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Sometimes, but not reliably enough to predict your electricity bill. Hardware encoding can reduce the CPU work needed to encode a stream, yet the electricity used by the whole computer depends on the encoder, scene rendering, frame rate, GPU and CPU behavior, and other running tasks. A 2015 OBS experiment found markedly different energy results across its test conditions, so there is no sound universal percentage saving for an all-night stream. To find your own answer, compare whole-system kilowatt-hours under matched workloads.
What hardware encoding changes—and what it does not
OBS can encode through CPU-based x264 software encoding or supported hardware encoders such as NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel Quick Sync Video (QSV), and Apple VideoToolbox. Hardware encoding moves video-compression work from the CPU to a specialized media component. OBS generally recommends hardware encoders for performance because this can free CPU capacity, while cautioning that earlier hardware encoder generations may deliver lower image quality than x264 at the same bitrate. See OBS Project’s Hardware Encoding guidance.
Lower CPU use is not the same as an equal reduction in electricity at the wall. The computer remains on, and OBS still renders and composites the scene. Scene complexity, sources, filters, resolution, frame rate, and other software using GPU resources can affect how much work the system performs. OBS explains these factors in its Encoding Performance Troubleshooting guidance; its System Requirements also notes that requirements vary with encoder, resolution, frame rate, and scene complexity.
Encoder availability and behavior depend on compatible hardware, operating system, OBS build, and drivers. For NVIDIA systems, NVENC is a fixed-function encoder separate from NVIDIA’s graphics and CUDA cores, according to NVIDIA’s Video Codec SDK 13.1 NVENC Application Note. That describes the encoder’s design; it does not establish how much power an entire PC will draw during a stream.
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What the measured OBS comparison found
A 2015 study by Simon Fraser University researchers streamed and recorded a 1080p game benchmark through OBS using x264 and NVENC at 30 and 60 frames per second. The tested configurations used a 3,500 kb/s constant bitrate and a two-second keyframe interval. The authors measured processor use and average energy consumption for their particular runs—not a general 24/7 power profile.
| Test condition | Reported result | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| 30 FPS x264 | OBS x264 used nearly 37% CPU; system power was about 100 W above baseline. | A result for the paper’s hardware and gaming workload, not a typical extra draw for every PC. |
| 30 FPS NVENC | Energy consumption was reported as nearly identical to baseline. | A qualitative finding for that test; the paper does not establish a general saving percentage. |
| 60 FPS NVENC | Energy consumption was almost 16% higher. | A different result under a different test condition, illustrating that hardware encoding does not guarantee lower total draw. |
The study’s results are historical and specific to its equipment and benchmark. They do not establish how a current CPU, GPU, scene, or stream will behave, nor do they yield a defensible estimate of an individual creator’s monthly bill. The comparison is useful as evidence that encoder choice can matter—but that whole-system results vary.
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How to measure your own 24/7 streaming cost
For a personal estimate, measure cumulative electricity use for the complete computer and any equipment included in the bill. A plug-in electricity monitor that reports kilowatt-hours (kWh) can do this at the wall; it measures the whole system, not just the encoder.
- Keep the workload representative. Use the scene, sources, filters, resolution, frame rate, game or video content, and background applications you actually expect to run. Let the system reach its usual operating state before recording a trial.
- Run equal-duration trials. Measure one trial with x264 and another with the hardware encoder you are considering. Change only the encoder if possible; keep other OBS output settings and the workload the same. Longer, equal-duration runs make a 24/7 estimate more relevant than a brief sample, though results can still vary with workload and system behavior.
- Record cumulative kWh, not just CPU percentage. Compare the meter’s start and end readings for each run. CPU utilization can explain a workload change, but it is not a substitute for wall-energy measurement.
- Convert the measured difference using your tariff. Subtract the kWh used in the lower-energy trial from the higher-energy trial, then multiply that difference by your applicable electricity rate. To estimate a longer period, scale only if the trial workload and operating conditions are representative; tariffs and systems differ.
This produces a practical whole-system comparison, not an isolated measurement of encoder energy. Without a measurement from your machine and your local rate, a generic dollar saving or percentage reduction is not established.
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Choose an encoder for the whole workload
When both software and hardware options are available, consider more than CPU usage:
- Compatibility: verify that your hardware, operating system, OBS version, and drivers support the encoder. OBS lists NVENC, AMF, and QSV on Windows and Linux; Apple VideoToolbox behavior differs between Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Energy: compare cumulative whole-system kWh at the wall using your intended stream workload. Component-level descriptions do not predict the bill.
- Image quality: assess the image at your actual bitrate and output settings. OBS notes that earlier hardware encoder generations may produce lower quality than x264 at the same bitrate.
- Headroom and stability: encoding, scene composition, resolution, frame rate, scene complexity, and competing GPU work all affect performance. A reduction in CPU load may still be useful even when wall-power savings are small or absent.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is to keep prerecorded video live on YouTube without leaving an OBS computer running at home, StreamNeo is a cloud option. Upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live; StreamNeo loops the uploaded video from the cloud. It does not stream from a camera or to other platforms.
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