Need for Speed Heat – Tips to Lower CPU Usage and Stuttering

In this guide, I will show you the things I found on how to lower cpu usage and stuttering and also slow texture loading.

Useful Tips 

Stuttering/Slow Texture Loading

The only way I found on how to fix this is to install the game on SSD. I mean its 2020, why would someone install AAA game on HDD?

Use Custom user.cfg

Go to your NFS Heat installation folder (default is C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonNeed for Speed Heat).

Create a new cfg file using notepad.

Add this:

• Thread.ProcessorCount 4
• Thread.MaxProcessorCount 4
• Thread.MinFreeProcessorCount 0
• Thread.JobThreadPriority 0
• GstRender.Thread.MaxProcessorCount 4

• First line is number of your cores.
• Second line is number of your cores.
• Third line must be set to 0.
• Fourth line must be set to 0.
• Fifth line is number of your threads.

So, for example im using an i7 7700HQ (4c/8t), the number from top to bottom would go like 4,4,0,0,8.

• Save it as .cfg
• Done

Lowering CPU Usage

1. Use Borderless mode

While ingame, go to graphic settings and choose borderless.

Note: I dont know why but borderless made my cpu runnning on 50% usage (on fullscreen it was around 90%).

2. Disable Steam Overlay

• Go to Steam library.
• Right-click on Need For Speed Heat.
• In general tab, uncheck “enable steam overlay while in-game”.
• Using steam overlay made my cpu run around 70% usage and 50% without overlay.

3. Messing up with .exe properties

• Go to your Need For Speed Heat installation folder.
  Default is C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonNeed for Speed Heat.
• Right-click on NeedForSpeedHeat.exe.
• Click on properties.
• Click on compability tab.
• Click on check settings for all users.
• From there, use windows 7 compability.
• Check the disable fullscreen optimisation.
• Click on change high dpi setting.
• Check the override high dpi scaling behavior and set it to application.
• Done.

You can also choose between using windows 7 compability mode or not.