Video recording and streaming are important aspects of modern video editing. This is because streamers are getting more and more popular, and people are enjoying video formats far more than other formats right now. Thus, it is even more important for content creators to be able to edit videos so that they can reach a wider audience.
OBS is a popular screencasting software that allows you to directly stream the content on your screen to a platform. When using OBS, you have the option to choose between Nvenc and Nvenc new. What exactly are Nvenc and Nvenc new? Both of these features are encoding features of the graphics cards, and the main difference between them lies in the methods of encoding.
What is Nvenc
Nvenc is an abbreviation of the word Nvidia Encoder. This is a feature of most Nvidia graphics cards, and it allows the card to encode video. It will also cause resource-intensive tasks to be off-loaded from the CPU to the GPU. This function was first introduced in 2012.
Nvenc is a function that is supported by many streaming programs such as OBS or Bandicam. It allows these programs to encode videos more efficiently, creating videos with better quality. Because the resources on the CPU are also freed up, your computer will have more resources to run other applications concurrently with the streaming software.
Why is Nvenc important for Streamlabs and OBS?
Nvenc is an indispensable part of any streaming program, as it helps to encode the videos more easily. Nvenc’s main function is to offload intensive tasks from the CPU to the GPU, resulting in much less stress on the CPU. This means that you will be able to multi-task on your PC without running risks of overheating it.
Nvenc is also optimized to handle video encoding, so it allows the graphics card to handle video processing more effectively, which means that the overall quality of the video will be greatly improved. Both Streamlabs and OBS are resource-intensive applications, so having Nvenc as a feature will be a great help.
Nvenc vs Nvenc new: video quality
Two encoding options are available for Nvenc in OBS and Streamlabs: Nvenc and Nvenc new. Both of these options come with their own set of advantages. Nvenc is most commonly used with graphics cards that do not have a dedicated encoder chip. These cards are usually older models. Nvenc new is the option for newer cards with a dedicated encoder chip. These cards are newer models such as the 1660 series.
The principal difference between these two options lies in their encoding mechanism: Nvenc new employs a newer encoding system, which means that it can be more effective at encoding videos, freeing up resources for the CPU.
In terms of video quality, you should probably not expect to see many differences between the two modes of video encoding. Some people swear that Nvenc encoding system produces video with much better quality, but this is debatable among the members of the community. One thing is certain, however: Nvenc new seems to free up a lot of resources on the CPU’s end, so the system is capable of running many tasks at the same time.
For users with dated graphics cards that use Pascal architecture, Nvenc new is a horrible option that greatly reduces streaming quality. This is because the option is not meant to be used with these older cards. That said, if there is no option to switch back to the old Nvenc, it can be quite frustrating, as there will be no way to guarantee the video quality.
Nvenc vs Nvenc new: price
When it comes to prices, Nvenc new is most certainly the more expensive option. This is because you have to buy new graphics cards to enable this function, and these cards can be quite expensive, especially if you have to go for the latest graphics card models. Older cards that do not have a dedicated encoder chip might be the more affordable solution if you lack the financial means to get the newer models.
Nvenc vs Nvenc new: bitrate
It should be noted that Nvenc new is just a new implication of Nvenc. As a result, the available bitrates for the two encoding options are effectively the same. The perfect bitrate for your stream should wholly depend on your upload speed as well as the resolution of your stream. Bitrates will, in turn, affect the framerate of your videos.
Nvenc and Nvenc new are not necessarily two different concepts. In fact, Nvenc new is just a new update of Nvenc for newer models, so you can expect the same functionalities between the two options. Which one you should choose should ultimately lie in your graphics card: if you have a newer model that comes with a dedicated chip for video encoding, Nvenc new should be the better choice. If not, you should stick to old Nvenc.
