AVerMedia · Updated July 2026
AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro): price, specs & release date
- Best for Affordable 4K60 capture with strong 1440p144/1080p240 passthrough support; Negligible input-lag increase during HDMI passthrough (3.8 to 4.4 ms).
- Skip if High-frame-rate capture above 1080p60 limited to MJPEG is a dealbreaker.
AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro), released 2025-02. Every price and spec below is linked to its source and dated — no guesses.
Source: avermedia.com verified ✓ corroborated verify in ledger
Is the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) a good buy?
At $150, the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) is #6 cheapest of the 18 capture cards we track, where the median is $215. On the spec sheet, its max capture framerate of 60 is at the median of the 18. By release date, it is the newest of the 13 we date.
Evidence of Record
Our data- Independent labsmeasured it
- 1
- Physical metricsrecorded
- 1
- Outlets on recordall tested
- 1
One independent lab measured this product across 1 physical metric — latency. These numbers rest on a single hands-on source so far.
Review consensus · sourced & dated
What reviewers say about the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro)
Only one whitelisted tester, TechPowerUp, published a hands-on review of this exact GC553Pro. It measured a negligible on-display lag increase during HDMI passthrough (3.8 ms to 4.4 ms) and praised affordable 4K60 capture with strong high-refresh passthrough, while flagging MJPEG-only high-frame-rate modes, an awkward split port layout and shallow Streaming Center software. Two of the draft's four quotes were dropped as paraphrases that did not appear verbatim in the source.
Tested by TechPowerUp
Consistently praised
- Affordable 4K60 capture with strong 1440p144/1080p240 passthrough support
- Negligible input-lag increase during HDMI passthrough (3.8 to 4.4 ms)
- Wide format compatibility including uncompressed RGB24 at 1080p60
- Silent passive cooling and solid build quality
Commonly flagged
- High-frame-rate capture above 1080p60 limited to MJPEG
- Split HDMI/USB-C port layout complicates cable management
- Streaming Center software lacks depth
- No HDMI 2.1 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 bandwidth limits
Where reviewers disagree Only one whitelisted source qualified, so no cross-source comparison is possible; all findings reflect TechPowerUp's hands-on testing alone.
The sources (1)
on-display input lag, direct HDMI: 3.8 ms · on-display input lag, HDMI passthrough: 4.4 ms
With HDMI ports on one side and the USB-C port on the opposite side, desk cable management becomes more challenging
Streaming Center software lacks depth
Specifications
| Price (US) | $149.99 Suggested retail price USD 149.99 per AVerMedia launch press release (BusinessWire, mirrored on Silicon UK, Feb 13, 2025): "Available now at a suggested retail price of USD 149.99." PC Gamer review lists $150 USD. |
|---|---|
| Brand | AVerMedia |
| Released | 2025-02 |
| Interface | usb |
| Max passthrough | 4K60 / 1440p144 / 1080p240 (HDMI 2.0, HDR, VRR) |
| Max capture resolution | 4K (2160p) |
| Max capture framerate | 60 |
| HDR passthrough | Yes |
| Vrr support | Yes |
| Input | hdmi |
| Encoding | software |
Source: avermedia.com (verified 2026-07-10) · corroborated by silicon.co.uk. The AVerMedia manufacturer spec page confirms this exact model ("Live Gamer ULTRA S GC553Pro"): USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C interface, HDMI 2.0 in/out, max passthrough 2160p60/1440p144/1080p240 (all HDR/VRR), max capture 2160p60 (plus 1440p144, 1080p240; HDR to 1440p30), and uncompressed/UVC output formats (YUY2/NV12/RGB24/P010/MJPEG) meaning host/software encoding with no onboard encoder — consistent with its GC553G2 sibling in this catalog. The AVerMedia launch press release (BusinessWire, mirrored on Silicon UK, dated Feb 13, 2025) confirms the release date and the price verbatim ("suggested retail price of USD 149.99") and restates 4K60 HDR/VRR pass-through and capture up to 4K60/1440p144/1080p240. The PC Gamer review independently corroborates the same GC553Pro unit (2x HDMI 2.0 + USB-C, 4K60 HDR VRR passthrough and capture) at a $150 USD price.
Is the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) worth it vs cheaper capture cards?
AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) against its closest cheaper and pricier capture cards on the specs that matter — every value sourced. See all 18 ranked →
| Product | Price | Interface | Max passthrough | Max capture resolution | Max capture framerate | HDR passthrough |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) this | $149.99 | usb | 4K60 / 1440p144 / 1080p240 (HDMI 2.0, HDR, VRR) | 4K (2160p) | 60 | Yes |
| AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus (GC513) | $139.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI) | 1080p | 60 | No |
| Razer Ripsaw HD | $159.99 | usb | 4K60 (HDMI 2.0) | 1080p | 60 | — |
Frequently asked questions
What do reviewers say about the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro)?
Only one whitelisted tester, TechPowerUp, published a hands-on review of this exact GC553Pro. It measured a negligible on-display lag increase during HDMI passthrough (3.8 ms to 4.4 ms) and praised affordable 4K60 capture with strong high-refresh passthrough, while flagging MJPEG-only high-frame-rate modes, an awkward split port layout and shallow Streaming Center software. Two of the draft's four quotes were dropped as paraphrases that did not appear verbatim in the source. Praised: Affordable 4K60 capture with strong 1440p144/1080p240 passthrough support; Negligible input-lag increase during HDMI passthrough (3.8 to 4.4 ms); Wide format compatibility including uncompressed RGB24 at 1080p60; Silent passive cooling and solid build quality. Flagged: High-frame-rate capture above 1080p60 limited to MJPEG; Split HDMI/USB-C port layout complicates cable management; Streaming Center software lacks depth; No HDMI 2.1 and USB 3.2 Gen 1 bandwidth limits. (From 1 tester review, 1 lab-tested.)
How much does the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) cost?
The AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) has a US price of $149.99 (Suggested retail price USD 149.99 per AVerMedia launch press release (BusinessWire, mirrored on Silicon UK, Feb 13, 2025): "Available now at a suggested retail price of USD 149.99." PC Gamer review lists $150 USD.), as of 2026-07-10.
How does the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) compare on price?
At $150, the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) is #6 cheapest of the 18 capture cards we track, where the median is $215.
When was the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) released?
The AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) was released 2025-02.
What are the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro)'s key specs?
AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S (GC553Pro) (AVerMedia): interface usb, max passthrough 4K60 / 1440p144 / 1080p240 (HDMI 2.0, HDR, VRR), max capture resolution 4K (2160p), max capture framerate 60, hdr passthrough Yes. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-07-10.
Similar capture cards
Nearest in price — swipe to browse. Every pick sourced and dated.
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AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus (GC513) -
Razer Ripsaw HD -
Razer Ripsaw X -
Elgato Cam Link 4K -
AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) -
Elgato Game Capture Neo -
Elgato HD60 X - Elgato HD60 S+ Elgato HD60 S+
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Elgato Game Capture 4K X -
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Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 -
AVerMedia Live Gamer 4K 2.1 (GC575)
All capture cards ranked → · Open data & methodology · Queryable via MCP
Compare with
Cheaper capture cards
- AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable 2 Plus (GC513) $139.99
- Razer Ripsaw X $139.99
- Elgato Cam Link 4K $129.99
- AVerMedia Live Gamer MINI (GC311) $129.99
- Elgato Game Capture Neo $129.99
Step up
- Razer Ripsaw HD $159.99
- Elgato HD60 X $179.99
- Elgato HD60 S+ $199.99
- Elgato Game Capture 4K X $229.99
- Blackmagic Design DeckLink Mini Recorder 4K $235
- Elgato 4K60 Pro MK.2 $249.99
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