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
- +No external power brick or cable mess to manage
- +Lower CPU overhead than USB capture cards
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
- −Less portable — locks you into one capture rig
How it compares
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.
Who this is for
At a glance: single-PC streamers with a desktop and free PCIe slot who want lower USB contention and CPU overhead.
Why you’d buy the AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K (GC573)
- 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.
Why you’d skip it
- 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.
Rating sources
Our 4.3 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
