Experiencing Low Performance and FPS While Playing Delta Force: Hawk Ops on Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Users with Intel® Arc™ Graphics (A-Series and B-Series) may experience one or more of the following while playing Delta Force: Hawk Ops:

• Very low frame rates (15–17 FPS) despite low in-game graphics settings
• GPU power draw significantly lower than expected (e.g., ~40W instead of full TDP)
• GPU utilization stuck below 60–70% during gameplay
• Severe stuttering and FPS drops during intense combat scenarios (e.g., Attack & Defense mode with smoke grenades and multiple players on screen)
• A ~20 FPS regression compared to previous driver versions, specifically after updating to driver version 32.0.101.9033

These symptoms have been reported on Intel® Arc™ A580, A750, and B580 Graphics across Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Work through the steps below in order. Many users have resolved the issue after Steps 1–4.

Step 1 — Update your Intel® Arc™ Graphics Driver

An outdated driver is one of the most common causes of low performance in Delta Force: Hawk Ops. Download and install the latest Intel® Arc™ & Iris® Xe Graphics driver from the Intel® Download Center.

For a clean installation:

1. Download Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and run it in Safe Mode to fully remove the existing driver.
2. Restart your system.
3. Install the latest driver using the Custom Installation option and check "Perform a clean install."

⚠️ Note on driver version 32.0.101.9033: A performance regression of approximately 20 FPS in Delta Force: Hawk Ops has been reported with this driver version. If you updated to 9033 and noticed a performance drop, consider rolling back to driver version 32.0.101.8864 or earlier as a temporary workaround while Intel investigates. See How to roll back an Intel® Graphics Driver.

Step 2 — Set the In-Game Frame Rate Cap to Unlimited

A capped or incorrectly configured frame rate limit can cause the GPU to throttle and underutilize. In Delta Force: Hawk Ops:

1. Launch the game and go to Settings → Graphics.
2. Set In-Match Frame Rate Cap to Unlimited.
3. Apply and restart the game.

This step alone has resolved the 15–17 FPS issue for multiple users.

Step 3 — Disable VSync

VSync can interact poorly with Intel® Arc™ Graphics in this title and contribute to stuttering and low GPU utilization.

1. In Delta Force: Hawk Ops, go to Settings → Graphics.
2. Set VSync to Off.
3. Apply and restart the game.

Step 4 — Recompile Shaders

Delta Force: Hawk Ops uses shader compilation that may need to be rebuilt after a driver update or system change. Recompiling shaders can resolve stuttering and low FPS caused by incomplete or outdated shader caches.

1. In Delta Force: Hawk Ops, go to Settings → Graphics.
2. Locate the "Recompile Shaders" option and apply it.
3. The game will prompt you to recompile shaders upon the next launch. Allow it to complete before playing.

Step 5 — Verify ReBar (Resizable BAR / Smart Access Memory) is Enabled

ReBar significantly improves performance on Intel® Arc™ Graphics. Confirm it is enabled:

1. Restart your system and enter the BIOS/UEFI (typically by pressing Del, F2, or F10 during startup).
2. Look for Resizable BAR, Above 4G Decoding, or Smart Access Memory and ensure it is Enabled.
3. Save and exit.

You can verify ReBar is active in Intel® Graphics Software under the System tab — it should show Resizable BAR: Enabled.

Step 6 — Switch to Borderless Windowed (Windowed Fullscreen) Mode

Exclusive fullscreen mode can cause additional performance instability on Intel® Arc™ Graphics in some titles.

1. In Delta Force: Hawk Ops, go to Settings → Graphics → Display Mode.
2. Set to Windowed Fullscreen (Borderless).
3. Apply and restart the game.

Step 7 — Close Background Applications and Disable Overlays

Third-party overlays and background applications can consume GPU resources and interfere with game performance.

• Disable Discord overlay, MSI Afterburner, RTSS (RivaTuner Statistics Server), and any other GPU monitoring overlays before launching the game.
• Close unnecessary background applications via Task Manager.

Step 8 — Check System Temperatures

Thermal throttling can cause sudden FPS drops and low GPU utilization. Use Intel® Graphics Software to monitor GPU temperature during gameplay. If temperatures are consistently above 85°C, ensure your system has adequate airflow and that GPU fans are functioning correctly.

Step 9 — If the Issue Persists

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, the performance problem may be related to game-side optimization for Intel® Arc™ Graphics. Please report the issue to the game developer:

• Delta Force: Hawk Ops Support (Team Jade / TiMi Studio Group): https://www.playdeltaforce.com/en/support

When reporting, include your Intel® Arc™ GPU model, driver version, and a description of the specific scenario where performance drops occur (e.g., game mode, number of players on screen, use of smoke grenades/explosives).

You can also submit feedback directly to Intel via Intel® Graphics Software → Feedback to help the driver team prioritize optimization for this title.