ARK: Survival Evolved FPS Boost and Performance Guide

ARK: Survival Evolved guide on you how to optimize your launch options and graphics settings to get the best survival experience available.

Make sure minimum system requirements are met, windows 10 and your graphics card drivers are updated to the latest version.
For NVIDIA
https://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
For AMD
https://www.amd.com/en/support

Download ISLC (Intelligent standby list cleaner) - This program allows you to free up background resources.

Nvidia Control Panel Settings:

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Multi-display/mixed-GPU acceleration: Single Display Performance Mode
Ambient Occlusion: Off.

CUDA - GPUs: All.

Maximum Pre-rendered frames: 1

Power Management mode: Prefer Maximum Performance.

Texture Filtering - Anisotropic Sample Optimization: On.
Texture Filtering - Quality: Performance.
Threaded optimization: On.

Triple Buffer: Off

Vertical Sync: Off

 

Set Launch Options

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-USEALLAVAILABLECORES -d3d10 -high -sm4  -nomansky -lowmemory -novsync

Place the code in Set Launch Options under General Tab in Steam.

Description:

-USEALLAVAILABLECORES - uses all your CPU cores
-sm4 and -d3d10 - runs with DirectX 10
-nomansky - removes clouds and some sky effects
-lowmemory - the game will use only 4GB of your RAM
-high - runs ARK as a high-priority process

GameUserSettings.ini file

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Open Shooter game folder inside main Ark directory, proceed to Saved then Config folder. Open GameUserSettings.ini file and replace the code with the one below.

[/script/shootergame.shootergameusersettings] 
MasterAudioVolume=0.317460 
MusicAudioVolume=0.412698 
SFXAudioVolume=0.519841 
CameraShakeScale=0.000000 
bFirstPersonRiding=True 
bThirdPersonPlayer=False 
bShowStatusNotificationMessages=True 
TrueSkyQuality=0.000000 
FOVMultiplier=1.250000 
GroundClutterDensity=0.000000 
bFilmGrain=False 
bMotionBlur=False 
bUseDFAO=False 
bUseSSAO=True 
bShowChatBox=False 
bCameraViewBob=False 
bInvertLookY=False 
bFloatingNames=True 
bChatBubbles=False 
bJoinNotifications=True 
bCraftablesShowAllItems=True 
LookLeftRightSensitivity=1.000000
LookUpDownSensitivity=1.000000 
GraphicsQuality=4 
ActiveLingeringWorldTiles=12 
bUseVSync=False 
ResolutionSizeX=1920 
ResolutionSizeY=1080 
LastUserConfirmedResolutionSizeX=1920 
LastUserConfirmedResolutionSizeY=1080 
WindowPosX=-1 
WindowPosY=-1 
bUseDesktopResolutionForFullscreen=False 
FullscreenMode=1 
LastConfirmedFullscreenMode=1 
Version=5 
bHideServerInfo=False
LastServerSearchType=2 
LastServerSearchHideFull=False 
LastServerSearchProtected=False 
HideItemTextOverlay=True 
bDistanceFieldShadowing=True 
LODScalar=1.fye000000 
HighQualityMaterials=False 
HighQualitySurfaces=False 
bTemperatureF=False 
bDisableTorporEffect=True 
VoiceAudioVolume=1.277778
bLocalInventoryShowAllItems=False 
bRemoteInventoryShowAllItems=False 
ClientNetQuality=3 
bToggleToTalk=False 
bChatShowSteamName=True 
bChatShowTribeName=True
EmoteKeyBind1=0 
EmoteKeyBind2=0 
bNoBloodEffects=False 
bLowQualityVFX=True 
MacroCtrl0= 
MacroCtrl1= 
MacroCtrl2= 
MacroCtrl3= 
MacroCtrl4= 
MacroCtrl5= 
MacroCtrl6= 
MacroCtrl7= 
MacroCtrl8= 
MacroCtrl9= 
bSpectatorManualFloatingNames=False 

[ScalabilityGroups] 

sg.ResolutionQuality=100 
sg.ViewDistanceQuality=3 
sg.AntiAliasingQuality=0 
sg.ShadowQuality=2 
sg.PostProcessQuality=0 
sg.TextureQuality=2 
sg.EffectsQuality=0 
sg.TrueSkyQuality=0 
sg.GroundClutterQuality=0 
sg.IBLQuality=0 
sg.HeightFieldShadowQuality=2
[SessionSettings] 
SessionName=ARK #563569[/script/engine.gamesession] 
MaxPlayers=70
[AdminPassword] 
Password= 
ServerPassword=

 

Engine.ini file

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Same as before, find Engine.ini file and copy/paste from the code below.

r.DefaultFeature.Bloom=False  

r.DefaultFeature.AutoExposure=False

r.DefaultFeature.MotionBlur=False 

r.DefaultFeature.LensFlare=False 

r.EarlyZPass=0 

r.SSAOSmartBlur=0 

r.HZBOcclusion=0

r.AmbientOcclusionLevels=0 

r.BloomQuality=0 

r.DepthOfFieldQuality=0 

r.SSR.Quality=0 

r.SSS.Scale=0 

r.SSS.SampleSet=0 

r.DetailMode=0 

r.LensFlareQuality=0 

r.MaxAnisotropy=0 

r.oneframethreadlag=1 

r.LightShaftQuality=0 

r.RefractionQuality=0

r.ExposureOffset=0.3 

r.ReflectionEnvironment=0 

r.Atmosphere=0 

r.Shadow.MaxResolution=2

r.SimpleDynamicLighting=0 

r.UpsampleQuality=0

r.ViewDistanceScale=0.4 

r.TrueSkyQuality=0

[/script/shootergame.shooterengine] 

bFirstRun=False 

FrameRateCap=200 

FrameRateMinimum=200

[Core.System] 

Paths=../../../Engine/Content Paths=../../../ShooterGame/Content Paths=../../../Engine/Plugins/Experimental/CharacterAI/Content Paths=../../../Engine/Plugins/TrueSkyPlugin/Content 

[SystemSettings] 

TEXTUREGROUP_World=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_WorldNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_WorldSpecular=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Character=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterSpecular=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=4,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=64,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=64,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponSpecular=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=64,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Vehicle=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleSpecular=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Cinematic=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=128,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Effects=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=128,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=linear,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_EffectsNotFiltered=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=128,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Skybox=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_UI=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Lightmap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=8,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Shadowmap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point,NumStreamedMips=3)  

TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=128,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_MobileFlattened=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Terrain_Heightmap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point) TEXTUREGROUP_Terrain_Weightmap=(MinLODSize=1,MaxLODSize=2,LODBias=0,MinMagFilter=aniso,MipFilter=point)

[Oculus.Settings]

bChromaAbCorrectionEnabled=True 

bYawDriftCorrectionEnabled=True 

bDevSettingsEnabled=False 

bOverrideIPD=False 

bOverrideStereo=False 

bOverrideVSync=True VSync=False 

bOverrideScreenPercentage=False 

bAllowFinishCurrentFrame=True 

bLowPersistenceMode=True 

bUpdateOnRT=False 

FarClippingPlane=0.000000

NearClippingPlane=0.000000

[WindowsApplication.Accessibility]

StickyKeysHotkey=False 

ToggleKeysHotkey=False 

FilterKeysHotkey=False 

StickyKeysConfirmation=False 

ToggleKeysConfirmation=False 

FilterKeysConfirmation=False

 

Tips 

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Do not Overclock your CPU instead, undervolt it. This can help laptop users the most, preserving battery life, life span, lower temperatures etc.