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Cpu Usage Spikes When Switching Cars in Iracing

Why cpu usage spikes when switching cars in iRacing and how beginners can fix it fast. A friendly, step-by-step guide to reduce stutter and improve framerate.

If you’ve ever jumped between cars and felt a sudden hitch or stutter, you’re not imagining it — and you don’t need to be an engineer to fix most of it. This article explains why cpu usage spikes when switching cars in iracing, what’s normal, and simple steps iRacing beginners can take to reduce the pain.

Quick answer

When you change cars iRacing must load new models, textures, physics settings and sometimes recompile shaders — all of which can cause short CPU spikes. These brief spikes are usually normal; persistent stutter means you should check settings, background apps, or your hardware.

Why this matters for beginners

For new to iRacing players, sudden frame drops feel like crashes or game bugs. Understanding that car switching triggers asset loading lets you separate “normal loading hiccups” from real performance problems. Fixing or reducing spikes makes practice sessions and quick garage changes less frustrating and helps you concentrate on driving.

cpu usage spikes when switching cars in iracing

What actually happens: iRacing streams in the car package (3D model, sounds, tire data), applies physics parameters, and may recompile graphics shaders. Much of that work happens on the main simulation thread or in short bursts across cores, creating a CPU usage spike. If your system is already near capacity or running slow storage, the spike becomes a visible stutter.

Simple step-by-step guide

1. Close overlays and background apps: Quit Discord, browser tabs, recording or monitoring tools before switching cars.
2. Use High Performance power plan: In Windows power settings, choose High Performance to avoid CPU throttling.
3. Run iRacing from an SSD: Install and run iRacing on an SSD to speed asset loading.
4. Lower some graphics settings: Reduce shadow/detail or set texture quality a step down if spikes cause stutter.
5. Give a few seconds between switches: Wait 5–10 seconds after picking a new car before driving to allow loading to finish.

Quick pro tips

• Keep drivers and iRacing updated — fixes and optimizations arrive often.
• Disable in-game telemetry apps or limit their sampling frequency while switching cars.
• If you race with multiple monitors, try switching to a single display to see if load drops.
• Monitor temps and CPU usage with a lightweight tool — thermal throttling can worsen spikes.
• For consistent sessions, pick and test cars beforehand in practice to pre-cache assets.

FAQs

Q: Is a small spike normal every time I switch cars?
A: Yes. Short spikes as the game loads assets are expected. They should be brief and not cause long freezes.

Q: Can upgrading to a better CPU stop spikes completely?
A: A faster CPU reduces spike length and impact, but some spikes are inherent to loading. A faster SSD and reducing background load also help a lot.

Q: Do mods or third-party overlays make it worse?
A: Yes. Overlays, telemetry, and recording software increase CPU work and can amplify spikes. Try disabling them to test.

Q: Where can I get extra help?
A: If the problem persists, ask in iRacing Discord communities or the official forums — share your CPU, GPU, storage type, and screenshots of Task Manager spikes.

Final note

Short CPU spikes when switching cars are usually the engine doing its job. Start by closing background apps, using an SSD, and lowering a few settings. Try the simple steps above in your next session and you’ll likely see smoother car swaps — then get back to enjoying the driving.