choosing a computer for streaming

[Sydian]

hi i am going to start off this post by saying i am a big baby don't judge me LOL i'm not very tech savvy to say the least so that being said perhaps i have chosen the wrong hobby to get into but we all start somewhere right? anyway, i've recently gotten into streaming, however i definitely can't keep using the set up i currently have. i use a macbook pro with a tv functioning as a second monitor and my macbook has the bare minimum capabilities to stream, but like i said, i can't keep doing this forever and i do want my mac to last me a long time as a personal use machine.

anyway, i was hoping to get suggestions in deciding what would be a good pc for me for streaming. i will go ahead and say i'm not looking to stream the newest call of duty or cyberpunk or anything. not sure if that makes much difference, i'll likely just be streaming off an emulator playing pokemon games, though eventually i'd like to get a capture card to stream off my switch/PS4 (i have read you can get your gameplay to display on a computer monitor??? forgive me for sounding old but LOL that is a thing right i'm not crazy???). i'm not trying to break my bank over here either, however i know this likely won't come too cheap and i'm prepared for that.

also one question i have right off the bat is how much difference it makes in having an i5 processor vs an i7. the latter is what i see recommended for streaming, but i'm just wondering if it makes that huge of a difference since that's usually where i've noticed the price point comes into play.

again i'm really baby and not very tech savvy so treat me like a boomer tbh lol one day i will understand things better but right now i'm just. starting out so i feel. a little overwhelmed and out of my league and i think that's part of why i held off on streaming for so long. any help is appreciated sorry this is getting so long also i hope the help prefix was the right one i wasn't sure lmOA OKAY BYE

 

[Sydian]

What's a price you're willing to pay for equipment?

Knowing a rough estimate ahead of time makes a world of difference in regards to suggesting hardware.

$1500 though i can go higher if it's absolutely necessary. i would prefer not to, but like i said, i know i didn't exactly pick the cheapest thing to get into here aha.

 

[Roni]

1500 is a really decent budget for a streaming PC, especially if you're not gonna be playing anything heavy. lemme see if i can cook up a neat set-up for you Syd. love building PCs :D

also one question i have right off the bat is how much difference it makes in having an i5 processor vs an i7. the latter is what i see recommended for streaming, but i'm just wondering if it makes that huge of a difference since that's usually where i've noticed the price point comes into play.

i5 is the mid range, best bang for your buck series of Intel processors. simply put, if you're just a plain gamer this'll do you fine. honestly this will be good enough for streaming light emu games like you mentioned, but since we're talking 1500 bucks here, we can easily fit an i7 into the system. wanna make sure this'll last a long time and getting the best now is always a good idea (unless you may get into PCs in the future and be interested in upgrading every now and then, but for now we play safe).

there's also offerings from Intel's rival company, AMD, which is really hot right now with there critically acclaimed Ryzen series. basically i5s and i7s but with different names, a tad cheaper (though i don't know the market nowadays since they really boomed in popularity over the years), and more often than not better (plenty will debate this tho).

again i'm really baby and not very tech savvy so treat me like a boomer tbh lol one day i will understand things better but right now i'm just. starting out so i feel. a little overwhelmed and out of my league

hey i get it, it was a pretty rough start for me back in 2013 too when i was first getting into it. but computers really aren't all that daunting once you get to know them! like you said, just takes a bit of time and help, and i (and surely lotsa others) would be glad to help out!

 

[Sydian]

i5 is the mid range, best bang for your buck series of Intel processors. simply put, if you're just a plain gamer this'll do you fine. honestly this will be good enough for streaming light emu games like you mentioned, but since we're talking 1500 bucks here, we can easily fit an i7 into the system. wanna make sure this'll last a long time and getting the best now is always a good idea (unless you may get into PCs in the future and be interested in upgrading every now and then, but for now we play safe).

there's also offerings from Intel's rival company, AMD, which is really hot right now with there critically acclaimed Ryzen series. basically i5s and i7s but with different names, a tad cheaper (though i don't know the market nowadays since they really boomed in popularity over the years), and more often than not better (plenty will debate this tho).

hey i get it, it was a pretty rough start for me back in 2013 too when i was first getting into it. but computers really aren't all that daunting once you get to know them! like you said, just takes a bit of time and help, and i (and surely lotsa others) would be glad to help out!

if i don't have to come up to 1500 though, that would be nice LOL. i mean tax returns are soon and i have money i've been saving for this but still. but at the same time, i do want this to last me a long time so i want to make sure that it functions for what i need it to do now and in the future. so if the ryzen ones do the job at a cheaper price point, i'd consider that.

only thing like i don't think i trust myself to build a pc very well lol. do you. literally build it. like you buy the parts and put it all together and stuff right...like when i say i'm new to this i'm like fresh out of the womb. i am still in the womb lskdfjalsd.

i appreciate the help!! i'm sorry if i ask too many questions esp questions that likely have an obvious answer lol. the last time i was tech savvy was when i was 16 and man idk what happened to that person but they are Not here anymore LOL

 

[Roni]

if i don't have to come up to 1500 though, that would be nice LOL. i mean tax returns are soon and i have money i've been saving for this but still. but at the same time, i do want this to last me a long time so i want to make sure that it functions for what i need it to do now and in the future. so if the ryzen ones do the job at a cheaper price point, i'd consider that.

oh for sure. i'm still gonna go check to be sure, but i think a 1000-1200 dollar build should be plenty for your needs, esp with Ryzen. gimme a bit.

only thing like i don't think i trust myself to build a pc very well lol. do you. literally build it. like you buy the parts and put it all together and stuff right...like when i say i'm new to this i'm like fresh out of the womb. i am still in the womb lskdfjalsd.

i appreciate the help!! i'm sorry if i ask too many questions esp questions that likely have an obvious answer lol. the last time i was tech savvy was when i was 16 and man idk what happened to that person but they are Not here anymore LOL

oh yeah the common thing i've seen is for people to build it themselves and save some money heh. the best analogy i've heard is that it's just a really expensive set of legos. and some parts need more force to insert than others, but other than that it's super simple these days. if you still can't trust yourself to build it, do you have a trustworthy techy friend or a computer shop nearby? i'm sure they can do it for you for a cheap lil fee (or maybe even free ionno), bcs a lot of people find that stuff pretty easy hehe.

i'm so down to type out full instructions for most of the stuff tho. i live for this shit.

 

[Firebolt]

Hi hi, I thought I'd offer a different angle on this topic and show you a quick build I put together for you!

It's a bit higher than your budget, but I'll break it down part by part and hopefully the general idea comes across:

• CPU - I picked an AMD CPU over Intel as Ryzen is known to generally have better multi-core processing. What does this mean? Basically, it's really nice if you're trying to game and stream your screen at the same time. I went specifically with the 3600 as it's just powerful enough to not bottleneck your graphics card (more below).
• CPU Cooler - Cooler Master 212 fans are basically known for being...kinda boring but definitely reliable (as far as air cooling goes). It's the same fan that I'm using in my own decked out new build.
• Motherboard - Just a nice and reliable motherboard all around. I went with this model as if you decide to get 2020 CPU/GPU in two year's time (when the newest toys can cause their prices to drop drastically), you won't have to worry about your motherboard being incompatible. Same sort of logic applies to the power supply.
• Memory - Not much to say here. 16 GB is pretty standard these days, you probably don't want to go less if you can help it.
• Storage - There's actually a bit of flexibility in this area. I picked an NVMe drive as it installs directly on the motherboard; it's convenient and gives you lightning fast speeds. 1 TB might not be enough for you however, and it's totally fair to go for a standard SSD and get more storage, or even mix and match with an SSD (for your operating system to prevent your computer from being to slow) and HDD (for everything else).
• Video Card - Your video card/GPU is perhaps the most important part for your PC, right alongside your CPU. The 1080 Ti is a little old now but it still holds its ground. If you're going to use a normal 1080 HD monitor, it certainly won't disappoint and should easily support your streaming needs. However, there's one very big catch; the reason this rig is over budget is because GPUs are way overpriced right now. The price that PC Part Picker quotes would actually get you a top-of-the-range current generation GPU, if they were being sold at MSRP. If you can wait out for the stock to stabilise, or find a good deal on a second-hand one, I'd definitely recommend it. You might even be able to snag a much better GPU than you would've been able to otherwise (though make sure your CPU is still up to scratch if you do decide to upgrade).
• Case - Case is nice, big enough to comfortably fit your components and has good airflow. Note that the extra price you might pay for a case would probably be for features that make installation and maintenance of your PC easier; that's totally up to personal preference if that is worth the price.
• Power Supply - You generally want a very safe overhead for your computer over the required amount (419W according to the site). It also future-proofs your build and means you can upgrade without worrying about your power supply.
• Operating System - People tend to overlook this lol, but you need an operating system to be able to do anything with your PC at all! This version of Windows 10 can be re-installed on other computers, unlike 'OEM' versions (only install on one PC forever). Could save $40 if that doesn't bother you though.
• Adapter - Wi-Fi card so you can connect your PC to your router! You can get an ethernet card instead if you'd like to connect your PC by cable instead.

Some things I didn't include in the price are any peripherals you might need (mouse, keyboard, monitor). PC Part Picker helps break this stuff down and is a really handy tool to have! I also promise that building a PC isn't as hard as it looks. I was really nervous first-time too, but now I'm really enjoying going all-out on my current build project. Just watch a few videos, mind your static charge, and remember that there's no rush to put your PC together (again, first build took me a full day). When it doesn't turn on after you spent hours and hours putting it together, just remember that it's probably because you forgot to plug something in.

The write-up was a bit longer than I intended, but please let me know if I can clarify any of the points mentioned above.

 

[Roni]

-snip-

awesome stuff here. i like most of the selections.

CPU, MoBo, Memory, Case, all solid choices. i'm a bit iffy on the expensive 750w PSU though. i agree with getting a gold rated one, but even with upgrades, shouldn't 550-650 be more than enough for overhead? unless Syd's planning to get a 3080 or something in the future, which i don't think might be happening since they say they're just gonna be streaming emulator games, 750 seems just a bit too much imo.

the storage too, how much cheaper would be it be to go 250 for the SSD for OS and other important stuff, then 1 or 2TB HDD for everything else versus the single 1TB nvme you linked? (i'd even argue that Samsung's a bit overpriced compared to the competition's performance, but i'm not entirely sure on that now)

and yes Syd can save a quick buck by just buying those cheap OEM keys or something for Windows. i figured installers like the ones you linked, that can be re-installed on other systems is more valuable for people with multiple several builds in their premises (like businesses), compared to regular folk who just have one home PC (esp if they're gon make that PC last a good amount of years).

in all honesty, i would personally recommend Syd something a bit simpler like this. no frills, but plenty of punch for 1080p gaming and should last a decently long time so long as it's taken care of.

this might not cut it tho if Syd were to wanna go for something like 1440p or 4k gaming in the future.

 

[Incineroar]

That build doesn't look too bad, although if you're not doing an absolute ton of high quality gaming, you might be able to scale back a tad on that graphics card. I'm using a 1660 Ti and it runs Grand Theft Auto V very well despite being a very graphically intensive game. It'll be less than half the cost too and bring it well within budget. It's not as high end as a 1080 Ti but it is significantly cheaper.

though eventually i'd like to get a capture card to stream off my switch/PS4 (i have read you can get your gameplay to display on a computer monitor??? forgive me for sounding old but LOL that is a thing right i'm not crazy???). i'm not trying to break my bank over here either, however i know this likely won't come too cheap and i'm prepared for that.

So you definitely can, what I'd recommend that I have personally used and tested is the Elgato HD60 S. It works really well with game consoles, although you may have to disable HDCP (HD Content Protection) if your PS4 isn't recognized by it, which can be done in the system settings (And a further heads up that it straight up will not work with a PS3 in most cases because it has HDCP baked in and cannot be disabled). You'll need a USB 3.0 port on your computer for it, but if you're building one, pretty much any recent motherboard will definitely have one.

 

[Firebolt]

Beep boop

In all honesty, I completely agree with all of your points. The build I highlighted is admittedly biased by what I personally prefer, which is being future-proof and reliable even if it does mean spending a bit extra now.

A good PSU is something you can easily use for over a decade, so I went with a 750W because it's much more likely to last through multiple PC upgrades.

Storage is definitely a personal preference thing too. I only tend to have a few games I ever play installed at a time, so instead of spending extra on storage space, I spend it on speed so that I can have a faster...well, everything. If you like to have loads of movies and pictures and/or games installed at once, HDD would probably be your best friend as SSD still isn't that affordable. I would 110% have a 250GB SSD for Windows at least, trust me Syd you don't wanna have '2007 computer' load times. The reason I picked Samsung as well is their EVOs are like the most reliable storage sticks in the seven seas (hey are you noticing what I value most? :P).

Again, OEM is perfectly valid, but if you gotta change PC/motherboards for whatever reason, you're now paying more for Windows 10 than if you had the retail version from the get-go.

Please don't think of this as the 'right' thing to follow or anything like that, it really is dependent on what you'd like out of your PC beyond just the parts and cost (reliability, how cool it looks, etc.). I found a build on Australian eBay that has a 1080 Ti and most of what we discussed for 1500 AUD (~1,150 USD); buying a second-hand PC could be a great compromise between getting great parts and keeping it easier on the pocket!

 

[Sydian]

AHH hi thank you all for the replies and the help. sorry i haven't responded til now, it's overwhelming to take in so much new information aha. something simple, but reliable and will last and get the job done sounds best for me bc it's still. a process learning and taking this all in. also no, i don't really have any tech savvy friends around and my family is all in another state. my partner is a bit better off than i am and helped me set up my stream initially, and he is better at taking in information and following instructions than i am, so lol he will likely be helpful despite this not really being his forte.

i definitely want to save money where i can and i don't plan on streaming anything too graphically strenuous at any point in time; the most i'd probably want to do eventually is persona 5, tales of berseria, and various switch games.

also holy shit you have to pay for the OS on a PC? i literally downloaded the latest OS for my mac a month ago and it didn't cost me anything unless i just Really don't know what i'm talking about here lol... speaking of differences between mac and PC, and bear in mind it has been a LONG time since i had a PC so this might be an obsolete question, but do you still have to buy anti-virus protection for PCs?

I can put together a quick build as well on PPP. I do some streaming, so I should be able to kit it out fairly well.
$1500 is a super solid price, so no worries there.

But, I think we should be able to have some fun with this. It will definitely take some time, but we should be able to get you something really special (and educate you along the way).

I guess for starters, what's your favorite colors?

pink btw aha

 

[Incineroar]

i definitely want to save money where i can and i don't plan on streaming anything too graphically strenuous at any point in time; the most i'd probably want to do eventually is persona 5, tales of berseria, and various switch games.

A lot of those will probably just go through the capture card unless Atlus decides to bring Persona 5 to PC so you shouldn't really have any issues then.

also holy shit you have to pay for the OS on a PC? i literally downloaded the latest OS for my mac a month ago and it didn't cost me anything unless i just Really don't know what i'm talking about here lol... speaking of differences between mac and PC, and bear in mind it has been a LONG time since i had a PC so this might be an obsolete question, but do you still have to buy anti-virus protection for PCs?

Yeah. Windows isn't free, however, you can install it and just not give it a key, the only restriction is that you'll be nagged to get a key and you won't be able to modify your wallpaper until you do, but there's plenty of places to get keys. Apple just makes it free to get for all their PCs which is kinda cool. And for anti-virus, you still can, however, Microsoft has one built into Windows 10 now so you shouldn't have to unless you really want to. As long as you're not always running strange files from odd corners of the internet and such, you shouldn't have to worry too much anymore.

 

[Roni]

i definitely want to save money where i can and i don't plan on streaming anything too graphically strenuous at any point in time; the most i'd probably want to do eventually is persona 5, tales of berseria, and various switch games.

i gotchu on that. looks like you won't need all that powerful a system after all. how big's the monitor you plan on using? it affects the decision on the graphics card needed. and i firmly agree with Firebolt's points too, esp on the PSU. some 10-12 years from now it's still gonna be viable to reuse if you plan to do upgrades Syd.

also holy shit you have to pay for the OS on a PC? i literally downloaded the latest OS for my mac a month ago and it didn't cost me anything unless i just Really don't know what i'm talking about here lol...

didn't even know that about Macs (only ever used one in college bcs it was all they had lol) but yeah Windows is paid for... *cough* if you wanna be goody two shoes ofc *cough*. as mentioned though, the free version is perfectly usable if you don't mind being nagged and not being able to change wallpapers.

pink btw aha

excellent choice. i think i know a couple pink cases huehue

And for anti-virus, you still can, however, Microsoft has one built into Windows 10 now so you shouldn't have to unless you really want to. As long as you're not always running strange files from odd corners of the internet and such, you shouldn't have to worry too much anymore.

from someone who regularly downloads strange files from odd corners of the internet (i probs have a miner in my computer now lmao), Defender is more than capable of taking care of the anti-virus job itself. i'd even say that, for home use at least, having to download an antivirus has become near obsolete.

 

[Roni]

I meant to post this yesterday, but I completely forgot. I went ahead and threw together a build that I tried to stay in budget with, and I think it would possibly match your aesthetic preference quite well.

Silver and Pink Ryzen Build

It includes a decent monitor, but you can cut that out if you don't want it. Would save $200.

135 bucks for a case is ludicrous to me, but i can't deny that that it's solid af AND matches the color scheme Syd wants. also, the 5500XT drivers are stable already right? kept hearing about errors with them on reddit, but i don't know how old that news is now.

storage is also pretty solid. all files are gonna be fast af with opening, which is pog. if you go with this Syd, i'd recommend putting the OS in the SN550 (the slightly more expensive one), since i believe it's ever so slightly faster and better than the non nVME it's partnered with (to prevent confusion tho, i'd most likely just replace the other M.2 SSD with a mass storage hard disk drive for about the same or so price. esp if i'm just gonna use it to store photos/videos/memes or what).

great choice on the monitor too. i'm a shill for Asus screens atm, since i have one at home and at work and they're pretty good for me, a graphic designer who needs a monitor to make a living lol.

 

[Momoro]

135 bucks for a case is ludicrous to me, but i can't deny that that it's solid af AND matches the color scheme Syd wants. also, the 5500XT drivers are stable already right? kept hearing about errors with them on reddit, but i don't know how old that news is now.

storage is also pretty solid. all files are gonna be fast af with opening, which is pog. if you go with this Syd, i'd recommend putting the OS in the SN550 (the slightly more expensive one), since i believe it's ever so slightly faster and better than the non nVME it's partnered with (to prevent confusion tho, i'd most likely just replace the other M.2 SSD with a mass storage hard disk drive for about the same or so price. esp if i'm just gonna use it to store photos/videos/memes or what).

great choice on the monitor too. i'm a shill for Asus screens atm, since i have one at home and at work and they're pretty good for me, a graphic designer who needs a monitor to make a living lol.

Same on Asus, they're awesome 😄


Syd, those SSDs are gonna be sweet for your computer speed! (I have one 2TB HDD and one 240GB SSD- only because I'm on a budget 🙂)


Personally, I would go and grab an Intel I9-9900K, (is it overkill? I think not 😈) but I'm kinda broke right now, so my I5-3570's gonna have to do 😃

 

[Sydian]

haha i think y'all overestimate my ability to. competently put this together......,,.,,,, i wouldn't consider myself dumb overall but when it comes to this where i'm spending a lot of money, i don't really trust myself with this very much tbh. are there not pre-built ones lol.....i don't mind losing customization in favor of something i can't mess up.

so lol how well would this work if i mixed and matched what's been recommended? like looking at the builds some of y'all have put together (those make it a lot easier on me tbh LOL to just look at them and see what it is and all that) like i like the aesthetics of zeta's choices but then some of the. cheaper options in the other two builds lol.

probably weird question too but to be on the safe side lmfao. i have three cats, there's cat hair everywhere, is the thing gonna wig out if cat hair gets in there while building and things aren't cased up (i assume) at that point lol. you know how if you get a hair in your eye your eyes are basically not gonna function right. is this the same lol