How to Fix OBS Lagging [12 Quick Ways]

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How to Fix OBS Lagging [12 Quick Ways] – Movavi

Edited by Ben Jacklin

August 10, 2024

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Why is OBS so laggy? This frustrating experience can take the fun out of creating videos, or even worse, hurt your audience numbers if you are a content creator or streamer. This article will guide you through 12 methods to resolve OBS lagging. First, let's briefly outline the solutions for how to fix OBS lag:

Method

Description

Check your hardware

Ensure your system meets the minimum requirements

Lower the video's bitrate

Adjust video quality settings to improve performance

Check security and firewall software

Resolve potential conflicts with your security software

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Why is my OBS recording laggy?

So, why is an OBS recording laggy? Several factors may contribute to it. OBS monitor capture lag is typically caused by:

Insufficient system resources
High bitrate settings
Conflict with security software
An unstable network connection
Incorrect OBS settings

Additionally, the cause may be due to multiple factors put together. For example, if a user has insufficient system resources and an unstable network connection, they should expect OBS lagging while recording or streaming.

Top fixes

Read the fixes below to learn how to make OBS not lag.

Check your hardware

For OBS to function optimally, your system must meet specific requirements. These requirements pertain to three fundamental components of your computer: the CPU, GPU, and RAM.

The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is essentially the brain of your computer. Insufficient CPU power means slower processing of tasks, causing a lag when running resource-intensive software like OBS.

The GP (Graphics Processing Unit) renders images, animations, and videos on your computer's screen. If the GPU isn't powerful enough, you might experience lag, frame drops, or poor video quality in OBS.

Finally, the RAM (Random Access Memory) is the temporary storage that your computer uses to hold data it needs to access quickly. If your system doesn't have enough RAM, it might struggle to run OBS smoothly alongside other programs, leading to lagging issues during recording or streaming.

Lower the video's bitrate

Utilizing high bitrate settings can put a significant load on your system, which in turn may result in lagging issues. The bitrate refers to the amount of data processed per unit of time in a video or audio stream, measured in kilobits per second (Kbps). It shows the quality of your video or audio – the higher the bitrate, the better the quality. However, this improved quality comes at the cost of requiring more system resources to process the data. So, you may try to lower the bitrate to reduce lags.

Go to File, then Settings, and choose Output.
Find Streaming.
Click on Video Bitrate and either scroll or select desired bitrate.

Check security and firewall software

Security and firewall software, designed to protect your system from harmful activities, can occasionally disrupt the operation of OBS. A firewall monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. This protective measure might regard OBS as a potential threat and interfere. To fix this, ensure OBS is added to your security software's “whitelist,” a list of approved programs and websites.

Switch to a stable network

Using an unstable network can lead to a frustrating and disruptive experience when streaming or recording with OBS, as it often results in lag. An unstable network is inconsistent, frequently dropping in and out, or fluctuating in speed and reliability. This irregularity can cause delays, buffering, and poor video quality. Therefore, to reduce lag while streaming or recording, you need a stable and robust internet connection. A stable connection will provide consistent speeds and reliability, ensuring a smoother, lag-free experience during your OBS sessions.

Use wired connection

Wireless connections are prone to instability and fluctuation. Using a wired connection can help stop OBS from lagging. For example, if you want to stream on Twitch with OBS without lags, you may want a hardwired internet connection.

Change OBS settings

Incorrect configuration of OBS settings could result in lag during recording or streaming. Key settings to consider are encoder settings, frame rate, and resolution, each of which should be adjusted to match your system's capabilities.

Encoder settings determine how video and audio data are packaged for streaming or recording. If these settings are too high for your system, it may lead to lag. Frame rate refers to the number of individual frames or images displayed per second. The more frames, the more resources needed. Resolution is the size of the video on the screen, measured by the number of pixels in each dimension that the display can accommodate. Higher resolution provides a clearer, sharper image, but requires more processing power.

Changing framerate