Elgato Hd60 Pro Game Capture Card

4K video is hard. More pixels means more power to process them, whether you lot're playing a game or rendering a video. For gamers, even playing a game at 4K resolution requires serious GPU power. And existing 4K capture cards are very expensive.

Microsoft has changed the game with the Xbox One X, a console that costs less than a high-end graphics card that is capable of delivering games natively at 4K60.

It's no coincidence then that Elgato launched the 4K60 Pro at a similar time. This capture bill of fare costs $399, which is a lot, but information technology can friction match that 4K60 output of the Xbox One Ten.

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Elgato 4K60 Pro specifications

The Elgato 4K60 is no slouch, and it needs a calculator that's not a slouch either.

Specifications

Interface: PCIe x4
Input: Unencypted HDMI
Output: HDMI with lag-gratuitous passthrough (HDMI two.0 cable included)
Supported resolutions: Up to 2160p (4K) at 60 FPS and 140Mbps bitrate
Dimensions: 178 x 121 x 21 mm
Weight: 270g

System requirements

OS: Windows ten 64-flake
Processor: 6th generation Intel Cadre i7, AMD Ryzen 7 or higher
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 10xx, AMD RX Vega or higher
Vacant PCIe 4x/8x/16x slot

Win some lose some

As it seems is tradition across the Elgato capture card range, in some areas the 4K60 Pro provides (significant) gains, in others you're losing a little.

Compared to the HD60 Pro, the new menu does not accept a built-in hardware encoder and as such doesn't permit you to employ the master copy characteristic in Game Capture HD to record a local re-create of your streams.

Thankfully cipher else is missing, and the big bargain is the back up at present for 2160p60 resolution capture at up to 140Mbps bitrate. Flashback recording is still supported, though merely at 1080p60, also, you can apply Stream Command overlays again simply up to 1080p60.

These resolution imposed limitations are because yous need to use the Game Capture Hd software. For 4K capture, Elgato has a new, more limited application which you must utilize.

Elgato 4K60 Pro performance and troubles

The setup procedure wasn't exactly flawless. Compared to the old HD60 Pro (PCIe x1), the 4K60 Pro draws a fair bit more power from your motherboard (PCIe x4). At that place is no external power supply for information technology, which information technology would benefit from. Considering the sort of PC this card will probable exist going inside, beingness able to hook into the PSU directly would be beneficial.

I'd hoped to get out my HD60 Pro in place alongside the 4K60 Pro to use. Just in doing so in that location was too much power depict from the motherboard, and then neither it or the 4K60 Pro would piece of work.

Even subsequently the offset success, though, at that place were nonetheless issues to come up. I changed a couple of settings in the companion app which resulted in the carte du jour completely failing to encounter the incoming HDMI feed any more. Only completely uninstalling the software and drivers, the card itself and power cycling my PC before setting everything up again from scratch would go it to work.

I'm not the only person to experience bug, either. There accept been stories about BSOD existence caused past the 4K60 Pro, incorrect drivers and general dismay galore. Touch forest, since overcoming my setup woes it's been solid for me, merely it's certainly worth scouring the Elgato subreddit to check out the latest reports from users earlier you buy.

Once everything is OK, performance is fantastic. Instant Gameview is exactly that, it feels lag free and information technology actually works. Using the cable in the box, capturing 4K60 content from the Xbox I X is no more difficult than any other Xbox with whatever other Elgato capture card.

What it won't do is capture 4K anything from the Xbox One Ten unless yous have a 4K display continued to the capture menu, and you're really using it. So, if you have a single screen and wanted to capture 4K while playing using Instant Gameview, yous're out of luck. The 4K output must be active, with the Elgato app on a 2d display, otherwise the 4K pass through on the card won't work and you're express to 1080p. Nor can you apply this card to spoof your Xbox into thinking information technology has a 4K display fastened when it doesn't.

The captures wait really nice though, as yous tin see in the samples above of Forza Motorsport 7 and PUBG captured at the total 2160p60 resolution at the highest bitrate. You can alter the bitrate to lower the file sizes a lot and withal get keen quality. Running at the highest 140Mbps bitrate will fill up 61GB in an hour, while scaling back to 35Mbps predictably drops the rate at which you'll fill your hard drive to a more palatable 15GB/hour.

One other thing to note is that y'all lose HDR when yous run games through the 4K60 Pro whether you're capturing or not. HDR laissez passer through is not supported.

The Elgato 4K Capture Utility

To capture the loftier-resolution content with this card you need to use withal another application: The 4K Capture Utility. You'll also need to install the normal Game Capture HD software for firmware updates and such.

The new app isn't bad, but it's not that good either. It's extremely barebones and can be used for nothing but capturing footage and screenshots. Streaming will however need a secondary application.

Well-nigh streamers won't exist going higher up 1080p someday presently, so information technology's not a massive problem for about, but in that location are no advanced features of any kind. Aside from some basic settings tweaks and being able to cull your resolution up to 4K, there'south nothing to it at all.

The bottom line on the Elgato 4K60 Pro

The applied science bachelor here for $399 is very impressive. 4K video is hard to deal with and Elgato has washed a solid job, even if information technology'south crude effectually the edges. For serious Xbox I X content creators, it'southward a great buy.

But the limitations brand it difficult to offer a sweeping recommendation. Information technology's been more troublesome to ready up and employ than any other Elgato card I've tried, and if yous simply accept a single 4K display (and no other monitors) hooked up, and so it won't piece of work at all, and then you won't be able to capture in 4K. Thankfully, Xbox One X gamers tin capture correct on the console.

The 4K60 Pro is a very niche product correct at present. Beyond gaming, there are folks who may find a workflow that involves this card, but even for Xbox One X owners, it'southward far from essential. Streamers will be better off with the HD60 Pro at one-half the toll. The 4K60 Pro is impressive and produces some stunning results, only it feels a little ahead of its time.

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Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Cardinal. A former Projection Managing director and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been constitute on Android Fundamental and iMore as well equally Windows Key. Currently you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming, and y'all can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/elgato-4k60-pro-review

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