Bitrate drops and buffering

Bitrate drops mean OBS can't send data fast enough. This causes viewer buffering and quality degradation. The cause is either network-related (you can't upload fast enough) or encoder-related (your PC can't process fast enough).

Diagnose the problem

OBS stats will tell you whether the issue is network or hardware.

Open OBS Stats panel

1. In OBS, go to View → Stats
2. Keep this open while streaming
3. Watch for these two key metrics:

Reading the stats

• "Frames missed due to rendering lag". Your GPU can't keep up
• "Frames missed due to encoding lag". Your CPU/encoder can't keep up
• "Dropped Frames (Network)". Your internet can't keep up

The stat that increases tells you where the problem is.

Network-related fixes

If "Dropped Frames (Network)" is increasing:

1. Lower your bitrate

• Set bitrate to 80% of your stable upload speed
• If you have 10 Mbps upload, use max 8000 kbps
• For unstable connections, go lower (5000-6000 kbps)

2. Reduce network congestion

• Close downloads, updates, cloud syncing
• Ask others on your network to reduce usage during streams
• Disable automatic updates on your PC

3. Use QoS (Quality of Service)

• Log into your router settings
• Find QoS or Traffic Prioritization settings
• Prioritize your PC's traffic or streaming applications

4. Improve connection stability

• Use Ethernet instead of WiFi
• If WiFi is necessary, use 5GHz band and stay close to router
• Consider powerline adapters as an alternative

Encoder-related fixes

If "Frames missed due to encoding lag" is increasing:

1. Switch encoders

• NVENC (NVIDIA). Uses GPU, minimal CPU impact. Best option if you have NVIDIA GPU.
• AMF (AMD). Uses GPU for AMD cards
• QuickSync (Intel). Uses integrated graphics
• x264. Uses CPU only. High quality but demanding.

2. Adjust encoder preset

Faster presets use fewer resources but produce slightly lower quality.

• NVENC: Use "P5" or "P4" instead of "P7 (Slowest)"
• x264: Use "veryfast" or "faster" instead of "medium"

3. Lower output resolution

• Output at 720p instead of 1080p
• Or use 1080p at 30fps instead of 60fps
• Settings → Video → Output (Scaled) Resolution

4. Close resource-heavy applications

• Close browser tabs, especially video content
• Close apps like Discord video, Spotify visualizer
• Disable overlays (Discord, Xbox Game Bar)

GPU/Rendering issues

If "Frames missed due to rendering lag" is increasing:

1. Run OBS as administrator

This can help OBS get GPU priority.

1. Close OBS
2. Right-click OBS shortcut → Run as administrator

2. Limit game FPS

• Cap game FPS to your monitor refresh rate
• Use in-game limiters or GPU driver control panels
• Uncapped FPS wastes GPU resources that OBS needs

3. Check GPU usage

• Open Task Manager → Performance → GPU
• If GPU is at 100%, your game is using everything
• Lower game graphics settings to free GPU for OBS

Recommended settings for stability

If you're frequently having issues, these conservative settings prioritize stability:

Related issues

• Stream keeps disconnecting
• OBS says live but platform shows offline