All of NVIDIA’s graphics cards come equipped with a suite of cutting-edge features that have been designed for gamers, streamers, and content creators. This list is rather comprehensive and that’s why we created this blog series titled, ‘NVIDIA Inside Look’.
In this post, we’re taking a closer look at NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC), showcasing what it is and how it can level up your streaming.
NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC)
The NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) is integrated into every NVIDIA GPU. It expertly encodes your video, lifting any excess strain from your CPU.
NVIDIA NVENC is available on all RTX-compatible graphics cards. The latest generation of these GPUs boasts powerful and efficient codecs to better enhance your stream. The more recent the codec is the less disk space it needs, or streaming bandwidth is taken up, and any video encoded with a more recent codec is recorded in a higher quality with the same file size and streaming bandwidth.
There are three different codecs found within NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC). This includes:
- H.264
- HEVC
- AV1
The table below details which one you can find on your GPU, depending on its generation.
| H.264 | HEVC | AV1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA RTX 20 Series | Yes | Yes | No |
| NVIDIA RTX 30 Series | Yes | Yes | No |
| NVIDIA RTX 40 Series | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NVIDIA RTX 50 Series | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Not all of these codecs are supported across every platform. Here’s which codecs are compatible with the most popular streaming platforms.
| H.264 | HEVC | AV1 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Gaming | Yes | No | No |
| YouTube | Yes | In Beta | In Beta |
| Twitch | Yes | No | No |
Improvements Made with Blackwell
The release of NVIDIA Video Codec SDK 13.0 delivers huge upgrades to NVENC and introduces support for the NVIDIA RTX 50 Series. Some of the improvements include:
- Higher bit-depth encoding
- Improved efficiency when video compressing
- New YUV 4:2:2 encoding support – this includes H.264 and HEVC
- Support for 8K recording via H.264
- Dynamic task allocation to minimise GPU memory usage
How Can NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) Improve Your Stream
NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) can give your stream that much-needed boost. Primarily because the lack of strain on your CPU frees up resources to better run your favourite games or any other demanding applications. All of which allows you to focus on the more important task at hand – dominating your in-game enemies and wowing your audience.
Level Up Your Stream with Our Streaming PCs
Looking to boost your streaming career? Why not give your set-up that much-needed upgrade with one of our high-quality streaming PCs? All these PCs come equipped with an NVIDIA NVENC-compatible GPU, meaning you can take advantage of this powerful encoder to record all your live streams.
We’ve picked out our top selections below, but if these don’t suit your vibes or stream aesthetic, you can browse all our streaming PCs by clicking the button.
OcUK Gaming Claymore Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC
- Adjustable hardware spec to suit your needs
- As standard includes a hyperthreaded Intel i9 14900KF CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5080
- Up to 64GB DDR5 RAM
- Optional secondary storage drive
OcUK Gaming Khopesh Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC
- Customisable hardware specification
- As standard includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti
- Up to 64GB DDR5 RAM
- Choose between multiple storage options
Read More from NVIDIA Inside Look
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 3 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over four years and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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