Looking to start live streaming? Or perhaps you need a laptop upgrade now you’ve made Twitch partner? Whatever the case, we’ve got the five best laptops for streaming.
In this article, we’re showcasing what hardware you need for streaming, breaking down the hardware requirements for casual, average, and HD streaming, along with a cheeky round-up of five great laptops that you can buy right now at Overclockers UK.
What is Video Game Streaming?
Streaming is when you encode and broadcast your game to an audience via a live platform such as Twitch or YouTube. Streaming can be quite demanding, requiring your hardware to render your game and power any streaming software simultaneously.
If you’re looking to kickstart your streaming career, our collection of streaming guides details all the top tips and product recs you need to get camera ready.
What Specs Do I Need for Streaming?
To ensure your live stream runs great and that you get the most out of your game, Twitch recommends that you have a system with a dual-core processor and at least 4GB RAM. This is the absolute minimum you need to power live streaming services such as OBS or Streamlabs, but you also need to consider the specs of your favourite games.
Most modern-day games require more than 4GB of RAM, with 16GB being considered the sweet spot for gaming. While a dual-core CPU is fine, opting for something with a little more oomph ensures your laptop can handle multiple applications all at once, a must-have for live streaming.
We’ve broken down some recommended specs for streaming, split into three tiers:
- Casual
- Average
- High-Definition
| Casual Streamer | Average Streamer | High-Def Streamer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5 AMD Ryzen 5 4 cores / 4 threads minimum | Intel Core i7 AMD Ryzen 7 6 cores / 12 threads minimum | Intel Core i9 AMD Ryzen 9 8 cores / 16 threads minimum |
| Memory | 8GB RAM | 16GB RAM | 32GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti AMD Radeon RX 560 | NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti AMD Radeon RX 5700 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT |
| Internet Connection | 3-5 Mbps minimum upload speeds | 5-10 Mbps minimum upload speeds | 10-20 Mbps minimum upload speeds |
| Storage | 256GB SSD | 512GB SSD | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Additional Notes | External microphone and/or headset Webcam | Capture card (console streaming) Microphone and headset Webcam | Capture card (console streaming) Microphone and headset Webcam Green screen |
The Best Gaming Laptops for Streaming
Now we know what specs to use as our base, we’ve got a showcase of five gaming laptops that are perfect for live streaming.
MSI Stealth A18 Gaming Laptop
A powerhouse for both gaming and streaming, the MSI Stealth A18 Gaming Laptop combines a Zen 5 CPU, XDNA 2 NPU, and RDNA 3.5 GPU for efficient handling of intensive tasks and processes. This laptop has been equipped with a massive level of AI horsepower, facilitating next-level graphical fidelity. Generate images at unprecedented speeds and utilise the built-in MSI AI Engine for seamless multitasking. Plus, thanks to its thin design, this gaming laptop is incredibly portable. Ideal for streamers who need to take their setup with them on the go.
Medion Erazer Beast 16 Gaming Laptop
The Medion Erazer Major 16 Gaming Laptop is the perfect choice for both gaming enthusiasts and live streamers. Harness the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU to unlock incredible performance in your multi-core workloads, supporting both your favourite game and OBS simultaneously with ease. The NVIDIA RTX 5090, built upon Blackwell architecture, will render your gaming worlds in true-to-life quality, sporting 32GB of DDR5 RAM to deliver great efficiency and smooth frame rates even at high settings. Plus, the 2TB NVMe PCIe SSD provides ample space for your expanding gaming library, VODs, creative projects, and more.
Medion Erazer Beast 16 X1 NVIDIA RTX 5090 32GB 16 QHD+ MiniLED 300Hz Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX Gaming Laptop
LAP-MDN-04291
£3199.99 GBP
(incl. VAT)
FREE SHIPPING
in stock
ADD TO BASKETOcUK Pinnacle RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Laptop
Optimised for premium performance, the OCUK Pinnacle RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Laptop is packed full of high-end hardware. Housing an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU with an AI-optimised NPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, this laptop can handle both gaming and streaming with ease. Plus, experience your graphics in their purest form thanks to the beautiful 16” QHD display with 300Hz refresh rate. Also included in this gaming laptop is an enhanced cooling solution to reduce throttling, and high-speed WiFi 7 connectivity options so you can always stay up to date with your viewers.
OcUK Pinnacle RTX 5070 Ti 16GB 16″ QHD 300Hz 1TB Intel Ultra Core 9 290HX Plus Gaming Laptop
LAP-PIN-08071
£2199.95 GBP
(incl. VAT)
FREE SHIPPING
Pre order
ADD TO BASKETGigabyte Aero X16 Gaming Laptop
The Gigabyte Aero X16 Gaming Laptop combines the power of an AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series CPU with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPU to elevate both productivity and creativity in a sleek and lightweight design. At just 16.7mm thick and weighing 1.9kg, this gaming laptop features a QHD display with 100% sRGB colour and a 165Hz refresh rate for stunningly smooth visuals and gameplay. Additionally, the included GiMATE, Gigabyte’s innovative AI agent, brings intuitive, personalised AI capabilities to your processes, perfect for streaming and content creation on the go.
Gigabyte Aero X16 NVIDIA RTX 5070 32GB 16″ QHD+ 165Hz AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 Gaming Laptop
LAP-GIG-05471
£2299.99 GBP £ 2199.95 GBP
-4.35%(incl. VAT)
FREE SHIPPING
in stock
ADD TO BASKETMSI Titan 18 HX Gaming Laptop
For high-definition streaming, it has to be the MSI Titan 18 HX Gaming Laptop. Thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX CPU and NVIDIA RTX 5090, this powerhouse laptop will effortlessly handle streaming at 4K on max settings. Utilising Blackwell architecture, the NVIDIA RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU, optimised to deliver next-level visual fidelity as you game, stream, and create. All of which is backed by built-in support for NVIDIA Broadcast, Max-Q, and NVIDIA Studio. The 18.0’’ UHD+ screen displays your game in incredible resolution with fast refresh rates of up to 120Hz. What’s more, support for up to four SSDs means you’ll have ample space for your gaming library, stream overlays, emotes, and much more.
MSI Titan 18 HX NVIDIA RTX 5080 64GB 18 UHD+ MiniLED 120Hz Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX Gaming Laptop
LAP-MSI-06200
£4999.99 GBP
(incl. VAT)
FREE SHIPPING
in stock
ADD TO BASKETShop All Gaming Laptops
Still on the hunt for the perfect gaming laptop to power your live streaming? You can browse our entire collection of laptops with the click of a button.
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What Laptop Do You Use for Streaming?
What laptop do you use for live streaming? Leave your product recs in the comments below.
- 5 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over four years and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
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