Question / Help – Which OBS setting give the best recording quality to me?

Code:

14:14:38.368: Running as administrator: false

Code:

14:17:30.212: [jim-nvenc: 'recording_h264'] settings:
14:17:30.212:     rate_control: CQP
14:17:30.212:     bitrate:      0
14:17:30.212:     cqp:          10
14:17:30.212:     keyint:       250
14:17:30.212:     preset:       mq
14:17:30.212:     profile:      high
14:17:30.212:     width:        1920
14:17:30.212:     height:       1080
14:17:30.212:     2-pass:       true
14:17:30.212:     b-frames:     2
14:17:30.212:     lookahead:    false
14:17:30.212:     psycho_aq:    false

14:18:00.167: Output 'adv_file_output': Total frames output: 1750
14:18:00.167: Output 'adv_file_output': Total drawn frames: 1693 (1796 attempted)
14:18:00.167: Output 'adv_file_output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 103 (5.7%)
14:18:00.167: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 127/1794 (7.1%)

Code:

14:18:25.201: [x264 encoder: 'recording_h264'] preset: fast
14:18:25.201: [x264 encoder: 'recording_h264'] profile: high
14:18:25.201: [x264 encoder: 'recording_h264'] settings:
14:18:25.201:     rate_control: CBR
14:18:25.201:     bitrate:      120000
14:18:25.201:     buffer size:  120000
14:18:25.201:     crf:          0
14:18:25.201:     fps_num:      60
14:18:25.201:     fps_den:      1
14:18:25.201:     width:        1920
14:18:25.201:     height:       1080
14:18:25.201:     keyint:       250

14:19:01.357: Output 'adv_file_output': Total frames output: 2061
14:19:01.357: Output 'adv_file_output': Total drawn frames: 2060 (2169 attempted)
14:19:01.357: Output 'adv_file_output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 109 (5.0%)
14:19:01.357: ==== Recording Stop ================================================
14:19:01.357: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 8/2168 (0.4%)

The main issue you’re running into is rendering lag. This can be fixed by running OBS in administrator mode — this will tell windows to add OBS into the GPU priority so that it can perform the necessary scene compositing without being impeded by whatever other GPU functions are running (like your game).

For your nvenc recording, you’re using Max Quality — this setting requires CUDA, so it uses extra GPU resources outside of the NVenc encoder (Look Ahead and Psychovisual tuning also do this, just for an fyi). That’s the likely reason why you have extra encoding lag on top of rendering lag. Switch off of Max Quality to avoid this.

Your x264 encoding looks fine past the rendering lag, but honestly for recording there shouldn’t really be any reason to not use NVenc as long as the issues are cleared up.

Something extra that I will mention…. do NOT record directly to .mp4. This container format requires metadata to be recorded at the end of the recording, and if the recording is interrupted prematurely for any reason (i.e. crash, or badly behaving OS), then the entire recording will be corrupted. Record to either .mkv or .flv instead — if you need .mp4 for editing or otherwise, then you can remux the recording afterward, either by doing this manually through the File menu, or automatically after each recording (which you can enable via the advanced options).

The main issue you’re running into is rendering lag. This can be fixed by running OBS in administrator mode — this will tell windows to add OBS into the GPU priority so that it can perform the necessary scene compositing without being impeded by whatever other GPU functions are running (like your game).For your nvenc recording, you’re using Max Quality — this setting requires CUDA, so it uses extra GPU resources outside of the NVenc encoder (Look Ahead and Psychovisual tuning also do this, just for an fyi). That’s the likely reason why you have extra encoding lag on top of rendering lag. Switch off of Max Quality to avoid this.Your x264 encoding looks fine past the rendering lag, but honestly for recording there shouldn’t really be any reason to not use NVenc as long as the issues are cleared up.Something extra that I will mention…. do NOT record directly to .mp4. This container format requires metadata to be recorded at the end of the recording, and if the recording is interrupted prematurely for any reason (i.e. crash, or badly behaving OS), then the entire recording will be corrupted. Record to either .mkv or .flv instead — if you need .mp4 for editing or otherwise, then you can remux the recording afterward, either by doing this manually through the File menu, or automatically after each recording (which you can enable via the advanced options).