Installing a dedicated capture card in a second PC is the cleanest way to offload recording and streaming from your gaming rig. Your main gaming PC handles the game at full performance while the second PC handles encoding, recording, and broadcasting. By the end of this guide, you will have a PCIe or USB capture card physically installed in your streaming PC, receiving a clean video signal from your gaming PC via HDMI, and showing up correctly in OBS Studio for recording or streaming without impacting your game frame rate.
Prerequisites: You need two functional PCs, a monitor connected to your gaming PC, an available PCIe x1, x4, x8, or x16 slot or a USB 3.0 port on your second PC depending on your capture card type, and administrator access on the second PC to install drivers. This 2026 guide covers both internal PCIe cards like the Elgato HD60 Pro or AverMedia Live Gamer 4K and external USB cards like the Elgato HD60 X.
Before You Start
| What you need | Why | Optional? |
|---|---|---|
| Capture card (PCIe or USB 3.0) | Captures HDMI output from gaming PC to streaming PC | No |
| Second PC with Windows 10/11, available PCIe slot or USB 3.0 port | Hosts the capture card and runs OBS Studio | No |
| Gaming PC with HDMI 2.0 output | Sends video and audio to capture card | No |
| Two HDMI 2.0 cables (or one HDMI + one DisplayPort-to-HDMI for passthrough) | One for gaming PC to capture card IN, one for capture card OUT to monitor if using passthrough | No |
| Phillips-head screwdriver | To open case and secure PCIe bracket | Yes, if using USB capture card |
| OBS Studio 30.0 or newer | To preview, record, and encode the captured signal | No |
| Anti-static wrist strap | Prevents electrostatic discharge while handling PCIe card | Yes |
Step-by-Step
Step 1: Prepare and Power Down the Second PC (Time: 3 minutes)
On your second PC, close all programs and click Start > Power > Shut down. Flip the switch on the rear of the power supply unit (PSU) to OFF (0 position) and unplug the power cable from the wall outlet. Press and hold the front power button for 5 seconds to discharge residual power. If you are installing an external USB card, you can leave the PC powered on and skip to Step 4, but still close OBS Studio first.
Step 2: Open the Case and Locate the PCIe Slot (Time: 5 minutes)
Remove the left side panel by unscrewing the two rear thumbscrews and sliding the panel back. Lay the case on its side with the motherboard facing up. Locate an available PCIe slot. Most capture cards use PCIe x1 and will fit in any PCIe x1, x4, x8, or x16 slot. Choose the shortest x1 slot if available to leave your primary x16 slot open for a GPU. Remove the corresponding metal slot cover from the rear of the case by unscrewing its single retaining screw. Keep the screw for securing the new card.
Step 3: Seat the PCIe Capture Card (Time: 5 minutes)
Put on your anti-static wrist strap and clip it to the metal chassis. Remove the capture card from its anti-static bag, holding it by the edges. Align the gold contacts with the PCIe slot and press straight down with firm, even pressure until the card is fully seated and the bracket is flush with the case rear. Secure the bracket with the screw you removed earlier. Do not overtighten. Replace the side panel and reconnect the power cable. Flip the PSU switch back to ON (I position).
Step 4: Connect HDMI Cables Between PCs (Time: 4 minutes)
On your gaming PC, connect an HDMI cable from the GPU’s HDMI OUT port to the capture card’s HDMI IN port on the second PC. If your card has an HDMI OUT passthrough port, connect a second HDMI cable from the capture card’s HDMI OUT to your primary gaming monitor. This lets you play at full resolution and refresh rate while the card captures a duplicate signal. If your capture card has no passthrough and you use a USB model, keep your monitor connected to the gaming PC via DisplayPort and use Windows duplicate display mode later.
Step 5: Boot and Install Drivers on the Second PC (Time: 7 minutes)
Power on the second PC and log into Windows. Windows Update will often install a generic driver automatically, but install the manufacturer’s driver for full functionality. Press Windows key + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to check for old capture software and uninstall it. Then download the driver package from the manufacturer’s support page onto the second PC. For Elgato, run the 4K Capture Utility installer and follow the prompts. For AverMedia, run RECentral or the standalone driver installer. Restart the PC when prompted via Start > Power > Restart.
Step 6: Configure Windows Display Settings on the Gaming PC (Time: 4 minutes)
On your gaming PC, press Windows key + P and select Duplicate if you are using passthrough, or Extend if you have no passthrough. For the best compatibility, right-click the desktop and select Display settings > Advanced display > Display adapter properties. Set the output connected to the capture card to 1920×1080 at 60Hz or 2560×1440 at 60Hz for initial setup. Most cards support 1920x1080p60, 2560x1440p60, and 3840x2160p30 without issues. Set refresh rate under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display > Choose a refresh rate. Leave HDR off for the first test at Settings > System > Display > HDR.
Step 7: Add the Capture Card in OBS Studio (Time: 6 minutes)
On the second PC, open OBS Studio. Go to File > Settings > Video and set Base Canvas Resolution to 1920×1080 and Output Resolution to 1920×1080. Set FPS to 60. Click Apply. In the main window, under Sources, click the + button > Video Capture Device > Create new > OK. In the Properties window, select your capture card from the Device dropdown, for example Elgato HD60 Pro or AverMedia Live Gamer 4K. Set Resolution/FPS Type to Custom, Resolution to 1920×1080, FPS to 60, Video Format to YUY2 or NV12, and Color Range to Partial. Click OK. You should now see your gaming PC’s screen in the OBS preview.
Step 8: Configure Audio and Encoding (Time: 5 minutes)
In OBS Studio on the second PC, go to File > Settings > Audio and set Sample Rate to 48 kHz. Under Sources > Video Capture Device properties, check Use custom audio device and select your capture card if audio is not coming through automatically. Alternatively, add a separate audio source via + > Audio Input Capture. Then go to File > Settings > Output > Recording. Set Recording Format to MKV or MP4, Encoder to Hardware (QSV H.264) or Hardware (NVENC H.264) if available, Bitrate to 6000-8000 Kbps for 1080p60 or 12000-16000 Kbps for 1440p60, and Keyframe Interval to 2 seconds. Click Apply > OK. Run a 30-second test recording via Controls > Start Recording.
Verify It Worked
On the second PC, check Device Manager by pressing Windows key + X > Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers. Your capture card should appear without a yellow warning icon. In OBS Studio, the Video Capture Device source should show smooth video with no green screen or No Signal message. Open your test recording at C:\Users\YourUsername\Videos in File Explorer and play it in Windows Media Player to confirm both video and game audio were captured in sync. On the gaming PC, confirm your game still runs at the expected frame rate with no extra display lag by checking the in-game FPS counter. Finally, in OBS Studio click Controls > Stats and verify that Frames missed due to rendering lag stays below 0.5% and CPU usage stays below 60% during capture.
Mistakes to Avoid
Installing the Capture Card in the Wrong PCIe Slot
What causes it: Placing an x1 capture card in a disabled slot or an x16 slot that shares bandwidth with your GPU, causing the card not to be detected or reducing GPU performance. How to check: Press Windows key + X > Device Manager. If the card is missing under Sound, video and game controllers and shows as Unknown device under Other devices, it is not seated correctly. On some motherboards, check BIOS by pressing Del or F2 during boot > Advanced > PCIe Configuration to see if the slot is enabled. What to do: Power down, move the card to a PCIe x1 slot furthest from the GPU, reseat it firmly, and reboot. What to undo: If the PC fails to boot after moving the card, power off and return the card to the original slot, then consult your motherboard manual for lane sharing rules.
No Signal or Black Screen in OBS
What causes it: HDCP protection, incorrect HDMI port use, or a resolution and refresh rate the capture card does not support. How to check: In OBS Studio, right-click the Video Capture Device source > Properties and see if Device shows No Signal. On the gaming PC, right-click desktop > Display settings and confirm the capture card display is set to 1920×1080 at 60Hz. What to do: Connect HDMI OUT from the gaming GPU to HDMI IN on the capture card, not the OUT port. On the gaming PC, turn off HDCP in GPU control panel if enabled, and lower resolution to 1920x1080p60. In OBS Properties, set Video Format to YUY2 and uncheck Auto for buffering. What to undo: If lowering resolution does not help, revert Display settings > Advanced display to your monitor’s native resolution and test passthrough with a direct HDMI cable to isolate the card.
Audio Not Capturing or Echoing
What causes it: OBS capturing desktop audio twice, once from the capture card and once from Audio Output Capture, or Windows sending audio to the wrong output. How to check: In OBS Studio, go to Edit > Advanced Audio Properties and see if two sources show high volume meters simultaneously. On the gaming PC, click the speaker icon in the system tray and verify output is set to your headset or speakers, not the capture card. What to do: In OBS, under Audio Mixer, click the gear icon for the duplicate source > Advanced Audio Properties > set Audio Monitoring to Monitor Off for the source you do not want. On the gaming PC, press Windows key + R > type mmsys.cpl > Playback tab > right-click your main headset > Set as Default Device. What to undo: If you lose all audio, go to File > Settings > Audio > Global Audio Devices and set Desktop Audio back to Default, then restart OBS.
Stuttering, Tearing, or High Encoding Lag
What causes it: Mismatched refresh rates, using x264 Software encoding on a weak CPU, or USB bandwidth contention. How to check: In OBS Studio, go to View > Stats while recording. If Skipped frames due to encoding lag exceeds 2% or Rendering lag exceeds 1%, the encoder or GPU is overloaded. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager > Performance tab and check CPU at 90% or higher. What to do: Go to File > Settings > Output > Output Mode Advanced > Encoder > change from Software (x264) to Hardware (NVENC) or Hardware (QSV) or Hardware (AMF). Lower Output Resolution to 1280×720 for testing. For USB cards, plug directly into a USB 3.0 port on the rear I/O panel, not a hub, identified by the blue plastic inside the port and label SS. What to undo: If hardware encoding looks blocky, go back to File > Settings > Output > Recording Quality > set to High Quality, Medium File Size and raise Bitrate back to 8000 Kbps.
FAQ
Do I need to clone my gaming monitor or extend the display to the capture card?
Use Duplicate (clone) if your capture card has HDMI passthrough. Press Windows key + P > Duplicate so the card receives the same signal as your monitor with no extra setup. Use Extend if your card has no passthrough or you want to capture at a different resolution than you play at. In that case, go to Settings > System > Display > drag the capture card display to align, then in the game set Display Mode to Borderless Windowed so the extended display still shows the game.
Will a capture card affect FPS on my gaming PC?
No, when installed in the second PC it has zero impact on gaming performance because encoding happens on the other machine. The only impact is on the HDMI signal. Use an HDMI passthrough port or a DisplayPort connection for your main monitor to maintain 144Hz or 240Hz gaming while the capture card receives a 60Hz or 120Hz clone. Avoid running OBS Studio on the gaming PC at the same time.
Should I use PCIe or USB for the second PC?
Choose PCIe for the lowest latency and most stable 1080p60 or 4K60 capture, especially if you stream daily. It has dedicated bandwidth and does not compete with other USB devices. Choose USB 3.0 if your second PC is a small form factor case with no free PCIe slots or is a laptop. Verify the port is USB 3.0 by checking Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers for USB 3.0 eXtensible Host Controller and always use the cable supplied with the card.
Why is my capture limited to 60Hz when my monitor is 144Hz?
Most affordable capture cards capture at a maximum of 60Hz at 1080p and 1440p, even if they pass through 120Hz or 144Hz to your monitor. Check your card’s specifications for Maximum Capture Resolution. To play at 144Hz and capture at 60Hz, connect gaming PC DisplayPort OUT to monitor DisplayPort IN for 144Hz gameplay, and gaming PC HDMI OUT to capture card HDMI IN. Set the HDMI output to 1920×1080 at 60Hz in Settings > System > Display > Advanced display while leaving the DisplayPort monitor at 1920×1080 at 144Hz.
