Getting the best capture cards for your setup makes anything related to videos and gaming easy. These tiny gadgets let you stream, record, and get creative, so they are invaluable if you are serious about content creation. These gadgets are handy for capturing those hard-to-replicate gaming moments or streaming gameplay on a platform with reach like Twitch or Facebook Gaming.
Why You Need the Best Capture Card
The best capture card will also save your gaming device’s resources since it runs off its own hardware. Others would say that it’s easier and basically free to run software-based solutions like OBS, but they ride off your system specifications. Doing so can effectively reduce gaming and video performance. It is an added item to merge into your gaming setup, but we promise that it won’t be that hard.
Most of these options are also plug-and-play, so you don’t have deal with configuring complex software. OBS, which is arguably more popular than other platforms, takes at least 30 minutes to configure. Adding a capture card will bridge gaps that often induce stuttering and disconnection, along with taking off some load from your PC.
How to Pick the Best Capture Cards
For most users, Full HD with 30 to 60FPS should be more than sufficient for streaming purposes. Most options are capable of these specifications, and they are not as expensive as they were before. However, specifically recommend
There are some that can do 4K 60Hz, but it’s not entirely necessary, even for a professional streaming setup. Getting these powerful cards will definitely help, but they are prohibitively expensive and unnecessary in most cases. If budget permits, then getting the best possible model is a no-brainer, but a 1080p 30Hz or 50Hz is more than enough.
Best Capture Card for Streaming 2024
Elgato Game Capture HD60 X
The Elgato HD60 X is the current top choice from the brand, which has been very resonant for streaming. It’s plug and play, so it’s very easy to use, so even beginners will get an enjoyable and stress-free experience. It’s also a suitable capture card for the PS5 since it’s compatible with almost every gaming console.
The HD60 X can do 4K at 30 FPS, 1440p at 60 FPS, and 1080p at 60 FPS, and for capture, it can do 4K at 60 FPS and 1440p at 120 FPS. It’s also VRR compatible with Windows for smooth visuals. The downside is that it’s more expensive than its predecessor, but it’s one of the better investments out there.
Elgato 4K60 S+
The Elgato 4K60 S+ is a high-end step up to the HD60 X, so don’t expect it to be cheap. However, it can do 4K 60 FPS capture with onboard HEVC encoding, so your videos will come out nicer and fuller. It also uses USB-C for connectivity and has an SD card slot for standalone recording.
It delivers fantastic clarity and overall video quality, but that comes with a price. It needs beefy hardware, which is quite expensive as well, and it needs either the 4K Capture Utility with no video editing capability or the purchase of 3rd party software. It may seem impractical, but it’s the most future-proof option in this lineup.
EVGA XR1
We love the EVGA XR1 since it’s cheap and easily one of the best-looking capture cards on the market. It can do up to 4K 60 FPS HDR, and it has a built-in mixer for getting creative with your audio. The latter alone is invaluable since you save a lot of money by not having to buy a separate interface for that.
It’s interesting that the XR1 has ARGB lighting, but what piqued our interest was its APT or Advanced Passthrough Button. It basically lets you toggle between capture and pass-through resolutions on the fly. It’s a bit more difficult to configure compared to Elgato or Avermedia solutions, but we’d take the challenge to save more than a hundred bucks any day.
Avermedia Live Gamer Duo
The Avermedia Live gamer Duo is an increasingly popular option due to its dual passthrough capabilities. It needs to be installed into your motherboard, but that’s fine, considering its size and what it brings to the table. It can also work with up to two inputs via its dual HDMI slots and is compatible with a lot of 3rd party programs.
The icing on the cake, other than the lower pricing, is the Live Gamer Duo’s ease of use and convenience. It didn’t take a lot to set it up, and it is compatible with most programs related to streaming. It’s limited to a lower resolution, but online platforms take a lot out of the image quality anyway, so it’s not a big deal.
Avermedia Live Gamer Extreme 3
The Live Gamer Extreme 3 variant is a cheaper alternative to other 4K-capable capture cards in the market. It also uses USB-C and is compatible with gaming consoles and Macs, making it more practical in the long run. It is very easy to use, plus it supports VRR for smooth gaming.
You can either work with 4K 30 FPS or 1080p 120 FPS, so it gives you just enough flexibility that can match your goals. It’s not the most powerful 4K capture card, but it can get the job done at a much lower price point.
Epiphan Systems AV.io 4K
The Epiphan Systems AV.io 4K is the most compact option in the lineup that is capable of 4K capture. It’s one of the best capture cards for the PS5, and it doesn’t lag when it’s utilizing its 4K capabilities. You also won’t need extra software to use it, so you save money by not having to buy a 3rd party program that supports it.
It is quite pricey, but we adore the fact that it’s very small compared to other capture cards. It’s about the size of a regular power bank, so it’s very light and portable compared to the other picks in this guide.
About the Author: Paolo has been a gaming veteran since the golden days of Doom and Warcraft and has been building gaming systems for family, friends, and colleagues since junior high. High-performance monitors are one of his fixations; he believes that every citizen’s right to enjoy one. He has gone through several pieces of hardware in pursuit of every bit of performance gain, much to the dismay of his wallet. He now works with Monitornerds to scrutinize the latest gear to create reviews that accentuate the seldom explained aspects of a PC monitor.
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