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01Best overall PC for gaming and streaming
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03Best compact PC for gaming and streaming
If you’re looking for the best PC for gaming and streaming we’ve got you covered with our top picks.
Streaming has become more and more popular over the years, with many gamers choosing to share their adventures online in real time. Both gaming and streaming can draw a lot of power from your PC, and for effective streaming, you especially want the best WiFi components.
Rather than crowing a single outright winner, we’ve listed our picks in a few different categories. All of these are powerful and robust PCs capable of both gaming and streaming at an elite level. However, each has slightly different specs, which you’ll see a break down of below.
Let’s get into it.
Best PC for gaming and streaming
- Skytech Chronos Gaming PC Desktop
- Acer Gaming Desktop Nitro 50
- Intel NUC 11 Extreme Kit NUC11BTMi9 Gaming Barebone System
Best overall PC for gaming and streaming – Skytech Chronos Gaming PC Desktop
Skytech Chronos Gaming PC Desktop RTX 4070 Ti
CPU
Ryzen 5 5600X
GPU
RTX 3070
RAM
16GB
Storage
1TB NVMe
- Very nice CPU/GPU combo, delivering excellent gaming performance.
- Beefy storage disk capable of storing a decent Steam library
- RGB case is beautiful, if you’re into that kind of thing!
- No space for an optical drive.
This SkyTech Chronos is a gaming PC designed to deliver the kind of top-notch performance any PC gaming enthusiast expects. In fact, it is one of the best gaming PCs for the RTX 4070 Ti. It boasts a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor, as well as an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, meaning it’s able to provide an excellent gaming experience with high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay.
The PC also has 16GB of DDR4 memory and a 1TB NVMe SSD, which ensures that the PC can handle multiple applications and a large Steam library with ease. The 5600X itself has a base to boost clock frequency of 3.7/4.6GHz, meaning that it has the capacity to handle the most intense titles.
With an RGB case, a range of ports (including USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and USB 2.0), and Windows 10 64-bit, this is the kind of PC you can expect to run AAA games with ease at their highest settings while broadcasting to your fans. That’s why it’s our pick for the best overall PC for gaming and streaming.
Best budget PC for gaming and streaming – Acer Gaming Desktop Nitro 50
Acer Gaming Desktop Nitro 50
CPU
i5-10400F
GPU
GTX 1660
RAM
8GB
Storage
512GB NVMe
- 512GB NVMe is still more than what you need to get started with Windows 11.
- Wide range of ports for easy connectivity.
- A solid CPU and GPU for playing a massive range of titles at high settings
- Probably too limited to play the latest games with any kind of impressive performance.
Next up, the Acer Nitro 50 N50-640-UR13 is a gaming PC designed for those who want a high-performance machine that can handle the latest games with ease. It’s powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i5-10400F, alongside an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card and 8GB of DDR4 RAM. It provides exceptional value for money, making it our pick for best budget PC, in fact its also one of the best gaming PCs under $800.
The PC has a sleek and stylish design, with a black case and red accents that give it a cool, gaming-focused aesthetic. It also has a range of ports, including USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and USB 2.0, making it easy to connect all your gaming peripherals. The PC comes with a 512GB NVMe solid-state drive, providing ample storage space for games, applications, and files.
Overall, the Acer Nitro is an excellent choice for gamers who want a high-performance PC at an affordable price. With its powerful processor, graphics card, and memory, combined with its sleek design and convenient ports, it offers an excellent gaming experience which far exceeds what we’d expect at this price point.
Best compact PC for gaming and streaming – Intel NUC 11 Extreme Kit NUC11BTMi9 Gaming Barebone System
Intel NUC 11 Extreme Kit NUC11BTMi9 Gaming Barebone System
CPU
i9-11900KB
GPU
Not provided
RAM
Not provided (up to 64GB)
Storage
Not provided
- The i9-11900KB is a great CPU for playing modern titles.
- The case is small, portable, and attractive enough for any gaming events!
- Great range of connectivity.
- Definitely a pricey route to go when you factor in the fact that you’ll have to provide your own RAM, GPU, and storage.
Lastly, we have this delightful pick from Intel’s NUC series. The NUC11BTMi9 is a compact yet powerful gaming PC, despite its small physical footprint. It’s powered by an 11th generation Intel Core i9-11900KB processor, but you’ll need to provide your own GPU and storage for this system.
The PC has a sleek and stylish design, with a compact form factor that makes it easy to transport. It also has a range of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and HDMI 2.0, making it easy to connect all your gaming peripherals. The PC is a barebone kit, which means that you’ll need to purchase and install your own storage and memory.
Overall, the Intel NUC11BTMi9 Gaming Barebone is an excellent choice for gamers who need a high-performance machine that’s as beautifully designed as it is easy to move. Pair it will one of the best GPUs of 2024 and you’ll have a powerful processor, combined with its sleek design and convenient ports, offering an excellent gaming experience in a compact package.
Frequently asked questions
With so many factors you need to consider, picking the right PC for your needs can be a complicated process. We’ve answered a few of the most common questions here
What kind of PC do you need for gaming and streaming?
Your biggest concern when building a gaming/streaming rig are in having enough resources to run your favourite games while also broadcasting. Thus, we’d highly recommend investing in premium CPU and GPU options for the smoothest performance.
How much RAM do I need for gaming and streaming?
Streaming itself might take a gig or two of RAM, but you really need to make sure that you’ve also got enough memory left over to smoothly run the titles you intend to broadcast.
