A n00b fix for super low framerate on Macbook Pro 2020: Disable Preview

[dougiegyro]

Hi all,

I'm a new OBS user on a 13" MacBook Pro with a quad core i7 and 16GB of RAM, trying to primarily stream VJ mixes using a very cool (and a bit quirky) open source program called Vimix.

I've read many posts on these forums about dropped frames and very low frame rates. In my own experience, I was going as low as 10-11 fps. I couldn't figure out why what I thought was a relatively powerful machine would run so slowly. Changing the canvas size and resolution down to the bare minimum didn't make a difference, and neither did CPU. Changing from Window Capture also didn't help.

What did make a difference for me was disabling the Preview window. To do this, right-click on the Preview window and unclick the "Enable Preview" option there. When I did that, my FPS jumped. I'm now seeing a solid 30fps.

I'm posting here in hopes that this will help others in a similar situation. I'm also attaching my logs in case anyone has more tips on how to get even better performance.

Many thanks to all the OBS Forum posters for trying hard to help others out - I've learned a lot reading old posts! And of course thanks to the OBS team for making such amazing software!

 

[twindux]

should not need to disable preview on a MB Pro 2020 model, even just a 13" version...I've had plenty of success with an older 13" MBP with preview enabled. Of course, that is entirely dependent on what else you're doing with your computer while OBS-ing.

that said, make sure you do not have Studio Mode enabled. that just kills CPU and framerates.

 

[dougiegyro]

That’s what I would have thought too. The VJ app, Vimix, says it’s outputting at near 30fps, but when I try to stream or record it drops to 19-21 with Preview enabled. Another piece of info: I’m using a USB hub that has an HDMI output, which I connect my 1920 x 1080 monitor to. I understand that might have an influence on things, but at this point I don’t know.

Any ideas on where the bottlenecks usually are with MacBook Pros, especially 2020 models? I’m already running at 1280x720 with x264 software encoding and a pretty fast (usually 20mbps upstream) connection.

 

[twindux]

Yes, the second video output will add a lot of load to your CPU due to the integrated graphics. Sorry I did not notice that on your log. what are you displaying on the external monitor?

Other bottlenecks: make sure you minimizing any other apps you're running on the computer.

 

[dougiegyro]

I use the second monitor either to check the visuals I'm making with Vimix, primarily. I'll give it a try without the external monitor and see what that does to performance - thanks for this tip! I'll also try to shut down as many other apps as I can.

Yes, the second video output will add a lot of load to your CPU due to the integrated graphics. Sorry I did not notice that on your log. what are you displaying on the external monitor?

Other bottlenecks: make sure you minimizing any other apps you're running on the computer.