Can my PC stream?
This test asks your computer what video encoding it can do and then encodes a few seconds of 1080p video to measure how fast. It takes about ten seconds.
What the test measures
Streaming means turning video into a compressed stream in real time. A modern graphics card does this with a dedicated encoder (NVIDIA NVENC, Intel QuickSync, AMD) and barely touches the processor. Without one, the processor does the work and has less left for your game. The test runs both and tells you which is available and how fast.
How to read it
- 75 fps or more at 1080p means real-time 1080p60 is realistic.
- 40–75 fps means 1080p30 is comfortable; leave room for a game.
- Under about 25 fps means use 720p or a hardware encoder.
A game takes its share of the same hardware, so aim for a result well above the speed you want to stream at.
If the result is low
- Update your graphics driver.
- Close browsers and launchers while you stream.
- Stream at 720p, or at 1080p30 instead of 1080p60.
- Use a phone as the camera instead of a second heavy capture on the PC.
Questions
Does the test upload anything?
No. It runs entirely in your browser.
Why does it say hardware encoding is not available?
Some browsers hide it, or the driver is old, or the computer has no encoder. The Streamdzy app talks to the hardware directly and often finds encoders a browser cannot.
Doing this a lot? Get the app.
Streamdzy is a free streaming and recording app for Windows: several cameras, your phone as a camera, going live to many places at once, and recording first so a bad connection never costs you the show.