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Best 5 Capture Cards for Streaming on Twitch or YouTube

By / Tech / July 15, 2025

Here are the five best capture cards you can buy for streaming in 2025, with key considerations such as resolution and more.

Best 5 Capture Cards for Streaming on Twitch or YouTube
An image showing the two best capture cards for streaming (Image via Amazon)

Video quality is the most crucial factor when streaming on Twitch, YouTube, or any other platform. Your capture card determines how the image will be displayed to your viewers, and the platform and its compression also play a role, but it’s a decisive factor nonetheless. Almost all GPUs possess the ability to perform media streaming. Still, there are limitations, such as performance overhead, driver conflicts that can cause audio desynchronization, and on top of that, managing your audience on a single PC can be a pain. A capture card can easily sort out all these issues, as it allows you the option to use a dedicated PC to run your stream, meaning you have more control over what your audience sees and hears, and what your friends see and hear.

A variety of things can be done when you have a capture card and a dedicated PC to stream. That said, if you’re looking to upgrade your video quality or are starting new, here are the top five options you can try out. 

Note: Pricing data is provided for reference purposes. Please contact your nearest retailer for the actual price, should you decide to purchase one. Console users can also use a PC and either of these cards to fulfill their streaming goals.

1. AverMedia Live Gamer Mini (GC311)

An image showing the Avermedia Livegamer capture card (Image via Amazon)
An image showing the Avermedia Livegamer capture card (Image via Amazon)

If you’re looking for an affordable capture card with a built-in hardware encoder, the Live Gamer Mini is a great option. For starters, it’s compact, portable, and features zero-latency passthrough. This means your high refresh rate display isn’t capped at 60Hz when you’re using it to capture your display stream. Additionally, it supports 1080p at 60 FPS and is compatible with Macs. Overall, it’s a great budget pick.

Specifications:

  • Type: External (USB 2.0, micro)
  • Capture Resolution: 1080p60
  • Passthrough: 1080p60 (zero latency)
  • Interface: HDMI in/out, USB 2.0 Type-A
  • Price: ~$70-100

2. Elgato Game Capture Neo

An image showing the Elgato Game Capture neo capture card (Image via Amazon)
An image showing the Elgato Game Capture neo capture card (Image via Amazon)

When it comes to capture cards, Elgato is a big player. For anyone looking to start a streaming career, according to Elgato, this is the one to go for. The Game Capture Neo has zero-latency 4K60 HDR passthrough but is limited to capturing 1080p at 60 FPS. So, whether you are pairing a console or a high-quality gaming PC, the Game Capture Neo can output high-quality video. The only catch here is the resolution, which is limited to 1080p.

Specifications:

  • Type: External (USB-C)
  • Capture Resolution: 1080p60
  • Passthrough: 4K60 HDR (zero latency)
  • Interface: HDMI in/out, USB-C
  • Price: ~$99-120

3. EVGA XR1 Lite

An image showing the EVGA XR1 capture card
An image showing the EVGA XR1 capture card (Image via Amazon)

The XRT1 Lite is an incredible budget capture card. It’s one of the options that’s OBS-certified and handles uncompressed NV12 and YUY2 encoding. Most reviewers often regard it as the best bang for your buck 1080p streaming capture card. If you’re lucky, you can snag this one for as low as $30.

Specifications:

  • Type: External (USB-C)
  • Capture Resolution: 1080p60
  • Passthrough: 4K60
  • Interface: HDMI in/out, USB-C 3.0
  • Price: ~$30-60 (sale price)

4. Razer Ripsaw X

An image showing the razer ripsaw capture card
An image showing the Razer Ripsaw capture card (Image via Amazon)

If you’re one of those users who want to plug in camera footage alongside your stream, you can easily do so with the Ripsaw X. The Ripsaw allows you to pass through 4K60 and capture 4K at 30FPS and 1080p at 120FPS, respectively. The setup is relatively straightforward with OBS, and the overall experience is consistent, with no driver issues. 

Specifications:

  • Type: External (USB 3.0)
  • Capture Resolution: 4K30 or 1080p120
  • Passthrough: 4K60
  • Interface: HDMI 2.0 in, USB 3.0
  • Price: ~$100-140

5. Elgato HD60 X

An image showing the HD60X capture card.
An image showing the HD60X capture card (Image via Amazon)

The HD60 X is a massive upgrade from the well-known HD 60 series. It offers Variable Refresh Rate support, eliminating screen tearing during gameplay, and allows HDR10 capture as well as pass-through. For gamers who specifically utilize these next-gen features, such as HDR10, the HD60X is a no-brainer. It’s also an excellent option for the PS5 and PS5 Pro, allowing you to capture detailed footage with all the bells and whistles. 

Specifications:

  • Type: External (USB-C)
  • Capture Resolution: 1080p60 HDR10, 1440p60, 4K30
  • Passthrough: 4K60 HDR10, 1440p120, 1080p240, VRR
  • Interface: HDMI 2.0 in/out, USB-C 3.0
  • Price: ~$140-180

Verdict

All of the capture cards mentioned here are great choices. Although these suggestions are subjective, research indicates that these options have the best driver support and work seamlessly. Simply plug in and play, set up with OBS or similar software and you’re ready.

We provide the latest news and “How-To’s” for Tech content. Meanwhile, you can check out the following articles related to PC GPUs, CPU and GPU comparisons, mobile phones, and more:

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