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How to Get Better Frame Rates When Streaming and Gaming

Updated · Standard formula, shown below

Streaming while gaming puts a heavy load on your CPU and GPU, often causing frame rate drops, stutters, and a laggy stream. This guide shows you practical settings and tweaks to balance game performance and stream quality, so you can play smoothly and broadcast without sacrificing either.

What You’ll Need

  • Access to your game’s graphics settings
  • Access to your streaming software (OBS Studio, Streamlabs, XSplit, etc.)
  • Graphics driver software (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel) – update to the latest version
  • Optional: a second monitor (helps monitor performance while gaming)

Step-by-Step

  1. Update your graphics drivers. Outdated drivers can cause stuttering and low FPS. Go to the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel website, download the latest driver for your GPU, and install it. Restart your PC after.
  2. Close background programs. Before starting a game, close browsers, chat apps, and other software that eat CPU/RAM. Use Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) to see what’s running and end unnecessary processes.
  3. Set your game’s graphics settings to a balanced preset. In the game, choose “Medium” or “High” (not Ultra) and turn off or lower demanding options like shadow quality, anti-aliasing, and motion blur. The goal is to keep your GPU usage below 90% so it has headroom for encoding.
  4. Cap your frame rate. Use an in-game limiter or the GPU driver to cap FPS slightly below your monitor’s refresh rate (e.g., 141 FPS on a 144Hz monitor). This prevents the GPU from working at 100% and reduces frame time spikes.
  5. Enable hardware encoding in your streaming software. In OBS, go to Settings > Output and set Encoder to “NVIDIA NVENC” (for NVIDIA GPUs) or “AMD HW H.264” (for AMD GPUs). This offloads encoding from the CPU to the GPU, freeing CPU resources for the game.
  6. Lower your stream resolution and bitrate. Streaming at 1080p60 requires more resources. Try 720p60 or 900p60 with a bitrate of 4500–6000 kbps (if your upload speed allows). Lower resolution reduces encoding load and improves FPS.
  7. Use a dedicated streaming PC (if possible). If you have a second PC, capture your gaming PC’s video output with a capture card and stream from the second PC. This completely separates game performance from stream encoding.
  8. Adjust Windows power settings. Set your power plan to “High Performance” in Control Panel > Power Options. This prevents the CPU from throttling down during intense gaming.
  9. Monitor your temperatures. Overheating causes thermal throttling, which drops FPS. Use software like MSI Afterburner or HWInfo to check CPU/GPU temps. If they exceed 85°C, improve cooling (clean fans, adjust fan curves).
  10. Use Game Mode in Windows. Enable Game Mode (Settings > Gaming > Game Mode) to prioritize your game’s CPU/GPU resources. Also, disable hardware acceleration in apps like Discord and Chrome to reduce background load.

Common Mistakes

  • Using CPU encoding (x264) on a single PC. This puts massive load on the CPU, causing FPS drops. Switch to GPU encoding (NVENC/AMF).
  • Streaming at 1080p60 with high bitrate on a mid-range PC. This is resource-heavy; 720p60 is often indistinguishable for most viewers and much lighter.
  • Not capping FPS. Letting the game run uncapped makes the GPU work at 100%, causing frame time spikes and encoder lag.
  • Ignoring in-game settings like V-Sync. V-Sync can add input lag; instead, cap FPS with the driver or in-game limiter.
  • Streaming over Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is unstable and can cause dropped frames. Use an Ethernet cable for a stable connection.

Tips

  • Use the “Optimize” button in GeForce Experience (NVIDIA) or Radeon Software (AMD). These tools automatically set game settings to a good balance for your hardware.
  • Set OBS to run as Administrator. Right-click OBS shortcut > Properties > Compatibility > Run as administrator. This gives it higher priority for CPU resources.
  • Use a wired internet connection. For streaming, a stable Ethernet connection is essential. Aim for at least 10 Mbps upload speed.
  • Test your stream before going live. Use OBS’s “Auto-Configuration Wizard” (Tools > Auto-Configuration) to find optimal settings based on your hardware and internet.
  • Consider using a second monitor. This lets you see OBS stats and chat without alt-tabbing, which can cause FPS drops.

Troubleshooting

  • Frame rate is still low after following steps: Check if your CPU or GPU is at 100% in Task Manager. If CPU is maxed, lower in-game CPU-heavy settings (like physics, draw distance). If GPU is maxed, lower graphics quality. Also, verify your power supply is sufficient for your GPU.
  • Stream stutters but game runs fine: This indicates encoding issues. Lower the stream resolution/bitrate, or switch to a faster encoding preset (in OBS, under Output > Encoder Settings, set Preset to “P5: Slow” for NVENC or “Speed” for x264). Also, check your upload speed – run a speed test.
  • Game runs fine but OBS shows dropped frames: This is a network issue. Use an Ethernet cable, close bandwidth-heavy apps, and lower your bitrate. If using Wi-Fi, try a different channel or move closer to the router.
  • OBS says “Encoding overloaded”: This means the encoder can’t keep up. Lower the stream resolution, reduce the frame rate to 30, or close other programs. If using x264, switch to NVENC/AMF.
  • FPS drops only when you alt-tab: This is common with fullscreen games. Try playing in “Borderless Windowed” or “Windowed Fullscreen” mode to avoid the drop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does streaming always reduce FPS?

Yes, streaming uses system resources, but with hardware encoding and proper settings, the impact can be minimal (5-10% FPS loss).

Is it better to stream at 720p or 1080p?

For most streamers, 720p60 at 4500-6000 kbps looks great and is easier on your system. 1080p60 requires more bitrate and encoding power, which can hurt FPS.

Should I use NVENC or x264?

If you have an NVIDIA GPU, use NVENC. It gives better performance in games because it uses a dedicated encoder chip. x264 uses CPU and can cause FPS drops on a single PC.

How much upload speed do I need to stream?

For 720p60, you need at least 4.5 Mbps upload. For 1080p60, at least 6 Mbps. Always have a buffer – aim for double the required bitrate.

Can I stream from a laptop?

Yes, but laptops often thermal throttle. Make sure your laptop has a dedicated GPU and good cooling. Use a cooling pad and consider lowering settings.

Why do I get stutters even with high FPS?

Stutters are often caused by frame time spikes. Cap your FPS to a stable value, disable V-Sync, and ensure your RAM is running in dual-channel mode.

Related

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.