Question / Help Help with lag, crashes, and flash (what should I upgrade).

[wildstarter]

Hey everyone I currently am having a problem with streaming. I use twitch to stream and have lag when I'm streaming.

My stream setup is fairly optimized, I'm using the proper captures with all up to date software and proper plugins to have the most optimal setup while using the least amount of sources. My sources include a main game capture, a webcam, .png overlays, now playing song list, and swf flash movies that pop in and out (CLR Browser plugin).

My issue comes when my flash starts coming in and out of my Scenes (I have a banner that floats in from the left) and my cpu shoots up to 100% usage in my task manager and I get lots of dropped frames in my stream and system lag (i sometimes even get bsod'd). I've narrowed it down to the CPU due to the task manager showing me my cpu shoots up during the flash animations. My flash files are optimized and under 50kb and it happens with all flash files, not just one.

My setup is:
z87 motherboard.
r290x gpu.
16gb od ddr3 ripsaw ram.
i5 4670k cpu (the weak link i presume) not overclocked.
corsair liquid cooling on the cpu.
6 fans all functional.
xonar d1 soundcard
a spacious case, with optimal air flow.
internet connection is 50down 5up

I am pretty sure the problem is my CPU and I hear that i5's are horrible for streaming.

I guess my question is, what cpu should I be looking at upgrading to within the 1150 chipset, the standard 4770k would be a good upgrade, but am I going to get the performance that I want? I have a second computer (a macbook pro) so I can't use a capture card since OBS isn't available on mac. If there would be a way to use a capture card from my pc to my mac that would be great and solve my issues.

 

[Sapiens]

I don't know why you would think a 4670K would be "horrible for streaming", there are few consumer level Intel CPUs that are faster. It sounds more like the issue is with the CLR Browser plugin you're using, or possibly that specific Flash file. You've tested with other Flash files and they do the same thing? Have you checked the CLR Browser thread to see if anyone is having similar issues or has posted any solutions?

 

[wildstarter]

I have looked through the CLR thread, and I have found no information that would help me. As stated in the thread I've tested multiple swf(flash) files, all the files I've tested are 50kb or smaller, and they all replicate the same issues. Also it happens from time to time without using flash files as well. I have no other background processes running.

When obs is not running my cpu usage sits around 10-25%.
When I turn my stream on (game capture + webcam + overlays) my cpu usage goes to 50-70% depending on the game.
When I turn on a small flash file (50kb) my cpu usga eshoots up to 100% and then I experience dropped frames and lag.

The reason I mentioned my cpu being the issue is because i5's are known to be inefficient for streaming and even worse when you start putting tasks like flash files and other rendering sources on at the same time.

If you take a look at the cpu's benchmark testing http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
you'll notice the 4670k scores a small 7700 points where the 4790 is scoring 10,300 and then even a step up the 4930k is scoring at 13,200. For raw power I feel like my cpu is struggling to keep up with the system, the lower scores mixed with the fact it has a 6mb cahce makes me think it is definitely the cpu. It would be so much easier if I could just capture card to a mac and run OBS on my mac :(

Anyone else have some input on the situation?

 

[Krazy]

It's pretty clear that whatever flash stuff you are trying to use is the problem.

i5 CPUs are absolutely not "known to be inefficient for streaming" I don't know where you've heard that. The Haswell i5 CPUs are in fact pretty fantastic for streaming. I'm also not sure why you are comparing your 4670k to Haswell-E processors. They are a class above and beyond even the normal Haswell i7s, with extra physical cores (which make way more of a difference than hyperthreading on the 4770k). The larger cache size is just another feature of the Haswell-E series, they are meant to be above and beyond "normal" CPUs, and cost more than twice as much as a result.

 

[wildstarter]

Although I do appreciate the reply, it doesn't help me resolve my issue. In my original post I specified

"I guess my question is, what cpu should I be looking at upgrading to within the 1150 chipset, the standard 4770k would be a good upgrade, but am I going to get the performance that I want?"
​

It's great that this thread is getting replies, but when the replies are filled with banter about which processors are better then which it really doesn't help me get closer to a resolve. I'm really just looking to get some help and some clear cut answers to some of my questions here, not start a cpu debate on which is better.

A solution is what I need, not a cpu debate that belongs on Tom's hardware.

 

[R1CH]

Well if your flash file is causing 100% CPU usage, then upgrading to a faster CPU will just allow it to consume 100% of a faster CPU. So finding the root cause of the problem is what's important, not throwing hardware at it in the hope it will go away. Try to figure out what's causing Flash to require so much CPU and fix that.

 

[Krazy]

I was merely trying to point out that your CPU is not the problem. The problem lies somewhere in either the CLR setup you have, or the Flash file itself.

 

[wildstarter]

The flash file on it's own doesn't use more then 1% cpu usage. I have tried it in two separate flash players and also in After effects and adobe premiere. all increase cpu load by 1%. Only when obs plays it back is when the files impeeds my system like crazy.

It really feels like an issue with OBS and the CLR plugin at this point.

 

[wildstarter]

Ok so just as a test I downloaded XSPLIT to see if the resource management was the same or if it differed in any way to try and troubleshoot this issue. I found that Xsplit manages flash files, and video files much better.
NOTE: I TESTED XSPLIT BROADCASTER VERSION with various settings and replicated the same exact scenarios in multiple situations, with multiple flash files and various games running from high to ultra settings.
I went with custom and maximum performance settings and I even tested with safe non customized options listed in dodgepongs sticky thread about cpu optimization, and then hybrids of my best settings mixed with his best recommended settings.

My cpu load loads with OBS are as follows:
obs is not running my cpu usage: 10-25%.
Obs Running w/game capture + webcam + overlays my cpu usage: 50-70%.
Obs + above + flash my cpu usgae: 100% and beyond.

My cpu load loads with XSPLIT are as follows:
XSPLIT is not running my cpu usage: 10-25%.
XSPLIT Running w/game capture + webcam + overlays my cpu usage: 40-50%.
XSPLIT + above + flash my cpu usgae: 45-60%.

It seems as with the latest releases of XSPLIT it has been optimized beyond anything else that is in the market at this moment. It's a shame that OBS is inefficient and that it falls so far behind XSPLIT's results. I think this boils down to bad programming on the OBS software and it not being optimized over a large hardware list, or maybe it's just programmed poorly for all hardware and naturally runs slower across all hardware, I of course cannot do this type of extensive testing as I do not posses the resources to run various tests across different systems. The same flash files and video files used in two different streaming programs showed GREAT differences in results. XSPLIT ran them perfectly like it should, while OBS fell short..... really short. Even without the flash files I saw a better management of my cpu loads as listed above.


TLDR: XSPLIT showed huge leaps in performance vs OBS, on all levels, and over various tests and settings. I would never use OBS again. I'll gladly pay $5 a month to have reliable service/software.

Conclusion: It's a shame that OBS is programmed so poorly and that XSPLIT crushes it. In the end freeware will always lose the performance race vs professional level software. It's also a shame that all the responses I got from mods and admins were completely useless and boiled down to "Figure out your issue, because it's not your cpu" they were right, it wasn't my cpu, it was the poorly developed software.

 

[dodgepong]

I don't understand what the confusion is. From the beginning, it was said that the problem probably lies with the CLR Browser plugin (which is not an official OBS plugin) and your tests seem to confirm that. That has nothing to do with OBS proper.

Don't confuse OBS with its plugins.

 

[Sapiens]

We wish you the best of luck with XSplit. Happy streaming!