The Tool Desk
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Why the answer depends on your setup
FFmpeg reads media, can process or transcode it, and writes an output stream. OBS can encode too, but it also renders and composites scenes, which may include multiple sources, filters, and scaling. A basic OBS scene with one looping video is a different workload from a complex scene, just as a direct FFmpeg stream differs from an FFmpeg command that filters or transcodes the video.
Either application may use software encoding on the CPU or a hardware encoder on the GPU, depending on the configuration and available hardware. Those choices can change power use substantially. CPU utilization is useful context, but it is not a substitute for measuring the power drawn by the whole computer.
What the published power measurements show—and don’t
A study, “Towards Bridging Online Game Playing and Live Streaming,” measured wall power for OBS while streaming a 1920×1080 graphics benchmark to Twitch. The authors reported these readings on their test system:
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| Workload | Reported wall power |
|---|---|
| Game-only baseline | 157 W |
| OBS with x264 software encoding at 30 fps | 250 W |
| OBS with x264 software encoding at 60 fps | 244 W |
| OBS with NVENC hardware encoding at 30 fps | 158 W |
| OBS with NVENC hardware encoding at 60 fps | 183 W |
The study used an AC-line splitter and a meter with stated precision of ±2.5%, sampling every 500 ms. Its stream used 3,500 kb/s and a two-second keyframe interval. The publication year was not verified from the opened paper metadata. These are readings from an older, specific gaming workload—not daily energy estimates, predictions for a modern desktop or mini-PC, or a comparison of FFmpeg with OBS for a looped file.
The figures do illustrate that encoder choice can matter on a particular system. OBS Project’s Hardware Encoding guidance says hardware encoders move encoding from the CPU to a specialized GPU component and are generally recommended for performance. That is not a guarantee that they always reduce total wall-power use.
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A 2024 survey, “A Survey on Energy Consumption and Environmental Impact of Video Streaming,” treats encoding, storage, retrieval, decoding, and display as parts of streaming’s energy footprint, and notes gaps in comprehensive open measurement data across devices and coding parameters. It supports caution about broad energy claims, not a specific winner between these two applications.
How to compare FFmpeg and OBS fairly
Measure the whole computer at the wall, not just a process’s CPU percentage. Keep the workload equivalent and compare power above the same idle or background baseline.
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- Prepare equivalent streams. Use the same computer, operating-system power mode, looped file, resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, keyframe interval, and audio configuration. Configure both programs to loop the same source and produce equivalent output.
- Keep the surroundings consistent. Use the same network connection and stream duration. Keep the display and unrelated workloads consistent. Note any filters, scaling, or other scene processing enabled in OBS, and any processing or transcoding in FFmpeg.
- Measure wall power. Use a suitable plug-in electricity usage monitor or wall power meter if one is available. Record idle or background power and whole-system power during each stream; compare the difference rather than treating background consumption as stream overhead.
- Alternate and repeat runs. Run both configurations more than once, alternating the order so one application is not always measured after the computer has warmed up or settled into a different background state.
- Check the result is usable. Record dropped frames and stream health, and confirm the loop continues to play correctly. A lower reading does not help if that configuration fails to deliver the intended stream.
OBS’s Encoding Performance Troubleshooting guidance notes that resolution, frame rate, source complexity, and filters can affect rendering and GPU demands. Keep them controlled: a scene with multiple sources is not a fair comparison with a direct file loop.
Hold YouTube’s stream settings constant
YouTube’s live encoder settings guidance documents H.264, H.265, and AV1 live input, rates up to 60 fps, and recommends CBR with a two-second keyframe interval. Its bitrate guidance varies by codec and resolution. Choose settings supported by both configurations, then hold them constant; use YouTube’s relevant bitrate range for the selected codec and resolution rather than comparing mismatched outputs.
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Use representative audio and movement when checking the stream. Watch stream health as well as meter readings, since the power comparison is only meaningful if both streams are actually delivering the intended output.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a method for a long-running loop
If you already have FFmpeg or OBS set up, a matched wall-power test is the practical way to decide whether switching saves electricity on your computer. Compare total system draw, stream reliability, output quality, and the effort required to configure and monitor each option. No general wattage advantage for FFmpeg over OBS is established for YouTube loop streaming.
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Or let it run in the cloud
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