Head-to-head · Best Capture Cards for Streaming

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573) vs Razer Ripsaw HD

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573) comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.3 vs 4.2). The gap is mostly about single-PC streamers with a desktop and free PCIe slot who want lower USB contention and CPU overhead — read the strengths below before deciding.

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573)

Higher ratedRanked #5 in Best Capture Cards for Streaming

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573)

4.3

$299as of May 19

The Live Gamer 4K is the pick for streamers running a single-PC setup with a free PCIe slot. Internal PCIe means lower CPU overhead than USB cards and zero USB bandwidth contention, which matters when you're also running USB mics, controllers, and audio interfaces. The trade-off is portability: you can't move this between rigs the way you can a Ripsaw or HD60 X. If your streaming PC is your daily driver and stays put, it's a quietly underrated pick.

Strengths

— PCIe internal card — frees up a USB port and avoids USB bandwidth contention
— 4K60 HDR10 capture, 4K HDR passthrough on a single PC
— RECentral software offers more capture configuration than Elgato's lighter app

Watch-outs

— Requires a desktop PC with a free PCIe x4 slot — laptops and consoles can't use it
— Setup is heavier than external USB cards (case open, driver install, BIOS sometimes)
— Streamers who use a separate streaming PC need to factor in a second machine

$299 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best Capture Cards for Streaming

Razer Ripsaw HD

4.2

$60as of May 19

The Ripsaw HD is the budget pick that's been holding the line for years. 1080p60 capture, 4K60 passthrough, USB 3.0, and built-in audio mixing — all the basics for a streaming kit at roughly 75% of the Elgato HD60 X's price. The trade-off is age: this is a 2019 product that hasn't been refreshed, and Razer's drivers are heavier than Elgato's. For first-time streamers on a tight budget, still a reasonable buy.

Strengths

— 1080p60 capture and 4K60 passthrough at the most aggressive price in this round-up
— USB 3.0 single-cable connection
— Built-in mic/headphone audio mixing for Discord and party chat passthrough

Watch-outs

— Razer's drivers are heavier than Elgato's lightweight install
— No HDR capture (passthrough is fine; capture flattens HDR)
— Older product — Razer hasn't iterated since 2019

$60 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573)

Only PCIe internal pick in this lineup — the Elgato 4K X, Elgato HD60 X, AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S, and Razer Ripsaw HD are all external USB. Matches the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S on 4K60 capture spec but trades the Ultra S's portability for internal-card-only setup. Loses to the Elgato 4K X on 4K144 capability.

Razer Ripsaw HD

Budget pick of the round-up. Matches the Elgato HD60 X on capture ceiling at a lower price. Loses to the HD60 X on driver lightness and Mac support. Far below the 4K-capable Elgato 4K X, AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S, and AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K on capture resolution.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573)	Razer Ripsaw HD
Capture Resolution	Up to 4K60 HDR10	Up to 1080p60
Passthrough	Up to 4K HDR	Up to 4K60
Interface	PCIe x4	USB 3.0
Connectivity	HDMI 2.0 in/out	HDMI 2.0 in/out
Form Factor	Internal expansion card	External
Software	RECentral 4	—
OS Support	Windows 10/11 x64	Windows 8 64-bit or later
Audio Mixing	—	Built-in mic/headphone passthrough
Compatibility	—	PS4, PS5, Xbox, Switch, PC

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