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Iracing Freezes Then Resumes

iRacing freezes then resumes? This guide for iRacing drivers explains why it happens and gives quick, clear steps to fix it fast and keep races smooth. Today.

If you’re seeing iracing freezes then resumes mid-session, it’s usually a quick render hitch on your PC (GPU/CPU spike, disk write, or overlay), not your internet. You’re in the right place—follow the steps below to smooth out frame time and keep the car under you.

iracing freezes then resumes: Quick Answer

Most “freeze then resume” issues in iRacing come from local stutters: maxed CPU/GPU, background apps, replay/telemetry writes, or aggressive graphics settings. Cap your FPS to a stable target, trim heavy settings (mirrors, shadows, visible cars), move writes to SSD, and kill overlays to stop the hitches.

What’s Really Going On

A true freeze (screen stops, then continues) is almost always a rendering or storage stall. Common triggers:

  • GPU/CPU spikes from high graphics, mirrors, or lots of cars.
  • Disk writes (replays/telemetry) on a slow drive or while antivirus scans.
  • Overlays and background apps (Discord, Steam, GeForce/AMD, browser) causing frame-time spikes.
  • Driver quirks, power saving, or thermal throttling. Network issues usually make other cars warp, not your screen freeze. If audio continues and everything “catches up,” think local stutter.

Step-by-Step Fix

  1. Confirm the cause
  • Press Alt+F in iRacing to show the FPS meter. If the whole screen pauses, it’s local. If cars jump around and you see connection warnings, it’s network.
  1. Lock to a stable FPS
  • In Options > Graphics, set “Max Frame Rate” to a steady value (e.g., 58/116 for 60/120 Hz, or your VR headset’s native). Avoid unlimited FPS; big swings cause hitches.
  1. Cut heavy settings first
  • Lower Mirrors (or limit mirror cars), Shadows, Particles, and Number of Visible Cars. Turn off Crowds and Pit Objects. If VRAM is near max, reduce Textures or AA/supersampling.
  1. Stop disk stutters
  • Install iRacing and replays on an SSD. Reduce “Max Replay Size” or disable automatic replay saving while racing. Turn off telemetry logging if you don’t need it. Add your iRacing folder to antivirus exclusions.
  1. Kill overlays and background tasks
  • Disable Discord/Steam/NVIDIA/AMD overlays, MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner overlays, and the Windows Game Bar. Close browsers, launchers, and updaters before sessions.
  1. Drivers, power, and thermals
  • Update (or roll back) GPU drivers using a clean install. Set Windows Power Plan to High Performance. In GPU control panel, set power to Prefer Maximum Performance. Check temps to avoid throttling.

Extra Tips / Checklist

  • Use Ethernet instead of Wi‑Fi and pause cloud backups during races.
  • After driver changes, expect brief shader compilation stutter on first run—do a quick test session to “warm up” assets.
  • Try Fullscreen mode (not borderless) and disable Windows “Fullscreen optimizations” on the iRacing exe if needed.
  • Keep a small, stable frame cap even with G‑SYNC/FreeSync for consistent frame time.
  • Don’t disable the Windows pagefile; low memory can cause hitching when cars join or tracks load assets.

FAQs

Q: Why does iRacing freeze for a second and then keep going? A: That behavior points to a local render/disk hitch. Cap FPS, lower heavy settings (especially mirrors/shadows), move replays to SSD, and close overlays.

Q: Is this an internet problem? A: Usually no. Network issues cause car warps or connection warnings. A full-screen pause that resumes is almost always your PC, not your ping.

Q: Which iRacing settings matter most for stutters? A: Number of visible cars, mirrors, shadows, particles, and texture/AA levels. Reduce those first; they hit CPU/GPU and VRAM hardest.

Q: Do replays or telemetry cause stutter? A: They can. Writing to a slow drive or while antivirus scans can hitch the sim. Use an SSD, limit replay size, or disable logging during races.

Short Wrap-Up

If iracing freezes then resumes, stabilize frame time: cap FPS, trim heavy visuals, write to an SSD, and remove overlays. Test in a solo session first, then rejoin races with confidence.