Streaming PC Build Guide

A streaming PC build adds the hardware needed to capture, encode, and broadcast gameplay live while the game runs, on top of a standard gaming build. Streaming adds an encoding load that a hardware encoder such as NVIDIA NVENC handles with little frame-rate cost, while a processor-based x264 encoder uses CPU cores instead. A single-PC setup runs the game and the stream on one system, while a dual-PC setup splits the work across a gaming PC and a dedicated streaming PC connected by a capture card.

This article explains what streaming adds to a build, the encoder options, the processor core count for single-PC streaming, memory, upload bandwidth, the single-PC versus dual-PC decision, and the capture card a dual-PC setup needs. A comparison table summarizes the two setups. Each section answers one question about building a system that games and streams at the same time.

What Does Streaming Add to a Gaming Build?

Streaming adds an encoding load to a gaming build, since the system must compress the gameplay video into a stream while still running the game. The encoding work runs on either the graphics card’s hardware encoder or the processor’s cores. The streaming additions are listed below:

• Video encoding compresses the gameplay into a broadcast stream, the main load streaming adds beyond running the game.
• Capture and overlay software such as OBS Studio captures the game, adds overlays, and sends the stream to the platform.
• Upload bandwidth sends the encoded stream over the internet, requiring a stable upload connection.
• Extra system load from the streaming software consumes processor, memory, and graphics card resources alongside the game.

Streaming compresses gameplay video in real time, a load that a hardware encoder on the graphics card handles with little impact on frame rate. The capture software, the encoder, and the upload connection together broadcast the stream.

The guide to streaming games on Twitch covers the platform setup, while this article covers the hardware. A streaming build starts from the gaming build the part selection guide describes.

Which Encoder Should a Streaming PC Use?

A streaming PC should use a hardware encoder such as NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, or Intel Quick Sync, since a hardware encoder compresses the stream with little frame-rate cost compared to a processor-based x264 encoder. The encoder choice decides how much the stream affects gaming. The encoder options are listed below:

• NVIDIA NVENC is a dedicated hardware encoder on GeForce graphics cards that compresses the stream with little impact on game frame rate.
• AMD AMF is the hardware encoder on Radeon graphics cards, offloading encoding from the processor to the card.
• Intel Quick Sync is the hardware encoder built into many Intel processors with integrated graphics.
• x264 software encoding uses the processor’s cores for higher quality at a given bitrate but consumes CPU resources the game also needs.

A hardware encoder such as NVENC on a GeForce RTX card runs on dedicated silicon, so it encodes the stream without taking the processor cores the game uses. Software x264 encoding produces high quality at a given bitrate but consumes many CPU cores, lowering game frame rate on a single PC.

Modern hardware encoders reach quality close to x264, so most single-PC streamers use NVENC or AMF. The best gaming GPU guide notes which cards include these encoders.

How Many CPU Cores Does Single-PC Streaming Need?

Single-PC streaming needs a processor with at least eight cores, since the system runs the game, the streaming software, and any software encoding on one processor. The core count supports both the game and the stream. The processor requirements are listed below:

• Eight cores or more give the processor headroom to run the game and the streaming software at the same time.
• Hardware encoding through NVENC or AMF reduces the processor load, so a hardware encoder lowers the core demand of streaming.
• Software x264 encoding raises the core demand sharply, since it runs the encoder on the processor alongside the game.

A processor such as an AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9, or an Intel Core i7 or i9, supplies the cores a single-PC stream needs to run the game and the broadcast together. A hardware encoder reduces the processor load, so an eight-core processor with NVENC handles most single-PC streaming.

Software x264 encoding demands more cores, pushing toward a twelve-core or higher processor. Processors with high core counts appear in the best workstation CPU guide for heavy multitasking.

How Much RAM and Upload Bandwidth Does Streaming Require?

Streaming requires 32GB of memory and a stable upload connection, since the streaming software and the game both consume memory and the stream sends video continuously over the upload. Memory and upload bandwidth both support the broadcast. The memory and bandwidth requirements are listed below:

• 32GB of memory covers the game, the streaming software, and a browser or chat tools running at the same time.
• Upload bandwidth sends the encoded stream continuously, where a stable upload above the stream bitrate prevents dropped frames.
• Wired connection through Ethernet provides a steadier upload than wireless, reducing the dropped frames a stream produces.

A streaming build benefits from 32GB of memory, since the game and the streaming software run at the same time and each consumes memory. The upload connection must exceed the stream’s bitrate with headroom, so a stable upload prevents dropped frames.

A wired Ethernet connection supplies a steadier upload than wireless. The platform sets a recommended bitrate, which the Twitch streaming guide covers alongside the channel setup the stream needs.

Single-PC or Dual-PC: Which Setup Fits?

A single-PC setup runs the game and the stream on one system and suits most streamers, while a dual-PC setup splits the work across two systems for the lowest impact on game performance. The choice weighs simplicity against isolation. The two setups differ as listed below:

• Single-PC streaming runs the game and the stream on one computer, using a hardware encoder to keep the frame-rate cost low.
• Dual-PC streaming runs the game on one computer and the encoding on a second, isolating the stream from the game entirely.
• Cost and complexity rise with a dual-PC setup, which needs a second computer and a capture card to connect the two.

A single-PC setup with a hardware encoder handles most streaming, since NVENC or AMF encodes the stream without taking the cores the game uses. A dual-PC setup isolates the stream on a second computer, removing all encoding load from the gaming PC at the cost of a second system and a capture card.

Most streamers choose a single PC, reserving the dual-PC setup for the highest production requirements. The decision parallels the weighing of cost against control in the prebuilt versus custom gaming PC comparison.

What Capture Card Does a Dual-PC Setup Need?

A dual-PC setup needs an internal or external capture card that receives the gaming PC’s video output and passes it to the streaming PC for encoding. The capture card connects the two computers. The capture card requirements are listed below:

• Internal capture card installs in a PCIe slot on the streaming PC, receiving the gaming PC’s video through an HDMI input.
• External capture card connects to the streaming PC over USB, receiving the gaming PC’s video output without an internal slot.
• Resolution and refresh support on the capture card must match the gaming PC’s output, such as 1080p or 1440p at the target refresh rate.

A capture card on the streaming PC receives the gaming PC’s HDMI output and passes it to the encoding software, isolating the stream from the game. The card must support the gaming PC’s resolution and refresh rate, so a 1440p stream needs a card rated for that resolution.

An internal card uses a PCIe slot, while an external card connects over USB. The capture card completes the dual-PC setup the PC gaming guide links within the broader build cluster.

Single-PC vs Dual-PC Streaming Comparison

The table below compares single-PC and dual-PC streaming across encoding load, hardware, cost, and complexity, summarizing the choice between the two streaming setups.

Key Takeaways

• Streaming adds an encoding load, compressing gameplay video into a broadcast stream while the game runs.
• A hardware encoder fits most streamers, since NVENC, AMF, or Quick Sync encodes with little frame-rate cost.
• Single-PC streaming needs eight or more cores, with hardware encoding lowering the processor demand.
• 32GB of memory and a stable upload support the game and the stream running at the same time.
• A single-PC setup suits most streamers, while a dual-PC setup isolates the stream on a second system.
• A dual-PC setup needs a capture card that passes the gaming PC’s video to the streaming PC for encoding.

Last Thoughts on Streaming PC Build

A streaming PC build adds an encoding load to a gaming build, handled best by a hardware encoder such as NVENC, AMF, or Quick Sync that compresses the stream with little frame-rate cost. Single-PC streaming needs eight or more cores, 32GB of memory, and a stable upload, and suits most streamers, while a dual-PC setup isolates the stream behind a capture card for the highest production needs. Readers can continue with the guide to streaming games on Twitch, the part selection guide, the best gaming GPU guide, or the PC gaming guide that links the full gaming cluster.