For the streamers on Twitch, having a decent enough PC is one of the more important aspects, especially when you’re a PC gamer. Now you don’t necessarily need to stream from a PC while on Twitch as you can stream from your phone or directly from your console. However, to get the most out of customization, there are more benefits to streaming from a PC than anything else. Not only this, but it is much easier to modify your channel from a PC or laptop than on any other platform. Already streaming from your PC? Well, here are three things you can do to get better PC performance when streaming from Twitch.
Upgrade Your CPU
Some of you may already know that the processor inside your PC is the brain of your machine, so the more powerful the CPU, the better it will perform in terms of running multiple applications at one time. This is important when it comes to streaming as you’re going to need to run multiple apps at once. For example, you’ll be running your broadcasting software, the game you’re playing, Discord for chatting with your friends, music players, and also have other sites up while you’re streaming like Twitch or other browser games. Your PC must be able to handle as many as possible, smoothly, for an interactive, non-laggy stream.
Good Internet Connection
While streaming on Twitch, you’re going to need a decent amount of internet speed. This is for both upload and download speed as low speeds may hinder the performance of the stream. The best thing to have is obviously a wired internet connection, but if that’s not possible, make sure a good Wi-Fi receiver is preinstalled on your PC for a better connection. It is also very important to have a good internet connection when playing competitive games so that you don’t lag behind and cost your team the win.
Upgrade Your Graphics Card
When it comes to graphics cards, it really depends on what games you play on your streams. If you’re playing small indie games like platformers, strategy games, or MOBA games then chances are you won’t be needing anything that will break the bank as these games aren’t as taxing as huge games like a triple-A RPG with ray-tracing capabilities or competitive online multiplayer games. If your hardware isn’t meeting the requirements to run the game as smoothly as everyone else, this could end up with you losing. Make sure you check your budget and what your game requirements are before breaking your bank account with a graphics card that costs thousands of dollars. Many retailers and brands out there such as Lenovo do the heavy lifting for you and match the best CPU paired with the best GPU depending on what your personal needs are.
There are many things you can do to upgrade your streams; however, these things really are up to the streamer’s personal preference. The best thing to do is go around Twitch and watch some other streamers playing games that you think you would enjoy and check out their specs if they have them available. Or search the game online to find out its recommended spec requirements.