10 Best Laptops for Livestreaming in 2023 (March Madness!) ($730-$7,500)

If you're looking for a laptop for livestreaming, you need one that's not only powerful enough to handle games at high settings but also has a selection of ports and at least a mid-range display that could be used as a secondary display (for example, for reading Twitch chat) if you're using an external monitor as your primary front-and-center display.

I'll start by going over some of the basics – CPU, GPU, and RAM requirements for streaming, then we'll look at more advanced topics such as display panels. Finally, I'll recommend general-purpose gaming laptops that can double as a livestreaming machine without breaking the bank.

What's the best processor for Livestreaming?

When it comes to livestreaming, the CPU is the most important factor to consider. This is because we need a lot of performance to handle encoding and decoding video in real time. While it's not the only component responsible for real-time performance (motherboard, audio interface, and even video drivers could cause issues in this regard), it's still the most important one to get right.

When choosing a processor for livestreaming, I prioritize H-series processors. This is because these processors offer better performance at the cost of battery life. Meanwhile, U-series processors are best suited for those who prioritize long battery runtime over raw power. Finally, X-series chips are reserved for the most extreme performance, but they come at a steep price and are not that much faster than high-end H-series processors.

I use Cinebench R23 to compare different processors. This benchmark tests single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. Based on this benchmark, I've compiled a list of recommended processors organized by price bracket.

Minimum: Ryzen 5 6600H; i5-12450H
Recommended: i7-12700H; Ryzen 7 6800H; Apple M1 Pro (or Max)
High-end: i9-12900HX; Ryzen 9 6900HX

Choosing a graphics

With the recent release of Nvidia's RTX 30 series cards, there has never been a better time to upgrade your laptop's graphics card. If you're looking to livestream your gameplay or other content, you'll need a discrete GPU (dGPU) that can handle the encoding and decoding of video. In this guide, we'll recommend some of the best GPUs for livestreaming, based on performance and price.

When it comes to graphics cards, there are three main things to consider: generation, tier, and benchmarks. The generation refers to the architecture of the GPU, and is important to consider because it will determine the card's performance and power efficiency. The tier is a measure of the card's performance, and is determined by the number of cores and clock speed. Finally, benchmarks are a good way to compare the performance of different GPUs.

If you're looking for the best possible performance, you'll want to choose a card from the RTX 30 series. These cards offer the best performance per watt, and are based on the new Ampere architecture. The RTX 3070 Ti is the best option for most people, as it offers great performance at a reasonable price. If you're looking for the best possible value, the RX 6800M is a great option. It's based on the older Polaris architecture, but still offers good performance for its price.

Here are some recommended GPUs for livestreaming, grouped by price bracket:

• Budget (<$1000): RTX 3060 Ti
• Mid-range ($500-$1000): RTX 3070 Ti, RX 6800M
• High-end (>$1000): RTX 3080 Ti

Choosing a memory

When it comes to livestreaming, having enough RAM is crucial. While in theory, even 8GB could be enough, that's only if you're not doing anything else on your computer while you're streaming. If you're gaming or doing other resource-intensive tasks alongside your live stream, you're going to need a lot more RAM. I would recommend a minimum of 16GB, but 32GB will be better if you can afford it.

RAM speed doesn't matter much for laptops, so don't bother paying extra for it – get DDR5 if you can afford it, but DDR4 will do just fine. While I'd recommend getting as much memory as possible, some limitations might prevent that from happening – namely, the laptop's form factor and its price tag (RAM is one of the most expensive components).

Additional considerations:

• If you plan on upgrading your RAM in the future, make sure your laptop has enough slots for the additional memory.
• Some laptops have soldered-on RAM, which means you can't upgrade it later. This isn't a dealbreaker, but it's something to keep in mind, especially if you're not getting at least 32 GB from the start.

Here's a table of expected average laptop prices at each RAM configuration level:

RAM	Price Range
16 GB	$700 – $1,500
32 GB	$1,500 – $3,000
64 GB+	$3,000+

The best storage for Livestreaming in 2022

If you're looking for a laptop for livestreaming, you'll need a lot of storage capacity for your broadcasts + collection of games, assuming you're streaming games. An NVMe SSD should be your primary OS drive, no questions about it. Does SSD performance matter here? Not really, at least in comparison to how it used to matter years back. Even a budget drive delivers more than necessary for recording video.

The capacity requirement can be so important for some that they might consider having multiple drives or purchasing a notebook with an unoccupied M.2 slot. Fortunately, that's not a significant issue nowadays as M.2 slots are easier to fit into a laptop than the older SATA bays, so OEMs are more likely to include them even in more petite laptops.

AS SSD and CrystalDiskMark are excellent if you're concerned about SSD performance. If you're knee-deep in streaming, consider having multiple external drives (which would require numerous USB ports) for your backups and archives. Also, a NAS, RAID, or RAID over NAS setup should be examined.

Recommendations:

• Minimum: 1 TB + upgrade
• Recommended: 2 TB
• High-end: 4 TB + external drive

Choosing a display

When it comes to choosing a laptop for livestreaming, display doesn't get the attention it deserves. A large and high-quality display is essential for any content creator, but it's especially important for video editing and color grading. That's because the screen is your primary way to assess the quality of your footage and its colors.

There are a few different factors to keep in mind when choosing a laptop display for livestreaming. The most important are panel type, brightness, contrast, and color gamut.

TN panels are the cheapest and have the worst viewing angles. VA panels are a step up from TN, but still not as good as IPS panels. IPS panels are the best option for most content creators, as they have great viewing angles and color accuracy. OLED panels are the best of the best, but they're also the most expensive.

Brightness, contrast, and color gamut are important for getting accurate colors on your livestream. A higher brightness means your footage will be easier to see, even in well-lit rooms. A higher contrast ratio means colors will pop more, and a wider color gamut means more colors will be accurately represented.

Refresh rate is another factor to consider, but it's mostly relevant for gamers. Most content creators won't need a high refresh rate, as they won't be editing or streaming fast-paced action. However, if you are a gamer or you plan on doing some live streaming of fast-paced action, then a higher refresh rate will be important.

Here are some general recommendations for laptop displays, based on price range:

• Budget: IPS; 300 nits; 85% P3
• Mid-range: IPS; 350 nits; 90% P3
• High-end: OLED/mini LED; 450 nits; 98%+ P3

5 Best Laptops for Livestreaming

Table of the Best Laptops for Livestreaming

Laptop	Price (approx)
ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325EA-EH71
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 9i
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
GIGABYTE AORUS 15 XE4
Dell XPS 17 9720