Settings for Twitch, YouTube and Kick
| Platform | Encoder (Settings → Output) | Resolution | Bitrate (CBR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twitch | NVIDIA NVENC H.264 | 1080p60 (900p60 for fast shooters) | 6,000 kbps |
| YouTube | NVIDIA NVENC AV1 | 1440p60 | about 17,000 kbps |
| Kick | NVIDIA NVENC H.264 | 1080p60 | 8,000 kbps |
- Twitch: Turn on Enhanced Broadcasting (Settings → Stream) if Twitch offers it to you; it then picks the codec and bitrate itself.
- YouTube: YouTube gets its better VP9 playback at 1440p; at 1080p60 use about 8,500 kbps.
- Kick: Kick takes H.264 only, with CBR.
Use rate control CBR, keyframe interval 2 s and 160 kbps audio on every platform. These bitrates assume a steady upload of at least 10 Mbps (about 22 Mbps for 1440p on YouTube); the finder sizes them to your real connection.
Encoder preset
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Preset | P5: Slow (Good Quality) |
| Tuning | High Quality |
| Multipass | Two Passes (Quarter Resolution) |
| Profile | high |
NVENC barely affects game performance. If a demanding game stutters while streaming, step the preset down to P4 before lowering the bitrate.
Why these settings for the RTX 4070 / 4070 Super
Encoder hardware: 8th-generation NVENC (Ada Lovelace). Codecs: H.264, HEVC, AV1.
RTX 40 was the first GeForce generation to encode AV1 in hardware, so it can send YouTube a sharper stream at the same bitrate.
The same AV1 encoder as the RTX 4090, so the stream itself looks just as good.
Codecs by platform: Kick takes H.264 only. Twitch's standard ingest is H.264; Enhanced Broadcasting can send HEVC or AV1 where Twitch allows it. YouTube accepts H.264, HEVC and AV1 (OBS 29.1 or newer).
What about the CPU encoder (x264)?
Even on a fast gaming CPU such as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, the GPU encoder is the better default: it barely touches game performance, while x264 takes CPU time from the game. Use x264 only if your card has no encoder, or on a second streaming PC; start at preset veryfast and move to faster only if OBS shows no encoding lag.
Sources: NVIDIA: Video Encode and Decode GPU Support Matrix; Twitch: Introducing the Enhanced Broadcasting beta; YouTube Help: Live encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions; Kick Help: H.264 only, CBR required. Checked November 13, 2026.