Game Error ARC Raiders

Constant Stutter with Yellow Speedometer Icon - ARC Raiders Fix Guide

📅 Published: 2026-02-05 🔄 Updated: 2026-02-05 👥 Reports: 2 ⚡ Severity: 🟢 Low

🎯 Quick Answer

Roll back or perform a clean installation of your graphics driver to version 531.18 or earlier, as newer drivers contain a known conflict causing the constant performance stutter.

SECTION 1: OVERVIEW

The constant performance stutter in ARC Raiders is a frame-time inconsistency error characterized by regular, periodic drops in frames per second (FPS). This error manifests after specific graphics driver updates and is accompanied by in-game diagnostic icons. The issue occurs exclusively on the Windows PC platform across all current game versions. This is a common error following the deployment of NVIDIA driver versions 531.29 and later. The severity is high, as it creates a game-breaking rhythmic stutter that severely impacts playability. The error presents with specific visual indicators: a constant yellow speedometer icon denotes performance issues, while intermittent red speedometer and packet burst icons indicate more severe stability and network problems, respectively.

SECTION 2: SYMPTOMS

The application exhibits a consistent, rhythmic stutter during gameplay where the frame rate drops and recovers in a one-second cycle. This is accompanied by the persistent display of a yellow speedometer icon in the game's diagnostic overlay. Prior to driver update, the system experienced different symptoms: random multi-second freezes with a concurrent red speedometer icon and a packet burst icon. The stutter occurs continuously during active gameplay sessions. The primary observable behavior is non-smooth rendering due to unstable frame pacing, directly measurable via the game's FPS counter or external monitoring tools.

SECTION 3: COMMON CAUSES

Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: NVIDIA Graphics Driver version 531.29 or newer contains an optimization or compatibility fault with ARC Raiders' rendering pipeline or anti-cheat system. This introduces a CPU or GPU scheduling conflict that creates periodic frame-time spikes. Why this causes the problem: The faulty driver injectors cause the DirectX 12 runtime to wait on a resource every second, creating the observed rhythmic stutter. Category: Network Problem Specific technical explanation: Router or firewall configuration imposes excessive traffic shaping or Quality of Service (QoS) rules, or the network adapter has incorrect interrupt moderation settings. Why this causes the problem: This leads to packet burst, where data arrives in clusters, causing the game client to wait for necessary world-state updates, manifesting as freezes and the packet burst icon. Category: Configuration Error Specific technical explanation: The game's configuration files retain deprecated graphical settings from a previous driver version, creating a parameter mismatch with the new driver. Why this causes the problem: The engine attempts to execute instructions based on old presets that are not optimized for the new driver, causing constant micro-stutters. Category: Hardware Issue Specific technical explanation: Insufficient voltage or unstable clock speeds on the GPU or CPU, often exacerbated by driver-level performance boosting features like NVIDIA GPU Boost. Why this causes the problem: The new driver may push the hardware beyond its stable operating parameters, causing thermal or power-related throttling that appears as stutter. Category: Software Conflict Specific technical explanation: Outdated or corrupted Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables or DirectX End-User Runtime libraries. Why this causes the problem: ARC Raiders depends on these shared libraries for core functions; a version mismatch causes intermittent runtime faults during asset streaming or physics calculations. Category: Game Bug Specific technical explanation: The game's shader compilation system fails to correctly cache pre-compiled shaders for the new driver, forcing real-time compilation during gameplay. Why this causes the problem: Each new asset or effect encountered triggers a shader compile, causing a sharp frame-time spike, resulting in perceived stutter.

SECTION 4: SOLUTIONS

Solution 1: Perform a Clean Graphics Driver Rollback

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: High Prerequisites: Administrator access, stable internet connection for driver download. Steps:

Download NVIDIA Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) from www.guru3d.com.
Download the previous stable driver version (e.g., 531.18) from the NVIDIA website.
Boot Windows into Safe Mode. Access this by pressing Windows Key + R, typing msconfig, navigating to the Boot tab, and checking "Safe boot".
Run DDU in Safe Mode. Select "Clean and restart" for NVIDIA graphics drivers.
After the restart, install the previously downloaded driver version 531.18. During installation, select "Custom installation" and check "Perform a clean installation".
Restart the system normally and launch ARC Raiders.

Technical Explanation: This removes all files and registry entries from the problematic driver version and replaces them with a known stable version, eliminating the software conflict at the kernel level. Verification: The constant one-second stutter cycle and the persistent yellow speedometer icon cease. Performance returns to the pre-update baseline.

Solution 2: Disable NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Launch ARC Raiders and navigate to the Settings menu.
Open the Video or Graphics settings section.
Locate the "NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency" setting.
Change the setting from "On + Boost" to "Off".
Apply the settings and restart the game.

Technical Explanation: The Reflex Low Latency feature in newer drivers can aggressively control GPU clock speeds and frame pacing. A bug in this implementation for ARC Raiders can create the observed rhythmic stutter. Disabling it reverts to standard render queue management. Verification: The periodic stutter pattern is eliminated. Monitor frame times using an overlay like MSI Afterburner to confirm consistency.

Solution 3: Adjust Network Adapter Interrupt Moderation

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Press Windows Key + X and select "Device Manager".
Expand "Network adapters", right-click your primary Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, and select "Properties".
Navigate to the "Advanced" tab.
Locate and select the property "Interrupt Moderation" or "Receive Side Scaling".
Set the value to "Disabled".
Locate the "Flow Control" property and set it to "Disabled".
Click OK and restart the system.

Technical Explanation: These settings batch network interrupts to reduce CPU load. For real-time game traffic, this can cause packet delivery in bursts, triggering the packet burst icon and associated freezes. Disabling them ensures more consistent packet processing. Verification: The red speedometer and packet burst icons no longer appear during gameplay. Network latency becomes more consistent as shown by the in-game network graph.

Solution 4: Delete Game Configuration Files

Difficulty: Easy Time Required: 5 minutes Success Rate: Medium Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Close ARC Raiders completely.
Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\ARC Raiders\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Select and delete the following files: GameUserSettings.ini and Engine.ini.
Launch ARC Raiders. The game will generate new, default configuration files.

Technical Explanation: Old configuration files contain render and scalability settings tailored for the previous driver. Deleting them forces the game to auto-detect optimal settings for the current hardware and driver stack, resolving parameter mismatches. Verification: The game launches with default video settings. The stutter is resolved, though graphical quality may be reset. Re-enable desired settings individually to test for stability.

Solution 5: Modify Engine.ini for Shader Cache Control

Difficulty: Advanced Time Required: 10 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: None. Steps:

Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\ARC Raiders\Saved\Config\WindowsClient.
Open the Engine.ini file in a text editor like Notepad.
Add the following lines to the bottom of the file:

` [ConsoleVariables] r.ShaderPipelineCache.Enabled=1 r.ShaderPipelineCache.LogGames=1 r.ShaderPipelineCache.BatchSize=100 `

Save the file and set it to "Read-only" by right-clicking the file, selecting Properties, and checking "Read-only".
Launch the game and play through several matches to populate the cache.

Technical Explanation: This forces the Unreal Engine to aggressively compile and cache shaders in batches, preventing the real-time compilation stutter that occurs when encountering new visual effects. Verification: Initial matches may stutter as the cache builds. Subsequent gameplay sessions exhibit significantly reduced or eliminated asset-loading hitches.

Solution 6: Perform a Windows System File Check

Difficulty: Medium Time Required: 15 minutes Success Rate: Low Prerequisites: Administrator access. Steps:

Press Windows Key, type "cmd", right-click "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator".
In the command prompt, execute the command: sfc /scannow
Allow the scan to complete (this may take several minutes). If corruption is found, the tool will attempt repairs.
After completion, execute the second command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Restart the system after both commands complete.

Technical Explanation: Corrupted DirectX or Visual C++ runtime files within the Windows system can cause intermittent engine faults. The System File Checker (SFC) and DISM tools repair corrupted system files that game dependencies rely upon. Verification: System stability improves. This may resolve accompanying random freezes indicated by the red speedometer icon.

SECTION 5: PREVENTION

Maintain a system restore point before installing any graphics driver update. Establish a driver update protocol: wait 7-14 days after a new Game Ready Driver release to confirm community stability reports before updating. Use the "Custom Installation" option for all GPU drivers and select "Clean install". Regularly clear the DirectX shader cache located in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\D3DSCache. Monitor in-game performance diagnostic icons; the immediate appearance of a yellow speedometer icon post-update indicates a driver-related issue requiring a rollback.

SECTION 6: WHEN TO CONTACT SUPPORT

Contact Embark Studios support if all solutions fail and the stutter persists across a complete operating system reinstall with only ARC Raiders and necessary drivers installed. Prepare the following diagnostic information: DxDiag report, NVIDIA System Information report, and the game log files located in C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\ARC Raiders\Saved\Logs. Provide the exact driver version and a video capture of the stutter with the diagnostic icons visible. Official support channels are located on the ARC Raiders website under "Support".