Should I build a gaming PC?


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I'm getting back into gaming this summer and recently purchased a Xbox 360 over the next generation console. After watching a few live stream game play on Twitch, I'm not considering to build a gaming PC for two reasons:

1) Windows based Steam games library

2) Live streaming with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)

 

My hesitation to build a gaming PC has always been the cost to build and upgrade over the next few (5) years to keep up with system requirements of new game releases. I'm really considering this and want to keep my budget within the $500 - $800 limit, what would you recommend based on current available hardware without breaking the bank.

 

Note: I did not post this in the PC gaming thread because I wanted an unbiased response, or as best as I could get.

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1. Core i3 Processor

2. Z87 Motherboard

3. Radeon R7 270

4. 4GB PC1600 Memory

5. 128GB Samsung 840 SSD for OS and most demanding games

6. 1TB HDD for storage

7. Cheap case

8. 500w PSU

 

That should but you in the $700 ballpark and be pretty capable.

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1. Core i3 Processor

2. Z87 Motherboard

3. Radeon R7 270

4. 4GB PC1600 Memory

5. 128GB Samsung 840 SSD for OS and most demanding games

6. 1TB HDD for storage

7. Cheap case

8. 500w PSU

 

That should but you in the $700 ballpark and be pretty capable.

Today's gaming requires atleast 6GB of ram, that mobo is a bit expensive, Intel H series should be more than enough.

i3 is best choice though.

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I'm getting back into gaming this summer and recently purchased a Xbox 360 over the next generation console. After watching a few live stream game play on Twitch, I'm not considering to build a gaming PC for two reasons:

1) Windows based Steam games library

2) Live streaming with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)

 

My hesitation to build a gaming PC has always been the cost to build and upgrade over the next few (5) years to keep up with system requirements of new game releases. I'm really considering this and want to keep my budget within the $500 - $800 limit, what would you recommend based on current available hardware without breaking the bank.

 

Note: I did not post this in the PC gaming thread because I wanted an unbiased response, or as best as I could get.

 

Please be ready to pay $1000 for the desktop proper, not including a monitor. If this is for gaming ONLY, then you're better off getting a PS4 or X1, or sticking with your 360. Unless you just want the joy of having a PC, then sure why not?

 

I am saying this with no ill intent or cynicism, but if you want to tap that so-called "master race" feeling (i.e. enjoy the sheer power advantage of a desktop PC), then you'll need to spend more and also figure in the cost of a nice monitor (preferably 1440p or even 4K). For under $1000 you will get a decent desktop, but it won't be much more impressive visually than the current consoles, plus it'll have the slightly higher complexities of gaming on PC.

 

Disregard all of what I said above if you need a PC for gaming and other applications. In that case of course put together a desktop. PC remains the most versatile platform, obviously.

 

In terms of your build, yes, I agree min 8GB is needed these days. You do not really need an SSD, i'd spend that money on a better CPU or GPU. The i5's are all great for gaming, and a 280 or 760 will handle any current game in 1080 high settings. Never expect a build to "last" more than three years, though.

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Thanks for the replies so far. If I were to revise my budget say to $1,500. What would be the optimum hardware to play games and live stream to Twitch?

 

For memory, I'm thinking of 8-16GB and I definitely want to go with a SSD drive for the primary and 5400 or 7200 drive for secondary. I don't think I want to go as high as a 4K, personally I can't think of anything that would use that and the cost, but I'm open to hearing about it.

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Thanks for the replies so far. If I were to revise my budget say to $1,500. What would be the optimum hardware to play games and live stream to Twitch?

 

For memory, I'm thinking of 8-16GB and I definitely want to go with a SSD drive for the primary and 5400 or 7200 drive for secondary. I don't think I want to go as high as a 4K, personally I can't think of anything that would use that and the cost, but I'm open to hearing about it.

I'll get to making a build for you soon.

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I'll get to making a build for you soon.

 

Thanks, I have also put together a parts list. Have a go at it, tear it down make some recommendations

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg/by_merchant/
 
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US) 
  • CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Micro Center) 
  • Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 
  • Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($255.66 @ Newegg) 
  • Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Power Supply: Cooler Master V850 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1350.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:42 EDT-0400)
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Thanks for the replies so far. If I were to revise my budget say to $1,500. What would be the optimum hardware to play games and live stream to Twitch?

 

For memory, I'm thinking of 8-16GB and I definitely want to go with a SSD drive for the primary and 5400 or 7200 drive for secondary. I don't think I want to go as high as a 4K, personally I can't think of anything that would use that and the cost, but I'm open to hearing about it.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKZg

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKZg/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKZg/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($51.00 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($449.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB DirectCU II  Video Card  ($319.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1350.94

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:52 EDT-0400)

 

Thanks, I have also put together a parts list. Have a go at it, tear it down make some recommendations

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg/by_merchant/
 
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US) 
  • CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Micro Center) 
  • Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 
  • Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($255.66 @ Newegg) 
  • Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
  • Power Supply: Cooler Master V850 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
Total: $1350.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:42 EDT-0400)

 

Oh, are you overclocking?

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Thanks, I have also put together a parts list. Have a go at it, tear it down make some recommendations

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DKEg/by_merchant/
 
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US) 
  •  
  • CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.94 @ OutletPC) 
  •  
  • Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 
  •  
  • Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
  •  
  • Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Micro Center) 
  •  
  • Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($139.99 @ Amazon) 
  •  
  • Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($255.66 @ Newegg) 
  •  
  • Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
  •  
  • Power Supply: Cooler Master V850 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($169.99 @ Amazon) 
  •  
Total: $1350.53
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 12:42 EDT-0400)

 

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DL7w

 

 
CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory:  Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Micro Center) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($495.91 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1437.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 13:06 EDT-0400)
 
you dont need a $140 best HD only for storage, you dont need a 850 watt PSU for single card so i took down those and replaced it with a 780. Mastercomms build is ok but you need a gfx card with at least 3GB video RAM these days
 
you could also save $100 and go with the micro ATX board that mastercomms chose
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http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DL7w

 

 
CPU:  Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US) 
Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD4H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory:  Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($149.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($139.99 @ Micro Center) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte GeForce GTX 780 3GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($495.91 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1437.77
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 13:06 EDT-0400)
 
you dont need a $140 best HD only for storage, you dont need a 850 watt PSU for single card so i took down those and replaced it with a 780. Mastercomms build is ok but you need a gfx card with at least 3GB video RAM these days
 
you could also save $100 and go with the micro ATX board that mastercomms chose

 

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($51.00 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($449.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($379.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1410.94

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 13:18 EDT-0400)

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PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV

Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV/by_merchant/

Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3DLQV/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($229.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: ASRock H81M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($51.00 @ Newegg)

Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 1TB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($449.99 @ Amazon)

Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB WINDFORCE Video Card  ($379.99 @ Amazon)

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: SeaSonic G 550W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.99 @ Amazon)

Total: $1410.94

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-04 13:18 EDT-0400)

 

he wants secondary storage as well so maybe if you dropped it to a 500GB SSD and put in 2TB storage cus always best to keep anything downloaded off your primary system drive incase you have to reinstall the OS wiping it clean

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he wants secondary storage as well so maybe if you dropped it to a 500GB SSD and put in 2TB storage cus always best to keep anything downloaded off your primary system drive incase you have to reinstall the OS wiping it clean

Then I guess he can switch to your drive config in your list.

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Wow! Thanks for the recommendations. 

 

@mastercoms I have thought about overclocking but I haven't made a decision on that yet. 

 

I want a secondary storage for dumping game play capture videos to when I stream to Twitch.

 

 

Optical audio, that is another consideration I wanted to make while building this gaming PC.

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Wow! Thanks for the recommendations. 

 

@mastercoms I have thought about overclocking but I haven't made a decision on that yet. 

 

I want a secondary storage for dumping game play capture videos to when I stream to Twitch.

 

 

Optical audio, that is another consideration I wanted to make while building this gaming PC.

 

If you used my one using a 250GB SSD then get a 1-2TB HD, partition off 200-250GB as overspill for games (thats what i do) can put the games you want loaded up quick onto the SSD and any games that your not to bothered about put em on the HD as once the game is loaded up HD access is minimal so SSD is good for like BF4 etc where you want the map loaded up quick etc.

 

then can either go for 770 4GB or a 780 pends out what ya feel is good for ya. 770 should be good enough with the new driver release from nvidia but its upto you

 

Also most onboard motherboard sound if not all comes with sp/dif out for optical connection but just look for it on the m/b description on audio sections. It should be there

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Today's gaming requires atleast 6GB of ram, that mobo is a bit expensive, Intel H series should be more than enough.

i3 is best choice though.

 

Sorry mate but i3 is a horrible CPU for gaming, you need an i5 at least. i3 performs less also only has 0.75MB cache per thread, both i5/i7 have 1.5MB cache per thread.... helps alot. i3 is for casual gaming like facebook, apps from the windows app store, browser based gaming etc. its not for serious gaming. its like choosing an AMD quad core instead of an 8 core.

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Sorry mate but i3 is a horrible CPU for gaming, you need an i5 at least. i3 performs less also only has 0.75MB cache per thread, both i5/i7 have 1.5MB cache per thread.... helps alot. i3 is for casual gaming like facebook, apps from the windows app store, browser based gaming etc. its not for serious gaming. its like choosing an AMD quad core instead of an 8 core.

I've seen Intel Pentium dual core Ivy running games without a hitch , most of them on very high details. My i5 is barely used in today's gaming, 1080p .

i3 should fare well enough if you own a decent GPU.

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What games will you play OP?

 

I've seen Intel Pentium dual core Ivy running games without a hitch , most of them on very high details. My i5 is barely used in today's gaming, 1080p .

i3 should fare well enough if you own a decent GPU.

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Sorry mate but i3 is a horrible CPU for gaming, you need an i5 at least. i3 performs less also only has 0.75MB cache per thread, both i5/i7 have 1.5MB cache per thread.... helps alot. i3 is for casual gaming like facebook, apps from the windows app store, browser based gaming etc. its not for serious gaming. its like choosing an AMD quad core instead of an 8 core.

 

It depends on what games you want to play really. I have a Pentium G2120 (an i3 without hyperthreading) that runs all of my games without any problems. Of course having a faster CPU never hurts if you can afford one. I just wanted something that would run cool and quiet (only 55 watts) and not cost me a fortune. It's certainly a budget CPU but I've yet to find anything it can't run just fine.

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I've seen Intel Pentium dual core Ivy running games without a hitch , most of them on very high details. My i5 is barely used in today's gaming, 1080p .

i3 should fare well enough if you own a decent GPU.

 

He said he wants to stream it too, an i3 won't cut it for streaming games unless it's at low quality. I had an i5 4670k (OC to 4.5GHz) and playing newer games at 1080p plus streaming at 720p/60fps/5000kbps would max out the CPU, I've since upgraded to an i7 4770k and it's much better suited for gaming / streaming at high quality.

 

OP, It really depends what games you're playing, and what quality/resolution you said games to play/stream at. 

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He said he wants to stream it too, an i3 won't cut it for streaming games unless it's at low quality. I had an i5 4670k (OC to 4.5GHz) and playing newer games at 1080p plus streaming at 720p/60fps/5000kbps would max out the CPU, I've since upgraded to an i7 4770k and it's much better suited for gaming / streaming at high quality.

 

OP, It really depends what games you're playing, and what quality/resolution you said games to play/stream at. 

 

Whatever I go with has to keep me within the system requirements for the FPS of today, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Titanfall as well as MOBAs. I'm hoping a gaming PC will be a significant improvement above my existing console (Xbox 360) and will facilitate live streaming or game capture. 

 

@James123 is correct with his assumption, I want to play games at 1080p plus streaming at 720p/60fps/5000kbps 

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Both the i3-4130 and i5-4430 would be commendable choices at their respective prices for a mid-range budget build. For streaming you can use the built-in QuickSync encoder which takes almost no CPU regardless of the model. Just make sure your motherboard supports integrated graphics (it should have an integrated video output). Using QuickSync without a monitor plugged in the integrated video output may involve manually installing the Intel graphics drivers and/or enabling multi-monitor support in the BIOS. Make sure you're using Windows 8+.

 

If you choose an NVIDIA video card you can also use NVENC for on-the-fly encoding (via ShadowPlay). For AMD I believe hardware encoding is also supported through "AMD APP" (see for ex. http://mirillis.com/en/products/action_live_streaming.html)

 

Sorry mate but i3 is a horrible CPU for gaming, you need an i5 at least.

It's far from horrible, tomshardware and other serious tech sites have been recommending them as mid-range (i.e. better than entry-level) CPUs for a long time, with benchmark data to back it up (example).

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Both the i3-4130 and i5-4430 would be commendable choices at their respective prices for a mid-range budget build. For streaming you can use the built-in QuickSync encoder which takes almost no CPU regardless of the model. Just make sure your motherboard supports integrated graphics (it should have an integrated video output). Using QuickSync without a monitor plugged in the integrated video output may involve manually installing the Intel graphics drivers and/or enabling multi-monitor support in the BIOS. Make sure you're using Windows 8+.

 

If you choose an NVIDIA video card you can also use NVENC for on-the-fly encoding (via ShadowPlay). For AMD I believe hardware encoding is also supported through "AMD APP" (see for ex. http://mirillis.com/en/products/action_live_streaming.html)

 

The problem is when streaming, presumably to Twitch since it's the largest site, they consider anything > 3500kbps bitrate 'abuse' for non-partners. Unfortunately at low bitrates the hardware encoders look significantly worse than the software x264 encoder in OBS, especially with high motion FPS games. When recording locally since I can use high bitrates I always use NVEnc to offload the work from the CPU (~12000kbps bitrate recording from ShadowPlay looks similar in quality to a 4500kbps bitrate stream using the software x264 encoder in OBS) but if you tried to use that bitrate on Twitch they would give you the boot. 

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The problem is when streaming, presumably to Twitch since it's the largest site, they consider anything > 3500kbps bitrate 'abuse' for non-partners. Unfortunately at low bitrates the hardware encoders look significantly worse than the software x264 encoder in OBS, especially with high motion FPS games. When recording locally since I can use high bitrates I always use NVEnc to offload the work from the CPU (~12000kbps bitrate recording from ShadowPlay looks similar in quality to a 4500kbps bitrate stream using the software x264 encoder in OBS) but if you tried to use that bitrate on Twitch they would give you the boot. 

You seem to be right, but I think the hardware encoders still do an OK job at 3500kbps, providing a low-cost, low-performance impact option. Some guy did a comparison of all 3 encoders and while x264 looks noticeably better, the two hardware encoders produce acceptable quality. Looks like x264 fast preset > QuickSync > NVENC. https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/feedback-quick-sync-and-nvenc-laptop.11868/

 

Here's a frame taken in a fast action scene:

 

NVENC:

X0AOq38.png

QuickSync:

rArxMDW.png

X264, Fast preset:

VJzBc5f.png

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Open the pictures in separate tabs and cycle through them, you should see some difference especially in finer detail like the road texture.

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