⚡ Quick Diagnosis
Check which counter is increasing in OBS (bottom right):
"Dropped frames" = Network issue (lower bitrate)
"Frames missed due to rendering lag" = PC issue (use NVENC, lower settings)
Two Types of Dropped Frames
🌐 Network Dropped Frames
Your upload speed can't handle the bitrate. Frames are lost during transmission to Twitch/YouTube.
Fix: Lower bitrate. Test upload speed. Try a different server.
🖥️ Rendering Lag (Missed Frames)
Your PC can't render/encode frames fast enough. Common when gaming + streaming.
Fix: Use NVENC, lower game settings, close background apps.
Fixes for Network Dropped Frames
Fix 1: Lower Bitrate
Settings → Output → Bitrate → Try 4500 Kbps instead of 6000. Test stability.
Fix 2: Change Ingest Server
Settings → Stream → Server → Try a different/closer server.
Fix 3: Use Ethernet
WiFi is unstable. Use a wired connection for streaming.
Fixes for Rendering Lag
Fix 1: Switch to NVENC
Settings → Output → Encoder → NVIDIA NVENC. Uses GPU instead of CPU.
Fix 2: Lower Game Settings
Reduce in-game graphics. Cap FPS at 144 or lower.
📊 Check Your Bitrate
Open Calculator →FAQ
Why is OBS dropping frames?
Either network issues (upload speed) or rendering issues (PC performance). Check which counter is increasing.