Make Rekorder fast on an older laptop EN

If Rekorder stutters or lags on an older computer, lower the settings that ask the most of your processor. Try the steps below in order and record a short test after each one. Stop as soon as the recording is smooth, so you keep as much quality as you can.

All of these settings apply to new recordings. Change them before you start, not during a recording.

1. Turn off camera effects

Camera effects, such as background blur, are the most demanding feature. If you're not recording your camera, skip this step.

1. Click the Rekorder icon in your toolbar to open the popup.
2. Open Settings, then the Camera tab.
3. Set Effect to None.

None avoids the extra processing entirely. If you want to keep an effect, leave Effect on and set Effects quality to Best performance instead. It uses the lightest settings, so the edges around you are less precise. Effects quality does nothing when the effect is None.

For how Auto chooses a level and what the CPU warning means, see Effects quality, the device benchmark and CPU fallback.

2. Lower the resolution

Open Settings > Video and set Resolution. A lower resolution means fewer pixels for your computer to process for every frame.

• 1080p (16:9)
• 720p (16:9)
• 480p (16:9)
• 320p (16:9)

Move down one step at a time. 720p is usually a good first step. If your screen has small text, check that it's still readable in a test recording.

3. Lower the frame rate

On the same Video tab, set Frame rate. Fewer frames per second means less work for your computer and smaller files. The options are 15, 24, 30 and 60.

• 15 is described in Rekorder as suited to low motion, presentations and low-end machines.
• 30 is the recommended balance.
• 60 is for high motion and uses the most processing power.

If you scroll or animate a lot, 15 can look choppy. Try 24 first in that case.

4. Lower the quality tier

On the Video tab, set Quality to Medium or Low. High is the default. This setting controls the video bitrate, which is how much data Rekorder uses for each second of video. It applies to every recording, whether or not you use a camera effect.

What it does depends on how your computer records video:

• Video is recorded in software. A lower setting can help keep recording smooth.
• Your computer has a hardware encoder. A lower setting only gives you a smaller file with a less sharp picture, and doesn't make recording any faster.

If Medium and Low make no difference to smoothness, set Quality back to High.

5. Check the encoder

The Encoder preference setting, also on the Video tab, chooses the file format Rekorder records in. Keep it on Auto (recommended). Auto picks the best supported format for your computer. When it can, it prefers a format your computer can encode in hardware, which is much easier on the processor.

If you set the encoder to WEBM or MP4 yourself, Rekorder uses that format even when another one would be faster on your computer. If you did that earlier and now see stutter, set it back to Auto. The Used codec line under the setting shows the format your next recording will use.

For what each option does, see Encoder preference and when to change it.

If it's still slow

• Close other tabs and programs before you record. They compete with Rekorder for the same processor.
• Record a single tab instead of your whole screen if you can. See What you can record: tab, window, screen or camera.
• If you already changed the settings above and the video still stutters or drops frames, see Video is blurry, stutters or drops frames.

To keep the settings that work, see Set defaults so you do not reconfigure every recording.

Related articles

• Resolution, frame rate and quality explained
• Encoder preference and when to change it
• Effects quality, the device benchmark and CPU fallback
• Camera background effects
• Video is blurry, stutters or drops frames
• Set defaults so you do not reconfigure every recording