Dual Pc Streaming Rig Guide

Workflow

1. 1

   Plan Dual-PC Architecture

   30 minutes

   Assign gaming PC for gameplay only and streaming PC for OBS encoding and alerts.

   FPS to Frame Time

   Show tips (2)
2. 2

   Calculate Bandwidth and Capture

   45 minutes

   Size capture card resolution, NDI bitrate, and network bandwidth for dual-PC signal routing.

   FPS to Frame TimeResolution Pixel Count

   Show tips (2)
3. 3

   Wire and Route Signals

   2-4 hours

   Connect HDMI passthrough capture, route audio with ground loop isolator, and configure OBS on stream PC.

   FPS to Frame TimeResolution Pixel CountTexture Memory Calculator

   Show tips (2)
4. 4

   Test Latency and Sync

   1 hour

   Measure end-to-end latency, verify audio-video sync, and confirm zero dropped frames on gaming PC.

   Resolution Pixel CountSignal-to-Noise Ratio Calculator

   Show tips (2)

Tools Used

• FPS to Frame Time
  Primary

  Verify gaming PC maintains target FPS with zero encoding overhead.

• Resolution Pixel Count
  Primary

  Size capture card input resolution matching gaming output.

• Texture Memory Calculator
  Supporting

  Confirm gaming GPU VRAM headroom after removing OBS overhead.

• Signal-to-Noise Ratio Calculator
  Reference

  Check capture audio SNR after ground loop isolator installation.

Reference Materials

• NDI vs Capture Card

  NDI eliminates HDMI cables but adds 1-2 frames latency — capture card is better for competitive gaming.

• Ground Loop Fix

  Hum on capture audio is almost always a ground loop — a $15 isolator fixes it instantly.

• Used Capture Cards

  Elgato HD60 cards from previous generation work at 1080p60 for half the price of 4K models.

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