manager incorrectly handles the NVSDK_NGX_Parameter_DLSS_Feature_Create_Flags parameter when an external override is present on RTX 5080. Why this causes the problem: The game requests a feature level or memory allocation that the overridden DLSS model cannot fulfill, triggering a fallback and re-initialization loop. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Firmware or VBIOS on the RTX 5080 is not fully compatible with the latest DLSS 3.7+ framework. Why this causes the problem: The GPU's optical flow accelerator or tensor cores receive incorrect instruction sets from the overridden DLSS library, causing processing delays. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: G-Sync or Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology conflicts with the forced presentation interval of an overridden DLSS frame generation or upscaling output. Why this causes the problem: The override alters the render queue timing, which destabilizes the VRR handshake between the GPU and monitor, inducing stutters.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Remove DLSS Overrides in NVIDIA Profile Inspector

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: NVIDIA Profile Inspector installed, administrative privileges. Steps:

Download and extract the latest NVIDIA Profile Inspector from a trusted source.
Launch NVIDIA Profile Inspector with administrative rights.
In the top-left "Profiles" dropdown, search for and select "ARC Raiders". If no profile exists, select the global "Base Profile".
Scroll to section "5 - Common". Locate the setting "DLSS Dll Override". Set its value to "Application Controlled".
Locate the setting "DLSS Dll Override Version". Set its value to "Application Controlled".
Click the "Apply changes" button (the floppy disk icon) in the top-right corner.
Close NVIDIA Profile Inspector and restart the system.

Technical Explanation: This reverts DLSS library management to the game's executable, which loads the version bundled and tested with the game, eliminating the conflict caused by forcing an external model file. Verification: Launch ARC Raiders, enable DLSS in-game, and monitor frame times using a tool like CapFrameX or MSI Afterburner. Sustained frame time variance below 5ms indicates resolution.

Solution 2: Perform a Clean Driver Reinstallation with DDU

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 20 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Internet access for driver download, safe mode access. Steps:

Download the latest NVIDIA Game Ready Driver for the RTX 5080 from the official website.
Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from a trusted source like Guru3D.
Disconnect from the internet to prevent Windows Update from installing a driver automatically.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode.
Run DDU. In the "Select device type" dropdown, choose "GPU". In the "Select GPU" dropdown, choose "NVIDIA".
Click "Clean and restart". The system will reboot.
After reboot, install the previously downloaded NVIDIA driver. Choose "Custom (Advanced)" installation and check "Perform a clean installation".
Reconnect to the internet after installation completes.

Technical Explanation: DDU removes all remnants of previous driver installations, including registry entries and leftover DLLs that can cause NGX/DLSS component conflicts. A clean install establishes a stable software foundation. Verification: Open NVIDIA Control Panel, navigate to "Help" > "System Information", and confirm the driver version matches the freshly installed build. Check that no third-party utilities are applying overrides.

Solution 3: Disable G-Sync/VRR for ARC Raiders

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: G-Sync compatible monitor. Steps:

Open the NVIDIA Control Panel.
Navigate to "Display" > "Set up G-SYNC" in the left pane.
Select "Enable G-SYNC, G-SYNC Compatible" and ensure it is set for your primary monitor.
In the left pane, navigate to "3D Settings" > "Manage 3D settings".
Select the "Program Settings" tab. Click "Add" and browse to add ARC Raiders.exe.
In the program-specific settings list, find the setting "Monitor Technology" and set it to "Fixed Refresh".
Find "Vertical sync" and set it to "Use the 3D application setting".
Click "Apply". Launch ARC Raiders and enable DLSS.

Technical Explanation: This eliminates timing conflicts between the variable refresh rate protocol and the fixed output rate of a potentially misconfigured DLSS override, stabilizing the frame delivery pipeline. Verification: The in-game experience should be smooth. You can confirm VRR is disabled via the monitor's on-screen display, which will show a fixed refresh rate matching the game's frame cap.

Solution 4: Manually Update the DLSS DLL in ARC Raiders

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Knowledge of game directory structure. Steps:

Identify the current DLSS version used by ARC Raiders. Navigate to the game's installation folder (typically C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\ARC Raiders\ or the equivalent for other launchers).
Locate the DLSS DLL file, usually named nvngx_dlss.dll or nvngx_dlssg.dll within the game's main binary folder or a sub-folder like Binaries\Win64\.
Download a different version of the DLSS DLL from a reputable DLL database. Testing version 3.5.10 or 3.6.0 is recommended.
Rename the existing DLL to nvngx_dlss.dll.backup.
Place the newly downloaded DLL into the same directory.
Launch the game. Do not use any external override tools.

Technical Explanation: Replacing the game's integrated DLL with a different stable version can bypass a game-specific bug with the bundled library while avoiding the systemic instability caused by driver-level overrides. Verification: The game launches with DLSS enabled. Check the game's version number in the DLSS settings menu, if available, or use a tool like TechPowerUp's NVIDIA DLSS Swapper to verify the loaded version.

Solution 5: Adjust Shader Cache and Power Management Settings

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: NVIDIA Control Panel access. Steps:

Open NVIDIA Control Panel.
Navigate to "3D Settings" > "Manage 3D settings".
Select the "Global Settings" tab.
Find "Shader Cache Size" and set it to "10 GB".
Find "Power management mode" and set it to "Prefer maximum performance".
Find "Texture filtering - Quality" and set it to "High performance".
Click "Apply". Restart the system.

Technical Explanation: Increasing the shader cache prevents repeated on-demand compilation of DLSS shaders that may be triggered by an override, while maximum power mode ensures the GPU maintains stable clock speeds. Verification: Monitor GPU clock speeds during gameplay using GPU-Z; they should remain consistently high without significant down-throttling during the previously stuttering scenes.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a clean driver update protocol: use DDU every second major driver revision. Never apply "Recommended" DLSS overrides from third-party tools to newly released games or GPU architectures; wait for community validation. Regularly clear the DirectX Shader Cache located at C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Local\NVIDIA\DXCache. Establish a system restore point before modifying any deep GPU driver settings. Monitor the nvngx_dlss.log file (if generated by the driver) for loading errors after game updates. Adhere to a configuration principle of minimal override, allowing games to use their packaged libraries by default.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact NVIDIA support if all software solutions fail and the instability is isolated to the RTX 5080 across multiple games using DLSS. Provide the GPU's device ID and subsystem ID from GPU-Z, the exact driver version, and the VBIOS version. Include a detailed report from the Windows Reliability Monitor showing the application hang events. Official support channels are located on the NVIDIA corporate website under the "Support" section. Escalate to the graphics card manufacturer (e.g., ASUS, MSI) for a potential RMA only after NVIDIA support confirms a hardware fault.