Question / Help Laggy gameplay while streaming?!

S

stati

New Member
Hello guys. So I have the following annoying problem.

I'm trying to stream some really fast FPS games, but there is a problem with the gameplay. I'm getting around 50-60ms while streaming (I'm totally fine with it), but the game has some mini lag spikes, which makes my gameplay awful. It goes up to around 70-80ms (So dunno whats wrong?). The weapons are lagging when I switch them and the game gets laggy. Even players whining about my lag spikes.

Some important things about my settings and gear:

Streaming to twitch.tv

Gear: AMD FX-8350 4GHz x8
ASUS GTX960 Turbo
8GB 1866 HyperX Fury
120GB SSD HyperX Fury & 1TB WD HDD 7200rpm

Connection: Down: 20mb/s Up: 4mb/s

OBS: I'm using Nvidia NVENC - High Quality preset
Bitrate: 2000
CFR CBR are enabled
720p - problem comes with 30 and 60 fps aswell. (I'm trying to stream with 60fps tho, since I'm streaming Quake and Counter Strike)

Lowering the bitrate doesn't help either. I assume my upload speed is not enough?! It's stable as hell though.
I can give screenshots later, but I'm at my workplace atm. I hope someone can help me, cuz this problem makes me crazy.

Thank you in advance!
 
You have a decent CPU for streaming, why do you use NVENC? You can squeeze better quality out of the x264 encoder (CPU-based) with the same bitrate.
Your upload speed is enough. Ping will usually jump a bit higher when you have spikes close to your actual upload speed (3000kbps out of your 4mbit/s is noticeable but not bad).
We need a log from the last stream/recording with lags in the game, this might help. But anyway try to use the x264, even with the default preset it will present a better picture at 720p 60FPS 2000kbps bitrate than NVENC. And your CPU can go even higher, it should be able to push the "fast" preset at 720p 60FPS, but this depends on the game and your background stuff.
 
Before I had any stream attempts, I used to record my gameplay. With x264 I had some serious fps drops in games, like I had average 250 fps in CSGO, and dropped to 30 for 10-15 seconds in every single minute. It's kinda weird but couldn't solve the problem. Tried fresh windows etc.

Question: Where can I find this log file and what kbps should I use with this connection?
 
Log file is in your OBS>help>log files, there you can analyze or upload the logfile. Upload the last one where you had lags, the best would be from a longer stream.
Your 2000 bitrate is fine, you can go up to 2500 if you want without crippling your ping.
And x264 with right settings for your PC would look way better. No idea where the FPS drops are coming from, can you monitor your GPU and CPU while recording CS:GO with x264? Just to find out if you are running into throttling or maybe is your CPU at 100% with peak load (that can cause hard FPS drops ingame)?
 
Allright I'm gonna upload the log as soon as possible. Task manager showed 100% CPU usage in the moment of the drop. It happens in every single game, not just in CS. I have a decent cooling btw. so temperature isn't a problem I believe.
 
Anyway let CoreTemp or something else check your temps, software should show you a graph or at least the max. temp of your CPU and GPU (just to make sure, but i dont think that the 960 can run into thermal throttling with any cooling solution until you choke the airflow). Thermal throttling would explain the huge CPU load spikes.
OBS is usually pretty consisent with the CPU load, that depends on the amount of stuff that is going on - explosions or moving grass ingame produce more load than a static picture like a game menu.

But we found the problem - 100% CPU load, this results in FPS drops ingame and OBS dont like it too.
If your temps are fine, check anything else that can cause the CPU load spikes. Some games hit really hard, others barely use your CPU.
Stuff like Rust eats up to 60% of my CPU (i7 5820K @4,5GHz, thats a lot faster than your 8350).

Logs please and also tell us what is loading your CPU so hard. Just open the task manager, if you have only 1 screen - keep it on top and try to catch the spikes.
But your CPU is actually fast enough, specially because AMD is actually not bad when working with x264, it should handle 720p 60fps with the veryfast (default) preset without any problems, OBS should hit 30-35% load. Try to reduce the preset, but ultrafast will look just like NVENC.
 
This is the NVENC log. I wanted the x264 one.
I also see some duplicated frames, 100mbit/s LAN (why not 1gbit/s? your hardware should support it, check the cable, it should be Cat.5E or Cat.6), a HUGE delay on the microphone. But i think other guys who have more idea about NVENC and AMD performance can help you more.
What about the CPU load, what is causing the spikes?
 
Well, I tried x264. I dont have any fps drops, but the lag is still there. The log stucked by the

"
18:17:46: Playback device Default
18:17:46: ------------------------------------------
18:17:46: Using desktop audio input: Hangszórók (High Definition Audio hangeszköz)
18:17:46: Global Audio time adjust: 0
Warning -- MMDeviceAudioSource::Initialize(0): Could not initialize audio client, result = AUDCLNT_E_DEVICE_IN_USE

Error: Cannot initialize desktop audio sound, more info in the log file.

"

line.

Checked my UTP cable, couldnt see any information about its type, so I found an other one with CAT.5 sign on it. The problem is still there.
 
Okay, my router is bad, only supports 10/100. Connected the ethernet cable directly to my pc, but still laggy :/
 
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