Question / Help OBS dropping frames when out of focus or non-active window

[FlamingOcean]

I have the same problem.. I made some test and eventually I found the solution to it...
Well the problem is your GPU propably because when you're running a game and your GPU is about 90% - 100% obs drops fps because obs wants a bit of your power card and it can't get it so there is a problem to produce fps. How can you fix this problem? Here is the solutions

• Limit game's FPS (if you get more that your monitor's Hz)(either with nvidia limit or v-sync or if the game has this option)
• Put down game's graphics
• Buy a more powerfull GPU to produce easily fps and it able to handle obs

My pc (there I made the tests)

• i7 7700k 4.8Ghz
• GTX 1060 3gb
• G Skill Trident Z 8gb ram
• Asus strix Z270F Gaming
• Dell S2417DG 165Hz 2560x1440 (2K) G-sync 1ms

OBS Settings

Output

• Encoder x264
• 1280x720
• CBR
• Bitrate 3000
• Customed Buffer Sizer to 3000
• Keyframe interval 2
• CPU Usage Preset ultrafast - veryslow
• profile main - high
• Tune film

Video

• Base resolution 1920x1080
• Output Resolution 1920x1080
• Downsace Filter
• FPS 30 or 60

Advanced

• Process Priotity Normal - High

Note: This problem usually seems when someone hasn't got a powerfull GPU with a monitor which is up to (2560x1440) 2k with more than 60Hz "which is usual". Because when our card trys to produce more fps for Hz it pressures and it can help obs for its requirements.

 

[JaTho]

So I just figured it out guys. Make sure you are using an HDMI cable and not your VGA (the blue blocky cable). I didn't have that problem recently but doing that fixed it.
Pro: I can record and stream PC games now
Cons: Lost my second monitor

 

[tanghao]

My wife is having this EXACT same issue. When the OBS window is selected, full 60fps. as soon as i click off the window onto the game it drops badly. She stopped streaming in February and recently started to stream again and now its doing this.

PC specs are i7 4770K + 780ti + windows 10 (has not updated to anniversary yet) + obs studio 64
Encoding settings 720p/60fps using nvec encoder. 3000 bit rate.
internet speeds: 300Mbps down 20Mbps up

 

[kzpl23]

I guess same thing happens to me. I do fullscreen preview on my capture card and the preview itself is laggy and im not even streaming or recording. If i do record you can tell that its not fluid 60fps. Been researching about this issue but seems like nobody knows what causes it.

 

[Harryaars]

I guess same thing happens to me. I do fullscreen preview on my capture card and the preview itself is laggy and im not even streaming or recording. If i do record you can tell that its not fluid 60fps. Been researching about this issue but seems like nobody knows what causes it.

This,

I have the exact same problem. Have been looking for fixes over the past 2-3 years and i just cant seem to find a fix for this

 

[BK-Morpheus]

I think there are at least two different problems in this thread, that get mixed up together.

One is GPU bottlenecking (OBS renders your scene via GPU and this needs some GPU power, no matter if OBS is just opened, or if it is recording/streaming) and the other is the Windows problem with mixed refreshrate monitors.

https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/common-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them.78116/
4.1 describes rendering lag
5 describes general problems with mixed refreshrates

People could simply remove the second monitor from the graphics card, reboot and try again (check your recording for stutter and your OBS log file for rendering lag).

One possible reason, why OBS can render in 60fps, when you click outside your game and why OBS drops the rendering frame rate below 60fps, when clicking back into the game can be the GPU bottleneck.
Many game engines will reduce the frame rate, when the game window is not active. In that case, the GPU load will drop, as soon as you click outside your game (that's, where OBS can get enough free GPU power).

To avoid this bottleneck and the rendering lag in OBS, that a high GPU load can cause, you simply need to make sure, that your GPU will run your game with less then 95% GPU load at any times.
There are many ways to achieve this:
- combine a game engine with a CPU that will bottleneck way before the GPU does get maxxed out
- limit you game fps and set ingame details accordingly, so that GPU load gets ~95% max

This kind of limit can be set via VSYNC, ingame FPS limiter, RTSS etc.
A limit of 144fps might be enough, depending on your GPU, but it's possible that some games will need a lower fps limit, to keep some GPU resources left for OBS to render the scene.

 

[nimhrod]

I FOUND MY FIX! Windows Game mode needs to be disabled!

1. when in game press "Windows Key + G".
2. on the far right deselect game mode.

you should be getting 60fps in OBS now.

 

[kzpl23]

Well in my case Game mode, game dvr and all those settings are off and even obs log shows them as being off. GPU bottlenecking is not the issue as I used gpuz to watch the load and its only at 60%. I also tried vsync, and setting fps limiter makes no difference. OBS log does not show any rendering or encoding lag. Different refresh rates could be the issue but I put my main monitor down to 60hz and obs preview is still laggy so idk. Also did a fresh install of obs and gpu drivers no change in performance. I dual booted windows 7 fresh install with just the mobo and gpu drivers preview still lags. Aero on/off makes no difference. Disconnected the capture card, and tried it with just one pc and same result. I just cant get obs with the preview to work, sometimes it starts out smooth and then starts to get laggy and in some places straight up choppy. Now, I just kinda gave up not sure what to try anymore.

 

[I3ordo]

this is the problem that has been turning my OBS life into a nightmare...

*Game mode, game dvr and all those settings are off even obs log shows them as being off
*OBS log does not show any rendering or encoding lag
*Different refresh rates could be the issue but I put my main monitor down to 60hz and obs preview is still laggy
* I dual booted windows 7 fresh install with just the mobo and gpu drivers preview still lags (not yet but damn, i thought that was my way out)

btw: i was able to make OBS not Stutter by disabling fullscreen optimizations for both game and OBS, but currently when i make OBS active, do some changes, game lags, which is normal i guess, but i seomtime forget to make the game active again.( ps4remoteplay.exe does not need to be active to receive controls as i am controlling ps4 by its own gamepad.)

@kzpl23 you might want to try to use only display port+display+display port (with dp to hdmi adapter) use the display ports closes to your DVI port. I solved my issue with werid one-frame periodic stuter that accumulated over time.

i am also using a probram that resets standby memorly list, i make it run every 5 minutes.)

 

[upgradeQ]

This is also the case for custom shaders or scripts tanking the FPS when OBS minimized, running as admin solves this problem.
The other alternative to move OBS onto different monitor, so it is always focused. Using virtual monitor also helps.