Question / Help OBS Studio too heavy compared to OBS / QuickSync problems / Multi adapter problems possibly

[Kyuunex]

Hi, I'm new here.
So I have been using OBS for a long time.

But recently I tried out OBS Studio and I really liked it, it made my work so much easier. One of the thing it is useful is capturing Fullscreen gaming footage being rendered on dedicated gaming gpu, while I had to use Fullscreen Windowed mode to capture with old OBS and that adds an input lag. But there's one problem: OBS studio is just too heavy.

Here are my encoding settings: Quick Sync, 12000kbps. (in the picture fps is different but it isn't related as the CPU usage is still low if I do 60fps on old OBS) same resolution on both. every other encoding related setting is default.

So take a look at this screenshot, as you can see, OBS Studio is using up a lot of CPU power while old OBS isn't. In fact the OBS Studio is using more on idle than old OBS recording and QSVHelper combined.

Why is this the case exactly? I chose quick-sync to take the load off my CPU processing cores and give it to Integrated Graphics because it really is just sitting around while I'm gaming with my dedicated GPU.

So why is it heavy and how do I make the CPU load less? I can't really afford a better CPU.

 

[Osiris]

Please post logs

 

[khades]

https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/mfe-quicksync-vs-old-obs-quicksync-performance.43729 i had the same question earlier

 

[dodgepong]

Hardware encoding is really in a very incomplete state in OBS Studio still. The current implementations are stop-gap until real implementations can be added.

 

[Kyuunex]

OK, so after some testing, I figured out 2 major things that hit the CPU the most:
Renderer: OpenGL
Multi-Adapter Compatibility.

Now I have read somewhere that there is a reason why Multi-Adapter Compatibility does it. However, I have a better solution, how about we separate the QuickSync encoder from the main exe file and do it with another executable? Just like in old OBS. This way, in AMD control panel, I can assign that dedicated QuickSync encoder to run on Intel graphics, while running OBS ST on AMD GPU, so there would be no need for Multi Adapter Compatibility. I tried running OBS ST on AMD without that compatibility and it recorded the footage just fine. Though I could only use CPU encoder which made my whole PC slow as hell and game unplayable.

So only devs can help fix this, and while I am not good at convincing people, at least I tried.

Please post logs

http://pastebin.com/jWNfKyNn

https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/mfe-quicksync-vs-old-obs-quicksync-performance.43729 i had the same question earlier

So I just have to wait for devs to replace that encoder? Hopefully, they write it in a separate file.

 

[Suslik V]

...I have read somewhere...

There Any changes with an upgraded video card?, maybe?..
-----------------------------------------------------------

I compared OBS and OBS Studio (32 bit).
Last few minutes of the recordings (screenshot of the task manager, CPU load aligned manually):



Test: one PC, single monitor, no mic, OBS folders was moved to trust list of the security software, same settings (closely as I can, cpu preset ultrafast), predefined input fr-043, 3 attempts.

Noticed, that Studio (v0.13.2) produces almost identical result by CPU load by cores (from try to try). OBS (0.657b) can lower one core but increase its load on second (varies from try to try, but summary load is the same). Studio heavier. Both had some struggle, but that happen in different places of the video footage, overall quality of the recordings almost the same. Playback slightly smoother on Studio but almost unnoticeable. IMHO. I like Studio. The load difference compared to OBS is low.

The last (and the best) logs from the both programs attached.

 

[Kyuunex]

There Any changes with an upgraded video card?, maybe?..
-----------------------------------------------------------

I compared OBS and OBS Studio (32 bit).
Last few minutes of the recordings (screenshot of the task manager, CPU load aligned manually):

View attachment 13726

Test: one PC, single monitor, no mic, OBS folders was moved to trust list of the security software, same settings (closely as I can, cpu preset ultrafast), predefined input fr-043, 3 attempts.

Noticed, that Studio (v0.13.2) produces almost identical result by CPU load by cores (from try to try). OBS (0.657b) can lower one core but increase its load on second (varies from try to try, but summary load is the same). Studio heavier. Both had some struggle, but that happen in different places of the video footage, overall quality of the recordings almost the same. Playback slightly smoother on Studio but almost unnoticeable. IMHO. I like Studio. The load difference compared to OBS is low.

The last (and the best) logs from the both programs attached.

You're log shows that you have an AMD CPU, so you probably use h264 cpu encoding. In that case, CPU loads will be similar. I'm using QuickSync. My problem doesn't really have to do with both versions encoding h264, it does with quicksync.

...less reliable due to the fact that it can't work if the game and OBS are on separate adapters...

That's why I want a separate executable for quick sync so if I run OBS on AMD GPU, quicksync would still be possible on Intel.

 

[Suslik V]

Intergated, dedicated, Integral, Hellsing, Alucard.

QuickSync->CPU (intel)
NVENC->GPU (nvidia)
VCE->GPU (amd)
both amd & intel CPUs can hold video onboard (Radeon vs HD Graphics).

...Quick Sync is a dedicated hardware core on the processor die. ...

When compare, try obs first, then close obs and run studio (do not run both simultaneously). Use predefined input, same scene and application settings. I cannot benchmark QuickSync performance and its implementation in Studio (due to lack of hardware), but you can and you may try one more time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I posted above results obtained by x264 'software' encoder (by default available in OBS for any PC config). Unfortunately, I forgot to eneble High Performance power profile in windows, so my CPU (two cores) may throttle during the test (for both programs, luckily:)

 

[Kyuunex]

(do not run both simultaneously).

Yeah, I was totally doing that in a real world use scenario. :D Off course I wasn't doing that.
I used exactly the same settings I could do. Except that Multi adapter thingy.

 

[Suslik V]

You have a SLI or CrossFire config?

 

[Kyuunex]

You have a SLI or CrossFire config?

I have a laptop with AMD Radeon HD 7650M, I have no SLI or CrossFire.

 

[Suslik V]

...and you are get black screen while capturing. Yeah? Why you are running 'Multi-adapter compatibility' option, you said?
You really shouldn't.

It was designed to work over with SLI and CrossFire, as I understand. Because texture sharing isn't easy on system were both graphic adapters render one output image. In your case its look like a switchable graphics: one adapter is always idle when other one in work (each time only one adapter renders the image - it can conserve battery in case of simple 2d calculations completed on the hd graphics core). Maybe I'm wrong, but Jim said that AMD OpenGL probably may have some distortion (and other) problems when hooking the game image. But all other games (not OpenGL games, or old games, or runned on old adapters) must run well on it.

Some of your games doesn't capture without 'Multi-adapter compatibility' option enabled?

 

[Kyuunex]

...and you are get black screen while capturing. Yeah? Why you are running 'Multi-adapter compatibility' option, you said?
You really shouldn't.

It was designed to work over with SLI and CrossFire, as I understand. Because texture sharing isn't easy on system were both graphic adapters render one output image. In your case its look like a switchable graphics: one adapter is always idle when other one in work (each time only one adapter renders the image - it can conserve battery in case of simple 2d calculations completed on the hd graphics core). Maybe I'm wrong, but Jim said that AMD OpenGL probably may have some distortion (and other) problems when hooking the game image. But all other games (not OpenGL games, or old games, or runned on old adapters) must run well on it.

Some of your games doesn't capture without 'Multi-adapter compatibility' option enabled?

Since the OBS Studio is running on Intel Graphics because I need to use QuickSync, and I also need it to grab video from different GPU, "Multi-adapter compatibility" works. Only game I record is CS:GO which runs on OpenGL. And at OBS Studio's current state, I'm getting around 30-40 fps when I'm recording, instead of 80-90 fps.

I'm not sure if any devs are reading this but... just separating the quicksync encoder in a separate executable (like in old OBS) will help.

 

[Suslik V]

Since the OBS Studio is running on Intel Graphics because I need to use QuickSync...

?! (the ability, existence, itself, of the feature in the CPU is checked by users by presence of the device hd graphics xxxx, the default access to the features of your CPU is limited by Media Foundation codecs, orig obs uses own code to access QuickSync)

Windows 10 no Intel QuickSync?
Quick Sync encoder not showing up
3Gen Intel CPU Quicksync

switch to AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and try again when new OBS Studio will available. Or ask for proper QuickSync support in Studio.

How do you think, QuickSync implemented in each core of the CPU or not? If some cores disabled (defect) during CPU manufacturing, will be QuickSync available for the rest of the cores?

 

[Kyuunex]

How do you think, QuickSync implemented in each core of the CPU or not? If some cores disabled (defect) during CPU manufacturing, will be QuickSync available for the rest of the cores?

I'm lost now.

Anyway, after some testing, here's what I came up with, In OBS studio, For my gaming footage to be recorded, I ether have to have Multi adapter support enabled, or video renderer set to OpenGL. Both add weight to my CPU, now here's the thing, I can also record without enabling these if I set my game to Fullscreen Windowed, however, OBS studio is still heavier than old OBS if i do that.

Nevermind, I'll just wait for updates and hope for the best.

 

[Osiris]

You dont need to run OBS on the intel to be able to use quicksync.

 

[Suslik V]

...I'm lost now.

As me. I don't know the answer :)

Osiris, short & effective.

 

[Kyuunex]

You dont need to run OBS on the intel to be able to use quicksync.

The "Start Recording" button doesn't do anything when I run OBS Studio on AMD graphics while my settings are set to use quicksync.

 

[Suslik V]

Like in this thread: Enabling NVENC Blocks me from Streaming/Recording? ?

Edit: I mean, no files, no errors etc.

 

[Kyuunex]

The newer quicksync encoder is even worse. Not sure why but not only there is a lot higher CPU usage, but now after the 0.14.1 update, the audio is glitching in the recording. (RIP my precious recording, T_T).

Another thing I noticed is that, while the new quick sync encoder replaces the old one, I still have the option to chose the old one on my tablet, while on my laptop, I don't. not sure what's going on.

Tablet:

Laptop: