Streaming is more accessible now than it ever was — there are several sites to choose from that allow you to use their servers and site completely for free. While you don’t need to pay for and maintain your own servers and website anymore, there is still one barrier to entry into the live streaming world: the PC. Live streaming generally requires a powerful CPU, and if you want to stream the latest and greatest AAA games, you’ll also need a high end graphics card.
Before anyone panics — a high end PC is only required for high end games.
The games you are looking to stream will determine what kind of setup is optimal. If you currently have a fairly new i5 or better with at least 8gb of RAM, you can consider streaming low PC stress games, or just sticking with the cooking or IRL categories. Hearthstone and Stardew Valley are great games for chat interaction and community building, and they require very little PC power. They’re also great if you travel frequently and will only be able to stream from a laptop. Older games like Diablo II or World of Warcraft might even be possible as these were originally built for being run on very modest graphics.
Faster paced and newer games will require an upgrade. Fortunately, if you are currently playing those games, your PC might already be able to handle streaming them. Popular games like League of Legends and Dota 2 don’t require a high end graphics card — with these titles the main focus is on the CPU rather than the GPU. Entering into the FPS realm with CS:GO, Overwatch, and PUBG will start to require top of the line components all around. (PUBG is a special case — as an early access game, it is not yet optimized, and only the best systems can play and stream the game on high settings currently. This will probably change as the game is developed).
So what constitutes a high end CPU and/or GPU?
Intel has long had the edge over AMD for gaming performance, but recently AMD CPUs have started to keep up with Intel. At the same price point, AMD processors offer more cores than Intel, but this tends to be superfluous when it comes to gaming. Everyone has brand loyalty, and both currently offer the power needed for streaming.
All of the main high end processors sit around the same price, from $300-$400 USD, so it’s hard to use price as a justification unless there is a sale. Any kind of action or fast paced game will require at least an i7, or the AMD equivalent (AMD Ryzen 7 1800X). The i7 6700K, 7700K, and 8700K are all more than sufficient to stream current and anticipated games, as long as your GPU can handle the games. Benchmark sites and/or Tom’s Hardware can be a great way to determine how far you want to push performance versus the overall budget. The luxury options are either the i9–7900X or the AMD Threadripper 1950X, which both usually list at $1000. These are excessive for current streaming and gaming requirements, but they can be a good investment to make sure that you can stream anything and everything for a very long time. Streamers who are also involved in video editing, graphic designers, and/or any 3D rendering will see benefits in spending more on the CPU.
While the CPU is important for the streaming aspect, the GPU required for a streaming build can be very variable depending on personal preference. Games with lower graphics needs (like Dota 2 or Minecraft) can get away with “budget” cards such as a GTX 960 or 1050TI that run in the $150-$180 USD range. The next step up is the GTX 970 or 1060 3GB. These cards can handle games like Overwatch and Destiny 2, but you will need to turn some settings down and sacrifice a few frames in you stream output. They will struggle when it comes to PUBG or the latest Assassin’s Creed games. For a bullet-proof streaming build that is capable of handling AAA games, the 1080 and 1080TI are the luxury options. They cost around $500-$1000 USD, but they will handle gaming and streaming on the highest settings and should tolerate games for the next couple years. Take a look at these common GPU benchmarks to help decide between performance and cost.
What about the rest of the build?
The rest of the PC is pretty easy to pick components for. PC Part Picker is the best way to ensure that the components you pick will all be compatible with each other, and it will help you find the cheapest deals for each component across a variety of sites. Streaming and gaming requires at least 16GB of RAM, and an SSD is a strong recommendation just in case you need a fast restart during a streaming session. The rest of the build will mostly be determined by processor compatibility and how many LED fans you want inside of the case.
Streaming does not require thousands for a flashy new PC — it is ok to sacrifice quality at the beginning. Once the streaming waters have been tested, if you love it, your viewers will appreciate the smooth frames and high quality that investing in a proper build can deliver. The bragging rights when you list your build in your stream info are pretty good too.
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We asked some Dojo members to submit pictures of their streaming PC setups in our discord channel- check em out!
Streamer: HowlerGamez
Streamer: AngryYank
Streamer: DzLive
Dz’s setup is no joke..
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Have any questions on your setup?
Hop into our Discord channel, we’re a community of gamers and are always down to help new streamers/creators.
