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The fastest way to fix noise suppression for gaming is NVIDIA Broadcast if you have an RTX GPU – it removes keyboard clicks, fan noise, and background chatter from your mic signal in real time using AI processing on your graphics card. If you do not have an NVIDIA card, OBS Studio’s built-in RNNoise filter or Discord’s Krisp integration handle the same job for free. This guide covers every major software option, the hardware choices that reduce noise before software even touches your signal, and the exact settings that keep your mic clean without making your voice sound robotic. For more context, see our PC gaming troubleshooting guide.
Background noise is the fastest way to annoy your teammates and lose viewers on stream. Mechanical keyboards, PC fans, air conditioning, pets, roommates – all of it bleeds into your mic and drowns out your callouts. The good news: you can fix most of it for free in about five minutes.
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Noise Suppression Software Compared
Four main software tools handle noise suppression for gamers and streamers. Each works differently, has different hardware requirements, and fits different setups. Here is how they stack up.
NVIDIA Broadcast (Best Overall)
NVIDIA Broadcast is the strongest noise suppression option available for gamers, and it is free. The software uses your RTX GPU’s tensor cores to run a trained AI model that separates voice from background noise in real time. Keyboard clicks, mechanical switch noise, fan hum, air conditioning, dogs barking, people talking in the next room – it strips all of it out while keeping your voice intact.
How It Works
Broadcast creates a virtual microphone and virtual speaker device on your system. You select your physical mic as input, enable noise removal, and then point Discord, OBS, or any other app to the “NVIDIA Broadcast” virtual mic. Every application on your PC hears the cleaned audio without needing its own noise suppression.
How We Chose These Picks
We have not physically tested these products. Every pick comes from research and comparison:
- Spec analysis: Driver quality, mic clarity, comfort, and connection options, compared across every product we considered
- Community research: User experiences from r/HeadphoneAdvice, r/audiophile, and Amazon reviews, weighted toward long-term ownership reports
- Expert coverage: Published reviews and measurements from established testing outlets
- Value assessment: Performance and features relative to price point
Disclosure: We use affiliate links but never let that influence our rankings. Read our full editorial policy.
The AI model runs on your GPU’s tensor cores, separate from the CUDA cores that render your games. On RTX 30-series and newer, the performance hit sits around 1-3 FPS in demanding titles. RTX 20-series cards see a slightly larger 3-5 FPS dip. For most gamers, that tradeoff is invisible.
Setup in 3 Steps
- Download NVIDIA Broadcast from nvidia.com (requires RTX 20-series GPU or newer and driver 456.38+)
- Open the app, select your physical microphone under “Microphone” and enable “Noise Removal”
- In Discord, OBS, or any voice app, set your input device to “Microphone (NVIDIA Broadcast)”
Honest Limitations
Broadcast adds roughly 20ms of latency to your mic signal. For voice chat and streaming, that is a non-issue. For music production or real-time audio monitoring, it creates a perceptible delay. The noise removal can also clip the edges of words if you speak softly or mumble – it works best when you speak clearly at a normal volume.
The biggest drawback: it only works with NVIDIA RTX GPUs. AMD and Intel GPU users are locked out entirely. And the software occasionally conflicts with other audio routing tools like VoiceMeeter or Virtual Audio Cable, requiring a restart to fix.
Discord Krisp (Easiest Setup)
Discord ships with Krisp noise suppression built directly into the app. No download, no configuration, no GPU requirement. Open Discord’s Voice & Video settings, toggle “Noise Suppression” to on, and you are done. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
What It Does Well
Krisp handles everyday gaming noise – keyboard clicks, mouse buttons, moderate fan noise – without any setup friction. Because it is built into Discord, it just works. No virtual audio devices, no routing headaches. For casual gamers who only need clean audio in Discord voice chat, this is the path of least resistance.
Where It Falls Short
Krisp only processes audio inside Discord. Your OBS stream, Zoom calls, and other apps still hear your raw mic input. The CPU-based processing also introduces more voice artifacts than GPU-accelerated alternatives, especially with loud or sustained background noise. Voices can sound slightly robotic during heavy suppression.
Krisp struggles with complex noise environments – a loud air conditioner plus keyboard noise plus someone talking nearby will overwhelm it. The suppression is either on or off with no granular control, so you cannot tune the aggressiveness for your specific situation.
OBS Studio Noise Filters (Best for Streamers Without RTX)
OBS Studio includes two built-in noise filters that work with any microphone on any GPU. These are free, open-source, and highly configurable – but they require more manual tuning than NVIDIA Broadcast or Krisp.
RNNoise Suppression Filter
The RNNoise filter uses a recurrent neural network to identify and remove noise. It is the OBS equivalent of NVIDIA Broadcast’s AI approach, but it runs on your CPU instead of tensor cores. Add it to your mic source under Filters > Noise Suppression, and start with -30dB suppression. If your voice sounds muffled or thin, back off to -20dB.
RNNoise handles constant noise sources well – fan hum, computer coil whine, AC rumble. It is less effective against sharp, intermittent sounds like keyboard clicks or door slams. That is where the noise gate comes in.
Noise Gate Filter
A noise gate cuts your mic signal entirely when you are not speaking. Set the open threshold to -32dB and close threshold to -38dB as starting points. When your voice is louder than -32dB, the gate opens and transmits audio. When the signal drops below -38dB, the gate closes and mutes the mic.
The noise gate is dumb compared to AI suppression – it cannot separate voice from noise in real time. But it is excellent at preventing keyboard noise and background chatter from bleeding through between sentences. Use it alongside RNNoise for a two-layer approach: RNNoise cleans the audio while you talk, and the noise gate kills everything when you stop.
Recommended OBS Filter Stack
- Noise Suppression (RNNoise) at -30dB – handles constant background noise
- Noise Gate at -32dB open / -38dB close – kills noise between speech
- Compressor at -18dB threshold, 6:1 ratio – evens out volume spikes
Order matters. Put RNNoise first so it cleans the signal before the noise gate evaluates volume levels. The compressor goes last to normalize your output volume.
SteelSeries Sonar
SteelSeries Sonar is a free audio suite that includes noise suppression, parametric EQ, and virtual surround sound. It works with any microphone, not just SteelSeries hardware, though it requires creating a SteelSeries account and installing the GG app.
Sonar’s noise cancellation operates at the driver level, creating a virtual audio device similar to NVIDIA Broadcast. It adds less latency than most alternatives (around 10ms) and the suppression quality sits between Krisp and Broadcast. The parametric EQ is the real bonus – you can fine-tune your mic’s frequency response to cut problem frequencies (like the 2-4kHz range where keyboard clicks live) without affecting your voice.
The downside is the GG app itself. Users consistently complain about its resource usage, automatic updates, and the mandatory account creation. The software occasionally resets audio routing after Windows updates, forcing you to reconfigure your input devices. If you already use SteelSeries headsets, Sonar is worth installing. If you do not, the account requirement and bloatware feel outweigh the marginal audio benefits over OBS filters.
Windows Built-in Noise Suppression
Windows 11 added native noise suppression in the system sound settings under Sound > Microphone Properties > Audio Enhancements. This is the lowest-effort option – no third-party software needed. It handles basic fan noise and room hum but is noticeably weaker than any dedicated tool listed above.
The processing runs on your CPU with minimal performance impact. But the suppression quality sits well below NVIDIA Broadcast, OBS RNNoise, and even Discord Krisp. Use this only if you cannot or do not want to install any additional software.
AMD Noise Suppression (For AMD GPU Users)
AMD’s answer to NVIDIA Broadcast is AMD Noise Suppression, built into AMD Adrenalin Software. If you have an RX 6000-series GPU or newer, you can enable it from Adrenalin’s Audio & Video tab. It creates a virtual microphone device, just like Broadcast, that you select in Discord, OBS, or any voice app.
How it compares: AMD Noise Suppression handles keyboard clicks, fan noise, and ambient room sound well. It sits a step behind NVIDIA Broadcast in aggressive noise environments (loud music in the next room, multiple overlapping noise sources) but outperforms Discord Krisp and Windows built-in suppression. The performance hit is 1-3% FPS on RX 6000 and 7000-series cards, processed on the GPU’s media engine rather than shader cores.
The honest limitation: AMD ships this feature as a secondary focus – it gets fewer updates and less refinement than NVIDIA Broadcast, which is a flagship product for NVIDIA. Expect good results, not exceptional ones. If you have an AMD GPU and do not want to install third-party software, it is the right pick.
Krisp Standalone (Works on Any PC)
Krisp is not just a Discord feature – it is a standalone noise suppression app that works system-wide with any application. The paid standalone version creates virtual microphone and speaker devices (similar to NVIDIA Broadcast) and processes audio through Krisp’s cloud-trained AI models running locally on your CPU.
What makes it different from Discord Krisp: The standalone app processes audio at the system level, meaning every application – OBS, Zoom, Google Meet, in-game voice chat, and Discord – all get cleaned audio. It also offers adjustable suppression levels (Low, Medium, High) unlike Discord’s binary on/off toggle. The app works on Windows, macOS, and Linux without requiring a specific GPU brand.
The catch: The free tier limits you to a set number of minutes per day of noise-cancelled audio. Beyond that, Krisp requires a paid subscription. For gamers who stream daily or spend hours in voice chat, the subscription cost adds up. NVIDIA Broadcast (free with RTX GPUs) and OBS filters (free for everyone) are better value if you can use them.
Hardware Solutions: Fix Noise at the Source
Software noise suppression is a band-aid. It processes audio after your mic already captured the noise. Hardware choices can prevent noise from reaching your mic in the first place, giving software a cleaner signal to work with.
Dynamic vs Condenser Microphones
This is the single most impactful hardware choice for noise reduction. Condenser microphones (like the Blue Yeti or HyperX QuadCast) are highly sensitive and pick up everything in the room – your voice, your keyboard, your roommate’s TV, and the neighbor’s dog. They are designed for quiet, treated recording environments.
Dynamic microphones (like the Shure SM7B, Elgato Wave DX, or Samson Q2U) have lower sensitivity and tighter pickup patterns. They only capture sound right in front of the capsule and reject noise from the sides and rear. A dynamic mic positioned 4-6 inches from your mouth will naturally reject 10-20dB more background noise than a condenser at the same distance.
If you game in a noisy room – loud PC fans, mechanical keyboard, shared living space – a dynamic mic solves more problems than any software filter.
Boom Arm Positioning
A desk-mounted boom arm lets you position your mic close to your mouth without it sitting on your desk where it picks up vibrations from typing and mouse movements. The closer your mic is to your mouth, the louder your voice is relative to background noise. This ratio – called signal-to-noise ratio – is what noise suppression software works with.
Position the mic between your mouth and your monitor, angled slightly off-axis (about 15-20 degrees to the side) to avoid plosive pops on P and B sounds. The sweet spot is 4-8 inches from your mouth. Every inch closer improves your signal-to-noise ratio and makes software suppression more effective.
Acoustic Treatment (Quick Wins)
You do not need a professional studio. Three cheap changes make a noticeable difference:
- Move your mic away from your PC. If your microphone sits on the same desk as your tower, vibrations and fan noise transfer directly. A boom arm plus positioning the mic on the opposite side of your desk from your PC cuts fan noise significantly.
- Add soft surfaces behind you. Hard walls behind you bounce your voice back into the mic as echo. A bookshelf, curtains, or even a towel draped over your chair absorbs reflections and tightens your sound.
- Close the door. It sounds obvious, but a closed door blocks 15-20dB of noise from other rooms. Combined with software suppression, this handles most household noise problems.
The Audio Signal Chain: From Mic to Teammates
Understanding the full signal chain helps you identify where noise enters and where to fix it. Here is the path your voice takes from your mouth to your teammates’ ears.
The key insight from this signal chain: the earlier you fix noise, the better your results. A dynamic mic positioned close to your mouth gives software suppression a much cleaner signal to start with. Stacking three software filters on a condenser mic sitting 18 inches away will always sound worse than one filter on a properly positioned dynamic mic.
Common Mistakes That Make Background Noise Worse
- Stacking multiple noise suppression tools. Running NVIDIA Broadcast plus Discord Krisp plus OBS noise suppression processes your voice through three AI models. The result is robotic, choppy audio that sounds worse than moderate background noise. Pick one tool and use it alone.
- Setting mic gain too high. Cranking your microphone gain amplifies everything – your voice and all the noise. Turn gain down until your voice peaks around -12dB to -6dB in your recording software. If teammates say you are quiet, have them turn up their volume instead.
- Using a condenser mic on a desk stand in a noisy room. Condenser microphones are the wrong tool for untreated rooms. The desk stand picks up keyboard vibrations directly. Move to a boom arm at minimum, or switch to a dynamic mic for a permanent fix.
- Ignoring mic positioning. A mic sitting 2 feet away on your desk will always sound noisy, no matter what software you run. Move it within 4-8 inches of your mouth using a boom arm. This single change makes more difference than any software setting.
- Leaving Windows microphone boost at +20dB or higher. Microphone boost in Windows Sound Settings amplifies the signal indiscriminately. If your mic needs boost above +10dB to be heard, the mic itself is the problem – not the gain setting.
- Running noise suppression on both your mic and your speakers. Some people enable noise removal on both input and output in NVIDIA Broadcast. This double-processes audio and can cause voice cancellation where your own speech gets filtered out when someone else is talking.
Which Noise Suppression Method Should You Use?
This depends on three factors: your GPU, what apps you need clean audio in, and how much setup you want to deal with.
If you have an NVIDIA RTX GPU and stream or use multiple voice apps: NVIDIA Broadcast. It works system-wide, produces the cleanest output, and runs on dedicated hardware so it barely touches your CPU. This is the best option for most gamers with RTX cards.
If you only use Discord and want zero setup: Krisp. One toggle in Discord settings. No download, no configuration. Good enough for keyboard clicks and moderate fan noise during voice chat.
If you stream on OBS without an RTX GPU: OBS RNNoise filter plus a noise gate. Free, works on any hardware, and gives you granular control. Takes 5 minutes to dial in but produces solid results.
If you already use SteelSeries software: Sonar. The noise cancellation is good and the parametric EQ adds value beyond just noise removal. Not worth installing GG specifically for noise suppression alone.
If background noise is severe (loud room, thin walls, noisy PC): Start with hardware. Get a dynamic mic and a boom arm. Then add NVIDIA Broadcast or OBS RNNoise on top. No software can fully rescue a condenser mic sitting 2 feet away in a loud room.
Microphone Hardware That Reduces Noise at the Source
Software noise suppression works, but cleaner input = better results. These hardware upgrades eliminate noise before it reaches your software:
- Dynamic microphone (rejects room noise by design): Shure SM7B or Elgato Wave DX – dynamic mics only pick up sound from inches away, rejecting keyboard clicks and fan noise naturally.
- Boom arm (gets the mic close to your mouth): A desk-mount boom arm positions the mic 2-4 inches from your face, which lets you lower the gain and reject more background noise.
- Acoustic panels (reduces room echo): Acoustic foam panels on the wall behind your mic reduce reverb that noise suppression software struggles with.
Research Sources
- NVIDIA Broadcast App Documentation – system requirements, supported features, and AI noise removal specifications for RTX GPUs
- OBS Studio Noise Suppression Filter Guide – RNNoise implementation details, recommended settings, and filter stacking order
- Krisp AI Noise Cancellation Technology – how Krisp’s neural network processes voice separation and its integration with Discord
- Shure Dynamic Microphone Technical Resources – pickup pattern specifications, sensitivity comparisons between dynamic and condenser microphone designs
2026 update: Gaming hardware evolves quickly. For the latest recommendations across mice, keyboards, monitors, and more, browse our interactive tools and hardware databases which are updated regularly with new releases and price changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free noise suppression software for gaming?
NVIDIA Broadcast is the best free option if you own an RTX GPU. It uses AI running on your GPU’s tensor cores to strip out keyboard clicks, fan noise, and background voices while preserving your speech. The processing happens on dedicated hardware, so the FPS impact is minimal (1-3 frames on RTX 30-series and newer).
For non-NVIDIA users, Discord’s built-in Krisp handles voice chat with zero setup. OBS Studio’s RNNoise filter works for streaming regardless of your GPU brand. All three options are free.
Does NVIDIA Broadcast cause input lag or FPS drops?
NVIDIA Broadcast uses roughly 1-2 GPU frames worth of processing on RTX 30-series and newer cards. Most users report 1-3 FPS loss in demanding games, which is unnoticeable during gameplay. RTX 20-series cards may see slightly higher impact around 3-5 FPS.
The audio processing adds about 20ms of latency to your microphone signal. For voice chat and streaming, that delay is imperceptible. It can cause slight desync in music production or real-time audio monitoring situations.
Is a dynamic or condenser mic better for noisy rooms?
A dynamic microphone is the better choice for noisy environments. Dynamic mics like the Shure SM7B or Elgato Wave DX have tighter pickup patterns and lower sensitivity, so they reject more background noise before software even touches the signal. Condenser mics capture everything in the room by design.
If you game in a shared space with pets, roommates, or loud PC fans, start with a dynamic mic. A properly positioned dynamic mic with basic software suppression outperforms an expensive condenser mic with heavy noise filtering.
How far should my mic be from my mouth for gaming?
Position your microphone 4-8 inches (10-20cm) from your mouth. Angle it slightly off-axis – about 15-20 degrees to the side – to avoid plosive pops on P and B sounds. Closer placement means your voice is louder relative to background noise, which gives suppression software a stronger signal to work with.
Beyond 12 inches, most microphones pick up too much room noise for clean results. A boom arm holds the mic at a consistent distance without blocking your monitor or cluttering your desk.
Can I stack multiple noise suppression tools together?
You can, but you should not. Running NVIDIA Broadcast plus Discord Krisp plus OBS filters applies three layers of AI processing to your voice. The result is robotic-sounding speech, choppy audio, and artifacts that sound worse than moderate background noise.
Pick one strong noise suppression method and use it alone. If your mic still sounds noisy after one pass, the problem is your mic placement or room acoustics – not your software settings.
Does Discord Krisp work as well as NVIDIA Broadcast?
Krisp handles moderate background noise well for voice chat but falls short of NVIDIA Broadcast in heavy noise situations. Krisp runs on your CPU and only applies within Discord. Broadcast runs on dedicated tensor cores and works across every app on your system.
For Discord-only use with typical keyboard and fan sounds, Krisp is good enough. For streaming, recording, or loud environments, NVIDIA Broadcast produces noticeably cleaner results with fewer voice artifacts.
What OBS noise filter settings should I use?
Start with the RNNoise noise suppression filter set to -30dB. If your voice sounds muffled, reduce to -20dB. Add a noise gate as a second filter with open threshold at -32dB and close threshold at -38dB. Finish with a compressor at -18dB threshold and 6:1 ratio to even out volume.
Order matters – put RNNoise first so it cleans the signal before the noise gate evaluates levels. The compressor goes last to normalize your output volume for a consistent stream.
How do I reduce keyboard noise in my mic while gaming?
The most effective fix is mic placement. Position your microphone between your mouth and monitor, pointing at your face and away from your keyboard. A boom arm makes this positioning easy and consistent. Dynamic mics reject off-axis noise better than condensers, so they naturally suppress keyboard sounds.
On the software side, NVIDIA Broadcast or OBS RNNoise filters handle keystrokes well. At the source, switching to silent or linear keyboard switches cuts mechanical key noise by 10-15dB compared to clicky switches.
Related Guides
- Best Gaming Headset Under $100 – top headsets with built-in noise cancellation for gaming.
- Best Headset for Streaming – headsets with stream-quality microphones.
- Best Ring Light for Streaming – complete your streaming setup with proper lighting.
- Gaming Headset Buyer’s Guide – everything you need to know about drivers, connectivity, and comfort.
