Question Best budget secondary encoder GPU for live streaming with OBS (2023)

[TheDarkOne198]

I am considering getting a second, small GPU for encoding only for my live streams, using OBS to Twitch. I am uncertain what would be a good way to go with the least amount of fuss at the current time. I know there are various options like a GTX 1650 but I have read the 1660 Super has a better NVENC encoder than the non-Super variant but it is out of the price range I am aiming at, which is basically less than $150 USD. I am also curious how the Arc A380 would do for me on this as well with AV1 but I hear it's harder to set up and use or something like that. I remember an LTT video saying that I think. There is also H.265 as an option but AV1 is considered better it seems. I am relatively new to live streaming and started earlier this year so at the moment, whatever is most simple and works well is the thing I would aim for. I just want quality as good as possible and better than H.264, even if I can easily use the Quality preset in OBS. Being able to do higher resolutions with better quality would be a nice layer of icing on my live-streaming cake.

My current rig is as follows:
Motherboard: MSI X570 A-Pro
CPU: Ryzen 9 3950X
Primary GPU: Radeon RX 6750XT
Memory capacity: 32GB
PSU Wattage: 1200W 80+ Platinum rated

As a side note, I also have a Vega 64 sitting around but I doubt it can do any better than my main GPU for encoding and is likely still stuck with H.264

 

[Eximo]

I've seen the same information. I can only say that GPU/Dollar the A380 is pretty good and since it boasts AV1 it is certainly a step up from older Turing and Ampere cards. Not low end Ada cards yet. And not like you want to drop the cash on an RX7600 to get AV1 there.

I do own an A380, but I just use it to run my HTPC as a pre-test. I'm waiting to see what battlemage brings to the table, and even if it isn't amazing, will likely pick one up.

 

[TheDarkOne198]

I've seen the same information. I can only say that GPU/Dollar the A380 is pretty good and since it boasts AV1 it is certainly a step up from older Turing and Ampere cards. Not low end Ada cards yet. And not like you want to drop the cash on an RX7600 to get AV1 there.

I do own an A380, but I just use it to run my HTPC as a pre-test. I'm waiting to see what battlemage brings to the table, and even if it isn't amazing, will likely pick one up.

I have had similar thoughts too. There are doubts that low-end Alchamest cards might come but rumors they may be coming. Battlemage is anyone's guess but I hope they do come, if only for the competition they bring in the market. If an A350 comes along and can do it for like 100 dollars,I would absolutely jump on it but A380 might be a good choice. I just worry that AV1 might be too tricky to get working in OBS...it should just be a drop-down menu to select it though.

 

[Eximo]

There is the A310, not sure how good that would be and may only be available direct from Sparkle or Matrox for probably way too much.

ASRock A380 is only $120
GTX1650 $155

I got mine when it as $140, still consider it a deal considering I paid $90 for a GT1030 scratch and dent several years ago. That the only other option is an overpriced GTX1630 or a GTX1650 or a crippled 6500XT. basically a no-brainer.

 

[TheDarkOne198]

There is the A310, not sure how good that would be and may only be available direct from Sparkle or Matrox for probably way too much.

ASRock A380 is only $120
GTX1650 $155

I got mine when it as $140, still consider it a deal considering I paid $90 for a GT1030 scratch and dent several years ago. That the only other option is an overpriced GTX1630 or a GTX1650 or a crippled 6500XT. basically a no-brainer.

Indeed, I have read that the NVENC encoder in the ones under the 1660 Super is an older version with worse quality but I am sure it works fine enough. I am trying out x264 with settings I saw on a youtube video. I have a 32 Thread CPU so I can probably get away with that, with the usage preset set to "slow" and I might even try "slower" as last night I saw little CPU usage the whole time. It seems you can get a pretty decent quality stream on x264 if you have lots of threads on a decently strong CPU but if I got anything, that A380 will be it more than likely.