Top 9 Best Screen Recorder for Low-End PC | 2025 Tested

Jane Zhou updated on Jun 19, 2025 to Screen Recording Utility

The post covers the top 9 best screen recorder for low-end PC, aiming to help you capture screen or games without lagging. If you are searching for such a screen recorder for low-end devices without watermark, stick around here to find your solutions.

"Want to screen record in my low end PC?" --- Reddit user

As the Reddit user have pointed out, screen recording on low-end PCs can be pretty challenging due to limited CPU, RAM, or GPU resources. Most heavy-duty screen recording software tends to slow down your computer, especially for recording games, which often means dealing with lag, frame drops, and even game crashes.

This article will delve into screen recorders for low-end PC, helping you enjoy a lag-free recording experience despite hardware limitations.

How to Choose the Best Screen Recorder for Low End PC

If you own a low-spec PC with limited system resources, you can consider the following tips to choose the best screen recorder for a low-end PC to balance performance, functionality, and resource usage.

  • Lightweight: Opt for a tool with minimal CPU/GPU usage, support for hardware acceleration, and low system requirements to avoid performance issues.
  • Strong hardware compatibility: Compatible with Windows 7/8/8.1/10/11, 32-bit and 64-bit versions available.
  • Adjustable Settings: Look for customizable options like resolution, frame rate, and bit rate.
  • Hardware Encoding: Choose a tool that supports hardware encoding, such as Intel Quick Sync, to reduce CPU load.
  • Recording Capabilities: Capable of recording screen and webcam, audio, gameplay, and streaming content with manageable file sizes.

Based on the above considerations, after actual testing, we selected the following 9 best screen recorders for low-end laptops. Here are their details.

Share this guide to help more users get the best low end pc screen recorder!

Top 1. EaseUS RecExperts

Compatibility: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, and 7(32/64 bit); macOS 10.13 and later

Best for: Novices and professionals who want to record online meetings, games, video tutorials, concerts, and more without a time limit.

TechRadar Rating: 4.5⭐

EaseUS RecExperts ranks at the top list of the best screen recorder for low-end PC. Coming with an intuitive and simple user interface, this screen recorder is easy to operate by any level of user. It efficiently runs on low-end PCs with minimal CPU/GPU and memory usage, ensuring smooth performance. For better quality with lower resource usage, enable GPU hardware acceleration in "Settings".

Beyond that, this unlimited screen recorder is also worth mentioning that you can customize the frame rate from 1 – 144 to adapt to different computers and occasions. With this Low-end PC screen recorder, you are able to capture anything on your screen with simple clicks, including gameplays, streaming videos, online meetings, and many others.

Plus, as the best game recorder for low-end PC without watermark, it allows you to capture any gameplay without lag or loss of quality.. The installation process is straightforward, and updates are designed to be lightweight, ensuring that your system remains optimized for recording.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy to install the clipping software for low end PC
  • Customizable settings such as resolution, frame rate, output format, bitrate, sampling rate, etc.
  • Offer flexible recording options, like part of the screen, full screen, etc.
  • Recording in various formats like MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, MP3, M4A, etc.
  • Some simple and advanced editing tools are available

Cons:

  • Free screen recording limited to 1 minute
👨‍🎓User Review
EaseUS RecExpert is an easy-to-use and powerful screen recording software for anyone on Windows or Mac. With super intuitive interface and multiple screen capture options, it makes screen recording a piece of cake. With this software, users can record video and audio from the computer, or record webcam with ease. This software is a good fit for recording zoom meeting, webinars, YouTube videos, streaming videos and many more. - From G2

Top 2. OBS Studio

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, and Linux

Best for: Professionals who can handle comprehensive software and need an advanced tool to stream and record content for free.

PCWorld Rating: 4.0⭐

If you are searching for a low-end PC and open-source screen recording software, OBS Studio is an excellent choice. Compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux, the best low end PC recorder can run perfectly on almost all computers, including low-end computers. 

This cross-platform, lightweight screen recorder enables you to record the screen or start live streams with no lag and low CPU usage. You can flexibly capture screen areas, select audio sources, and add a webcam overlay if needed. Moreover, if you have multiple monitors and want to capture them simultaneously, OBS can handle it by adding multiple scenes as needed.

When recording using OBS with minimal system performance impact, you need to adjust OBS settings for low end PC, such as the resolution, FPS, output formats, and encoding to ensure low CPU usage.

Pros:

  • Compatible with almost all computers
  • Powerful and easy to use configuration options
  • Set hotkeys for nearly every sort of action
  • Export recordings in high quality

Cons:

  • Not neat user interface
  • Too complex for the novices
👨‍🎓User Review
OBS Studio is a powerful program that doesn't make too much of an impact on your PC's performance. It is not a tool that just starts up and works, however. It requires time to understand how it works and how to get the most out of it, and the patience to learn how to troubleshoot when things don't work as expected. - By Ian Paul, from PCWorld

🚩Let's check what Reddit users think about OBS Studio:

Realistically, what are the pros and cons between using OBS Studio and Streamlabs OBS?
by inTwitch

Top 3. Fraps

Compatibility: Windows XP or later

Best for: People who want an easy-to-use video capture program to record the screen and audio together as a video.

G2 Rating: 4.2⭐

Fraps is the best game recorders for low-end PC, especially for recording old games. While recording, this screen capture software will show how many frames per second you are getting in the corner of your screen, and perform benchmarks and measure the frame rate between any two points. In addition, this 60 FPS screen recorder supports hotkey features, which means you can set the shortcut depending on your usage.

Lastly, you need to know that this low-end screen capture can record audio and video up to 7680 x 4800 with a custom frame rate from 1 -120 fps.

Pros:

  • Custome frame rate from 1 -120
  • Select audio source while recording
  • Allow taking screenshots with one click
  • Customize shortcut keys

Cons:

  • Only available for Windows
  • The interface is a little outdated

👨‍🎓User Review
Fraps is great for benchmarking and seeing your current framerate, and it's also very easy to use with a minimal interface. As a video capture utility it leaves a lot to be desired. It costs $37 to get the complete set of video capture tools, while other tools with similar features are free. - By Ian Paul, from PCWorld

✅Let's see what Reddit users think about Fraps:

Is fraps still the top PC recording software?
byu/Rayce88 inletsplay

Share this guide to help more users get the best low end pc screen recorder!

Top 4. Bandicam

Compatibility: Windows XP(SP3)/Vista/7/8/10/11, support for 32-bit and 64-bit

Best for: Professionals who want to record the screen, audio, and webcam with customized settings and advanced functions.

Software Advice Rating: 4.4⭐

Bandicam is another low-end laptop screen recorder that captures video and audio easily. It lets you capture everything on your PC screen, and then export it as high-quality videos or images files. To concentrate on it, this software enables you to record a certain area, capture various gameplays, and even record external video devices such as Xbox, smartphone, IPTV, and many more. 

What's more, this game screen recorder for low-end PC offers real-time drawing tools, which allow you to draw and outline your recorded video while recording. If you capture a Zoom, Microsoft Teams meeting, or other, you can even change your background with a Chrome Key feature if offered.

Pros:

  • Allow adding mouse-clicking effects while recording
  • Make it possible to record external devices
  • Support Chroma Key feature
  • Capture up to 480 FPS video

Cons:

👨‍🎓User Review
My overall experience with Bandicam Screen Recorder is very professional because I have to record some certain area on a PC screen in my office, so I always use this software and I am really satisfied. - By Muddassar, from Software Advice

Top 5. Xbox Game Bar

Compatibility: Windows 11/10

Best for: Novices who want to record for a short period without downloading anything.

PCWorld Rating: 3.5⭐

For users who use Windows 10 or later versions, there is an inbuilt game recorder for low-end PC. That is Xbox Game Recorder. It is lightweight and has minimal impact on system performance, making it suitable for low-end PCs.

The free Game Bar screen recorder is designed by Microsoft to help users who want to record exciting moments when playing PC games. But not limited to game recording, it also allows you to record other activities on your PC screen with or without audio, like movies, online courses, etc. In addition, you can use it to take screenshots and then share them on social platforms effortlessly. 

Pros:

  • Preinstalled on your Windows PC
  • No watermark & time limit
  • Allow streaming gaming videos instantly while playing

Cons:

  • Only available for Windows 10 and later versions
  • Record the entire screen only

👨‍🎓User Review
Game Bar and Game DVR built-in to Windows 10 get the job done, but these tools are inconsistent and whether they’ll work as intended largely depends on the game you’re playing. Performance was also drastically different in several games in our tests. If you want a worry-free experience then consider going with a more reliable third-party tool. - By Ian Paul, from PCWorld

Top 6. Flashback Express

Compatibility: Windows 11 and 10

Best for: Record video in low frame rate mode to reduce resource consumption

G2 Rating: 4.6

Flashback Express is a lightweight video recorder and editor developed by Blueberry Software for Windows 10 and 11. The software supports full screen, area, and webcam recording, and users can select the recording area as needed. In addition, Flashback Express provides basic editing tools such as trimming and cutting to enhance the recording effect. It takes about 2 minutes to complete this Windows 10/11 screen recorder for low end PC.

Pros:

  • Support export as MP4, AVI, GIF, and more formats
  • Adjustable frame rate 6 fps to 60fps
  • Support shortcut key recording

Cons:

  • Free version only allows recording up to 2 minutes of video
  • Does not support Mac system
  • Lacks advanced settings such as enabling hardware acceleration

Share this guide to help more users get the best low end pc screen recorder!

Top 7. FBX Game Recorder

Compatibility: Windows 10

Best for: Novices who want a simple screen recording program to record screen activities with a few clicks.

G2 Rating: 4.6⭐

FBX Game Recorder is an excellent game recording software for low-end PC, which provides a smooth and high-performance HD recording function for users. This program mainly records in the background without slowing down your computer's speed, and it uses NVidia, AMD, or Intel hardware acceleration. 

Working with this low end PC screen recording software, you are able to capture almost any HD game without lagging. Also, you can add a webcam overlay to enrich your recordings. Plus, you can directly share your highlights to YouTube or other social media sites.

Pros:

  • Record screen without lagging
  • Leave FBX recording DVR-style
  • Offer editing tools like adding animated stickers, sound effects, and more
  • Allow to add captions and edit them

Cons:

  • Only available for Windows

👨‍🎓User Review
FBX Game Recorder's users claim that it is one of the best recorders nowadays. This software is simple to use but still effective software. It can give you a high-performance HD recording experience despite being free. Furthermore, according to some users, this software has a fantastic FPS that has no lag. - By Jordan Scott, from TopSevenReviews

Top 8. Dxtory

Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista or Win 7, 32 or 64-bit versions

Best for: People who want to record movies for DirextX/OpenGL application.

CNET Rating: 3.0⭐

Similar to Fraps, Dxtory runs perfectly on low-end PC. This low end PC screen recorder is acquired from a surface memory buffer, and it is very high-speed and works with a small load.

By using Dxtory, you can record your screen and obtain the highest quality by the lossless video source. Moreover, if needed, you also can use it to take screenshots, and then export the images in various formats, including PNG, JPEG, BMP, etc. 

Pros:

  • Record original pixel data as it is
  • Select audio sources as you want
  • Support VFW codecs
  • Allow taking snapshots

Cons:

  • The interface is not friendly

👨‍🎓User Review
Dxtory is a movie capture tool only for DirextX/OpenGL application. In order to acquire data from Surface Memory directly, It operates very much at high speed. Arbitrary cropping and free scaling are supported by hardware. - From AlternativeTo

Top 9. EaseUS Free Online Screen Recorder

Compatibility: Applicable to mainstream browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, etc.

Best for: Easy to record on low end PC without downloading any software 

In addition to choosing lightest screen recorder for PC, you can also use online tools. EaseUS Free Online Screen Recorder is a web-based tool that is ideal for recording on low-configuration computers. With it, users can effortlessly record their desktop, browser tabs, or any window online without installing application.

The tool ensures smooth recording with minimal impact. There are no recording duration limits, allowing users to capture content for as long as needed. The recorded videos are saved in MP4 format, balancing quality and size. A one-hour video is about 110MB, convenient for storage and sharing.

Pros:

  • Free and easy to use with simple clcik
  • Work well on low configuration computers
  • No watermark and time limit
  • Capture screen, webcam, system sound and microphone audio

Cons:

  • Lack of editing feature
  • Only save recordings in .mp4 format

Share this guide to help more users get the best low end pc screen recorder!

Tips for Recording on Low-End PCs

The following tips can help you achieve smooth screen recording on low-end computers.

1️⃣Preparation before recording

  • Close irrelevant programs: Close all unnecessary background programs and applications to free up CPU and memory system resources.
  • Check disk space: Make sure there is enough disk space. It is recommended to reserve at least 10GB.

2️⃣Recording settings

  • Lower resolution: Set the resolution to 720p or 480p to reduce resource requirements and file size.
  • Adjust frame rate: Set the frame rate to 30fps or lower, such as 24fps, to reduce system burden.
  • Choose encoding format: Use MP4 format and H.264 encoding to balance image quality and file size.
  • Enable GPU hardware acceleration: If your computer has a dedicated graphics card, enable GPU hardware acceleration to save system resources.

3️⃣Hardware upgrade suggestions

  • Upgrade memory: Upgrade RAM to 8GB or more to improve system performance.
  • Replace SSD(optional): Replace the HDD with an SSD to increase read and write speed.
  • Upgrade graphics card (optional): If budget allows, upgrade graphics card to improve the screen recording effect.

Final Words

If you want to know how to record on a low-quality PC, you can find the answer here. This post covers the top 9 best screen recorder for low-end PC. Each of the software mentioned here has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you can select the right one based on your needs. No matter what you choose, we sincerely hope that you can solve your recording problems on a low-end PC from this post.

Among them, EaseUS RecExperts is one of the best choices for recording on low-end PCs with its minimal impact on system performance feature. Download this tool by clicking the button below.

FQAs About Best Screen Recorder for Low-end PC

1. What are the best screen recorders for a low-end PC?

There are many high-quality low-end laptop screen recorders on the market. Here are the top 8 video recorders for low end PC:

2. Is bandicam good for low-end PC?

Yes, Bandicam is one of the low-end PC screen recording software on the market. It allows you to capture anything on your screen without lag. Besides Bandicam, EaseUS RecExperts is also a professional one. Better than Bandicam, it is compatible with both PC and Mac.

3. What is the least laggy screen recorder?

We have collected some no lag screen recorder and compared them in detail. Those tools include EaseUS RecExperts, OBS Studio, etc.

4. How can I record my screen without lagging?

You need a no lag screen recorder to record your screen without lagging. If you work with a low-end PC, you need to use some low-end PC screen recording software to avoid lagging.

5. What recording software uses the least RAM?

EaseUS RecExperts, Bandicam, OBS Studio, Fraps, and many more screen recording software will use little RAM while recording.

    6. How to record gameplay on low end PC?

    To record gameplay on low end PC, you need to use a lightweight video recorder like EaseUS RecExperts. Here are the steps on how to use EaseUS RecExperts to capture games on a low end computer:

    Step 1. Install this EaseUS screen recorder from its official website and launch it.

    Step 2. Go to Settings to adjust output format, quality, frame rate, and other information.

    Step 3. Click on the Game mode and choose the game you're playing.

    Step 4. Configure audio sources(both system audio and mic sound) as needed.

    Step 5. Click the REC button to start recording.