If you are looking to start streaming, or you just want to record gameplay, one of the most important things you need is a capture card.
Whether we are talking about an external capture card or internal capture cards, one thing is certain, the success of your videos will be determined by the quality at which you capture footage.
We will help you find the best capture card out there. The AVerMedia live gamer 4k and Elgato game capture cards are the two companies that we will be comparing today.
Table of Contents
Avermedia vs Elgato
Comparison
No matter if you are recording on a computer, on next-gen consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox series x, or older consoles like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo switch, you will want to know what specifications these capture cards have.
Avermedia
- Resolutions: 2160p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 480p, 480i
- Input interfaces: HDMI, 3.5 mm jack
- Output Interfaces: PCI-e Gen 2, HDMI, 3.5 mm jack
- Integrated h.264, h.265 format
- Max-bitrate: 200 Mbps
- System Requirements: Windows 10/8.1/7
Elgato Game Capture
- Resolutions: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 576p, 576i, 480p
- Input interfaces: HDMI
- Output Interfaces: PCI-e, HDMI
- Integrated HEVC, h.264
- Max-bitrate: 240 Mbps
- System Requirements: Windows 10 (64-bit)
Avermedia capture card vs Elgato – What’s the difference
In terms of hardware, there are key differences that may influence your choice of one capture card over the other. The Avermedia Live Gamer 4k requires Thunderbolt 3 to work, which is the most obvious difference from the Elgato hd60 capture card.
You can’t use AVerMedia live gamer without the thunderbolt 3. This is not ideal, since most PC users do not have access to Thunderbolt 3, it is more of a MAC thing. In addition to that Avermedia live gamer does not work with the AMD Radeon technology, more accurately their Ryzen processors.
However, the 4K60S+ uses a standard USB 3.0 interface, making it more accessible to anyone with a modern PC. The 4K60S+ still has a bitrate of up to 200 Mbps, which isn’t bad, but each approaches encoding differently.
A minimal amount of processing is required by the Live Gamer Bolt because it uses your PC’s GPU to encode video. While the 4K60S+ makes use of the 4K60S+’s hardware encoder, the 4K60S+ has its own.
A built-in SD card slot may be the most significant difference between the 4K60S+ and the 2160p 60fps. If you’re a gamer who frequently travels, perhaps to special events, you can still record high-quality video without the need for a PC.Product Quality
Design
Our first impression of the AVerMedia hdr capture card was that it was more rectangular, with a slick design on the front and the back. When you connect the capture card to the PC the LED light in the top right corner turns blue, and when you start to record the light is pulsing red.
When you disconnect the game capture from your PC, the LED indicator in the top right corner turns blue again.
For attaching external devices, the Avermedia Live Gamer Ultra has several slots on the sides, as well as a mesh on the top. They appear to be purely decorative in the screenshot, but don’t be fooled: they aren’t.
The built-in fan on the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra circulates air to keep your game capture device cool while you’re game recording.
As a result of this, you can expect there to be no interruptions in the streaming or recording because of heat, which is a common occurrence when it comes to game capture hardware.
On the other hand, the Elgato HD60 S’s matte black body and rounder shape give the impression that it is a more straightforward device than it is.
During the recording process, a red pulse can be seen traveling the length of the LED indicator strip that runs the length of the game recording.
Compared to the Avermedia Live Gamer Ultra, this model is sleeker and lighter.
Software Integration
Both these capture cards come with their own bundled software. Avermedia comes with RECentral and Elgato comes with Elgato Game Capture HD.
RECentral is able to capture HDR video, it is able to stream on multiple platforms at once, so if you like to stream on Twitch and on Youtube, this is a great option for you. This showcases how strong and capable this streaming software is. RECentral is a wonderful place because you’re about to achieve that goal.
On the other hand, the Elgato Game Capture HD software will allow you to broadcast and record your gaming sessions at a high frame rate while also performing basic video editing tasks.
If you have been making videos on youtube for any amount of time, you can understand how big of a deal the editing capabilities of capture cards can be.
One other thing about Elgato’s streaming software is that it has a nice, clean interface that is easy to use and manage, whereas RECentral can be a bit of a pain at times.
Image Quality
If you take a closer look back at the specs list, you can see that there is one big difference in the supported resolutions. The Live Gamer Ultra supports 2160p 30fps streaming and recording, whilst the Elgato’s supported resolutions go up to 1080p60.
If you’re are only looking to stream on twitch or youtube, the Avermedia Live Gamer Ultra is a good choice for you since it gives you many more options for resolutions you want to stream in.
This is where the Elgato editing possibilities come into play. If you don’t just stream but you also want to upload gameplay to youtube, this is the only reason to go with Elgato capture cards.
If we take a look at the streaming performance that the two capture cards offer we can see that the Avermedia can output 1080p quality at a frame rate of up to 120fps, whereas the Elgato HD60 S can only achieve a frame rate of 60fps.
If you are streaming Xbox games, for example, you don’t need much more than 60 fps, since console gaming usually supports only 60 fps max. If you are streaming on a PC however, and have a high refresh rate monitor, maybe you’d want to go with the Live Gamer Ultra, which can show your 120fps gaming footage.
Latency
Now let’s take a look at how they stack up against one another in terms of latency. The Avermedia Live Gamer is equipped with Ultra-Low Latency technology, which allows you to play uncompressed video on your PC monitor with virtually no delay.
This is in no small part due to the Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, which allows for up to 2160p at 60 frames per second video recording and playback. With a bitrate of up to 240 Mbps, latency will be non-existent for the majority of users.
Meanwhile, the HD60 S has a feature called Instant Gameview, which provides extremely low latency for streaming and capturing while you are using it. Unfortunately, Elgato is not as fast in this area as the thunderbolt, which is nearly five times as fast in this area as the lightning bolt.
Accordingly, the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra and the Elgato HD60 are similar in this regard, but the very low latency of the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra is significantly better overall.
Summary
Choosing between these two capture cards will come down to a few little differences. What kind of performance do you expect in the games that you are streaming, is it 60 fps or under 60 fps.
If you are streaming console games from Xbox, PlayStation, or the switch on twitch or youtube, lower fps is acceptable so you would be better off using Elgato. If you are streaming on PC, the Live gamer ultra is the way to go.
In addition to that, what resolution you want to stream in is also going to be a deciding factor. If you want to don’t plan on streaming in a resolution over 1080p which is the standard these days, going with the Elgato will be all you need. Any resolution over that is overkill.
The Live gamer ultra has better latency than Elgato, but it is not noticeable when you stream on twitch. Maybe at some point in the future, it will be noticeable, but till then, you can stick with Elgato.
FAQ
What Are Capture Cards Used For?
Video and audio input can be streamed to a computer or saved to an SD card using capture cards, which are electrical devices. HDMI input is common on modern capture cards, whereas composite cables were used on older equipment.
Video game consoles and cameras can be used as sources of footage, and to be able to make high-definition videos out of that footage, a capture card can be employed to make the whole process easier and quicker.
What Are Internal and External Capture Cards?
Capture cards can be classified as either internal or external depending on their location. The motherboard of a PC connects an internal capture card directly to the PC and provides feed to the computer in this manner.
A computer’s hard drive can be used to store film on external cards, and an SD card or USB drive can be used to stream data to a PC via an SD card or USB drive.
Which Capture Card Is Easier to Use?
Elgato is much easier for setup and use. And while Elgato is limited when it comes to features, settings, picture quality, and other little things, if you are looking to start streaming your gameplay as soon as possible, Elgato will have you up and running as soon as the setup is over.
What Features Are Most Important With Capture Cards?
The most important feature of any capture car is the ability to capture high-quality gameplay footage. But you need to be aware that more is not always better.
There is an industry standard, in this case, that is 1080p 60fps when it comes to streams, and the same is true for making gaming content for a youtube channel.
Going above that, all you get is diminished returns.
Are Capture Cards Necessary to Stream on PC?
No, capture cards are not necessary for streaming but if you want to take this profession seriously, or if you want to make money doing this, it is strongly advised to get a capture card because it will drastically improve the quality of the footage that you present for people to watch.
