Why it issues: A latest unannounced improve lets content material creators and videophiles utilizing Nvidia graphics playing cards encode extra simultaneous streams. The function probably arrived with a video driver replace, affecting most shopper GPUs from the previous few years. However, skilled playing cards nonetheless have benefits in decoding.
Nvidia has quietly loosened the restrict on simultaneous video encoding streams for its shopper graphics playing cards. The change ought to carry extra flexibility to streamers and others who work with video with out the necessity for workstation or information middle GPUs.
The new parameters, which can require the newest Nvidia Game Ready or Studio drivers, enhance the variety of potential simultaneous NVENC streams on GeForce graphics playing cards from three to 5. The patch is accessible for all desktop and laptop computer fashions since Maxwell, together with the GTX 745, 750Ti, and your entire 900 sequence. However, some fashions within the affected group do not need any encoding capabilities, such because the GTX 940MX or MX130.
Nvidia did not announce the change, however evaluating the present encoding assist web page with an archived model from March 18 exhibits it occurred someday this week. It could also be an unlisted addition contained in driver model 531.41.
The elevated bandwidth is only one new issue serving to content material creators and videophiles work extra effectively with shopper GPUs. Another is the appearance of the AV1 codec, whose assessments have proven quicker encoding than the favored H.264. Last 12 months’s Intel Arc Alchemist, AMD Radeon RX 7000, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000 sequence have been the primary graphics playing cards to assist hardware-based AV1 encoding.
However, customers attempting to encode greater than 5 streams concurrently on Team Green’s {hardware} will nonetheless want knowledgeable or server-grade GPU comparable to a Quadro, RTX 6000, or L40. As earlier than, most of those playing cards haven’t any restrict on the variety of concurrent NVENC streams aside from what the {hardware} can deal with.Unlike GeForce fashions, the beforehand restricted third-rate skilled playing cards stay unchanged
Since 2021, third-party hacks can be found to take away software program limitations on shopper GPUs, and builders proceed to assist the newest drivers. However, unofficial workarounds are all the time dangerous, and it is unimaginable to inform how lengthy modders will be capable of preserve them up to date.
