Flashback encodes captured frames in real time. The encoder you choose determines whether that work is done by a dedicated hardware block on your GPU — which is fast and adds virtually no CPU overhead — or by your CPU using a software codec. The right choice depends on your hardware, but for the vast majority of users the default Auto mode will make the optimal decision automatically. The encoder setting is stored inDocumentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/CaramelHQ/Flashback/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
settings.json (located in your app data directory) and can be changed at any time. Changes take effect at the start of the next recording or replay session; an ongoing capture is not affected.
Available Encoders
Auto (Default)
Flashback probes the system at startup and selects the best available hardware encoder. The priority order is NVENC → AMF → Quick Sync → Software. Choose this unless you have a specific reason to lock a particular encoder.
NVENC
NVIDIA’s hardware video encoder, built into the GPU silicon since the Kepler generation. Offloads encoding entirely to the NVENC block, leaving your GPU’s shader cores and your CPU free for the game.
AMF
AMD’s Advanced Media Framework hardware encoder, available on Radeon GPUs. Provides the same low-overhead benefits as NVENC on AMD hardware.
Quick Sync
Intel’s hardware encoder embedded in the integrated graphics of Intel Core processors. Available even on systems with a discrete GPU, as long as the integrated graphics is not fully disabled in the BIOS.
Hardware Requirements
| Encoder | Minimum hardware required |
|---|---|
| NVENC | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 600 series or newer (Kepler+) |
| AMF | AMD Radeon RX 400 series or newer (Polaris+) |
| Quick Sync | Intel 6th Generation Core (Skylake) or newer with iGPU enabled |
| Software | Any CPU — no GPU required |
If you select a hardware encoder that is not present in your system, Flashback will fall back to Software encoding and log a warning. Use Auto to avoid this silently.
When to Use Software Encoding
The Software encoder uses the CPU with an x264-style pipeline via Windows Media Foundation. It is always available regardless of GPU, but it has trade-offs:- Higher CPU usage — encoding runs on the same processor as the game, which may cause frame drops in CPU-bound titles.
- Guaranteed compatibility — useful as a fallback when hardware encoders produce corrupted output or are blocked by a driver bug.
- Good for debugging — if a clip looks corrupted with a hardware encoder, switching to Software helps isolate whether the issue is in the encoder or the capture pipeline.
Changing the Encoder
Encoder Comparison
| Auto | NVENC | AMF | Quick Sync | Software | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPU required | No | NVIDIA | AMD | Intel iGPU | No |
| CPU overhead | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal | Minimal | High |
| Always available | ✓ | Only on NVIDIA | Only on AMD | Only on Intel | ✓ |
| Recommended | ✓ for most users | NVIDIA systems | AMD systems | Intel-only systems | Fallback / debug |
Capture Settings
Configure resolution, FPS, and quality to control the bitrate sent to the encoder.
Capture Pipeline
Technical details on how frames flow from Windows Graphics Capture through the encoder to disk.