Background apps starving OBS of system resources is the mistake that catches streamers who set up a clean configuration once and then let the system gradually accumulate resource-hungry background apps over months without re-checking.

The audit: open Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) before going live. Look at the CPU, memory, and disk usage by application. Anything consuming more than a few percent of CPU or significant disk activity is a candidate for the close-before-streaming list.

The common culprits: cloud backup software running a sync, antivirus running a scheduled scan, browser tabs running ads or video, game launcher background updates, system update services, and chat applications running on autostart.

The discipline: build a "go-live" checklist that includes "close non-essential background apps." Run the checklist every stream. The 60 seconds of cleanup eliminates the entire category of "why did my stream get worse" mid-stream surprises.

The structural fix for repeat offenders: disable the autostart on apps that do not need to launch at system boot.