Question Can I use the Elgato Game Capture 4K X with my laptop if all I want to do is record gameplay at 1080p, 30fps?

[ResignedWhistleblower]

Hello,

I'm planning to purchase the Elgato Game Capture 4K X. I want to know if my laptop is compatible with it considering my use case. Here's what I intend to do and not do with it:

• Record gameplay at 1080p, 30 fps, including in-game audio.
• Use it with my PlayStation 3 (via an HDMI splitter), PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
• I do not plan on live streaming or pre-recording footage of me playing, reacting or talking.
• I will not use my PC to play.
• I specifically chose the 4K X to future-proof.

Here are my laptop's specifications:

• Model: HP Envy 17-ce2010nr
• Display: 17.3" IPS, 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 resolution
• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro for Workstations (64-bit)
• RAM: 32 GB (2 x 16GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz)
• USB: It has one USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2) and three USB-A ports
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7
• GPU: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics

My laptop meets some, but not all, of the system requirements listed by Elgato for this capture card. I have a few questions:

1. Will the capture card work with my display, or will it require a 4K screen?
2. Elgato recommends at least a 6th generation Core i5 CPU. My laptop has an 11th generation Core i7 chip. However, I'm also aware that the one I have is considered a "mobile processor" meant for ultrabooks. Considering the six-year gap between these models, do you think the power is comparable or close enough?
3. Elgato recommends at least NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10xx for the GPU. I only have an integrated chip. Will this be a problem? Their previous model, the Elgato Game Capture HD60 S, only required an old Intel HD chip to record 1080p at 60fps. Considering that I won't be taking advantage of all the features and capabilities of the 4K X, do you think mine will work?

I've tried asking Elgato about this and they recommended the HD60 S. However, I can't find it brand new anymore and it seems to have been discontinued. It now goes for the same price as the 4K X. Additionally, when answering my questions, they seem to insist that I'm going to stream and record at 4K despite me repeatedly saying that I don't plan on doing any of that. I simply want to record my own gameplay at 1080p, 30fps.

Because I don't plan on using maximum settings, do you think the capture card will work on my laptop?

 

[Viking2121]

It should work, would have to mirror your DP or HDMI port, or use a secondary screen and record it with that.

But why not use something like OBS or Bandicam or something and use Intel Quicksync encoder thats built into the CPU? It wont hurt performance at all, and it'll record 4k vary smoothly. Its free, well OBS is free Bandicam is also free but has some feature locked behind a pay wall and I think it had a watermark that will show in videos. OBS does have a bit of a learning curve but so would that Elgato.

Good Luck!

 

[ameliahebrew]

Thanks, ResignedWhistleblower, for raising such a relevant question!

I have an i7 11th generation laptop and have been considering using the Elgato Game Capture 4K X for recording gameplay. Your inquiry about recording at 1080p, 30fps, is particularly useful.

From what I’ve gathered, the i7 11th generation should handle this without a hitch, especially with its robust processing power and integrated graphics capabilities. However, I’m curious if there are specific settings I should tweak to optimize performance and ensure smooth recordings.

Also, are there any additional factors I should keep in mind regarding RAM or storage when using this setup? I want to make sure my laptop can handle it efficiently.

Thanks again for your question, and I look forward to any tips the community can share on getting the best results with this setup!