Streaming from a dual-PC setup while gaming at 32:9 super ultra-wide resolution used to mean making big compromises—like running your monitor in PBP (Picture-by-Picture) mode, which restricts you to gaming on just half of the screen in 16:9. That’s because no current consumer-grade capture card supports full 32:9 input. But that all changed when I ditched the capture card and switched to NDI. If you’re a creator struggling to stream your full ultra-wide gameplay without sacrificing aspect ratio or visual fidelity, this post is for you.
🧰 My Hardware Setup
🎮 Gaming PC
- CPU: Intel Core i9-10900K
- GPU: EVGA RTX 3080 FTW3 Ultra Gaming
- Cooling: Custom water cooling loop (CPU + GPU)
- RAM: 64GB G.SKILL TridentZ (4×16GB)
- Storage:
- 1TB AORUS Gen4 NVMe (OS)
- 2TB AORUS Gen4 NVMe (Games)
- PSU: Seasonic 850W 80+ Platinum
- OS: Windows 11
📡 Streaming PC
- CPU: Intel Core i9-10900KF
- GPU: ASUS RTX 3070 KO
- Sound Card: Sound Blaster Z SE
- Cooling: NZXT 240mm AIO
- RAM: 32GB G.SKILL Ripjaws V (4×8GB)
- Storage:
- 1TB PNY CS1030 SSD (OS)
- 10×8TB Seagate BarraCuda HDDs (Storage Array)
- PSU: Seasonic 750W 80+ Gold
- OS: Windows 11
🌐 Network Setup
- Switch: NETGEAR 5-Port Multi-Gigabit Unmanaged Switch (MS305)
- Cabling: Cat 8 Ethernet Cables
- Local Network Speed: 2.5Gbps
Both PCs are hardwired into the switch, ensuring super low latency and maximum bandwidth for transferring full-res video with NDI.
🖥️ Display & Gameplay Resolution
I game on a Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo 57”, pushing a 32:9 aspect ratio—typically at either 5120×1440 or 7680×2160, depending on the title—and always at 120fps. The challenge? Getting that massive ultra-wide gameplay to Twitch without sacrificing resolution, performance, or immersion. With NDI, I send the full 32:9 video feed from my gaming PC to my streaming PC over the network. XSplit then crops it down to a 16:9 window and streams it at 60fps, perfectly matching Twitch’s streaming requirements—while I continue gaming in the full ultra-wide glory.
🎥 Why I Ditched the Capture Card
I used to force my games into 16:9 just to work around the limitations of traditional capture hardware—which felt like owning a race car and never shifting past second gear.
I was using the Elgato 4K X, which is an excellent capture card for most streamers. It supports 4K60 and ultra-wide resolutions like 21:9, and the quality is rock solid. But in my setup—gaming at 32:9 super ultra-wide on a Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo—it just couldn’t go the distance. Since 32:9 isn’t supported, I had to rely on PBP (Picture-by-Picture) mode, effectively slicing my monitor in half and playing on just one side. That came with trade-offs: reduced immersion, scaling quirks, and unused screen real estate.
Even top-tier capture cards like the 4K X:
- Don’t support 32:9 super ultra-wide resolutions
- Can introduce additional latency during capture
- Generally cap out at 4K60, and some struggle with unique aspect ratios
- Are costly, and still place hard limits on resolution and input flexibility
That’s when I started looking for a more flexible, bandwidth-efficient solution—and found it with NDI.
🔄 How NDI Changed Everything
With the free NDI Screen Capture tool from NewTek, I was able to send my entire 32:9 screen from the gaming PC to my streaming PC across the local network at 120 FPS—with virtually no visible latency.
🛠️ My Software Stack
- Gaming PC: NDI Screen Capture Tool (latest version)
- Streaming PC: XSplit (latest version), receives NDI stream as a source
- Output: Stream is cropped down to 16:9 (1920×1080 @ 60fps) for Twitch, but I still get to play in glorious full super-ultra-wide
🎧 Audio Setup (It’s Complex but Worth It)
Audio routing is handled across both PCs using Voicemeeter and Voicemod, allowing me to isolate and direct audio with the precision of a professional broadcast studio:
- Game audio ➜ Sent via Toslink to the Streaming PCs Sound Blaster Z SE sound card
- Mic & voice audio ➜ Sent via 3.5mm cable to the Streaming PC
- Stream alerts ➜ Sent via 3.5mm cable back to Gaming PC
One of the most overlooked challenges in dual-PC streaming setups is monitoring stream alerts in real time without echo, feedback loops, or mic bleed. Many streamers either miss this step or end up with alerts bleeding into their mic or bouncing back into the stream.
In my case, stream alerts are cleanly handled—I hear them instantly, viewers hear them clearly, and there’s zero feedback.
Here’s how the routing works:
- Twitch alert events (like follows, subs, and raids) trigger overlays in XSplit on the Streaming PC.
- These overlays (typically browser sources) include both the visual animation and the alert sound.
- The alert sound is routed through Voicemeeter on the Streaming PC.
- From there, the alert audio is sent physically back to the Gaming PC using a 3.5mm analog connection, routed through my Sound Blaster Z SE sound card—which provides dedicated I/O for fine-tuned routing.
- The Gaming PC receives that signal, and through Voicemeeter, routes it directly to my headset.
- This alert audio never hits the mic, never loops back to the stream, and is isolated strictly to my ears.
🔇 No echo. No duplication. Just pro-grade monitoring.
Benefits of this setup:
- Viewers hear alerts normally through the XSplit broadcast
- I hear them in real time without delay or needing to monitor the stream
- There’s no risk of mic bleed or feedback
- Using analog routing via the Sound Blaster Z SE ensures low latency and full control
- Both PCs remain in perfect sync without digital mix confusion
It’s a refined, studio-style monitoring setup—just like you’d find in professional audio environments—where what you hear, what the audience hears, and what stays muted are all intentional.
📈 Performance & Viewer Experience
Running NDI over a wired 2.5Gbps local network has been seamless. Since both PCs are connected to the same secured LAN behind my router, all the video data stays local—fast, private, and uninterrupted by internet traffic.
- No dropped frames
- No compression artifacts
- Minimal CPU impact on the gaming PC
- Viewers get a clean, sharp 1080p60 stream
- I get to play in my monitor’s full 32:9 resolution
No regrets. The setup works flawlessly, everything from video to audio routing has been stable, clean, and exactly how I want it.
🧠 Final Thoughts: NDI Is a Game-Changer
If you’re streaming from a dual-PC setup, especially with an ultra-wide monitor, I can’t recommend NDI enough. No capture card, no resolution sacrifice, and all the freedom to play in 32:9 while still streaming in 16:9.
It’s one of those “why didn’t I do this sooner” moves.
💬 Got Questions?
Drop a comment or shoot me a DM if you want help replicating this setup—I’ll gladly help fellow creators level up.