If you love gaming and want to get started with building an online community around it, then you might have considered streaming on Twitch. To stream successfully, you will need to have a computer that is designed for streaming. Maybe you’re not sure what kind of computer you need or what specs you need to look out for. Keep reading to find out more about the minimum computer requirements and everything else you’ll need for streaming on Twitch.
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Minimum Computer Requirements for Twitch Streaming
Twitch recommends certain minimum system requirements for streaming on their platform. These are Windows 7 or newer, or the macOS equivalent, at least 8GB of RAM, and a minimum of an Intel Core i5 processor or the AMD equivalent, such as the Ryzen 5. Along with these basic spec requirements, there are several further factors to think about, including whether you are going to be using one or two PCs in your setup. The good news is that if you’re not clued up on building a PC and aren’t sure where to start, there are plenty of excellent pre-built options available today that are ideal for Twitch streaming, such as these computers for gaming and streaming.
Can You Stream on Twitch With a Laptop?
Another option that you might want to consider if you are thinking about getting started with Twitch streaming is to use a laptop. You can use a laptop to stream, however, most streamers would recommend using a PC since they typically have better components, such as a more powerful processor, which results in a better quality stream overall. However, that being said, there are some pros of streaming from a laptop, especially if you like to stream from different locations, as you can pack up the device and take it anywhere with you.
One PC vs Dual-PC Setup
You might be wondering whether a one-PC or dual-PC setup is best for streaming. The answer to this depends on your setup and what equipment you already have. If you are starting from scratch, then it’s a good idea to start with a single-PC setup since modern gaming PCs these days are powerful enough to handle all of your requirements, and getting a second PC is probably not going to be worth it. A modern gaming rig should offer everything that you need to easily game and stream at the same time. On the other hand, if you have an older PC that you want to use, then investing in a second PC for a dual setup can improve the performance and quality of your stream by having one PC to handle the gaming tasks and another to handle the streaming.
If you want to get started with streaming on Twitch, there are several rules of thumb to keep in mind when it comes to choosing the right computer for streaming. A custom-built PC can be designed to fit your individual needs, but there are plenty of excellent pre-built streaming PCs and even laptops available today.