[BUG] NVENC Recording Starts at Low FPS for 30 seconds

[CamJGaming]

x264 is used by bandicam to encode the video. Which technically means its a software encoder. So why have x264 encode h264 when NVENC is an h264 hardware encoder and wont reduce frames. So you wouldn't need x264 if you had NVENC

[klaxian]

@CamJGaming Thanks for your feedback, but please re-read the thread for the answer.

[Dfactor]

Ok, but I don't understand what would be "weird" about my setup.

It's not the setup that is weird, it's the "weird" issue you're having.
I'm having similar specs but with older GPU. I can even upload a 1440p60 sample.
All I can tell it's either software bug or something to do with system configuration / background processes.

[klaxian]

I'm open to suggestions. I have nothing running in the background, I disabled all startup applications, there is no load on my CPU nor GPU while recording (other than from one game). My drivers are all updated. It is a stock Windows 7 64-bit install otherwise. I've tried every combination of settings that I can think of, in and out of Bandicam. I reset all Nvidia settings to defaults in the control panel. I even dropped my resolution to 720p without success. Since ShadowPlay works fine, it seems like a Bandicam developer should take a look at their code at this point.

[Dfactor]

They'd have to "re-create" the bug on their own hardware. And when it comes performance issues they usually respond with "turn down the options" solutions.

I don't run a stock Win7, I have it always updated (SP1, all latest platform updates, it's a security thing).
I assume you run both @ DX11? Did you try selecting DX9 for WoW? Do you have any other DX9 and 11 games to test it with?

[klaxian]

I tried turning down my in-game resolution to 720p and there was no improvement over 1440p so I don't think lowering settings will help.

By "stock" Windows 7, I meant that I haven't installed lots of add-ons like Antivirus, backup software, etc. that runs in the background. My installation is updated with the SP1 and all the updates from Microsoft of course.

Good idea to try DX9. I think the problem happened while playing Hearthstone (DX9 game) as well, but I will double-check. I also want to try disabling one of my screens so I can enable an Aero desktop theme with compositing. I don't think that is the problem, but it's one of the few things I haven't tried yet.

I don't think this is as much a performance issue as an oversight or bottleneck in the Bandicam software that my setup is making apparent even though it doesn't affect some other users. My system has power to spare, which is why even CPU-based encoders are working fine.

I'll post the results of the above tests as soon as I can, but they are long shots at best.

[Dfactor]

Another variable in DX9 games would be "Enhanced capture method". Usually it's side effect were crashes, but you can try enabling/disabling it.

[klaxian]

After further testing, I have some new information. It looks like Bandicam NVENC is capable of capturing at 1440p 60fps on my system, BUT only after some time. All my recordings appear to start at about 20-30fps then gradually build to smooth 60fps after 30-45 seconds. My previous tests were short so it wasn't as apparent. During playback, if I seek to a spot within the first 30 seconds, it's very obviously at a lower framerate (and confirmed by MPC-HC statistics). Seeking to a location after 45 seconds shows smooth 60fps footage. If I watch from beginning to end, I will gradually see the video smooth out as the fps increases. This is 100% repeatable on my system, confirmed with two different players - with and without hardware decoding.

I disabled all CPU power saving features like SpeedStep in the BIOS and switched to "Prefer Maximum Performance" in the Nvidia control panel in case there was a scaling problem. I confirmed with CPU-Z and MSI Afterburner. Both of these had no effect.

So now the problem is that the first 30-45 seconds of my footage is much lower than 60fps, but it gradually smooths out to steady 60fps afterward. Nothing on my system is changing during this time and my footage is just staring at fire in game, after everything has had a chance to load. This happens in every game, DX11 and DX9.

Does this new information spark any new ideas? Much appreciated!

[klaxian]

I tested OBS and it has no problem using NVENC to encode 1080p @ 60fps right from the start. This issue is limited to Bandicam.

[klaxian]

Thanks to everyone who tried to help. Unfortunately, I'm still not able to get Bandicam working smoothly with NVENC at 60fps. Therefore, I have switched to ShadowPlay and OBS because they both have no problems with NVENC. I suggest that the Bandicam devs reevaluate the profile and settings they are using for the NVENC API. If they would like any debugging information from me, I'm happy to provide it. Hopefully Bandicam will resolve the issue in the future as more people begin recording in 60fps for YouTube.