I don’t get it.
What? People watch you play games.
Ok, but why?
Because it’s fun to hang out with friends!!
It’s just like when we were little
except for way more CPU intensive than the sitting- next-to-each-other-on-the-couch days...
Hey everyone and welcome back to DIY in 5!
I’m Trisha Hershberger and in today’s episode we will go over what you’ll need
to consider when building or buying the ultimate video game streaming rig.
Let us worry about the hardware, so you can focus on the stream.
Now, if you are brand new to PC building, check out our build your own PC series
by clicking here then go ahead and subscribe so you don’t miss anymore DIY tech tips.
For the ultimate streaming setup, many pros have two PCs - one to run the game and one
to broadcast the stream.
For the purposes of this video, we’ll assume that’s not in the budget and you’re looking
to do it all on one device.
Luckily, there are some great pre-built options out there specifically made to game and stream
off one CPU - like this CyberPowerPC ProStreamer or the Alienware Area 51.
Cramming so much functionality into one case does have its downsides and the main drawback
is the price tag.
Let’s break down the hardware you’ll want to consider if you'er going go it alone.
When it comes to streaming, your CPU does most of the heavy lifting.
You’ll be relying on your processor to encode video, run chatbots, loyalty point notifications,
music players, etc. and all the while avoiding dropping frames which lead to a not-so-nice
viewing experience for your audience.
When budgeting out your build, I’d advise you to dump some serious money here, especially
if you have your heart set on streaming in high definition.
To output 720p or more at 60fps, you’ll want to choose a CPU with multiple cores,
impressive clock speeds and hyper-threading doesn’t hurt either.
If you are building a budget streaming rig and are fine with streaming below 720p or
30fps then this can be achieved with a less expensive processor and with tricks such as
optimizing your broadcast settings, capturing video from a console, minimizing the amount
of windows you have open while streaming and avoiding CPU-intensive games.
Now, even if you are doing all of those things I just mentioned, I still wouldn’t try this
with less than an i5-series or equivalent.
If you are someone who likes to have music players, chat bots, loyalty points, etc
all open in addition to your broadcasting software and game,
then RAM will be another important piece of the puzzle.
Most streamers typically use around 4GB of RAM while streaming so I’d put at least
8GB on your priority list.
If that’s not in the budget, then 86 the Spotify, Discord, Streamlabs, Nightbot, or
whatever else you like to run with to avoid stream stutter.
We’ve talked a lot about the fun additions to your streams but what about the games you’ll be streaming?
This is where a streaming build differs from a traditional gaming build.
If you stream low-demand games, or capture gameplay from a console,
then you may be able to save a pretty penny by forgoing a dedicated GPU
and get a better experience by putting that money into your CPU.
Now, if you stream games like, say, The Witcher 3 all the time, then a GPU is a must if you
are planning on streaming and broadcasting from the same PC.
Let’s quickly buzz through the rest.
For a motherboard, I’d look for something with extra slots for expansion.
For storage, consider if you’ll want to locally record your streams and how long you
plan on keeping them on the hard drive.
For the case, I’d recommend getting something with noise dampening so your audience isn’t
listening to your fans go on and off the whole stream.
Sorry guys, I know I’m being really loud.
I’m not one of those streamers that loud all the time.
I just want to make sure you can hear me over my stupid system that’s really, really loud! Gah!
And for your PSU, head over to pcpartpicker.com to calculate your power needs for different setups.
Side note, this site also allows you to compare component prices & reviews and it’s a lifesaver
for new and experienced builders alike.
So that’s that!
Stream away and build your community the way you see fit now that the hardware is out of the way.
Kinda, I mean it’s never really out of the way, and you want to constantly keep an eye
on updating - but that’s why there’s shows like this one!
Guys, let me know what your favorite game to stream is and shoutout your channel if
you like - we wanna check out what you are up to!
My name’s Trisha Hershberger and you’ve been watching DIY in 5.