The Best PC Streaming Hardware: A Comprehensive Guide
Welcome to the world of PC streaming. Expanding your gaming universe beyond consoles and mobile devices can be a daunting prospect. It requires special hardware, software and knowing what works best for your specific needs. With that said, streaming PC games can be incredibly rewarding and provide an extra layer to your gaming experience. But how do you know what hardware you should be using to stream?
Well, that’s exactly why we created this comprehensive guide; To help you find the perfect streaming hardware solution to fit your gaming needs. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best PC streaming hardware on the market today, highlighting the pros and cons of each selection and making it easy for you to pick the right hardware for your streaming setup. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
What hardware do I need to stream PC games?
Before we get into the details of the hardware you’ll need for PC streaming, it’s important to understand what exactly you’re streaming. PC streaming takes place via a series of dedicated hardware components and requires a decent internet connection.
Streaming PC games is, for the most part, about getting higher-quality visual content to your viewers by leveraging a PC with a powerful processor and ample RAM. Your PC should also have a dedicated graphics processor (GPU) to handle all the graphical demands of streaming.
These requirements mean that streaming demands more from your system than simply playing a game. As such, upgrading your current setup or investing in a dedicated streaming PC is worth considering if you want to take your streaming setup to the next level.
The 8 must-have streaming PC hardware
Once you’ve decided on a dedicated streaming PC, here’s the hardware you’ll need to assemble the perfect streaming setup.
1. Processor –
The processor, otherwise known as the CPU, is what keeps your computer running smoothly. It enables your streaming PC to handle all the demands of streaming and can be a major factor in the quality of your stream. When selecting a processor for streaming, you’ll want something with a good single-threaded performance as well as multi-threaded performance for multitasking. Intel’s 9th generation i5 processors and AMD’s Ryzen 5 CPUs are both great options and are popular choices for streaming.
2. Graphics Card –
The graphics card, or GPU, is what actually renders all the visuals in a game. To get a good-looking stream with minimal latency, the GPU needs to have a decent amount of memory (4GB or more) and be able to handle the demands of your game. Generally, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX or Radeon RX graphics card with at least 4GB of video RAM is recommended for streaming.
3. RAM –
Random access memory (RAM) is an essential component when streaming, as it helps your system to handle multitasking. Streaming requires a lot of RAM, so it’s best to get something with at least 8GB or 16GB if you’re streaming graphically intense games.
4. Motherboard –
The motherboard is the main component that all the other pieces of hardware are attached to. You’ll want to make sure that your CPU and GPU are compatible with the motherboard and that its form factor (ATX, mATX, etc) is the same as your PC case. It’s also a good idea to check the BIOS version of the board is up to date as this can have an impact on your streaming performance.
5. PC Case –
The PC case houses all the components of your streaming PC, so the size and shape of the case should depend on the size of the other components. The case should be able to accommodate both the motherboard and the GPU, as well as any storage you might need.
6. Storage –
Storage is one of the most important components when streaming, as it stores all the games, videos, and other files associated with your stream. The type of storage you use will depend on how much space you need and how quickly you need to access the data. For streaming, you’ll generally want a combination of an HDD and an SSD, as this offers the best mix of performance and capacity.
7. Capture Card –
A capture card is used to capture the video and audio of your gameplay so that it can be streamed. There are many different types of capture cards on the market, so it’s important to choose one that is compatible with your streaming PC. If you’re streaming from a console, you might also need to purchase additional hardware such as a HDMI capture card.
8. Streaming Software –
Finally, you’ll need to choose a streaming software program. The two most popular programs are OBS and Xsplit, both of which are capable of streaming to multiple services.
Conclusion
There you have it; The 8 must-have streaming PC hardware components for setting up a stellar streaming rig. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to upgrade your existing streaming setup, this comprehensive guide should help you find the perfect hardware components for your needs. Now get out there and show off your gaming skills to the world!
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