I use the Flatpak and here’s how to get VA-API working:
Run the following command: ls -lah /dev/dri/render* and note down the number behind renderD
Create a project
Go to Project -> Render
Select VAAPI AMD H264 and click Save current preset asnewcustom preset
In the new preset, replace renderD129 with the result of the command in step 1, e.g. renderD128
You should now be able to hardware encode with the custom preset. Since you have an 7900 XTX you can also use H265 and AV1 to encode. For that you can copy the preset again and replace h264_vaapi with av1_vaapi or hevc_vaapi. When using AV1, you also have to switch the audio codec to opus instead of aac.
I’m not using the flatpak but rather the one straight from Arch repos. I did notice all the presets I had were using renderD129 and I found out I only have renderD128 as well so I changed that, but now it barely uses my GPU and CPU during render.
❯ ls -hal /dev/dri/render*
crw-rw-rw- root render 0 B Sun Feb 23 09:47:45 2025 /dev/dri/renderD128
Here’s the render settings and outputs of btop, amdgpu_top and LACT:
I use the Flatpak and here’s how to get VA-API working:
ls -lah /dev/dri/render*and note down the number behindrenderDProject -> RenderVAAPI AMD H264and clickSave current preset as new custom presetrenderD129with the result of the command in step 1, e.g.renderD128You should now be able to hardware encode with the custom preset. Since you have an 7900 XTX you can also use H265 and AV1 to encode. For that you can copy the preset again and replace
h264_vaapiwithav1_vaapiorhevc_vaapi. When using AV1, you also have to switch the audio codec toopusinstead ofaac.I’m not using the flatpak but rather the one straight from Arch repos. I did notice all the presets I had were using
renderD129and I found out I only haverenderD128as well so I changed that, but now it barely uses my GPU and CPU during render.Here’s the render settings and outputs of
btop,amdgpu_topand LACT: