Setting up streaming on a dual PC or just one?
Setting up streaming on a dual PC or just one?
Recently a streamer i know got the idea to buy a GTX 2060 for the new Encoder. He is currently using two PCs (sorry I don't know their specs, just that they aren't top-end) which allow him to stream at 900p 60fps. Now the question: if he purchases the 2060 to stream with the Nvenc encoder, would it be a waste in performance to quality and would it be smart to abandon his two PC setup?
I think it's advisable to have a second PC while streaming. It reduces the load on the gaming rig and lets the steamer keep working if there are technical issues with the gaming rig. Also, without knowing his specifications, it's tough to give precise advice, but if he's using obs, it might be better to invest in a capture card for his streaming setup instead of focusing too much on the Nvidia.
Many users who stream with OBS and two systems still rely on a capture card, though it doesn’t directly encode the stream. This means a CPU or GPU is required for encoding. I’ve heard from a streamer who recently upgraded to a 1070 in his streaming setup. He hasn’t inquired about his configuration, but typically people connect a capture card to send the gaming PC’s output to the streaming PC, where it gets encoded and uploaded.
Apologies, it seems he might benefit more from upgrading his capture card first. It's difficult to determine the exact details without more context. The encoding issue may not be the main problem, and a new graphics card probably won't help with the stream. We really need more information.
The sole purpose of adding a second PC for streaming is to run x264 at Medium or slower settings.
The updated NVENC offers quality similar to x264 Medium, with minimal performance loss compared to previous versions.
The latest OBS version modifies how NVENC operates at the system level, eliminating the need to transfer data between GPU and RAM. This change further reduces performance impact.
To utilize the new NVENC approach, you must process encoding on the same card, otherwise data would have to travel to RAM again.
Using a second PC can also cause audio issues, particularly when handling multiple channels.
The second PC always offers the greatest buffer for achieving the highest video quality. NVENC works decently on Turing, but x264 performs much better if configured correctly. Unless you're using a capture card, sending the video stream to the encoding system can be challenging. Most people suggest NDI, though it's not ideal and falls short compared to NGINX once properly set up. The choice really hinges on how much quality you're comfortable compromising for.