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Everything you need to become a streamer

- Alysia Judge

According to Twitch, over 15 million users log on every day to watch live gaming, and each clocks up an average of 106 minutes viewing time. This vast audience has naturally turned the streaming platform into a honey pot for those with ambitions to make a living from playing games—but few have the right gear. To stretch for the celestial apex of streaming stardom, you must ensure every broadcast is good quality; that means a clear, high framerate with low lag.

Online audiences demand footage of the latest games, so a streaming PC needs to cope with the rigors of simultaneously playing and broadcasting the industry’s most graphically demanding titles. The following setup will do just that, but if you haven’t got a spare kidney to flog on eBay, I’m also going to outline the most important things you should consider when building a more affordable version.

Always begin with the processor. This is what will keep your PC’s heartrate steady, as it performs the varied demanding tasks required of a streaming machine. As such, you should punch for a CPU with the maximum amount of cores and threads that your budget can allow. Those with the deepest pockets could plump for the Intel i9 7980XE Extreme Edition, which boasts an incredible 18 cores, 36 threads, and a $2,000 price tag.

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