Best Cpu for Twitch Streaming

This entry has been published on June 8, 2021 and may be out of date.

Last Updated on November 17, 2022 by admin

Best Cpu for Twitch Streaming – By carefully choosing our hardware, we can have higher framerates, better performance, and a smoother stream for the money.

The two best encoding methods for streaming are Intel’s QuickSync and NVIDIA’s ShadowPlay, which are both supported by software such as OBS (Open Broadcasting Software) and XSplit. Having an Intel CPU, NVIDIA GPU, or both will give you the most options for high performance streaming.

Of course, to pick out the best CPU for streaming, you will have to do some research on your part too. However, by taking this review as your guide, you will surely find a suitable CPU.

ROUND UP

However, these are expensive options. Thus, users looking for budget-friendly options may go for AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or AMD Ryzen 5 3600. Hence, whatever your requirement, you can choose which CPU is best for you.

1.AMD Ryzen 3 3300X

The company’s new Ryzen 3 has Intel’s Core i3 and i5 in the crosshairs. While the Zen 2 architecture and 7nm process have given AMD the core count lead in both the mainstream and HEDT segments, its previous low-end lineup isn’t quite as impressive compared to Intel’s existing Core i3 processors.

That’s a situation AMD hopes to rectify with its Ryzen 3 series as it braces for Intel’s looming Comet Lake launch.

The 3300X serves as Ryzen 3’s new flagship part with four cores, eight threads, a 3.8 GHz base and 4.3 GHz boost, plus unified core design for a mere . AMD says this chip tackles Intel’s six-core/thread Core i5-9400F and provides 20% more performance, which would be quite the feat.

2.AMD Ryzen 5 3600

Those new chips have now taken over the top ranks on our CPU Benchmark Hierarchy.

AMD’s value proposition has always been straightforward — more for less. While we typically think of AMD offering more CPU cores than Intel for less money, the strategy also applies to the company’s unrestrained feature sets for each processor, regardless of price.

That includes in-box coolers, Hyper-Threading (AMD calls it SMT), and unlocked multipliers that enable easy overclocking, all of which are features that Intel either leaves out or disables on some of its chips in the name of segmentation.

3.AMD Ryzen 5 1600

In short, video editors or digital media creators on a tight budget who want to cut rendering times should put this chip on their short list for their next build. That’s especially true if you’re not the type who wants to fuss with overclocking and aftermarket coolers.

Running at stock clock speeds of 3.2GHz (base) and 3.6GHz (boost), the Ryzen 5 1600 is no slouch at less core-intensive tasks, as well. And like all Ryzen CPUs, it’s unlocked for overclocking. So the skilled and the patient will likely be able to push it closer to the 4GHz or 4.1GHz that seems to be the general limit (without exotic cooling methods like liquid nitrogen) that we’ve seen when testing other Ryzen CPUs.

4.AMD Ryzen 3 3100

It’s a chip that shores up the low end of AMD’s Ryzen stack as a solid pick for PC gamers who are just a Jackson short of what you’d spend on a 3300X. Does it need to exist? Maybe not, but it still has its own rare charm, and is a first: an under- four-core/eight-thread processor, which is a great deal no matter which way you slice it.

In general, we’re going to recommend you go with the Ryzen 3 3300X instead, but if that  difference between the two chips is your difference-maker, the Ryzen 3 3100 is a value-minded little beastie that gets the job done almost as well. Just know that it requires a video card alongside it; it has no integrated graphics, unlike its Intel equivalents.

5.AMD Ryzen 3 3200G

The Ryzen 3 3200G is one of the few AMD Ryzen chips that comes with built-in graphics processing, which means that if you’re using it in a new budget PC build, you don’t need to spend extra on a dedicated graphics card. Most integrated graphics processors (IGPs) offer basic functionality, such as the ability to display videos and run apps, but they can’t handle demanding tasks like powering multiple 4K monitors or running 3D-graphics-intensive games.

The Ryzen 3 3200G’s IGP, silicon on the die dubbed “Radeon RX Vega 8,” is more powerful than you’ll typically see in a budget processor. It can serve as a substitute for a very low-end discrete GPU, such as the Nvidia GeForce MX250. It offers both DisplayPort and HDMI video-output support.

(You’ll just want to check that the motherboard you’re installing it in has the appropriate video-out ports on the I/O panel. Not all do.)

6.Intel Core i9-10900K

Intel’s Core i9-10900K still doesn’t match AMD’s halo 16-core 32-thread Ryzen 9 3950X in terms of threaded performance. Instead, the 10900K competes with the 12-core 24-thread Ryzen 9 3900X in terms of both performance and price, but Intel’s chip has the highest power consumption we’ve seen recently on the mainstream desktop.

Intel pushes the 10900K’s TDP envelope up to 125W (a 30W gen-on-gen increase), but that’s only a measure of base power consumption. Intel rates the processor for 250W at peak performance, and we even measured peaks as high as 325W at out-of-the-box settings. Naturally, that results in a lot of heat.

7.Intel Core i5-11400

That means the aging Intel Core i5-11400 is also hard to find anywhere near acceptable pricing.

Intel’s Rocket Lake launch brought the company’s first new architecture in six years to the desktop PC. Still, the burden of the aging 14nm process proved to be too much for the highest-end Rocket Lake models, leaving them inadequately equipped against AMD’s core-heavy Ryzen 5000 flagships.

However, the new Cypress Cove architecture does grant a 19% IPC increase, and the ultra-mature 14nm process also hits high boost clocks (albeit at the expense of power consumption), allowing the Rocket chips to rival AMD’s finest in single-threaded work.

8.Intel Core i5-11600K

Single-core performance, as ever, remains an Intel strength. The Core i5-11600K scored impressively in many single-core runs that had favored AMD’s $299 six-core/12-thread Ryzen 5 5600X to this point, and it also makes a case for itself against the previous-generation Intel Core i5-10600K.

The gaming results were a bit back-and-forth against the competition, and the required platform upgrade (to the LGA 1200 socket) might be too pricey an entry burden for some midrange-component shoppers. But for the Intel faithful looking for a solid chip to use with a video card to PC-game on a budget, the Core i5-11600K is a strapping entry into a slightly crowded, but constantly evolving, segment of the market.

9.Intel Core i5-10400F

The i5-10400F is a direct successor to this chip and is launching at $160.

The Core i5-10400F in this review is a juicy lure for gamers as it offers 6 cores, 12 threads, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache—identical to the Core i7-8700, but with lower clock speeds at less than half its price. With the advent of the 8th generation Core “Coffee Lake” triggered by AMD “Zen,” game developers were finally motivated to optimize their game engines to take advantage of more than four cores.

AAA titles such as “Battlefield 5”, among others, are built to take advantage of six cores. The Core i5-10400F cannot simply waltz into this segment as the $180-ish AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is found to be trading blows with the much pricier i5-10600K.

10.Intel Core i9-9900K

AMD’s high core counts, aggressive prices, and nods to enthusiasts have earned it plenty of goodwill. Now it’s Intel’s turn to respond. The Core i9-9900K, for instance, ships in a a translucent plastic dodecahedron obviously meant to wow system builders, similar to the way AMD impressed with its Threadripper packaging.

Intel also switched back to using Solder Thermal Interface Material (STIM) between the die and heat spreader, facilitating better thermal transfer to cope with more cores and higher overclocks. Ninth-gen Core CPUs are also Intel’s first with hardware-based mitigations for the Meltdown and Foreshadow vulnerabilities. These should minimize the performance impact of circumventing recently discovered exploits.

Best Cpu for Twitch Streaming – BUYER’S GUIDE

< class=”elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default”>Content And Budget

In an ideal world, everyone eager to experiment with streaming has a large budget to sink into obtaining a high-end CPU. The reality of most budding streamers means that budget will have the most significant impact on what CPU they opt for. This isn’t necessarily as prohibitive as it sounds: the type of content also has a part to play in how efficient a CPU will be.

Streaming the most demanding games on a single setup PC requires a high-end CPU to match, while putting the world to rights in a cozy creator-to-audience stream is more than possible with a more affordable CPU option.

As such, we recommend curbing the natural desire to opt for the very best out there, and instead, buying within your means and for the content you plan to stream. All the CPUs above are perfectly suitable for streaming, so don’t hesitate to jump down to a lower price bracket if it suits your plans.

< class=”elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default”>AMD Vs. Intel

Barring some odd quirk, you’ll be well aware of AMD and Intel’s tussle when it comes to processors. For better or worse, the retail space is dominated by the two chip powerhouses, limiting the choice of which streaming-fit CPU to one of the two. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but choosing one camp over the other can very much feel like picking sides.

While we aren’t here to side with one or the other, they each have their strong points, and arguably the race has never been so closely fought after years of Intel leading the charge. A few years ago, the thrifty builder invariably veered towards AMD’s more competitively priced products, while those eager for all-out performance threw their cash at Intel. Intel’s dominance, especially when it comes to gaming performance, isn’t what it once was with AMD products now more or less on par, if not better (looking at you multithreading).

< class=”elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default”>Single/Dual PC Streaming Setup

Running a single or dual PC streaming setup places significantly different demands on the CPU and should mostly guide your final decision.

Should you fall into the dual PC camp, then you have some leeway when it comes to the chip for the PC charged with encoding and streaming video. In this case, a lower-spec and more affordable CPU is more than enough (unless you’re dipping into quality higher than 1080p), allowing you to invest in a high-end CPU for the PC used for the actual gaming.

For single PC setups, we recommend going big and spending more money on the CPU to ensure there’s enough power there to handle encoding as well as games or other CPU hungry applications you may want to incorporate into your broadcasts. Not doing so invariably leads to dropped frames and choppy in-game FPS, a perfect recipe for bleeding viewers and sapping the enjoyment out of streaming. A CPU with the chops to allocate sufficient resources to both is crucial.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did streaming work before all this fancy hardware encoding?

Like streaming a video game console, people used to stream PC games using two computers. One computer would be dedicated to playing the game, while the other would be equipped with a capture card and would run the streaming software. Back in those days, the encoders weren’t nearly as sophisticated, and required more of the system to run in the first place. It wasn’t uncommon to dedicate an entire Core2Duo CPU to the task of streaming.

WRAP UP

Best Cpu for Twitch Streaming – Streaming is slowly becoming a hobby for many gamers. Why play alone when you can share your gameplay with people from all over the world on Twitch, Mixer, or YouTube? Sounds fun and can get you new friends. Also, it’s cool when you have someone to share your rants with when things don’t go your way. For casual streaming, set at 720p/30fps, with a low bitrate, you can use almost any modern CPU with 4 cores and 8 threads.

But for more serious streaming hobbyists 720p/30fps at, let’s say, 2500Kbps doesn’t cut it. If you need a CPU to handle your 1080p streams in high bitrate, a capable CPU with lots of cores will be of great help.

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
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-48% AMD Ryzen 5 3600
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AMD Ryzen 5 1600
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AMD Ryzen 3 3100
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-25% AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
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-31% Intel Core i9-10900K
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-30% Intel Core i5-11400
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-31% Intel Core i5-11600K
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Intel Core i5-10400F
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Intel Core i9-9900K
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