OBS Bitrate Calculator
Calculate perfect OBS Studio bitrate with x264/NVENC encoder recommendations. Get instant CPU presets, hardware encoder settings and streaming optimization.
Available bandwidth: 20 Mbps
Recommended: 70-80% for stable streaming
Bitrate Range
Quality Assessment
Based on resolution, frame rate, and available bandwidth
Twitch
Max: 6,000 kbps⚠️ Exceeds limit
YouTube
Max: 9,000 kbps⚠️ Exceeds limit
Max: 6,000 kbps⚠️ Exceeds limit
OBS Streaming Bitrate Settings 2026
Keyframe interval: 2s for streaming · H.264 codec · CBR rate control for live streams
| Platform | Resolution | FPS | Bitrate | Encoder | Preset / Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twitch | 1080p | 60 | 6,000 kbps | NVENC | Max Quality |
| Twitch | 1080p | 60 | 6,000 kbps | x264 | veryfast |
| Twitch | 1080p | 30 | 4,500 kbps | x264 | fast |
| Twitch | 720p | 60 | 4,500 kbps | NVENC | Max Quality |
| Twitch | 720p | 30 | 3,000 kbps | x264 | medium |
| YouTube | 1080p | 60 | 9,000 kbps | NVENC | Max Quality |
| YouTube | 1080p | 30 | 4,500 kbps | x264 | medium |
| YouTube | 720p | 60 | 7,500 kbps | NVENC | Max Quality |
| Recording | 1080p | 60 | 40,000 kbps | NVENC | High Quality / CQP 18 |
| Recording | 1080p | 60 | 20,000 kbps | x264 | CRF 18–20 |
x264 vs NVENC — Which Should You Use?
x264 (CPU encoder)
- ✓ Better quality per bit at same bitrate
- ✓ Works on any CPU, no GPU needed
- ✓ Fine-grained quality control (CRF)
- ✗ Uses significant CPU — may hurt game FPS
- Best preset for streaming: veryfast
- Best for recording: CRF 18–22
NVENC (NVIDIA GPU encoder)
- ✓ Near-zero CPU usage
- ✓ RTX 30/40 series quality rivals x264 fast
- ✓ Dedicated hardware — always available
- ✗ Requires NVIDIA GPU (GTX 10 series minimum)
- Best quality setting: Max Quality
- Enable: Look-ahead & Psycho Visual Tuning
OBS Bitrate — Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use x264 or NVENC in OBS Studio?+
Use NVENC if you have an NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1000 series or newer) — it encodes on the GPU, leaving your CPU free for the game. Use x264 if you have no dedicated GPU or a powerful CPU. x264 at veryfast preset gives good quality; modern RTX 30/40 NVENC at Max Quality is competitive with x264 fast preset.
What is the best OBS bitrate for 1080p 60fps?+
For 1080p60 streaming on Twitch: 6,000 kbps (platform max). For YouTube: 9,000 kbps. For local recording: 20,000–50,000 kbps or use CRF/CQP mode. Encoder: NVENC at Max Quality or x264 at veryfast. Set keyframe interval to 2 seconds for streaming.
What is the best CPU preset for OBS x264?+
For streaming, veryfast or superfast — these use less CPU while still producing good quality at streaming bitrates. If your CPU stays below 70–80% during streaming, try the next slower preset (fast → medium) for better quality. For recording, medium or slow presets are worth the CPU cost.
What OBS bitrate should I use for Twitch?+
Twitch settings in OBS: 1080p60 → 6,000 kbps, 1080p30 → 4,500 kbps, 720p60 → 4,500 kbps, 720p30 → 3,000 kbps. Set keyframe interval to 2 seconds, codec to H.264, rate control to CBR. Choose NVENC or x264 based on your hardware.
What is the difference between OBS streaming bitrate and recording bitrate?+
Streaming bitrate is limited by upload speed and platform caps (Twitch max: 6,000 kbps). Recording has no upload limit — use 20,000–50,000 kbps for high-quality 1080p60 local files, or switch to CRF/CQP mode which automatically adjusts quality without a fixed bitrate ceiling.
What bitrate should I use for OBS recording at 1080p?+
For 1080p60 local recording in OBS: x264 with CRF 18–20 for near-lossless quality (file size varies by content). NVENC with CQP 18–22 for similar results. Fixed bitrate alternative: 20,000 kbps for 1080p30, 40,000–50,000 kbps for 1080p60. Higher is always better for recordings you plan to edit.
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About this calculator
The OBS Studio Bitrate Calculator uses OBS Project encoder documentation and the H.264/x264 bitrate formula to generate recommendations for x264, NVENC, AMF, and QuickSync encoders. Preset recommendations are based on CPU-efficiency benchmarks: “veryfast” is the standard streaming preset because it uses ~60% less CPU than “fast” with minimal quality difference at 6,000 kbps. Calculations run entirely in your browser. Last updated: February 2026.