Seriously, unless you need lossless recording (in which case use FRAPS), OBS is the best program you can use. Its open source, has all the configuration opens of x264 if you care to understand and use it, or you can just select a preset and go.
Or if you use a (relatively recent) Nvidia GPU, you can use NVEnc, which is what powers Nvidia's Shadowplay. With OBS's NVEnc, you have more options for your capture settings than Shadowplay gives you, and you don't have to install the awful GeForce Experience software, and it doesn't exact a penalty on your framerates at all. For recording to hard drive, its what I recommend and use myself.
