Best Laptop for Streaming In 2023

Introduction

What are the Core Features of a Good Streaming Laptop?

The best laptop for streaming is a synergy of several parameters. But mainly it must have a powerful processor, a lot of memory, powerful GPU, heat management and a good camera and microphone. Today, we are going to look at the best laptop for streaming. 

Before we begin, we’ve got a full guide that covers everything you need in a complete streaming setup, check it out if you want to learn more.

Also Read : Best Twitch Streaming Equipment

Who needs a Fast Laptop for Streaming?

Gamers: If you are planning on live streaming of your gaming endeavors on a professional platform like Twitch, you got to have a fast laptop or a computer.  

We all know that professional gamers need a fast processor. But for living streaming, you have to look at a level above. 

Remember, gaming and streaming at the same time is a demanding job and your hand-me-down Intel Core i3 processor-powered laptop will simply not cut it.

Others: Beyond just gamer, streaming services are being used by people from different walks of life. Teachers, doctors, engineers, consultants, everyone who needs to speak to others on their day-to-day work have switched to a streaming service of some sort. 

These people also need a decent laptop. Though their requirements are different to a gamer who may need the best specs one could buy. That is why we have looked at laptops from different price segments and listed them according to different categories – Best streaming and gaming laptop, best mid-range, and best Ryzen laptop for streaming.

Main Features That the Best Laptop for Live Streaming Must Have:

There is no dearth of great hardware for playing and streaming at the same time. But we must know exactly which laptop is the best, or among the best when it comes to playing and streaming at the same time.

The laptop should be powerful in terms of processing power, has a fast GPU, has a fast Wi-Fi port, and should be great in terms of heat management. A laptop simultaneously running a demanding game and live streaming will require robust heat management at some point.

For streaming, you also need an excellent camera and a responsive microphone. Internet connectivity speeds are also important. Without a fast Wi-Fi port streaming will be slow and jittery. The performance needs also depends on what type of live streams you plan to produce.

Regular live Streaming: The CPU of your laptop must be Intel Core i5 or higher. For regular streaming (not gameplay streaming) an 8^th or 10 Generation Intel Core i5 processor with matching GPU and RAM will do. By regular streaming, we mean consultations, podcasting, interviews, online classes, and meetings. 

Gameplay Streaming (for Twitch etc.): For gameplay, the minimum you need is a 10^th Generation Intel Core i7 or higher CPU. In the AMD series, you should look at the Ryzen 9 3900X processor which promises a powerful combination of performance and better heat management (when compared with older Ryzen 7 and 5 series processors).

Between Ryzen 9 and the Core i9 10^th Generation processors, the Core i9 10^th Gen processor comes with 10 cores capable of handling 20 threads at a time. On the other hand, the Ryzen comes with 12 Cores and 24 Threads. The base clock speed of the Ryzen 9 3900X is faster too – 3.8GHz compared to 3.7GHz on the Intel Core i9 processor. So, at least on paper Ryzen 9 is the better choice if you are a gamer and need a high-end laptop for gameplay streaming purposes.

On the flip side, however, both the above processors are very expensive. You can look for something less pricey if you are not a gamer and just need to do podcasts or regular streaming video. Your options would be the Ryzen 7 3700X or the Ryzen 5 3600X in the Ryzen series. The latter comes with a base clock speed of 3.8GHz with 6 Cores capable of handling 12 threads, and the first one has a base clock speed of 3.6GHz with 8 Cores supporting 16 threads.

On the Intel side, Core i7 10^th Generation is also a great choice. It is a lot cheaper than the Intel processors listed above. That said, it will do the job for you. It comes with 8 Cores and supports multithreading up to 16 Threads. The base clock speed of the processor is 3.80GHz.

RAM

Let’s discuss memory now. A minimum of 16GB RAM is a must-have. Anything less than that and your laptop will be unable to pull the load of gameplaying and streaming. Ideally, you need 32 GB. For normal streaming, 16GB RAM is more than enough.

GPU

Gamers will need a high-end GPU, whether they stream or they don’t stream. Between GeForce GTX and RTX GPUs, we recommend RTX. But these GPUs can be expensive. If you are not going to play games, you don’t need high-end GPUs. For everyday streaming like podcasting, interviews, classroom teachings, or consultation over the net, you don’t need a high-end GPU. Even an Intel UHD graphics card is more than sufficient. 

Storage

Storage has nothing to do with the quality of streaming. So, although this parameter is listed here, it is to let you know that fast storage will only improve your application access speed.

Display

Look for a minimum display resolution of full-HD. We have listed one laptop here that has a UHD display resolution. Gamers, additionally, will need a fast refresh rate. 144Hz refresh rate is standard across gamers. We have listed a laptop here that has a refresh rate higher than 144Hz.

Wi-Fi Port

This is imperative. If your laptop does not have a fast Wi-Fi port, it does not qualify as a good laptop for streaming. Without a fast Wi-Fi port, your streams will be jittery, and your audience will have a painful experience. That goes for both gaming as well as normal streams. But for gamers, this is a major requirement. 

The Best Laptops for Live Streaming

Dell Alienware m17 R3 (Best Streaming and Gaming Laptop) 

Processor and GPU

10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK processor powers the New Dell Alienware m17 R3. This is an 8-core processor. Paired with the CPU is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER graphics card with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. Gameplay and streaming with this laptop would be fun. 

Internal Memory & Storage

Storage on the laptop is composed of a 2TB SSD and a 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD. So you get a total of 2.5TB SSD storage with this laptop. The internal memory of the system is powered by 32GB UHD 2666MHz.

Display

The large 17.3-inch display offers an excellent UHD display. The refresh rate of the display is 60Hz max. The overall brightness of the display is 500 nits (much higher than the normal 300 nits that we see with mid-range gaming laptops). Your gaming experience should be out of this world.

Pros

• A very sleek design. The best of all the laptops listed here.
• Extremely powerful laptop with 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GPU.
• Large 17.3-inch display with a UHD display and 500-nits of brightness.
• Killer Ethernet E3100 10/100/1000Mbps/2.5Gbps port for super-fast internet connectivity. 

Cons

• The priciest of the lot.

Acer Predator Helios 300

Processor and GPU

There are several things we like about this laptop. The specification makes for an interesting read. Under the chunky, clamshell lies an Intel i7 10^th Generation processor with 6 Cores. The base clock speed of the CPU is 2.6 GHz. Paired with the CPU is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU with 6GB dedicated GDDR5 VRAM. Both the CPU and the GPU can be overclocked. 

Internal Memory & Storage

The internal memory of the laptop is 16GB Dual-channel DDR4 RAM. Plus, the storage consists of 1 TB of NVMe SSD. For pure streaming purposes, other than gaming, this is more than enough. For game playing yes this is not the best, but the configuration you get for the price is simply out of this world.

Display

The large 17.6-inch full-HD IPS display is great for streaming and game playing. For streaming purposes, a larger screen allows you to keep multiple windows open simultaneously. The refresh rate of the screen is 144Hz with a response time of 3ms.   

Battery backup

The battery backup on this laptop is 5.5 hours on a full charge.

Pros

• Excellent CPU and GPU configuration.
• Large 17.6-inch display with 144Hz refresh rate.
• 1TB Solid State Drive storage.

Cons

• On the heavier side. Weighs 6.39 lbs. Going to be a hassle if you are looking for something that is easily transported.
• Pricey too. But you get what you pay for. 

HP Omen 15 (Best Mid-range)

Processor and GPU

This particular version of the HP Omen 15 is powered by an Intel 10^th Generation Core i7 processor. The 6 core processor supports multithreading. Total 12 threads are supported. Strapped with it is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU with 6GB GDDR5 VRAM.

Internal Memory & Storage

The internal memory of the laptop is 16GB DDR4 RAM and with it, you get 512GB of SSD storage.

Display

The display on the HP Omen 15 is full-HD with a 144Hz IPS display. The WLED backlit display is great to have. The anti-glare property of the display is great to have, especially for gamers.

The display is almost bezel-less on the sides, with some real estate at the top to house the camera and the mics and the HP Omen logo at the bottom of the display. 

We love the unique hinge design and the way the lid shuts. 

Battery backup

Total battery life is roughly 6 hours on a full charge.

Pros

• Superb display with zero lag time when gaming.
• Fast processor with excellent handling even when playing resource-hogging games.
• Intel Core i7 10^th Generation processor paired with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU is a great combination.

Cons

• Comes with the GTX GPU and not the NVIDIA GeForce RTX one.
• At nearly 5.43 lbs this is a heavy unit and is cumbersome to transport.

Asus TUF FX505DT

Processor and GPU

This is a Ryzen 7 3750H processor-powered laptop. This is a budget laptop for gaming and streaming. Paired with the Ryzen 7 processor is the GeForce GTX 1650 GPU.

Internal Memory & Storage Asus TUF FX505DT is composed of 8GB DDR4 RAM with a 256GB SSD (PCIe) storage unit. While the RAM is definitely on the lower side, for normal streaming like conducting interviews, classes, or consultation this would not be a problem. You will feel that the laptop is running out of breath when playing games like Counter-Strike and live streaming it on Twitch.

Paired with the CPU is a GeForce GTX 1650 GPU with 4GB VRAM. 

Display

The large 15.6-inch IPS display offers a full-HD resolution.

Battery backup

Battery backup is somewhat of a sore point for this laptop. Users have complained that the laptop loses charge rather quickly. The average estimate is less than 3 hours on a full charge. Meaning you will have to keep your laptop connected to an AC connection for the most time.

Pros

• Great value for the money
• Ryzen 7 3750 CPU and GeForce GTX 1650 GPU provides ample performance
• Gigabit Wave 2 Wi-Fi for a faster Wi-Fi connection.
• 15.6-inch full HD display. 

Cons

• Poor battery life

MSI GE75 Raider- 10SF-286 (Best Ryzen Laptop for Streaming)

Processor and GPU

Powering the MSI GE75 Raider- 10SF-286 is an Intel 10th Generation i7-10875H processor. It is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 GPU. The GPU comes with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The base clock speed of the processor is 2.3GHz. 

Internal Memory & Storage

The internal memory of the laptop is 16GB DDR4 3200MHz. Storage is composed of a 512GB NVMe SSD unit.

Display

The large 17.3-inch IPS-level display offers a resolution of full-HD. The refresh rate is a phenomenal 240Hz with a 3ms response.

Battery backup

The 6 cells (51Wh/4730mAH) battery gives a decent battery backup. However, it is to be noted that the CPU and the GPU are both power hogging units. 

Pros

• Intel 10th Generation i7-10875H processor paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 GPU.
• 512 GB of SSD storage.
• Killer LAN E3100 port for faster connectivity.

Cons

• Heavy and a little cumbersome if you are planning to take this with you on vacation. Weighs 5.73 lbs.

Final thoughts

If you want to stream on the go, you need a powerful laptop. Fast processor paired with fast GPU and loads of RAM. Not to forget a Wi-Fi port that can access the internet at high speeds. That’s the definition of the best laptop for streaming if you are a gamer. For someone looking for an average machine for less demanding streaming like online classes, for meetings and podcasting, etc., a budget option powered by a Core i7 would be a better choice. We insist on a Core i7 processor because it future-proofs your investment for at least a few years. Hopefully, the above-listed options will give you some good choices to pick from.