{"id":469,"date":"2016-02-17T20:23:41","date_gmt":"2016-02-17T20:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/?p=469"},"modified":"2018-05-27T12:10:24","modified_gmt":"2018-05-27T18:10:24","slug":"best-laptop-for-streaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/best-laptop-for-streaming\/","title":{"rendered":"Ultimate guide to 6 Best Laptops for Streaming"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Searching for the best laptop for streaming can be very problematic as it requires comparing benchmarks and reading a lot of reviews. When you consider that even the best laptops will get some negative responses, it’s borderline impossible to find a universally acclaimed model.\n<\/p>\n\n

A quick sidenote on what type of streaming I refer to<\/h3>\n

\n This post is not about watching Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, HBO or anything else of that matter.\n<\/p>\n

\n Don’t get me wrong – every laptop I’ll recommend is easily more than enough for this type of streaming. But this post is for you if you want to stream video to other people – likely on Twitch<\/a> via apps like OBS<\/a>. This includes gameplay, gaming talk shows and streaming creative work.\n<\/p>\n

\n But since you’re already here and you simply want to stream movies\/clips – the following laptops will be way too good (and way too expensive) for just that. For basic streaming over Netflix, HBO Now, Youtube there are 3 basic models.\n<\/p>\n

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\n 2016 July Update<\/strong>: I’ve released a new guide on getting the best laptops for watching movies<\/a>. If you what a full article on that and not on livestreaming – go there.\n<\/p>\n

Video streaming laptops<\/h3>\n

Windows<\/h4>\n

\n Asus F555LA<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n It comes with a Full HD screen but a not very powerful processor and integrated graphics chip. Though, don’t worry – it’s enough for online streaming. One caveat – this laptop has a poor viewing angle. So, if you want a better laptop that will be able to handle more than just streaming and will look good to look at – you should be interested in the latest HP Pavilion model for ~700$<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Chromebook<\/h4>\n

\n ASUS Chromebook Flip 10.1″ Convertible<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n Chromebooks are a very cheap way to set up streaming. You might need to spend a few minutes to make HBO Now works on a Chromebook<\/a> but apart from that streaming services love Chromebooks. And for Chromecast users – I guess it’s not a surprise that Chromebooks are compatible with them<\/a> (it would be awkward if they weren’t).\n<\/p>\n

\n There’re plenty of Chromebooks to choose from, but ASUS Chromebook Flip is a great choice for streamers. It has 720p resolution screen with an IPS panel (which is rather shocking for this price range) and it can be transformed into a tablet or “a tent”.\n<\/p>\n

MacBook<\/h4>\n

\n Apple MacBook Air (256 GB)<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n If you’d love to have a MacBook for streaming movies and video – MacBook Air should suit you the best. I prefer MacBook Air in these cases as its lighter, has a larger screen than 12″ MacBooks and even costs less.\n<\/p>\n\n

How to choose the best gameplay streaming laptop<\/h2>\n

\n Streaming has been all the rage lately as casual gaming and play-by-play commentary has reached the mainstream while competitive gaming is gaining more prominence every year.\n<\/p>\n

\n In this post, I’ll elicit requirements for the best livestreaming laptop and then I’ll finish off with some great recommended laptops. And for the techies out there, I even added a comparison spreadsheet if you want to go into more detail.\n<\/p>\n

Requirements for the best laptop for streaming on Twitch<\/h2>\n

\n Overall requirements depends on 2 criteria:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • what are you’re going to stream<\/li>\n
  • how are you going to stream it<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \n What you stream<\/strong> is often more important than how you stream it. So first and foremost, your laptop will have to surpass requirements for any game you’ll be streaming. To begin with, you need to identify your budget range:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Latest games on high settings – 2000$+ laptops<\/li>\n
    2. 3+ year old games on medium settings – ~1500$ laptops<\/li>\n
    3. Casual games – ~1000$ laptops<\/li>\n
    4. Creative streaming – anything that suits your workflow<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \n You can also use your laptop ONLY for streaming<\/strong>. Which means you won’t have any games running on it – it will handle only the streaming part. This type of approach means that you probably already have a good PC already which will handle all the playing.\n<\/p>\n

      \n This is a considered a more professional setup because it is:
      \n – more stable<\/strong> as your main PC could crash leaving your streaming PC intact
      \n – predictable and easy to manage<\/strong> as you’ll be able to provide high streaming quality no matter what you’re streaming\n<\/p>\n