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What is Nvidia NVENC?

Nvidia NVENC is a hardware video encoder built directly into Nvidia’s dedicated GPUs.
Instead of relying on your CPU to encode video, NVENC offloads the work to your graphics card, improving performance and recording quality.

Nvidia first introduced NVENC with the GeForce GTX 600 series in March 2012.

How do I enable Nvidia NVENC?

If NVENC is not available in Overwolf’s capture settings, make sure the following requirements are met:

  1. Compatible GPU
    You must have an Nvidia GeForce GTX 600 series or newer graphics card.

  2. Updated Nvidia drivers
    Ensure your GPU drivers are up to date.
    You can check for the latest drivers here.

If your Nvidia GPU does not support NVENC, the option will not appear in Overwolf.

How do I know if my Nvidia GPU supports NVENC?

The most accurate and up-to-date compatibility information can be found in this guide.

Nvidia NVENC Errors

“Disabled Nvidia device or unsupported/old”

Explanation:
Your GPU may be disabled in the Device Manager, or your hardware may not support NVENC.
Try enabling the device or selecting a different encoder in Overwolf’s settings.

“Please update video card driver or change selected video encoder”

Explanation:
Your GPU driver is outdated for the selected encoder.

How to fix it:

  • Update your Nvidia drivers (check for updates here)

  • Switch to the x264 software encoder if you prefer not to update.
    (Note: x264 may reduce performance or video quality since it relies on the CPU.)

“Unknown error occurred”

Explanation:
The selected encoder may not be functioning properly.

Try changing the encoder:

  1. Open Overwolf Settings

  2. Go to Capture

  3. Click Advanced

  4. Under Encoding, select a different encoder

    • Try: Quick Sync → Nvidia → x264

    • If you use an AMD GPU, select the AMD AMF encoder instead

If none of these steps solve the issue, please reach out to Overwolf Support we’ll be happy to help!