In the OBS Stats window (View > Stats), frame trouble appears under three different names, and the official knowledge base describes just one of them, Dropped Frames (Network), as a problem between your PC and a remote server. The quickest first move is to see which counter climbed: if Dropped Frames (Network) rises while streaming, start with the Server and Video Bitrate settings; if the skipped or missed counters rise, start by running OBS as administrator and closing other GPU-heavy programs. This article assumes OBS Studio 32.x on a Windows PC and was checked on October 8, 2026. If you are unsure why streaming and recording behave differently at all, this comparison of streaming and recording covers the basics first.
What each counter points toward
| Label in the Stats window | What the name tells you | Where to look first |
|---|---|---|
| Dropped Frames (Network) | The knowledge base describes an unstable connection to the remote server, or a bitrate the connection cannot keep up with | Stream row, Settings > Stream Server, Settings > Output Video Bitrate, Settings > Advanced > Network, a wired connection |
| Skipped frames due to encoding lag | The name points to the encoding-lag category (no item definition in the knowledge base) | If the Encoding overloaded! warning also appears, the encoding performance steps; Video Encoder under Output; Settings > Video |
| Frames missed due to rendering lag | The name points to the rendering-lag category (no item definition in the knowledge base) | Other GPU-heavy programs, a game frame cap, a simpler scene, and the GPU assignment for OBS on a laptop |
| Average time to render frame | A neighboring item in the same window; no official threshold was found | Compare the value before and after a change rather than judging one number alone |
| Stream row / Recording row | Dropped Frames (Network) is listed separately for each output | Read the Stream row while live; for a file-only recording there is no remote server, so run other checklists in parallel |
Bottom line: the counter that rises decides where to go
Short version: when Dropped Frames (Network) climbs during a stream, go to the network checklist; when the skipped or missed counters climb, go to the encoding performance checklist. The knowledge base explains dropped frames as a connection to the remote server that is unstable or cannot keep up with your set bitrate, and it adds that OBS Studio itself is extremely unlikely to be the cause. A local file recording has no remote server in that definition, so stutter in a saved file is not explained by it. Work through the general recording stutter checks alongside this list instead. For the skipped and missed counters the knowledge base gives no per-item definition, so this article claims only what each label names: encoding lag versus rendering lag.
Check order
- 1Open the Stats window and zero the numbersOpen it from View > Stats. To have it appear every time, use Open stats dialog on startup under Settings > General. Before you reproduce the problem, press Reset in the Stats window so only this test run is counted. The window also lists CPU Usage and Memory Usage next to the frame counters.
- 2Read the Stream and Recording rows separatelyThe window has a Stream row and a Recording row, each showing Status, Dropped Frames (Network), Total Data Output and Bitrate. If viewers saw the stutter, watch the Stream row; if the saved file stutters, watch the Recording row. While the symptom is happening, note only which of the three counters moves. The color thresholds are not documented officially, so judge by whether a number is increasing.
- 3If Dropped Frames (Network) rises, change server and bitrate firstThe official in-OBS order is this. Under Settings > Stream, try a different Server. Under Settings > Output, lower Video Bitrate, starting at 75% of your stable total upload speed. Then try streaming to a different Service to see whether the trouble belongs to one service. That last step does not fix a service connection; it only helps you tell where the cause sits.
- 4Try the Advanced > Network options after thatIn Settings > Advanced > Network, enable Enable network optimizations and then Enable TCP pacing (Windows only). The knowledge base says some users saw improvement, but the in-app tooltip warns that on an unstable connection the risk of dropped frames can grow, so compare the Stats window after switching it on. Keep Bind to IP on Default, and set IP Family to IPv4 Only; if nothing changes, return it to IPv4 and IPv6 (Default). Dynamically change bitrate to manage congestion (Beta) lowers bitrate instead of dropping frames. It does not fix the root cause, it reduces quality, the tooltip says it supports RTMP only and recovery can take minutes, so use it only when the connection cannot be repaired.
- 5Remove connection factors outside OBS one by oneThe knowledge base lists wired Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi, restarting the modem and router, turning off a VPN to test, and installing the latest network driver from your PC or motherboard maker. Security software can be disabled briefly to test; if it is the cause, add an OBS exception and turn it back on. Bundled network optimizers are named as suspects too. Before replacing cables or hardware, it advises talking to your internet provider.
- 6If skipped or missed frames rise, move to the encoding performance listThis is the order the knowledge base gives for the Encoding overloaded! warning or visible stutter. Run OBS as administrator, check Task Manager for other programs using the GPU (do not close anything you do not recognize), cap the game frame rate to the monitor refresh rate or turn on in-game V-Sync, and lower the game graphics. In the Game Capture source properties, clear SLI/Crossfire Capture Mode (Slow) unless you use SLI/CrossFire or a multi-GPU laptop (the knowledge base page still calls it Multi-adapter Compatibility). If it persists, lower Output (Scaled) Resolution and FPS under Settings > Video (for example 60 to 30) and simplify the scene by trimming filters and Browser Sources. That page never names these two counters, so the steps are not tied to them one to one.
- 7Change one setting, then measure again under the same conditionsChanging several settings at once hides which one helped. Change one, press Reset in the Stats window, then stream or record the same game for a similar length of time. If the counter stops growing, keep the change; if not, revert it and move to the next item. Anything that lowers quality, such as dynamic bitrate, goes last.
Checks before you measure again
- I opened the Stats window and pressed Reset before testing.
- I wrote down whether I was streaming (Stream row) or recording (Recording row) and which of the three counters rose.
- For streams, I changed Server, Video Bitrate (starting at 75% of stable upload speed) and Service one at a time.
- I checked wired connection, VPN, security software, the network driver and a router restart.
- I adjusted other GPU-heavy programs, the game frame cap, and the resolution and FPS under Settings > Video one step at a time; on a laptop I also checked the obs64.exe entry in Windows graphics settings described in the official GPU Selection Guide.
- I looked at whether the Video Encoder is a hardware encoder. The official Hardware Encoding page says hardware encoders move work off the CPU onto dedicated GPU parts and are generally recommended (dated 2022-01-11; check the supported GPU requirements on that page itself).
When you only need a file, not a stream
If the goal is a video file of your play rather than a live broadcast, DOR starts when you launch a supported game, with no OBS-style scenes, sources or output settings to build first. In Valorant, for example, DOR detects the game automatically, records the full match as an mp4, and also creates highlight clips for rounds and kills on its own. It is an option for the file-only case, not a replacement for the checklists above. For reference, DOR uses NVENC hardware encoding by default on an NVIDIA graphics card and records game sound and your microphone at the same time. Afterwards, trimming a clip in the app library lets you set a start and end and keep only the moment you want.
