When considering which capture card to buy, there’s a few things to keep in mind besides what resolution and frame rate it can output for streaming or recording. Let’s look at Game Capture 4K X, and Game Capture 4K Pro, the latest in our lineup of capture cards and how they are the same and how they differ.
First, here’s a table with a high-level comparison before we dive into the details.
| Game Capture 4K X | Game Capture 4K Pro | |
| Connection | USB 3.2 Gen (10Gbps) | PCIe 2.0 x4 |
| HDMI input/output | HDMI 2.1 (40Gbps) | HDMI 2.1 (40Gbps) |
| High Dynamic Range (HDR) passthrough | Yes | Yes |
| Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) passthrough | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) passthrough | Yes | Yes |
| High Refresh Rate passthrough | Yes* | Yes* |
| HDR capture | Up to 4K30 HDR | Up to 4K60 HDR |
| SDR Capture | Up to 4K 144 | Up to |
| HDR to SDR tonemapping | Yes | Yes |
| Ports | HDMI in/out, Analog in, USB | HDMI in/out, PCIe |
*Varies by incoming resolution
Yep, on the surface, 4K X and 4K Pro are very similar, and it’s true, they are, so the details are where the nuance is.
First, let’s talk about the connection. 4K X is a USB capture card, meaning it connects to your computer with a USB cable. This makes it versatile and of course will work with laptops and even tablets like an iPad. 4K X uses a USB-C 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps connection. Now, that’s the official requirement, however it does not really require a 10Gbps USB-C port and will work in 5Gbps USB 3.0 ports, even type-A ports and even USB 2.0. However, the resolution and frame rate, as well as the color format you can capture at will be severely reduced when using slow USB ports.
4K Pro on the other hand is a PCIE capture card, so it must be installed in a desktop with an open PCIe slot. You could in theory use 4K Pro on a laptop if you get a Thunderbolt/USB4 to PCIe chassis, but we’re not going to get into that right now.
When comparing the HDMI inputs and outputs – They’re identical. 4K X and 4K Pro both have an HDMI 2.1 40Gbps HDMI passthrough meaning the signal goes into the capture card and back out to your TV or monitor.
This HDMI passthrough also supports the various HDMI 2.1 features like Variable Refresh rate (VRR), High Dynamic Range (HDR10), and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM). This means that with both, you’ll be fully covered and get the best gaming experience when playing on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series X and S on a compatible TV or monitor.
Both 4K X and 4K Pro support common high refresh rates associated with HDMI 2.1 – The most common for consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S being 4K at 120Hz. PCs can push this even higher, up to 4K at 144Hz or even 4K at 240Hz. So, how do they stack up? 4K X tops out at 4K at 144Hz. That’s an incredible amount of detail at such a fast frame rate, and you’re easily covered for next-gen gaming. With 4K Pro, you get support up to 240Hz at 4K, making it the perfect choice for someone looking to capture high frame rate PC gameplay in a two-PC streaming setup. You can find detailed information for each product at the following links:
We’ve covered what each device can pass through its HDMI port, so what about capture? To make this a bit easier to understand we’re going to divide capture capabilities into two categories – HDR capture, or when you want to capture HDR video, and SDR capture, or when you want to capture standard dynamic range video. Let’s start with HDR.
Both 4K X and 4K Pro support capturing HDR video, with slight differences in what resolutions and frame rates are supported. With 4K X, you can capture either high resolution 4K30 video in HDR, or smooth 1440p60 HDR. For example, with a 4K120 HDR passthrough signal from a PlayStation 5, you could capture either 4K30 HDR, or 1440p60 HDR. If you wanted to capture at 120fps, then you could do that at 1080p. The capture card does the conversion of the input signal to capture signal for you. With 4K Pro, you can capture up to 4K60 HDR with a 4K60 HDR input signal or 8K60 HDR signal – Now that’s impressive. One thing to mention with 4K Pro is that if the input signal is 4K 120 HDR, then the capture resolution and frame rate is 1080p120 HDR. The exact reason for this is we’ll cover a different article.
Now let’s talk about SDR. Both 4K X and 4K Pro support HDR tonemapping which converts an incoming signal to standard dynamic range which makes the video easier to work with since not all streaming and recording software can handle HDR video.
With 4K X, this is particularly useful. With a 4K144 HDR or SDR signal, 4K X can capture that at up to 4K at blazing fast 144Hz.
Yep, it can capture at 4K at 144 frames per second which is wild. Note though that this means HDR video is tone mapped to SDR before being captured. Let’s take another popular example, PlayStation 5.
When 4K X is getting a 4K 120 HDR or SDR signal from a PlayStation 5, it can capture that to your computer at high res 4K and buttery smooth 120 frames per second in standard dynamic range. With 4K Pro, the story is a little bit different and here it has a clear advantage over 4K X. With any incoming signal supported by 4K Pro, it can capture that in either HDR, or SDR. There are no tradeoffs. For example, if the input signal is 4K60 HDR from a console, you can choose to capture that with 4K Pro in either 4K60 HDR, or let 4K Pro tone map, and then capture in 4K60 SDR.
You can find detailed information about supported capture resolutions in both HDR and SDR for 4K X and 4K Pro here:
Both 4K X and 4K Pro support HDR tonemapping. Tonemapping is the process by which an HDR10 signal with its expanded 10bit color, wide color gamut and per-pixel brightness information is converted to standard dynamic range or SDR. Both 4K X and 4K Pro have hardware onboard to do the tonemapping on-device, freeing up precious computer resources and ensuring compatibility with software that does not support HDR video input.
The ports on the two devices are slightly different. 4K X has the two aforenoted HDMI 2.1 ports, the USB-C 10Gbps port, and it has an analog line-in port. This line-in port is used together with Chat Link Pro so you can capture voice chat audio and game audio with PlayStation 5/Pro and Switch. 4K Pro has two HDMI ports, and then its PCIe connector, and is missing the line-in port but don’t worry, since nearly all PC motherboards have a line-in or mic-in on the back, this is where you’d connect Chat Link Pro if you were using it.
In conclusion, both the Elgato Game Capture 4K X and 4K Pro offer impressive features and capabilities for capturing high-quality video. The 4K X, with its USB connection, is versatile and perfect for those who need a portable solution that works with laptops and tablets. On the other hand, the 4K Pro, with its PCIe connection, is ideal for desktop setups and offers higher frame rate capture, making it the best choice for high-end PC gaming.
Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on your specific needs and setup. Whether you prioritize portability or maximum performance, we have a capture card that will meet your requirements. Happy gaming and streaming!
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