Question / Help Can I still Stream high quality on a low end pc?

[FPSGambit]

I've been using OBS for quite a while now. I switched over to OBS Studio because it's easier to use. What I found with both versions of OBS is that it's hard for me to record and stream at high quality without the video being choppy or stuttering.My specs are:
MSI ARMOR GTX 1060 6gb
Intel i3 6100 @ 3.7ghz
MSI B150M Pro-VD Skylake
Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR4
I know what the problem is, it's the bitrate, I've always had trouble with finding the right one so that the video is high quality but it's also smooth without stops and choppiness. Any tips or advice on if I can stream or record HD without choppy video?

 

[Fenrir]

Are you using the presets in OBS studio? If not, try this guide:

https://obsproject.com/forum/resour...lity-recording-and-multiple-audio-tracks.221/

Try using QuickSync or NVENC as your recording encoder. Streaming is a bit trickier. With a system that weak, you'll need to sacrifice some quality to get a smooth stream.

 

[AquaPlayzX]

With that PC sure you can. My AMD FX-6300 and AMD Radeon R7 360 PC can stream just fine.

 

[GillyMoMo]

Use QSV 720p60 @ 2500kbs for your stream, then record 1080p60 @ 30,000kps via NVENC. Should be fine for what you are looking for, just make sure you have the space to handle it.

 

[Fenrir]

Use QSV 720p60 @ 2500kbs for your stream, then record 1080p60 @ 30,000kps via NVENC. Should be fine for what you are looking for, just make sure you have the space to handle it.

QSV isn't recommended for streaming (it can work in a pinch, but the quality is significantly lower per bitrate than pretty much any other encoder right now), especially at 60fps and only 2500 bitrate. The resulting stream there is going to look terrible. Maybe 540p, 30fps, and 2500 bitrate if QSV is the only option would look somewhat ok.

Also, you shouldn't really be using CBR for recordings. It's far better to use the recording presets in OBS Studio, which target a quality, not a bitrate.

 

[GillyMoMo]

QSV isn't recommended for streaming (it can work in a pinch, but the quality is significantly lower per bitrate than pretty much any other encoder right now), especially at 60fps and only 2500 bitrate. The resulting stream there is going to look terrible. Maybe 540p, 30fps, and 2500 bitrate if QSV is the only option would look somewhat ok.

Also, you shouldn't really be using CBR for recordings. It's far better to use the recording presets in OBS Studio, which target a quality, not a bitrate.

That's why I said at 720p60 lol, I know because I have tested it. The OP kind of really has not much of a choice in the matter here though.

 

[koala]

The OP absolutely has a choice. With his rig, he has available as encoder:

x264 (but the i3 isn't powerful enough to support it)
quicksync (low streaming quality, recording quality as high as you want)
nvenc (good streaming quality, recording quality as high as you want)

For streaming, you must choose an appropriate resolution.
For recording, you record at the native game resolution.

Streaming resolution depends on available upload bandwidth and streaming service. Common service is Twitch, which supports maximum of 3500 for non-partnered streams. 1280x720 at 30 fps is usually bitrate 2000-3500, depends on actual footage. 1280x720 at 60 fps needs minimum of 3500 bps, but usually looks worse than 30 fps if given too low bandwidth. 1920x1080 at 30 fps needs 3500 and more bandwidth. At 60 fps 4000 and more - not feasible with Twitch non-partnered.

So the choice is easy:

- in OBS, use output mode "simple".
- for streaming, choose nvenc as encoder. video bitrate 2500 or 3000 (test your internet connection)
- for recording, choose nvenc as encoder and use "high quality, medium file size" or "indistinguishable quality, large file size" quality setting
- in the "Video" tab, set base (canvas) resolution to your native screen resolution
- in the "Video" tab, set output (scaled) resolution to 1280x720
- in the "Video" tab, set fps to 30

This way you stream and record with 1280x720.


If you want to stream at 1280x720 but record at native screen resolution at the same time, use this:

- in OBS, select the "Output" tab and set output mode "advanced".
- in the streaming sub tab, choose nvenc as encoder and...
- check "Enforce streaming service encoder settings"
- check and set Rescale output 1280x720, Rate Control CBR, video bitrate 2500 or 3000 (test your internet connection)
- the other settings leave as default
- in the recording sub tab, choose nvenc as encoder
- uncheck Rescale Output, set Rate Control CQP, CQP value 20, preset high quality, profile high, other settings leave the defaults
- select the "Video" tab
- set base (canvas) resolution to your native screen resolution
- set output (scaled) resolution to your native screen resolution as well
- set fps to 30

It's a bit more complicated to set up, but this way you can stream at one resolution and record at a different resolution. If NVENC doesn't work for both, try to choose Quicksync as recording encoder and still use CQP (or ICQ, if available). NVENC is better for streaming than Quicksync.