Independent · sourced · Updated June 2026
Best Capture Cards (2026)
The cheapest capture cards is AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) at $129.99. Best by the numbers — Elgato Cam Link 4K (lowest price), Elgato Game Capture 4K X (newest). This page compares 12 capture cards across 4 brands on price and key specs — every figure sourced, updated June 2026.
12 capture cards compared on the specs that matter and US price — ranked cheapest-first. Every spec and price links to its source and the date we captured it.
Key takeaways
- Lowest price: AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) at $129.99 (MSRP at launch; widely available under $100 by 2025).
- Typical price: from $129.99, median $189.99, up to $545 — across 12 priced.
- Tracked: 12 products across 4 brands, current through 2026-06-20.
- Compared on: interface, max passthrough, max capture resolution, max capture framerate, hdr passthrough, vrr support.
Best by the numbers
Objective winners — each is the leader on one measured spec, with the figure. No subjective ranking.
- Lowest price: Elgato Cam Link 4K ($129.99)
- Newest: Elgato Game Capture 4K X (2024-02)
Comparison
| # | Capture Card | Price | interface | max passthrough | max capture resolution | max capture framerate | hdr passthrough | vrr support | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) | $129.99 | usb | 1080p60 (HDMI) | 1080p | 60 | false | false | avermedia.com |
| 2 | Elgato Cam Link 4K | $129.99 | usb | — | 4K (2160p) | 30 | — | — | elgato.com |
| 3 | AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus (GC513) | $139.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI) | 1080p | 60 | false | false | avermedia.com |
| 4 | Razer Ripsaw X | $139.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0) | 4K (2160p) | 30 | — | — | razer.com |
| 5 | Razer Ripsaw HD | $159.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0) | 1080p | 60 | — | — | razer.com |
| 6 | Elgato HD60 X | $179.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0, VRR, HDR10) | 4K (2160p) | 30 | true | true | elgato.com |
| 7 | Elgato HD60 S+ | $199.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0, HDR10) | 4K (2160p) | 30 | true | false | corsair.com |
| 8 | Elgato Game Capture 4K X | $229.99 | usb | 4K144 (HDMI 2.1, VRR, HDR10) | 4K (2160p) | 144 | true | true | elgato.com |
| 9 | Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 | $249.99 | pcie | 4K60 / 1440p144 / 1080p240 (HDMI 2.0, HDR10) | 4K (2160p) | 60 | true | false | corsair.com |
| 10 | AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K 2.1 (GC575) | $269.99 | pcie | 4K144 / 1440p240 / 1080p360 (HDMI 2.1, HDR, VRR) | 4K (2160p) | 60 | true | true | avermedia.com |
| 11 | AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 (GC553G2) | $299.99 | usb | 4K144 / 1440p240 / 1080p360 (HDMI 2.1, HDR, VRR) | 4K (2160p) | 144 | true | true | shop-us.avermedia.com |
| 12 | Magewell USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus | $545 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0 loop-through) | 4K (4096x2160) | 30 | — | — | magewell.com |
Specs are as published by the manufacturer (or a reputable spec source where the official page was unavailable); prices are US launch MSRP. Full per-product records and all spec columns are in our open dataset.
Popular comparisons
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest capture cards?
AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) is the cheapest at $129.99 (MSRP at launch; widely available under $100 by 2025), as of 2026-06-20.
How much does capture cards cost?
Across the 12 capture cards with a published price, the median is $189.99, ranging from $129.99 to $545, as of 2026-06-20.
Which capture cards is best by the numbers?
Lowest price: Elgato Cam Link 4K ($129.99). Newest: Elgato Game Capture 4K X (2024-02).
How many capture cards are compared here?
12 capture cards across 4 brands, with US price and key specs, current through 2026-06-20.
More hardware comparisons
How we compiled this
The roster covers 12 USB and PCIe video capture cards for streaming/recording spanning 2018-2024, sourced from official manufacturer product and spec pages (elgato.com, avermedia.com, razer.com, magewell.com), official Corsair/AVerMedia/Razer press releases, and corroborated by major retail listings (Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, Micro Center) and tech-review coverage (TechPowerUp, Windows Central, HotHardware, PC Gamer). Prices are published US MSRP/launch price or dominant current retail; null is used for any spec that could not be confirmed from a primary or reliable secondary source. Boolean true/false is used for HDR and VRR support; null means not documented. max_capture_resolution/framerate refer to the maximum hardware/host capture the device records, NOT passthrough (an important distinction: many devices passthrough far higher resolutions than they capture). Adversarial re-verification on 2026-06-20 corrected 6 of 12 records: 4 wrong prices, 1 fabricated passthrough number (HDMI 2.0 cannot carry 4K240), 1 mislabeled encoding type, and 1 wrong release year. All 12 products were verified to exist; none were removed.
Last verified 2026-06-20. We re-check published specs and prices on a recurring cadence and update this page when they change.
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