Your Real Goal: Stable Frame Time, Not Just “High FPS”

A lot of players chase the biggest FPS number and still lose fights because the game feels inconsistent. In ARC Raiders, you want three things working together:

• High average FPS so camera movement and tracking are smooth
• Strong 1% lows so you don’t hitch when shots start flying
• Low system latency so what you do with your mouse/keyboard shows up immediately

If you have to choose, prioritize in this order for ranked-feeling PvP and clean extractions:

1% lows → latency → average FPS → visuals.

Why? Average FPS can be “fine” while micro-stutters still get you killed. ARC Raiders is an extraction shooter: stability beats flexing settings.

Know Your PC Tier (And What ARC Raiders Targets)

Before touching settings, set realistic expectations. ARC Raiders publishes performance targets by tier:

• Minimum is aimed at low settings, 1080p, 60 FPS
• Recommended is aimed at high settings, 1440p, 60 FPS
• Epic is aimed at epic settings with resolution scaling quality, 1440p, 90 FPS

These targets matter because they tell you what the devs consider “normal.” If you’re below the target for your tier, it’s usually a settings problem, a driver/overlay conflict, or a CPU/VRAM bottleneck—not “the game is unplayable.”

Do These First (They Fix More Than Any Graphics Slider)

These are the highest-impact stability moves—do them once, then your in-game tuning becomes way easier.

• Install ARC Raiders on an SSD (asset streaming hitches are much worse on HDDs)
• Update Windows (especially if you haven’t updated in months)
• Update GPU drivers (newer drivers often fix stutter and crashes after patches)
• Verify game files in your launcher if you started stuttering after an update
• Close background overlays and monitoring while you test (Discord overlay, recording overlays, hardware OSDs)
• Don’t run “tweak packs” while troubleshooting (change one thing at a time)

A huge amount of “my FPS is low even on Low settings” turns out to be a CPU bottleneck caused by background apps, overlays, or power/thermal limits.

Display Settings That Usually Give the Biggest “Feel” Upgrade

These options can make ARC Raiders feel instantly snappier, even if your FPS number barely changes.

• Set your refresh rate correctly in Windows and in-game (common mistake: monitor is 144Hz but Windows is set to 60Hz)
• Fullscreen vs Borderless:
• Fullscreen often gives slightly better FPS and lower latency
• Borderless is usually more stable for alt-tabbing and multi-monitor
• If you’re troubleshooting stutter, start with Fullscreen for consistent behavior.
• V-Sync:
• Off = lower latency, but you may see tearing
• On = more latency, smoother tear-free picture
• If you have G-Sync/FreeSync, you can usually keep V-Sync off in-game and let VRR handle smoothness (the exact best combo varies by setup, but the goal is always “lowest latency without tearing that distracts you”).
• Frame cap (optional but powerful):
• If your FPS swings hard (example: 160 → 90 → 140), cap it to a stable number you can hold most of the time. A stable 120 often feels better than a wildly bouncing “up to 170.”
• A common trick is capping a few FPS below your refresh rate (example: cap 141 on a 144Hz display) to reduce spikes and keep frame pacing smoother.

Upscaling and Anti-Aliasing: The Cleanest Way to Gain FPS

ARC Raiders supports modern upscaling choices (common options players compare include TSR/TAAU, DLSS, FSR, and XeSS). Upscaling is usually the best FPS-per-clarity trade you can make.

The practical rule:

• If you want competitive clarity + stability, use Quality or Balanced upscaling.
• Avoid ultra-aggressive modes unless you’re desperate for frames.

What to use (simple picks):

• NVIDIA GPU: DLSS Super Resolution on Quality/Balanced is often the easiest win.
• AMD GPU: FSR on Quality/Balanced is usually the best starting point.
• Intel Arc: XeSS can be a strong option depending on driver maturity.

Sharpness matters:

If your image feels soft after enabling upscaling, use in-game sharpening (small amounts). Too much sharpening makes foliage shimmer and can actually reduce target clarity in motion.

Frame Generation: When It Helps and When It Hurts

ARC Raiders has support for newer NVIDIA features (including DLSS with Multi Frame Generation for RTX 50–series class hardware) and low-latency tech like Reflex. Frame generation can massively raise the FPS counter, but it’s not “free.”

Use this decision rule:

• Enable frame generation if:
• you’re mostly PvE-focused,
• your base FPS is already decent (so latency stays manageable), and
• you care more about visual smoothness than maximum responsiveness.
• Avoid frame generation if:
• you’re sweating PvP fights,
• you’re already struggling with input delay, or
• your base FPS is low (frame gen can make motion smoother while still feeling “late” when you click).

Some players genuinely love frame gen in ARC Raiders; others hate the feel. The only correct answer is the one that keeps your aim consistent. If your shots feel “behind,” turn it off and focus on raising real FPS through upscaling and heavy-hitter settings (shadows/effects/GI).

Low Latency Settings: The Ones That Win Gunfights

Lower latency doesn’t just feel nice—it directly helps you win close-range fights.

• Turn off V-Sync if you can tolerate some tearing or have VRR
• Enable NVIDIA Reflex if it’s available in-game (Reflex is specifically promoted for ARC Raiders on NVIDIA platforms)
• AMD players: use a low-latency option like Anti-Lag (driver feature)
• Don’t stack too many “latency reducers” at once (example: in-game low-latency + driver low-latency + third-party limiter) unless you understand what each is doing. Stacking can sometimes increase stutter.

If you want a clean competitive baseline: V-Sync off + stable frame cap + Reflex (or AMD low-latency) + Quality/Balanced upscaling.

The “Big FPS” Graphics Settings (Lower These First)

When players say “I dropped everything to Low and still don’t gain FPS,” it usually means they lowered the wrong things. These are the settings that most often have the biggest impact in modern shooters:

• Shadows
• Shadows are expensive, and in fights you rarely notice the difference between Low and High.
• Global Illumination / Lighting quality
• Anything that makes lighting dynamic or higher resolution can cost a lot of GPU time.
• Effects
• Combat effects can spike GPU load exactly when you need stability.
• Post-processing
• Motion blur, depth of field, heavy bloom, film effects—most of this hurts clarity and FPS.
• Reflections
• Often expensive in motion and not important for competitive play.
• Foliage / Grass density
• Costs FPS and can reduce visibility. Lower foliage can be a competitive advantage.

A strong competitive baseline is:

Shadows Low, Effects Low/Medium, Post-Processing Low, Reflections Low, Foliage Low, GI Medium or lower (depending on options).

Then, if you have headroom, increase Textures first (textures often improve clarity without the same FPS cost—unless you run out of VRAM).

Textures and VRAM: The Hidden Stutter Trap

Textures are tricky because they’re not just “FPS.” They’re also VRAM stability.

• If you set textures too high for your GPU’s VRAM, you can get:
• sudden stutters when turning quickly,
• hitching when entering new areas,
• “random” freezes during fights.
• If you set textures too low, the game looks muddy and target identification gets harder.

Simple VRAM rule of thumb (safe starting points):

• 4–6 GB VRAM: Low/Medium textures
• 8 GB VRAM: Medium/High textures depending on resolution
• 12+ GB VRAM: High textures are usually safe at 1080p/1440p

If you’re stuttering while rotating your camera or sprinting into new zones, try dropping textures one step first. That often fixes “mystery stutter” better than lowering shadows.

Competitive Visibility: Make Enemies Easier to See

These settings don’t just boost FPS—they reduce “visual noise.”

Turn off or low:

• Motion Blur
• Depth of Field
• Film Grain
• Chromatic Aberration
• Excessive Bloom

These effects can make the game look cinematic, but they also make it harder to read movement in a fast gunfight.

Also consider:

• Brightness/Gamma so interiors aren’t crushed black
• A sensible FOV that gives awareness without shrinking targets too much (too high FOV can make enemies tiny at mid-range)

Ray Tracing and Lighting: What’s Worth It

ARC Raiders is promoted with NVIDIA RTX technologies including RTXGI (ray-traced global illumination). That’s great for visuals—especially atmospheric interiors—but it can cost performance depending on your GPU and settings.

Competitive rule:

• If you’re chasing stability and low latency, prioritize stable FPS over maximum lighting quality.
• If you’re on a high-end GPU and already stable, raising lighting can be the “last 10%” upgrade.

If your FPS dips happen most when looking at complex lighting scenes (industrial interiors, reflective surfaces, dynamic light areas), lighting/reflections are the first places to cut.

The “Cinematic” Graphics Setting: When to Use It

ARC Raiders added a new Cinematic graphics setting aimed at high-end PCs. This is essentially the “looks insane” option.

Use Cinematic only if:

• you’re GPU-rich,
• you’re not getting stutters,
• and you’re okay with a large performance hit for visuals.

If you’re playing competitive PvP or trying to maximize extraction success, Cinematic is usually the wrong direction. Better clarity and consistency beats prettier lighting when someone is trying to delete your backpack.

Stutter and Micro-Stutter Fixes That Actually Work

Stutter has different causes. Fixing the right one is everything.

Type 1: Constant low FPS

Feels like the game is always heavy.

• Lower big hitters (Shadows, Effects, GI, Reflections)
• Enable upscaling on Quality/Balanced
• Close background apps
• Check power/thermal limits (especially laptops)

Type 2: Micro-stutter (tiny hitches)

FPS counter might look fine but the game “ticks.”

• Try a frame cap (stops runaway spikes)
• Reduce textures if VRAM is near full
• Disable extra overlays and hardware OSD
• Make sure the game is on SSD

Type 3: Shader/asset compilation stutter (after patches)

This often appears after major updates. Some players fix it by clearing the game’s pipeline/shader cache so it rebuilds cleanly.

If you try cache clearing, do it carefully:

• Only remove the specific cache file(s) (don’t delete random folders)
• Expect the first match after clearing to rebuild shaders and possibly stutter briefly
• If you’re not comfortable, skip this step and use safer fixes first (drivers + verify files)

Audio Stutter or Sound Cutting Out

Some ARC Raiders players have reported sound cutting out after longer sessions, and a community workaround has been widely shared in PC coverage: adding a launch option that changes how the game handles a specific render thread behavior. This can fix audio for some people, but it may slightly impact performance depending on your system.

If your audio starts dying mid-session:

• Restart the game first
• Disable audio “enhancement” features in Windows if enabled
• Avoid Bluetooth audio if it’s unstable
• If the problem persists, consider the community workaround as a last resort and test in a low-stakes raid first

Laptop Settings: The Most Common “My FPS Is Random” Cause

Laptops can look powerful on paper and still perform badly because of power profiles.

If you play on a laptop:

• Set your laptop to a performance profile (not Silent/Quiet)
• Plug into power (battery mode often caps performance)
• Watch temperatures (thermal throttling causes stutter spikes)
• Make sure the game is using your dedicated GPU (not integrated graphics)

A laptop that quietly switches profiles mid-session can create the “first match is fine, second match is awful” problem.

NVIDIA Control Panel and Driver Tips (Stability Focus)

If you want driver-level stability improvements without weird tweaks:

• Set a background FPS limit so alt-tabbing or overlays don’t tank your session
• Use a frame limiter (driver or in-game, but don’t stack multiple limiters)
• Keep shader cache enabled (helps reduce shader compilation stutter in many games)
• Avoid forcing exotic AA modes in the driver—let the game handle AA and upscaling

A simple, safe approach is: let ARC Raiders handle visuals; let the driver handle only frame limiting and latency features if needed.

AMD Adrenalin Tips (Stability Focus)

For AMD, keep it simple:

• Use Quality/Balanced upscaling in-game
• Enable a low-latency feature if you need it
• Don’t stack extra sharpening everywhere (in-game + driver + monitor)
• Avoid aggressive “boost” features while troubleshooting stutter (stability first)

If your FPS is stable but input feels delayed, focus on lowering latency (V-Sync off, stable cap, low-latency feature).

Intel Arc Tips (Stability Focus)

Intel Arc performance can be excellent in modern DX12 games, but driver maturity matters.

• Keep drivers updated
• Start with XeSS Quality/Balanced if available
• Avoid ultra textures if VRAM is limited
• Use a stable frame cap if frame pacing is spiky

Network Stability Settings That Prevent “Fake Stutter”

Sometimes what feels like stutter is actually network problems: packet loss, jitter, or high ping.

ARC Raiders’ official connection troubleshooting recommends:

• Use wired Ethernet if possible
• Avoid VPNs/proxies unless absolutely necessary
• Set your matchmaking server to Automatic (or the correct region)
• Keep Windows updated
• Consider switching to a public DNS (Google or Cloudflare) if you have routing issues
• Use Windows networking tools and commands to renew IP and flush DNS
• Disable Windows peer-to-peer update sharing so it doesn’t eat bandwidth while you play

If your game “teleports” players or shots don’t register, fix the connection first before touching graphics settings.

Warning Icons: How to Tell If It’s Your PC or Your Internet

ARC Raiders players often see warning icons when something goes wrong. The key is recognizing the difference:

• Network warnings: packet loss, latency, jitter → you’ll feel rubber-banding, delayed actions, “ghost shots”
• Client performance warnings: your PC is struggling → you’ll feel FPS drops, stutter, delayed rendering

If you see warnings constantly:

• verify region settings,
• avoid Wi-Fi if possible,
• stop downloads/streams on your network,
• then tune graphics only after the network is stable.

A Simple Benchmark Routine (So You Don’t Chase Ghost Changes)

Don’t judge settings from one random moment in a raid. Test the same “route” each time:

1. Enter the same map/area type if possible
2. Sprint through one open zone and one indoor zone
3. Trigger a few effects-heavy moments (smoke, explosions, ARC fire)
4. Rotate camera quickly in a dense area
5. Watch for:

• hitching during rotation,
• FPS dips during effects,
• stutter when entering new zones.

Change one setting at a time, test again, and keep what improves feel, not just the FPS counter.

Recommended Settings Profiles (Copy, Then Adjust)

These are practical starting points. Exact menu names may differ slightly by patch, but the priorities don’t change.

Profile A: Competitive 1080p (most PCs)

• Fullscreen
• V-Sync Off
• Upscaling: Quality (or Balanced if needed)
• Shadows Low
• Effects Low/Medium
• Post-Processing Low
• Reflections Low
• Foliage Low
• Textures Medium/High (depending on VRAM)
• Motion Blur Off, DOF Off
• Reflex/Anti-Lag On
• Frame cap to a stable target (example: 120 or 144 if stable)

Profile B: Competitive 1440p (recommended-tier PCs)

• Fullscreen
• Upscaling: Quality/Balanced
• Shadows Low/Medium
• Effects Medium
• Post-Processing Low
• Reflections Low
• Foliage Low
• Textures High if 8GB+ VRAM (otherwise Medium)
• Reflex/Anti-Lag On
• Cap FPS for stability if it swings

Profile C: High-End 1440p (Epic-tier aiming for 90+ FPS)

• Upscaling Quality (or DLSS Quality)
• Textures High
• Shadows Medium (raise only if stable)
• Effects Medium/High (only if stable)
• Post-Processing Low (keep clarity)
• Reflections Medium (optional)
• Consider frame generation only if you still like the input feel

Profile D: Visual Showcase / Cinematic

• Cinematic preset
• Upscaling as needed for playability
• Expect big performance cost
• Not recommended for high-stakes PvP or loot runs

If You Still Have Issues: Quick Fix Decision Guide

If FPS is low even on Low

• You’re probably CPU-bound or power-limited
• Close background apps
• Check laptop power profile/temps
• Use upscaling (Quality/Balanced)
• Try a frame cap

If FPS is high but it stutters

• VRAM or shader cache issues are likely
• Lower textures one step
• Disable overlays/OSD
• Verify files
• Consider cache rebuild methods carefully

If it crashes after updates

• Update GPU drivers
• Verify files
• Remove third-party tweaks
• Avoid running heavy overlays while troubleshooting
• If the game added new graphics options (like Cinematic), don’t force max settings immediately

If it feels laggy but FPS is fine

• Check server region
• Use wired internet
• Avoid VPN
• Look for packet loss/jitter warning icons

BoostRoom: Get a Clean, Competitive Setup Without Guesswork

BoostRoom helps ARC Raiders players get performance that feels consistent in real raids:

• competitive graphics profiles tuned for visibility and low latency
• stability-first setups for smoother 1% lows and fewer micro-stutters
• settings guidance based on your hardware tier and target resolution
• practical raid routines to test changes properly (so you don’t waste sessions “tuning”)

The result is simple: fewer deaths to stutter, cleaner fights, and more successful extracts.

FAQ

Should I use Fullscreen or Borderless?

Fullscreen often gives slightly better performance and lower latency. Borderless is convenient for alt-tabbing. For troubleshooting stutter, start with Fullscreen.

Is V-Sync bad in ARC Raiders?

V-Sync increases latency but removes tearing. If you have G-Sync/FreeSync, you can usually keep V-Sync off for responsiveness and still stay visually smooth.

What’s better: DLSS, FSR, XeSS, or TSR?

Use the best option for your GPU: DLSS for NVIDIA, FSR for AMD, XeSS for Intel. Quality/Balanced modes usually give the best clarity-to-FPS ratio.

Should I use frame generation?

Only if you like how it feels. It can boost smoothness a lot, but some players dislike the extra input delay. If PvP feels “late,” turn it off.

Why do I stutter after big updates?

Major patches can change shader compilation and cache behavior. Driver updates, file verification, and careful cache rebuilding are common solutions.

What settings should I lower first for more FPS?

Shadows, global illumination/lighting quality, effects, post-processing, reflections, and foliage usually give the biggest gains.

How do I reduce ping and packet loss?

Use Ethernet, avoid VPNs, set region/server to Automatic, and follow official connection troubleshooting steps like public DNS and network resets.