The Minimum Specs For A Streaming PC Build
Motherboards ,
Graphics Cards ,
Case & Components
Although streaming has become a popular hobby and career for many gamers, many aren’t sure what hardware they’ll need to pull it off. Whether you want to share your gameplay with friends, build a loyal fanbase, or earn some money from your passion, you need a PC that can handle simultaneous gaming and streaming.
Factors to Consider
Before we dive into the build, we should focus on what’s important when picking hardware for a streaming PC. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out or just streaming casually. Your audience deserves a stable stream that looks as epic as you do when you pull off something truly spectacular in-game.
Processor
Even if you’re using your graphics cards’ encoder to stream to an audience, skimping on CPU can degrade both your stream as well as your gaming experience. Stick to at least mid-range offerings and don’t dip below that mark if you want to deliver a quality stream while playing the latest games.
Graphics Card
Well, this is an obvious one. Your GPU will be shouldering the bulk of the workload with gaming and encoding your stream. Over-budget for this part as it’s one of the most, if not the most, important part of your Streaming PC.
Motherboard
Although it might seem like a relatively boring part (compared to the CPU and GPU), you should pay attention to your choice of motherboard. If you’re using additional devices like a capture card or an add-in 10G LAN card, your motherboard should be able to accommodate it (them?) alongside your graphics card.
Our guide below goes over two Streaming PC builds – one based on the B760 platform and the other on B650. Keep in mind that these are ‘bare minimum’ specs we’d recommend to someone who’s serious about streaming to an audience.
Best Value Intel B760 Streaming PC
Intel’s mainstream B760 platform would be the ideal foundation for a Streaming PC build. In addition to supporting all the next-gen standards like PCIe 5.0, DDR5, and Wi-Fi 6E, it also doesn’t break the bank.
Here are the parts you’ll need for our Recommended Intel Streaming PC:
- CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K
- Motherboard: MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI
- Cooler: MSI MAG CORELIQUID C240
- Memory: Kingston DDR5 FURY Beast 6000MT/s 8GB(x2)
- GPU: MSI GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti GAMING X TRIO 12G
- SSD: MSI SPATIUM M450 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 1TB
- PSU: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5
- Case: MSI MPG GUNGNIR 110R
CPU: Intel Core i5-13600K
The CPU is one of the most important components for a streaming PC, as it pretty much sets the tone for both your gaming and streaming experience.
Intel’s Core i5 13600K is a great choice for streamers who want nearly top-tier performance. It has a unique hybrid architecture that combines six performance cores (P-cores) and eight efficient cores (E-cores) for a total of 14 cores and 20 threads.
Motherboard: MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI
It’s nearly impossible to talk about picking excellent-value hardware and not expect a wild TOMAHAWK motherboard to show up unannounced. The MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI builds on its predecessors by blending terrific build quality and features with an affordable price point – making it a perfect fit for a streaming PC that’s squarely focused on performance and value.
In addition to a top-notch 6-layer PCB and 2oz thickened copper traces, the MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI also features a 12+1+1 Duet Rail Power System that allows it to power even the most monstrous processor in Intel’s 13th gen lineup with ease.
If you’re streaming, you’ll also need access to plenty of high-speed storage, which the MAG B760 TOMAHAWK is more than happy to accommodate with its 3 M.2 slots boasting PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds!
Internet connectivity and networking capabilities can keep up with even the most demanding streaming requirements with a wired connection offering 2.5 Gigabit and a wireless connection now supporting Wi-Fi 6E.
Streamers who need access to plenty of peripherals to deliver a quality stream will find the MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI quite a compelling choice with its generous 9 USB ports on the rear I/O. Eight of the nine ports are USB Type-A (of which, 4 are 10Gbps ports) and a single USB Type-C port for unfettered access to high-speed 20Gbps devices. It also grants you access to an internal Type-C header for front-panel USB Type-C ports for even more connectivity options.
Best Value AMD B650 Streaming PC
On the AMD side, you’ll again find a broad range of options to consider. For our AMD Streaming PC, we’ll go with AMD’s mainstream B650 platform because it offers terrific value and features at more affordable price points.
Here are the parts you’ll need for our Recommended Intel Streaming PC:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
- Motherboard: MAG B650M MORTAR WIFI
- Cooler: MAG CORELIQUID C240
- Memory: Kingston DDR5 FURY Beast 6000MT/s 8GB(x2)
- GPU: MSI GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti GAMING X TRIO 12G
- SSD: SPATIUM M450 PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 1TB
- PSU: MPG A850G PCIE5
- Case: MPG GUNGNIR 110R
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
AMD’s Ryzen 5 CPUs have always towered over the competition, from its own lineup as well as Intel’s, when it comes to value. Even now, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X offers a value-focused CPU option that allows you to leverage the features and speed of a modern platform like AM5.
The Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with an eye-watering 5.3GHz boost clock! It’s the perfect choice for streamers to juggle both a rock-solid livestream and a demanding gaming session at the same time.
Motherboard: MAG B650M MORTAR WIFI
It’s nearly impossible to talk about picking excellent-value hardware and not expect a MORTAR motherboard to show up unannounced. The MAG B650M MORTAR WIFI builds on its predecessors by blending terrific build quality and features in a compact form factor with an affordable price point. This makes it one of the best motherboards for gaming and productivity when focused on compact performance and value.
In addition to a top-notch 6-layer PCB and 2oz thickened copper traces, the MAG B760M MORTAR WIFI also features a 12+2+1 Duet Rail Power System that allows it to power even the most monstrous processors in AMD’s Ryzen 7000 lineup with ease.
If you’re streaming, you’ll also need access to plenty of high-speed storage and peripheral connectivity, which the MAG B650M MORTAR WIFI is more than happy to provide with its 2 M.2 slots boasting PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds and 8 rear panel USB ports!
Internet connectivity and networking capabilities can keep up with even the most demanding streaming requirements with a wired connection offering 2.5 Gigabit and a wireless connection now supporting Wi-Fi 6E.
Other Parts You’ll Need
CPU Cooler: MAG CORELIQUID C240 AIO Liquid Cooler
The MAG CORELIQUID C240 compatibility with a broad range of sockets, including both AMD’s AM5 and Intel’s LGA1700 sockets, makes it ideal for either of these streaming PCs. The 240mm radiator with its dual 120mm fans are more than capable of wicking heat away from both the Intel Core i5 13600K and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X – preventing any thermal issues.
In addition to delivering efficient cooling, MSI has also focused on reducing noise levels with some clever engineering. While a traditional AIO Liquid Coolers has a pump on the cold plate, the MAG CORELIQUID C240 integrates the pump into the radiator for further sound dampening.
In addition to delivering a quieter cooling experience, this move also extends the pump’s life by putting more distance between it and the heat source. Speaking of longevity, the MAG CORELIQUID C240 also features evaporation-proof tubing constructed using three layers of netted plastic tubing and reinforced mesh exterior.
Kingston’s Fury Beast DDR5-6000 kit supports both Intel XMP 3.0 and AMD EXPO for an easy overclocking experience on both Intel and AMD platforms. Since the 6000 MT/s speed is a sweet spot for Ryzen CPUs as well as a great value pick for Intel CPUs, the Kingston Fury Beast 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 kit is the perfect choice for either of these Streaming PCs.
Although a 16GB kit might be on the lighter side for streaming and gaming, it’s a good place to start when you’re on the lookout for value and need to allocate your budget efficiently. Plus, you can always grab an upgrade if/when you want one down the line!
Since Nvidia has only launched 3 SKUs in its latest Ada Lovelace GPUs, the RTX 4070 Ti offers the lowest point of entry into the world of modern graphics with DLSS 3.0 and next-gen Ray Tracing cores.
However, thermals are important if you want to deliver an smooth stream while enjoying a fluid gaming experience. It’s really not fun when a streamer decides to treat you to a headache-inducing slideshow-fest that’s nearly unwatchable and makes you want to click away immediately.
The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12G GAMING X TRIO has a few tricks up its sleeve to deliver best-in-class cooling efficiency throughout even the longest gaming sessions. It features MSI’s Tri-FROZR thermal design with triple TORX FAN 5.0 fans to keep your RTX 4070 Ti cool even during your most demanding gaming + streaming sessions. Each fan on this graphics card is a TORX FAN 5.0 – the culmination of fan design improvements that increases air pressure and airflow through the heatsink.
If you’ve been streaming a while, you know how large video game footage and video games themselves can get (cough. Warzone). The MSI SPATIUM 1TB M450 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD was designed to deliver blazing fast read and write speeds of 3600 MB/s and 3000 MB/s! MSI also stands behind the premium components used in the MSI SPATIUM 1TB M450 PCIe 4.0 with a solid 5-year warranty that’ll give you peace of mind.
Both the Intel and AMD TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboards have multiple M.2 slots with PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth that this SSD can fully leverage to ensure rapid access to your game data and footage.
The fully-module MPG A850G 80-PLUS Gold PCIE5 PSU would be the perfect choice for both the Intel and AMD Streaming PC builds. It boasts top-quality premium components and circuitry.
In addition to delivering all the power you’ll need for your hardware, the MPG A850G 80-PLUS GOLD PCIE5 PSU also adheres to the newest ATX 3.0 standard and is designed to accommodate a native 16 pin power connector. This means you get access to a single 12VHPWR cable to your modern graphics card for a clean build – allowing you to stay away from ugly adapters and multiple PCIe power cables.
Case: MPG GUNGNIR 110R PC Case
The MPG GUNGNIR 110R Mid-Tower case is designed to hold the best hardware and make it look drop-dead gorgeous. It has a tempered glass side panel, four 120mm RGB fans, and a magnetic dust filter for the ideal blend of stunning looks, and a dust-free interior.
The MPG GUNGNIR 110R also supports up to ATX motherboards, large 360mm radiators, and boasts enough clearance to accommodate even the most massive modern graphics cards without issue. It puts you in charge of creating your own gaming masterpiece. From controlling the RGB lighting to or syncing them with other compatible devices, add your personality to your build and streaming space with ease.
Learn More:
Best of the Best – Gaming Motherboard
Best Prebuilt Streaming PC and Monitor
How to Start Streaming on Twitch (PC Guide)
Best of the Best – Gaming Motherboard
Best Prebuilt Streaming PC and Monitor
How to Start Streaming on Twitch (PC Guide)
