OBS dropped vs skipped vs missed frames: which one do you have?

What it looks like in your log

number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 2,100 (10.5%)

What is the difference between dropped, skipped and missed frames in OBS?

OBS counts three separate kinds of lost frames, and each has a different cause. Dropped frames ("dropped frames due to insufficient bandwidth/connection stalls") mean the network could not keep up, so the fix is your connection or bitrate. Skipped frames ("skipped frames due to encoding lag", shown as "Encoding overloaded") mean the encoder could not finish frames in time, so the fix is the encoder or its preset. Missed frames ("lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls") mean the GPU could not composite the scene in time, so the fix is GPU headroom. A clean speed or packet-loss test only rules out the first one; choppy streams with a good connection are usually skipped or missed frames.

How to fix it

1. Open View → Stats in OBS while live or recording and note which counter climbs: "Frames missed due to rendering lag", "Skipped frames due to encoding lag" or "Dropped frames (network)".
2. Or upload your log to StreamRx at streamrx.io; it reads all three counters and tells you which one is the problem.
3. Dropped frames: use Ethernet, lower the bitrate to about 75% of your upload and turn on dynamic bitrate (see the dropped-frames guide).
4. Skipped frames: switch to a hardware encoder (NVENC, AMF or QSV) or a lighter preset (see the Encoding overloaded guide).
5. Missed frames: cap your game frame rate, run OBS as administrator on Windows and trim heavy sources and filters (see the rendering-lag guide).
6. Change one thing at a time, then stream or record for 10 minutes and compare the new log.