How to Reduce High CPU Usage in OBS

Quick Answer: The biggest CPU saver is switching from x264 (Software) to Hardware Encoding. Go to Settings > Output > Encoder > select NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (or AMD AMF). This moves the load to your GPU.

Why is CPU Usage High?

Streaming video is math-heavy. If you use x264 (Software), your CPU has to calculate every pixel of every frame 60 times a second. If you play a CPU-heavy game at the same time, your computer chokes.

Step 1: Switch to GPU Encoding

Modern GPUs (NVIDIA RTX/GTX, AMD Radeon) have dedicated chips just for streaming. They do this work with almost 0% impact on gaming performance.

NVIDIA: Select "Hardware (NVENC)".
AMD: Select "Hardware (AMF)".
Intel: Select "Hardware (QSV)".

Step 2: Cap Your In-Game FPS

If your GPU is running at 100% usage rendering the game, it has no room left for OBS to compose scenes. This causes "Rendering Lag".

Fix: If your monitor is 144Hz, cap your game FPS at 144 (or even 120). This leaves breathing room for OBS.

Unsure if your PC can handle it?

Use our Quality Checker to see if your bitrate matches your resolution.

➜ Generate Low-CPU Settings