Top 8 Best Laptops for Streaming and Gaming for 2023

Streaming is a great way for passive earning when you have leisure time to stream content for your dear hobbies. Not only you, as a gamer, get to showcase your skills, highlights of the games you are playing, but you get to interact with an audience. We have to understand that PC gaming isn’t just a hobby for gamers. Because it is very gamers who have turned it into a profitable business. More and more people are hopping into PC gaming.

So if you are eager to stream, you will need a proper setup for your adoring fans. Now traditionally, a streaming setup is going to involve building a desktop with lightning fast CPU and GPU. However, if you are looking for portability or tight in budget, then gaming laptops are the only way to go.

Fortunately, laptops have come a long way in 2023 that are more powerful than they have ever been in this decade. Not only are they more than capable of playing games, but can handle the extra pressure from background apps and peripherals that are typically required during streaming.

We have compiled the 8 best laptops for streaming and gaming in 2023 while you game. Let us glimpse over our candidates first.

Table of Contents

8 Best Laptops For Streaming and Gaming for 2023 – In-Depth Reviews

The table below enlists our chosen candidates for the best laptops for streaming in 2023. However, heed that these are also the best laptops for gaming too.

SL#	Laptop Product	Awarded For	Rating
1	Asus ROG Zephyrus S17	Best Overall	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2	Alienware M17 R4	Best Alternative	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3	Lenovo Legion 7i	Best For Streaming	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4	Acer Predator Helios 300	Best All-Around	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5	Acer Nitro 5	Best Value Alternative	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6	Razer Blade Pro 17	Best Razor Laptop	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7	Asus ROG Strix G15	Editor’s Pick	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8	Asus TUF Gaming F17	Honorable Mention	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let’s analyze every bit of configuration, price to performance ratio and feasibility options that we have carefully chosen as the best laptops for streaming. Rest assured that nothing is cherry picked. Every product is thoroughly tested and benchmarked.

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus S17: Best Overall

First in our list for the best laptops for streaming is the infamous Asus ROG Zephyrus S17. The Rog Zephyrus S17 is the best artillery for any streamer can have in their arsenal. It may be the one for you. This latest iteration of the ROG Zephyrus S17 is everything you could potentially want from a top tier gaming laptop. Expect tons of raw power as the product is featuring 11th-generation Intel Core i9-11900H processor and a Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU. When it comes to streaming, naturally the most important factor is going to be the processing capabilities of the processor/CPU. Not only would you require a laptop that runs whatever games you wish to play but also has ample processing power left to deliver all other processes involved in streaming. Here is where the 11th gen i9-11900H comes into the rescue. With its 8 cores and 16 threads, it ensures it has no throttling effect, no lag or other limitations when you add streaming while you are playing a game. The SSD storage of 1 TB is very vital for streaming as it can yield lower loading times indicating your audience doesn’t have to wait too long. The 32 GB is overkill and can handle just about anything you throw at it, be it intensive and countless hours of gaming, professional video editing or graphics animation. Now, Asus understands the screen real estate is important which is why it provided a whooping ‎17.3 Inches of display size featuring ‎2560 x 1440 pixels (or 1440p for short). The jagged chassis is all metal. What is more interesting is that S17 has a six-speaker system, and a customizable keyboard. These make using ROG Zephyrus S17 a premium experience. This beauty packs a stunning 1440p display of 17.3 inches which has a refresh rate of 120Hz which can eliminate most visible micro-stuttering in both video and AAA games. Since 1440p isn’t that demanding It is also Adaptive Sync compatible. Based on benchmark testing, the Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 absolutely rips the most demanding games with utmost ease. The 1440p display offers accurate contrast and colors. Peak brightness is at 516 nits which is really great considering visibility even in daylight conditions. The aesthetic is nothing to sneeze about on the laptop. The RGB combination sports an optical mechanical keyboard which has per key illumination. Not to mention that the mechanical switches respond swiftly to keystrokes with loud and satisfactory clicks. Moreover, this laptop has rich layered 6 audio speakers that you can really feel and hear the bass notes hitting their marks, be it plugged or unplugged. On top of that, its GPU and CPU is able to deliver lightning-fast performance. Battery life is fair with a 90WHr battery. However, when gaming you must plug in the adapter.

Now we hope that you realize that you will need a buttload of money in order to buy a laptop. The Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 is a beastly laptop and the overall best laptop of streaming one should aim if they have a flexible budget.

Reasons to Buy:

Top-tier pairing of CPU and GPU performance
Can blast through the most demanding AAA games
Gaming monster
Enough processing juice left for handling other tasks and streaming
Innovative and state of the art build design
Customizable and convenient keyboard
Fair battery life
Good portability
Generous I/O ports including two port options to connect to extra displays, including a USB-C and a Thunderbolt 4 port
Good multi-layered audio where the bass really hits the notes

Cons:

Very expensive
Keyboard placements may take some adjustments

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2. Alienware M17 R4: Best Alternative

This could have been the top contender in our list had it not been for the extremely steep price. Introducing the best alternative, Alienware M17 R4, presenting itself in lunar light and superb aesthetics with ample side and back for exceptional cooling. The Alienware M17 R4 packs 8 Cores of 10th gen Intel i7-10870H processor with a clock rate that you can overclock to 5Hz. This goes without mentioning that it is easily one of the top of the line CPUs that you can put inside a premium laptop. This is why it can deliver phenomenal gaming performance as it is rightfully one of the best gaming laptops. But make no mistake, it has sufficient juice in its arsenal to be considered as one of the best laptops for streaming. A very innovatively designed and engineered cooling system implemented inside the Alienware M17 R4 is going to allow it to run at boosted speeds for long and unprecedented hours of gaming and streaming. What is more is that joining the Nvidia RTX 3070 as the illustrious ranks of modern gaming laptops offerings. With the higher Thermal Design Power (TDP), this GPU paired with the beastly processor will ensure all your games run well over 60fps, as far as up to 100+fps and it will continue to do so for a great plethora of upcoming games in the following years. You won’t even have to decrease any graphical settings either. We firmly believe that 16GB of DD4 RAM is more than sufficient but you could be tempted to upgrade to 32GB which is not really essential. Modern gaming benchmarks do not demonstrate any significant differences beyond 16GB of memory set to dual channel. The 1TB NVMe SSD is a major plus in our book. It should come as no surprise that wifi bluetooth and Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 module for ethernet LAN is available. There are 3 USB ports, a thunderbolt USB Type C, an HDMI and a DisplayPort. A standard webcam is also provided which somehow gets the job done for remote work meetings. However, we think the speakers could have been better as they are mounted in the bottom and this setting causes them to sound rather dull. Another real issue is although this laptop is very slim, it’s large enough not to fit inside most bags or cases. The battery life is the worst, maxing out usage at mere 2 hours. However, the caveats here don’t pull out the Alienware M17 R4 from being a phenomenal laptop. It has got the looks, got the juice, exceptional cooling efficacy, premium build and astounding display perfect for gaming. There is no reason to purchase this should you have no issues with budget.

Reasons to Buy:

Powerful, current-gen components makes it to be a monstrous gaming laptop
Excellent performance for gaming and streaming
Large, smooth FHD display
High-quality construction
Very sleek aesthetic design
Excellent cooling

Cons:

Very expensive
Limited portability
Poor speak placement hinders audio quality

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3. Lenovo Legion 7i: Best For Streaming

Many people are aware that Lenovo laptops are all about business. But what happens when your sole business is entertainment? You get the Lenovo Legion 7i. This is a very barebones yet elegant looking gaming laptop. Simple-looking. It packs a 15.6 inch IPS display gaming laptop with a 240Hz overclock refresh rate display. The Legion 7i comes equipped with a top of the line Intel Core i7-10750H which is a 10th generation processor. The clock rate is boosted to 5Ghz. Make no mistake. This six cores and twelve threads processor will allow you not only intensive gaming but also seamless multitasking and then have more than enough room for your desired streaming. The high clock rate here ensures smooth and high frame rates are beautifully rendered when gaming under the most demanding circumstances. How is that possible you ask? Well, the graphics card which is in use here is the Nvidia RTX 2070. This is the midline card from the previous generation of GPUs. This does somewhat help ease the pricing too. The RTX 2070 is more than capable enough for running any games on the market today. Originally, it was intended for 1440p gaming. However, the Lenovo Legion 7i here uses a 1080p resolution. Therefore, it should have no trouble shearing through the demanding AAA games which you can enjoy in high settings. Older games will be a piece of cake. The 1TB SSD storage never hurts as it is a good amount of memory and can pretty much load anything swiftly. It packs a staggering 32GB DDR4 RAM which, frankly, is overkill considering you are never going to fully make use of it besides some professional contexts. For internet connection, the Legion 7i has an Intel Wifi 6 module, which will support wifi and LAN speeds up to 1Gbps and we believe it more than adequate. Microphone and Dolby Stereo speakers are satisfactory enough for watching movies and even gaming on your own in some cases. However, it is always better to use an audio system or your headphones. The webcam has a resolution of 720p which is subpar but if you’re serious about streaming with a face cam long-term, you’re going to want a dedicated external camera. Regarding connectivity you will find 3 USB and 2 USB-C ports among which one is Thunderbolt compatible. Therefore, you’ll be able to keep everything connected including extra displays. The Lenovo Legion 7i is one of the better portable gaming laptops in our list. Weighing just 2.1 kg, it is only 20mm thick. Battery life of 7 hours of battery life is more than sufficient for half a day work or school or even short gaming break. With all being said, we firmly believe the Lenovo Legion 7i is, hands down, a great choice for one of the best gaming laptops for streaming that can be further utilized as a workstation. Needless to mention it has more than sufficient power for handling tasks and considering the price to performance, it is definitely one of the best laptops for streaming as well as gaming we have witnessed so far.

Reasons to Buy:

10th Gen Core i7 paired with RTX 2070 capable of running modern demanding AAA titles
Very high overlocked refresh rate of 240hz
Can game, stream, and perform multi-tasking activities
32 GB DDR4 RAM is overkill
Storage of 1TB NVMe SSD is always welcome
Offers decent portability
Lots of USB ports to work with
Features RBG components and boasts a solid, simple design
Bang for buck

Cons:

As mentioned earlier, more RAM is provided that you would really need
Uses a previous gen GPU but RTX 2070 is no joke even by today’s gaming standards

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4. Acer Predator Helios 300: Best All-Around

The Nitro and Predator series are the lineups from Acer. Each lineup is different. For now, we will look at the Acer Predator Helios 300. It comes loaded with some of the best hardware components that make a monstrous gaming laptop in the market today. First things first. The Helios 300 is equipped with RTX 3060 which should be able to get most games done in ultra settings including newer ones well above 60fps. The 1080p resolution also helps achieve this while cranking up to the highest graphical options. Moreover, should you hook up to an external 1440p monitor via DisplayPort or HDMI, you may need to drop down to high settings for most demanding titles. Rest assured, you can run older games maxed out and achieve well over 100 frame rate. It has ample power left for streaming when you are gaming as well as multitasking. By all means, this laptop is all about gaming and streaming business and it is damn serious without too much bulk without seeking too much attraction. For the processor, Acer packed a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H into the Helios 300. This is a 6 core processor which is also overclockable. You can overclock the clock speed up to 5Ghz however beware that laptops do not tend to have the best cooling options like desktop builds. Laptops in general already have to work hard to keep the temperature at default clock speed. Most gaming laptops default to 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Strictly speaking, 8GB is enough to run anything at optimal settings. However, you will observe a boost in performance when using 16GB RAM. Fortunately, Acer has opted to provide this laptop with 16GB RAM. As streaming consists of running various concurrent programs, you are better off with 16GB DDR4 RAM in this laptop. Downside here being the 512 GB SSD. Frankly, it is not enough. Games these days are as big as 100GB and beyond. Just installing 2 or 3 games of said size is enough to occupy the full capacity of the storage. To make up for it, you can add another SSD or utilize the extra hard drive bay for extra storage. Like with many laptops of this category, the Helios 300 features Killer Wi-Fi 6 module which adept to sustain 2.4Gbps of internet speed whereas the ethernet connection can operate up to 2.5Gbps speed. Whether you are using wifi or wired connection, rest assured you can’t even feel the difference. Now let’s address speakers, microphone, and webcam. These bunch are complicated one. Although this laptop is equipped with dual stereo speakers and a dual mic setup, a good surround audio or a gaming headset is always going to provide better sound quality for you. Furthermore, it also ensures your voice gets picked up with minimal interference or feedback. The webcam used is subpar with a resolution of 720p. Let’s just say that it gets the job done and you will get away with a pre-built microphone. But for streaming purposes, we highly recommend getting a 1080p mountable webcam which costs under $50. There are 4 USB ports which should power all your peripherals considering many people eventually use a keyboard and gaming mouse. It goes without saying both HDMI and DP ports are present cuz why wouldn’t they and obviously allowing multiple setups easier. Portability is good but there is room for improvement. In terms of thickness, it is less than an inch but on the heavier side of 5.5 lbs which is 2.5kg. Battery life is fair. In our tests it ran for 6 hours while not running any demanding applications and no gaming or streaming.

With all that being said, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an all-around safe bet for gaming and streaming. Its solid modern components will seamlessly work for years to come. It can act as a primary gaming laptop while being the epitome of a streaming workstation.

Reasons to Buy:

Uses high quality, firm build
10th Gen Core i7
Uses Nvidia 30 series GPU
Can game through anything
Ample power for streaming
16GB RAM
6 core CPU which is overclockable
Good cooling featyre
Extra storage expansion for both SSD and HDD
Faster internet connection supported
Fair battery life
Decent portability

Cons:

Smaller storage for SSD
Weight is somewhat on the heavier side

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5. Acer Nitro 5: Best Value Alternative

The main purpose of the Nitro series manufactured by Acer is to offer gamers incredible gaming performance. We have selected the astounding Acer Nitro 5 which provides the best performance considering its price which isn’t exactly cheap. Featuring AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, an 8 core processor boosted to max clock speed of 4.6Ghz. This is one of the best processors you could possibly find in a laptop. The extra cores here will definitely give you the edge be it during gaming, simultaneously streaming with OBS and handling many other applications as required while you are streaming. To blow this out of proportions, the Nitro 5 is equipped with the best graphics available in the market today and that is the Nvidia RTX 3080. Evidently, this laptop will run any games at well over 60fps not for games this year but for the foreseeable future. Not to mention, it will continue to do so for the next couple of years. The RTX 3080 will also utilize the 1440p resolution from 15.6 inches of IPS display along and live up to its full potential with the high 165Hz refresh rate. The 165Hz is going to ensure smoother video quality and much sharper image than you’re used to on FHD considering a 1440p QHD display with IPS panel is being used here. The 1TB NV Me SSD for storage is always welcome. Your games will load up near instant. There is also an available hard drive bay for extra storage should you need. As mentioned earlier, 32GB of RAM is overkill but you cannot complain if you plan on editing and rendering videos of your stream or other content. The Wi-Fi module supports up to 2.4Gbps connection speeds, as does the ethernet connector. Attached is a 1280 x 720 webcam which does work but it’s better to use an external webcam to give off the sense of professionalism. Moreover, the Nitro 5 features dual 2W stereo speakers as well as 2 microphones which does provide precise audio quality. However, audiophiles know better that there is just no alternative when it comes to using a gaming headset or a DTS Dolby Surround audio setup giving better audio. Finally, there are 3 USB ports, one USB Type C port, one HDMI port in order to allow for duplicating displays or dual-display setups. The Acer Nitro 5 is very portable. It weighs only 2.2kg and is only 24mm thick. The battery life is shockingly good. It can run for 10 hours. Note that you are not going to be streaming for 10 hours on battery. This is because streaming is quite the intensive task for the CPU and will half the span of battery hours during streaming.

To provide 2 cents here, the Acer Nitro 5 is a beastly gaming laptop. It even manages to put the price down given the specs compared to its competitors. If you do not want to compromise on the performance without putting a dent in your wallet, the Acer Nitro 5 is a viable choice.

Reasons to Buy:

Literally one of the best CPUs used
RTX 3080 to blaze through gaming
State-of-the-art performance
165Hz refresh rate
1440p QHD sharp and color accurate display
1TB NVMe SSD storage is always mandatory
Great battery longevity

Cons:

Build construction could have been better
More RAM than required

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6. Razer Blade Pro 17: Best Razer Laptop

It is safe to say pretty much everyone knows about Razer gaming laptops. Introducing the Razer Blade Pro 17 which includes a 17 inch IPS display with a stunning refresh rate of 360Hz. A bigger display for a gaming laptop is well appreciated. For streaming purposes, the extra space in your display for split-screen operation will prove beneficial as well. But the display is far from being the only thing which makes this a great gaming laptop.. The Razer Blade Pro 17 is packed with 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H. This CPU has 8 cores with a base clock rate of 2.3GHz. However, you can boost this up to 5.1GHz. That’s a performance that’s barely going to break a sweat streaming even the most intensive games. On the other hand, the Pro 17 has adopted the newer RTX 3060 card. Admittedly, there are other versions too with RTX 3080. But we will focus on the RTX 3060 variant. On the bright side, the lower of the RTX 3060 GPU indicates that you will be not paying as much money for the laptop but still have the capability to run all of the current year’s newer titles at well above 60fps in the high settings and even ultra. Moreover, you are likely to continue doing it for three to four years. While the storage comes at 512 GB only, the NVMe SSD allows for swift loading of applications and excellent boot times. If you have a larger library, you may need to uninstall and reinstall or get an external backup. The 16GB of RAM is a must have enabling peak performance of all current games. Furthermore, it will still have the capacity left over for the demands of streaming. For your internet connection, the Blade 17 uses an Intel wifi 6E AX210 module, which is their second generation of WiFi 6 devices. This will support lightning-fast internet connections, up to a maximum of 2.4Gbps along with the same speed on an ethernet connection. We strongly suggest using Ethernet as you will get a more stable connection if you’re streaming while also gaming online multiplayer. The webcam used here has a resolution of 1280 x 720 which works well enough but its positing along with inability to move it without moving display screen ultimately makes using an external, sturdy and mountable webcam the better choice. This laptop also features both stereo spreaders and an array microphone. Adequate sound quality is provided but for streaming, you are bound to want a headset or a dedicated microphone. Connectivity-wise there is no issue because this laptop includes plenty of support for external devices Work with three USB ports and two USB-C ports (including one Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C port). The design is also sleek and convenient in regards to portability. Shrouded in aluminum coating, the thin body might make this a bit more portable but we should mention that it is also somewhat on the heavier side than average. The 17 inch display also means it may not fit inside most laptop bags. It weighs just 2.75kg and is 0.78 inches thick. Battery life averaged at 7 hours but it won’t last this much when you are streaming. While gaming will plummet. So gaming while the laptop is powered through the adapter is strongly advised.

With all that being said, many gamers would definitely pick a gaming laptop which has a 17.3 inch display using IPS technology and that too has a significantly high refresh rate of 360Hz. If that is you, consider buying the Razer Blade Pro 17. The build quality is sophisticated and has excellent aesthetics. It just oozes with a premium feeling. However, there’s a major caveat. Pricing is expensive albeit a bit more costly than its competitors. But this beastly gaming laptop and one of the best laptops for streaming wil aid you with plenty of performance for streaming

Reasons to Buy:

Bright and big 17.3 inch display
Faster IPS panel
Extremely fast refresh rate and response times
Plenty of performance for streaming
Sturdy and durable build quality
Good aesthetics
8 core Intel Core i7-10875H paired with RTX 3060 GPU

Cons:

Very expensive
Limited portability
There is no numpad which can be a drag for most people

Buy Now

7. ASUS ROG Strix G15: Editor’s Pick

Like their competitor Acer, Asus offers 2 lineups for their gaming laptops. One is the TUF series and the other is the ROG series. For now, we will speak about the ROG offering. The ROG series in particular consists of their most powerful beastly gaming laptops and features that solely focus on supreme performance. They don’t necessarily come off as cheap though but they don’t put a dent in your pocket hole either. We are going to inspect the Asus ROG Strix G15. Not only this 15.6 inches display laptop focused on the performance but put together tempting and attractive RGB elements on the outside of the case. Frankly, it looks drop dead gorgeous! The 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor is powering this laptop. As aforementioned, it is widely considered to be one of the best gaming laptop processors currently available on the market today. Boosted all the way to 4.6 Ghz combined with the high core count makes this a gaming and streaming monster. Do note that Asus has focused on cooling for this laptop. It is engineered in a manner such that both the internal build construction and the size of the vent positions aids to keep the processor cool and improve the longevity. Like many others in our laptop, the GPU used here is the RTX 3060. Even though it is on the lower end side, it helps not to pay a huge chunk of money and still squeeze the most performance. The 3060 will obviously guarantee outstanding compatibility for future usage. Pay heed that you lower your graphical setting from ultra to high graphics settings in order to maintain higher frame rates. However, for now it can run just about anything at max settings while staying above 60 FPS. The included memory is comfortably in the middle range of what you’re looking for in a streaming laptop. We like the fact that it is equipped with 16GB RAM. This is going to handle any operations you need to perform and this also includes handling and operating top-tier graphics while streaming or running other programs. Moreover, it will ensure smooth multitasking. And although the 512GB SSD is a bit on the small side, especially without additional external/backup storage, it is going to provide quick load times. You can always add more storage to the expansion slot. The Asus ROG Strix G15 supports Wifi 6. This can speed up to 1Gbps and similar speeds on ethernet/LAN connections. Notably this is far from being the fastest on this list. However, it is quite adequate for streaming and online gaming. For the audiophiles out there, the G15 boasts twin smart-amp speakers and a single built-in microphone. The speakers work quite well, but for transmitting optimal audio quality, you’re still going to want to consider a headset. A downfall here is that there is no webcam in this model but some of the higher ROG laptops do have them. The built-in webcams are usually functional for remote meetings for work or other user cases and since there is not one implemented here, surely we need to score this as a point against it. That being said, you would still require a good webcam to show some degree of professionalism where your audience can vividly see you. The Asus ROG Strix G15 is a bit on the bulkier side at 1.1 inch. It is about 27.1mm thick. But weirdly enough it doesn’t feel and maybe it is due to its plastic build. Weigh is 5.1 pounds which is 2.3kg thus making it fairly portable. You can put it inside most laptop bags. The battery can last up to 10 hours on average based on our tests. However, with the CPU and GPU running at full speed, it will plummet the battery a lot quicker. Connectivity-wise, it has 3 USB ports, and 1 USB-C port and obviously an HDMI port. An issue lies that several of these ports are towards the back of the laptop, keeping it out of your convenient reach albeit making the process of connecting your peripherals a bit difficult.

Overall, the Asus ROG Strix G15 is, undoubtedly, a viable option assuming you are searching for something that can perform as both gaming as well as workstation for the content and video creations in the comfort of your home. It offers decent portability and isn’t all that heavy. Even though we have compiled better offerings with more powerful GPUs on our review so far, strictly speaking they are going to cost a fortune. The G15 is still a powerful laptop and obviously among the best laptops for gaming and one of the best laptops for streaming on twitch. It is certainly worth your money.

Reasons to Buy:

Excellent aesthetics
Neat RGB elements with the case and the keyboard
Plastic build but sturdy
Packed with extremely powerful CPU
Excellent engineered cooling
Utiilises 30 series GPU
Good speakers
Good battery life on average

Cons:

Somewhat thicker but doesn’t feel all that heavy
512GB SSD is not sufficient
Webcam is lacking

Buy Now

8. ASUS TUF Gaming F17: Honorable Mention

We have mentioned the ROG lineup and introduced the Asus ROG Strix G15 above. Now let’s move on to the TUF series lineup. Introducing the TUF Gaming F17 which offers essential features and other basic functionalities. It does all this while being affordable and budget friendly for most consumers. That being said, you may need to step down from high graphical to optimized settings for newer titles to achieve frame rate of 60fps. A 4 core CPU Intel Intel Core i5-10300H is used here. This is rather on the lower end of the spectrum. Do understand that an abundance of games both new and old uses 4 cores. However, for streaming you are better off with six core processors. Admittedly, you can still get away with a 4 core processor. You just need to take precaution that everything is operating normally, especially tasks that put heavy load on the CPU. A 1650Ti is used as a GPU. This is one of the most budget-friendly options in the market and even though it certainly is lower end, it functions in a laptop. Although it may struggle to run in higher settings for games, medium and optimized settings should get the job done. On the bright side, a 4 core CPU and lower end GPU is making the price cut for the budget gamers who just wanna play games like Apex, PUBG and Fortnite. You still acquire a 512 NVMe SSD. That way you won’t have to reorganize your library every time you decide to put something new but it goes without saying a 1TB SSD storage would have sufficed better. Just like the 4 core CPU, RAM is only 8GB. It should demonstrate solid performance in gaming. Take note that as long as you aren’t pushing it too hard on CPU intensive titles, it is going to play any game and function accordingly. The laptop uses Wifi 6 mode for connecting to the internet. Obviously, this enables secured, fast and stable internet connection and faster net with low latency is very important for streaming as well as multiplayer gaming. Also it comes along with a HD camera which works well for business meetings and other remote official works but the mic and audio speakers will not win points. They are just terrible. Then again, for streaming you would actually require a gaming headset either way. You get 2 USB ports on this one whereas 4 would have been better and only one USB-C port. If you are only connecting the mouse and keyboard, no problem. But should you connect more peripherals, you may run into issues. A 17 inch laptop is definitely going to be heavy and the TUF Gaming F17 definitely takes over the bulkier side. It is 25mm thick and weighs just under 2.6kg. 5 hours on average for battery life is decent, however, it would be consumed faster if you’re gaming and under extreme usage.

With all being said, the TUF Gaming F17 is an ideal choice for streamers who are tight on budget but wish to upgrade. It’s not going to be a game changer but will get the job done. The corners cut here is exactly what makes this affordable. You will perform the performance that you are paying for.

Reasons to Buy:

Costs under $1000 so very budget friendly
17 inch large display
Solid, sturdy build
Can handle basic, old games with ease
Can play newer releases with optimized settings
A good starter for people entering the streaming territory and into realm of gaming

Cons:

Can’t amp up all the way to max settings for modern games
The CPU has a tendency to heats up rapidly
Performance lacking due to 4 core CPU and GTX 1060Ti

Buy Now

What to Look for When Buying Best Laptops for Streaming Games, Video and Movies

When it comes to choosing the best laptop for streaming, it boils down to what the consumer really wants. Such as, do you just plan on showcasing your skills at Valorant, PUBG, APex Legends, CSGO, or do you broadcast indie titles or something that is visually on the more demanding side such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Read Dead Redemption 2? If all three are factors, then definitely you should get yourself the best gaming laptops that can also be used for streaming. Note it is going to cost you well over a grand. Listed below are the essential factors and attributes one should consider when buying the best laptops for streaming.

GPU

This is definitely the most important component as regretfully determines just how well your games can run. Now the thing we like to point out is that GPUs cannot be swapped out and upgraded later. You gotta be really nitpicking on this one cuz the right choice will be functional for years without the need for an upgrade. If you just wanna play the likes of Fortnite or Apex, just get a laptop with 1650 super. Since it is entry level, they are more than affordable too. They are ideal for 1080 gaming under medium to high settings. Pay heed that you cannot higher frame rates in recent titles. That’s the sacrifice you need to make. If you want more performance, consider purchasing 1660 Ti or above such as the RTX GPU cards.

CPU

Just like GPU, the processor cannot be upgraded later in a laptop. So you need to be extra nitpicky on this one. For AMD, we recommend Ryzen 4000 or 5000 series processors. For intel, definitely go for 10th or 11th gen Core i5 or Core i7. While 4 cores if good, 6 cores and 12 threads for gaming is a must have these days considering the boost you get especially in gaming performance

RAM

At the bare minimum, you would want 8GB RAM. However, it is strongly advised to get 16GB RAM in regards to maximizing the gaming performance. You can always add more RAM fortunately as it is upgradable.

Storage

Storage affects the number of applications and softwares including games that you cstore in your laptop. Storage is also upgradable like RAM and can also be swapped out later. We strongly suggest aiming for 1TB SSD at the very least. A lot of new AA titles tend to be as big as 100GB if not more. A 512 GB storage wouldn’t last you. It is also better to opt for SSD rather than HDD. This is because SSDs will load up applications and run your games at blazing fast speeds as data is stored in the chips rather than spinning disks.

Display

1080 Full HD is the bare minimum you would want. Typically, most gaming laptops these days feature high refresh rates such as 144hz with adaptive sync as well as G-sync compatibility. These features ensure a tear free image while gaming. The size of the display is a personal preference. If dealing with multiple windows besides streaming is a must have for you, consider going for 17 inches otherwise 15.6 inches is enough.

Battery life

In general, gaming laptops are quite acclaimed for having poor battery life. Reason being games require tonnes of power to process. Moreover, these laptops are on the heavier side than non-gaming laptops as they require more space for heat sinks as well as other cooling components. Most will last between five to six hours depending on usage.

Connectivity

Needless to mention you are going to have a good number of USB ports and also HDMI or DP ports when streaming and also projecting in multiple displays. Simply for streaming content, you require good connectivity features. Which is why your laptop needs Wifi, multiple USB ports to connect youtube peripherals such as keyboard, mouse, gaming headset, and mountable webcam, and, lastly, an Ethernet port. The Wi-Fi module should be able to connect to the internet quickly without any sort of hindrance. Bluetooth is also important for connecting multiple peripherals as even 4 USB ports aren’t enough sometimes.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I use a laptop for streaming content?

Yes. However, any old laptop won’t be able to stream effectively. You need to select a laptop that not only has powerful hardware to play your desired games, but it’ll also needs to be able to handle video encoding too. No small feat for a laptop to handle.

What hardware do I need for streaming?

That depends on the criteria of your work and even the kind of game that you wish to stream to your audience. If you are going to play and stream Fortnite, a 9th Gen Core i5, GTX 1650 Super/GTX 1060 and 8GB of RAM is going to suffice. You are going to add additional stuffs such as a good microphone and a good quality webcam.

How to speed up a laptop for streaming?

Generally, there could be tonnes of opened or background applications eating a hefty chunk of your CPU performance. Since streaming takes a toll on the CPU, it is advised to close as many as unwanted programs as possible. Moreover, you need to ensure you have sufficient upload speed. This is going to depend on the quality of your internet. You should also use an Ethernet port, that is, wired connection instead of Wifi. Not only will it help to stream flawlessly but wired is always better for multiplayer gaming than wifi.

How much RAM is required for online streaming and gaming?

16GB of RAM is crucial for running games these days. While 8GB is optimal for gaming at medium to high settings, you need more memory for the CPU to work for streaming. This is where 16GB RAM really benefits your case. Alternatively, you could just bump it all the way and put together 32GB RAM which will give you more edge when streaming the most demanding video game titles. It is really for enthusiasts though and not essential.

What to look for in a laptop for streaming?

Definitely, you need to pay attention to certain components. First the CPU and then the GPU. Get it according to your needs and budget. 10th to 12th Gen Intel Corei5, Corei7 or Ryzen equivalent is a must. Next, 1080p at high refresh of 144hz or over should be the minimal choice here. You would also need multiple USB ports and preferably one with a Thunderbolt port. This is because you will actually hook up multiple gaming peripherals.

Our Top Pick

If budget is of no concern to you and you are well prepared to dish a hefty sum of money, then by all means consider purchasing the Asus ROG Zephyrus S17. It has the top tier Intel 11th Gen Core ii9-11900H paired with the high-end RTX 3080. The 17.3 inches display of 1440p is big enough and definitely useful for both streaming and multitasking. Moreover, 32GB RAM is enough horsepower to blaze through streaming while you are gaming. All in all, the S17 is ideal for video editing as well as content developing. It is not just one of the best laptops for streaming but is literally the standout best laptop for gaming as well.

Wrap Up

If you are still here, thank you for reading. Remember the GPU and CPU are the most important components you need to keep in mind when buying the best laptops for streaming. Rest assured, every single laptop from our review is capable of getting the work done. Not only do they offer robust performance but leave room enough for you to perform some multitasking. You can also get your work done such as video editing, rendering, Adobe Illustrator or Figma, etc.

Furthermore, you can code programs under various IDEs and handle billions of data when training dataset models. Gaming laptops are indeed very powerful. They simply get the job done! You can definitely buy one of these laptops according to your choice and budget without a shred of doubt.

Here’s hoping for our in-depth review for the best laptops for streaming movies and videos as well as the best laptop for streaming games and other content helped to assist you in some ways or other. Happy shopping, happy gaming, and happy streaming!

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