Quick settings
Best OBS settings by GPU — Windows 2026
| GPU | Encoder | Stream bitrate | Recording |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX/GTX | NVENC H.264 (new) | 6000 kbps (1080p60) | NVENC CQP 18 |
| AMD RX series | HW H.264 (AVC) | 6000 kbps (1080p60) | HW H.264 CQP 18 |
| Intel Arc / UHD | QSV H.264 | 6000 kbps (1080p60) | QSV CQP 18 |
| No GPU / CPU | x264 (fast preset) | 4500 kbps (720p60) | x264 CRF 23 |
Output settings
OBS Output settings for streaming and recording
# Streaming:
Video Bitrate: 6000 Kbps (1080p60) or 4500 Kbps (1080p30)
Encoder: Hardware (NVENC / AMF / QSV)
Audio Bitrate: 160 Kbps
# Recording:
Recording Quality: High Quality, Medium File Size
Recording Format: mkv (then remux to mp4)
Video settings
OBS Video settings on Windows
- Base resolution
- Match your monitor resolution (e.g. 1920×1080)
- Output resolution
- What you stream/record at. 1920×1080 for 1080p.
- Downscale filter
- Lanczos for quality, Bilinear for performance.
- FPS
- 60 for gaming streams, 30 for talking-head or low-end PCs.
FAQ
Settings questions
Best OBS settings for streaming on Windows — NVENC or x264?
Always prefer NVENC (NVIDIA), AMF (AMD) or QSV (Intel) hardware encoders over x264 when available. Hardware encoding uses the GPU encoder chip, leaving CPU free for gaming. x264 uses CPU and causes frame drops in games. Only use x264 if your GPU does not have a hardware encoder or its quality is insufficient.
What bitrate for 1080p60 streaming on Twitch?
Twitch recommends 6000 kbps for 1080p60. With Twitch Partner or Turbo, you can go up to 8000 kbps. For YouTube Live, 8000–12000 kbps is recommended for 1080p60. For stable streams on slower connections, lower to 4500 kbps for 1080p30.