ARK Lag Spikes: How To Stop Lagging
ARK: Survival Evolved is amongst some of the most enjoyable games out there. It is evident from its average player count. However, not everyone can have an enjoyable experience while playing ARK: Survival Evolved. It is simply because of the nagging lag spikes that players have to deal with. Here we will be discussing everything there is to know about ARK lag and ARK lag spikes and how to fix them.
What Is Lag
Have you ever noticed that while playing ARK: Survival Evolved, it takes about half a second for your weapon to start shooting on your screen after pressing the left mouse button. Or that it takes a second or two for a kill to get registered. Both of these situations are examples of lag, with the first one being an example of hardware lag and the second one being an example of network lag.
Basically, lag is the delay between an input that a user makes and the appropriate response displayed on the screen. A delay is always present. Once the delay gets large enough that it is easily noticeable and an annoyance for the gameplay experience, it is called lag. The delay caused by hardware is called the total hardware response time, and it is measured in ms (milliseconds). The delay related to the network is called latency and is also measured in ms (milliseconds).
What Are Lag Spikes
Gamers can generally adapt their playstyle according to high amounts of lag. Quite a lot of gamers play online video games with a latency of over 100ms or even up to 150ms. They learn how to lead their shots on a moving target and expect a second of delay.
However, if a gamer is used to playing with a latency of 50ms, their performance will drop significantly if the latency keeps on jumping from 50ms to 150ms, even if it jumps to high values only for a second or two. It is the same for response time as well.
The jumps in latency or response times to really high values are called lag spikes. You may have also experienced ARK lag spikes. When you play ARK and the game suddenly starts to feel jittery or the screen starts to freeze for a second or two, you are experiencing lag spikes.
What Causes ARK Lag Spikes
Usually, an issue with the network connection is what causes lag spikes in ARK: Survival Evolved. The most common network issues that cause lag spikes include bad routing and instability of the network connection. Both these issues are extremely difficult to fix as there is no one single fix that has a one hundred percent probability of fixing it.
Besides bad routing and instability of a network connection, other network issues like bandwidth congestion may also cause lag spikes. Not only that but an issue with the hardware may also cause lag spikes while playing ARK: Survival Evolved.
Hardware Fixes for ARK Lag Spikes
While lag spikes are most commonly caused by network issues and arise in the form of latency spikes, hardware lag spikes should not be ruled out while performing a diagnosis. Here are some of the most common hardware fixes that you can try to fix the hardware-related lag spikes you are experiencing.
Upgrading Hardware Components
First of all, if your computer does not meet the system requirements of ARK: Survival Evolved, then you will definitely experience lag and lag spikes. Because your computer is not powerful enough, it will not be able to deliver a stable framerate. In sections of the game where high processing power is required, the framerate will drop to really low values causing spikes in the response time. The only way to fix this is by upgrading your hardware to where your computer at least meets the system requirements of ARK: Survival Evolved.
ARK: Survival Evolved System Requirements
OS: Windows 7 or Newer (64-bit versions)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 or better /AMD FX-8320 or better
RAM: 8 GB RAM
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB or better/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB or better
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 60 GB available space
Tweaking Resolution
Meeting or even exceeding the system requirements for ARK: Survival Evolved does not mean that you can run the game at 4k resolution and not expect any kind of lag spikes. Make sure that the resolution that you are running the game on is not more than 1080p.
Secondly, if you are playing on a really old gaming PC or a laptop, you can lower the resolution to 720p for a massive reduction in ARK lag spikes. It is because a jump from 1080p to 720p will result in a big reduction in the performance required.
Tweaking Graphics Settings
Just like resolution, meeting, or even exceeding the system requirements for ARK: Survival Evolved does not mean that you can max out the graphics settings. Make sure that you are not playing the game with maxed-out "Ultra" graphics. Play around with the graphics settings and lower some of them to see if it fixes the lag spikes you are experiencing.
Removing Unnecessary Load
If you have checked both the specs of your gaming PC and the graphics settings, and are still facing ARK lag spikes, then the issue might be the unnecessary load on your PC. Gamers quite often run tons of applications in the background while playing video games, without even realizing that they are actually putting unnecessary load on their PC.
Make sure to close all applications that you know are unnecessary. For example, tons of chrome tabs, a movie that you paused, or maybe a video editing software. However, Discord and Teamspeak are fine to use.
Network Fixes for ARK Lag Spikes
Here are some of the most common network fixes that you can apply for fixing ARK lag spikes. We have carefully chosen these fixes for the highest probability of success.
Switching To A Wired Connection
A wireless connection is inherently unstable. A wireless connection is soo inconsistent that two identical WiFi routers placed at the same location will have vastly different levels of instability in terms of their connection. Not only that, but wireless connections have to deal with tons of obstacles like furniture and walls.
To fix this issue the only solution is getting a wired connection instead of a wireless one. Even if you are not facing ARK lag spikes, it is recommended that you get a wired connection for online gaming because of its superior stability.
Removing Load From The Bandwidth
Just like unnecessary background applications, background downloads will cause unnecessary load on your bandwidth. This will result in lag spikes and may even cause rubberbanding. To fix this make sure that nothing is being downloaded in the background while you play an online game.
It may not be the downloads that are placing an unnecessary load on your bandwidth. If you are using a shared internet connection, then it may be the other users that are causing the load. They might not even know it and may have downloads running in the background on their devices.
To fix this issue, you can try getting a separate internet connection. However, getting a separate internet connection is not always possible. If this is the case for you as well, you can try getting more bandwidth from your internet service provider. Or your can try requesting other users to pause unnecessary downloads.
Upgrading To Newer Hardware and Wires
Old and worn-out network hardware or wires may also cause network instability, which in turn will cause lag spikes. It is better to replace all old network hardware like routers for a more stable connection. You should also consider replacing your internet cables if they are too old. A good rule of thumb for routers is that you should replace them after five years. The same goes for wires.
WTFast - The Ultimate ARK Lag Spike Solution
As we have already mentioned, ARK lag spikes commonly arise due to bad routing and instability of the network connection. Not only that, but both these issues are incredibly difficult to fix. This is where WTFast comes into play. WTFast is a gamers' private network. WTFast re-routes your internet connection onto a network that is much more stable and has the best routing based on your location.
Along with that, with WTFast all the network-related issues like high ping, lag, lag spikes will be fixed with the press of a single button. You won't have to spend tons of hours trying to find the cause of the lag spikes that you are experiencing and then spending even more hours trying to find a potential fix. Try WTFast now for an unmatched lag-free experience while playing ARK: Survival Evolved.
