Streaming on a laptop makes it possible to share your games with friends, get some compliments, and receive a few tips. As gaming is often solitary, this enhances its opportunities for social interaction. While many people have desktop PCs for streaming, recent laptops in the market have been designed with the streamer in mind. We have put together this guide on the requirements for a laptop for streaming.
Speed
When you had your Wi-Fi connection and internet line installed, one of the choices you had to make was the download and upload speeds you required. You may have been asked to choose between 25MB/s down (downloading speed) and 5 MB/s up (uploading speed) or 25MB/s down and 25 MB/s up, with the latter being more costly. If you are planning on doing a lot of streaming from your laptop, it is better to go with this option from your internet service provider (ISP) as it will be faster and prevent lagging.
Your internet connection must be stable and strong for fast, steady streaming. Therefore, you should go with the plan recommended by your ISP that is within your budget, even if it is more expensive.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU in your laptop will take strain if you have multiple programs open at the same time. To make the most of your processor, close any that you are not using when streaming.
That said, games usually require a four-core CPU, while two additional cores are necessary for streaming. A six-core (6c/12t) CPU should be sufficient for streaming and gaming simultaneously. However, you should remember to close everything running in the background to minimise lag. Intel CPUs are available if you decide to go higher.
The more programs you want to run, the more core that is needed. However, paying for more performance than you need is unwise.
Couple the selected CPU with a minimum of eight GB of RAM.
Monitor(s)
It is ideal to have two monitors when streaming and doing something else simultaneously so that you can operate apps such as Twitter and turn the volume down without disrupting your game. Some laptops designed for streaming allow you to have three apps going with a dual monitor. This gives you perfect control of your streaming and also permits you to operate the settings for it.
Other Features
As there are many options of devices for streaming, look for an aesthetically pleasing laptop. There is no reason that looks should not play a role in your decision, provided the laptop meets all the specifications listed. Other factors to consider are the sound quality and specs of the speakers, portability, and ports for adding peripherals. You can choose between the old hard disk drives and the new solid-state drive (SSD) to optimise storage. The SSD will speed up your Lenovo Laptop for Streaming. Plus, it increases the download speed for the friends waiting for your streaming. A one-terabyte SSD is recommended.
If you are purchasing a laptop for streaming, this may be your chance to get a touchscreen model.
Following this guide will lead you to the most suitable laptop for streaming.
