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Streaming can be a fun way to add an additional social element to your games. It allows you to show off your skills, highlight classic games that you love, or let people enjoy games they otherwise wouldn’t (and still might not) have played.
Traditionally a streaming setup is going to involve a desktop build, but if you need the portability, there are plenty of laptops that are powerful enough to play games and handle the extra programs and peripheral devices that streaming will typically require.
To help you get started, we’ve put together the 10 best laptops for streaming in 2023, with options for every budget.
Best Laptops For Streaming in 2023 Round-Up
The table below will give you a quick look at our selections for the 10 best laptops for streaming currently available on the market. To read a full review, simply click on ‘review>>’ in the respective row.
Product | Image | Rating | |
1. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro ''Best laptop for streaming in 2023 overall'' |  | 9.9 | |
2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 ''Best premium laptop for streaming'' |  | 9.8 | |
3. Alienware X17 ''Best overall runner-up'' |  | 9.7 | |
4. Acer Nitro 5 ''Best performance per dollar'' |  | 9.6 | |
5. Razer Blade 17 ''Best Razer laptop for streaming'' |  | 9.5 | |
6. Acer Predator Helios 300 ''Best budget laptop for streaming'' |  | 9.4 | |
7. ASUS ROG Strix G15 ''Editor's pick'' |  | 9.3 | |
8. MSI Alpha 17 ''Honorable mention'' |  | 9.2 | |
9. Lenovo Legion 5 ''Honorable mention #2'' |  | 9.1 | |
10. ASUS TUF Gaming F17 ''Honorable mention #3'' |  | 8.9 |
1. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro
Display: 16” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1600) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | RAM: 64 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 9 hours | Weight: 5.4 lbs / 2.5 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Outstanding laptop for the money
- Lots of power for streaming and high-demanding other applications
- Sharp, bright, color-accurate display
- Plenty of memory and storage
- Fairly portable
- Great connectivity
- Soft, comfortable keyboard
- Solid webcam and speakers
- RGB backlit
REASONS TO AVOID
- Heavy (even heavier than the previous iteration)
- Not too much to look at
Our Rating: 9.9/10
You may be a bit surprised to see a Lenovo laptop at the top spot of this list, but don’t get fooled by its simple design. The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro packs an extreme punch for high-end gaming and streaming and is among the top laptops when it comes to performance per dollar. If you’re looking to get the most bang for your buck, this laptop should be your first stop.
To give you a short background, the Legion 5 Pro is a successor of one of Lenovo’s most popular gaming laptops. The Pro model builds on its success and adds a better, more responsive panel for gaming, slightly better connectivity, and overall better performance.
Speaking of performance, for CPU, it uses the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, a 6th generation 8-core processor with a clock rate of up to 4.7GHz. The eight cores and sixteen threads will allow for seamless multitasking, exactly what you need for streaming, and the high clock rate means smooth, high framerates, even under the most demanding circumstances.
The graphics card is an RTX 3070 Ti, which is the approximate middle of the 30 series of Nvidia GPUs. That helps with the price somewhat and is still extremely powerful to run any games currently on the market on high settings while streaming.
Lenovo’s experience with workstations comes through when it comes to memory. It comes equipped with a 1TB SSD, which is never a downside. That’s a good amount of memory, and it will load and rewrite quickly.
Besides that, it sports 64GB of the new DDR5 RAM clocked at 4800MHz, which is the average speed of DDR5 modules. What’s not average is the quantity, as 64GB of RAM is unheard of in this price range, especially with such a powerful CPU and GPU combo already. You’ll never have to worry about running out of RAM, no matter how demanding your stream is.
As we mentioned earlier, the display on this laptop is amazing. It was already good on the non ‘pro’ model, but Lenovo takes it up a notch with this one.
You get a QHD display with a 165hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, giving you a sharp, smooth, and bright image no matter the circumstances–It’s amazing for gaming and indistinguishable from laptops that cost significantly more.
In terms of internet connection, the Legion 5 Pro has an Intel Wifi 6 module, which will support wifi and LAN speeds up to 1Gbps. Unless you’re lucky enough to live somewhere that gets speeds beyond that, that’s going to be more than adequate.
The microphone and speakers are about as good as you could expect from a laptop. You get two 2W Dolby stereo speakers, which work fine for watching movies and even gaming on your own in some cases. For streaming, though, you definitely should invest in a headset with a high-quality mic.
Now, the webcam offers HD (1280×720) resolution capture, which is going to work for casual streamers. But, if you’re serious about streaming with face cam long-term, you’re going to want a dedicated external camera.
Connectivity-wise, there are plenty of ports, including three USB and two USB-C ports, one of which is Thunderbolt compatible, so you’ll be able to keep everything connected, including extra displays.
You’ll average about 7 hours of battery life with light usage (read: no gaming), which is typically going to be enough for a half-day of work or school or a short gaming break.
Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is our top choice for the best laptop for streaming in 2023 due to how well-rounded it is and how well it performs for the money. Yes, there are better-performing and better-looking laptops out there, but this one has everything to support the highest level of streaming while costing significantly less than the competition.
2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
Display: 16” Mini LED | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1600) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 2 TB SSD | Battery Life: Up to 5 hours | Weight: 5.5 lbs / 2.5 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Secondary display is handy for streaming (touchscreen)
- Well-executed cooling
- Exceptional display quality
- Lots of performance for gaming and streaming
- Extremely powerful GPU and GPU
- High-quality build
- Attractive aesthetics
- Great speakers
REASONS TO AVOID
- Premium price
- Keyboard placement takes some getting used to
- 720p webcam
Our Rating: 9.8/10
With the ROG Zephyrus Duo SE, ASUS has set out to answer the age-old question: how do you make a dual-screen laptop?
They’ve very nearly done it too. Rest assured, the second screen is no gimmick – It’s more like something between a tablet and a control panel built into what would otherwise be the unused space above the keyboard.
Nonetheless, it serves a purpose of a second monitor extremely well and makes it very easy to manage and control all aspects of your stream. There is enough room for three applications at a time, so this should help you with efficiency during streaming–You can easily monitor and respond to twitch chat, adjust audio, your OBS settings, etc.
This indeed works very well, and in combination with the laptop’s high level of gaming performance, you have a powerful, highly functional, portable streaming setup.
Speaking of performance, when it comes to streaming, the most important factor is going to be processing power. You want a laptop that can run whatever game you’re playing smoothly but also has the capacity for all the other processes involved in streaming.
To that end, your best options are going to have 6 to 8 cores. A lower core count is going to be fine if you’re just gaming but can have a throttling effect if you try to add in streaming, especially if you’re trying to stream more demanding games. A higher core count will have you paying more for power than you’re rarely, if ever, going to fully utilize.
The included CPU is an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, one of the best laptop processors to date, with 8 cores and a processing speed of up to 4.9 GHz. This will provide more than enough power to stream without any lag or limitations and unlock the next level of multitasking.
For most of the other core specs, you’re looking for basically the same performance baselines as you would be for any gaming setup. What makes your GPU, storage, and RAM for just gaming is going to hold true for the most part for streaming as well.
The graphics card is an RTX 3080 Ti, part of Nvidia’s 30-series lineup. Again, this is basically the best video card you can have in your laptop.
With such a high-performing CPU and GPU combo, you’ll easily be able to play the latest releases on high settings, or if you’re more used to some of the more established online competitive games, this is going to deliver all the power you could ask for.
As far as storage is concerned, an SSD is typically going to be better for streaming simply because it can mean lower loading and wait times for your audience. That brings us to another advantage of the Zephyrus Duo, which is a relatively large storage space with a 1TB SSD.
Plus, the 32GB of the newest DDR5 RAM is going to handle just about anything you throw, including high-end streaming, video editing, and so on.
In terms of display quality, this one is among the very best on the market. It features the latest MiniLED panel technology, which provides exceptionally bright and vibrant images. And in combination with color accuracy and excellent contrast, the Zephyrus Duo offers an outstanding viewing experience–You’ll love gaming on this laptop.
Furthermore, to stream properly, especially if you’re going to be streaming competitive games, you’ll need a fast, stable internet connection.
To that end, the Zephyrus features the latest Wi-FI 6E module (802.11ax), which is going to deliver the fastest wireless speeds possible. However, as a streamer, you should always opt for a wired connection as the ethernet (RJ-45 in this case) is faster and, more importantly, much more stable.
Now, we were actually impressed with the speakers on this one. They are still laptop speakers, but there are four of them that cover different ranges and deliver a more immersive sound experience. You probably still want to save that for movies and get a good headset for while you’re streaming.
As far as a webcam, this model features a 720p camera, which is an improvement over the last year’s model, which had none. But, to be honest, is average at best–It will do fine for some basic calls and whatnot, but as far as streaming, you will want to get a stand-alone full-HD camera.
Overall, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo is hands down the best premium laptop for any level of streaming currently available on the market. It offers excellent performance, exceptional display, and high-quality construction while the second display makes it super easy for you to do things like managing stream settings, responding to chat, and other important tasks.
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3. Alienware X17
Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 6.5 lbs / 2.9 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Powerful hardware
- Excellent performance for gaming and streaming
- Large, smooth FHD display
- 360hz refreshing rate
- High-quality construction
- Beautiful aesthetics
- Excellent cooling
- Highly responsive keyboard
REASONS TO AVOID
- Really heavy
- Higher price
- Poor speaker quality and placement
Our Rating: 9.7/10
Another excellent laptop for streaming games, the Alienware X17, has a surprisingly simple design, with a ton of space on the side and back dedicated to cooling vents to support the powerful internal cooling. There are some RGB elements, but for the most part, this laptop lets its power do the talking.
For starters, the CPU is a 12th gen, 14-core processor with a clock rate of up to 4.7GHz. It’s easily one of the most powerful processors you can currently put in a laptop and is going to deliver excellent performance not just for gaming but also for streaming.
Even better, the carefully engineered cooling is going to allow it to run at boosted speeds for longer periods of time.
On top of that, the X17 uses an exceptional GPU for 1080p gaming, the RTX 3070 Ti. With a 3070 Ti, you’re going to be able to achieve framerates well in excess of 100FPS, up to 144FPS or more in many cases, for any game currently on the market without needing to decrease the graphics settings, and this will probably continue to be the case for several years.
If you’re trying to save a bit of money, some models offer the 3060 as an alternative.
Compared to the high level of performance offered across the board, you may be tempted to upgrade to the 64GB RAM version, but it is worth noting that most benchmarks don’t note any significant differences in quantities of RAM beyond 32GB, especially when it’s a DDR5 RAM.
Don’t worry, the included 32GB of RAM is going to deliver high performance for any current operational needs. The 1TB SSD is a major plus because it means you’ll be able to achieve quick load and launch times for a larger part of your library.
For internet connection, you have the Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 module, which will fully optimize whatever available wifi connection you have. If the option is available to you, you will get a bit more stability and more speed from a wired connection.
Besides that, the speakers are also great compared to its predecessor, the M17, where the speakers almost feel like an afterthought. They are no MacBook speakers, but they produce a full-bodied sound with great lows and highs and a little bit of bass.
Unfortunately, the webcam is a standard HD camera. It will work just fine for casual streams, but you’ll definitely want to buy a higher-resolution camera if you’re serious about streaming.
In terms of connectivity, you get three USB ports, a Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C, and both an HDMI and DisplayPort. About half of them are on the rear of the laptop, which can make installation a bit fiddly, depending on how your station is organized.
The only real downside to this laptop is that it is the least portable option on our list. It’s relatively slim, 0.9 inches (21mm), but that’s where it ends. It’s solidly 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg) on top of being too large for a lot of bags and cases.
On the contrary, the battery life is an upgrade over the previous iterations, with almost 7 hours of light use. Previously, we tested the M17 R4 at a mere 2 hours.
With all this being said, if you’ve got some room in your budget, the Alienware X17 is a fantastic choice for all levels of streaming, especially if you’re looking for a larger screen.
It’s got beautiful looks, top-notch quality, great cooling, and an excellent display for gaming. Most importantly, it’s going to run anything that the best desktop builds can, with power left over for streaming for years to come.
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4. Acer Nitro 5
Display: 15.6 IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1440) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 6800H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Battery Life: Up to 8 hours | Weight: 5.1 lbs / 2.3 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Excellent performance for the money
- Buttery-smooth QHD display
- Lots of storage space
- Excellent RAM configuration for streaming
- Great battery life
- Comfortable, RGB-backlit keyboard
- Great cooling (albeit a bit loud)
REASONS TO AVOID
- Disappointing build quality
- 720p webcam
- Bit bulky
Our Rating: 9.6/10
The idea behind the Nitro series is to offer a more affordable gaming experience. The Nitro 5 is what happens when you take the philosophy of providing the best performance for the price and use it to cram as much high-end gear into a laptop as possible. This laptop isn’t cheap but, similar to the Legion 5 Pro from Lenovo, offers an outstanding price-to-performance ratio.
To start things off, it uses an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H, which is an 8-core processor with a max clock rate of 4.7GHz. Even though that’s slightly lower than what you’d get with some Intel processors, it is one of the best laptop CPUs you can currently get. The extra cores are going to give you the ability to run your game, OBS, and as many other programs as you need while streaming.
It also has a perfect GPU for streaming: an RTX 3070 Ti. This laptop will run any of this year’s releases above 60FPS at the highest available settings and will continue to do so for at least the next couple of years. Plus, it’s capable of utilizing the 165Hz refresh rate display to its maximum potential, even at 1440p resolution.
Storage-wise, the 1TB SSD is going to mean quick launch and loading for a large number of games, plus an available hard drive bay means extra backup and storage. The 32GB of DDR5 RAM drives the price up a bit but could be worth it if you’re planning on editing videos of your stream after the fact.
The internal specs for the Nitro 5 are pretty much the same as its cousin, the Predator Helios (number 6 on the list). The WiFi module supports up to 2.4Gbps connection speeds, as does the ethernet connector.
Moving along, the Nitro 5 features dual 2W stereo speakers and two microphones for more precise audio quality. There’s still almost no situation where a headset or other dedicated audio setup isn’t going to be the better choice.
The webcam is an HD 1280×720, which can work in a pinch, but an external webcam is going to give a more professional impression.
While most laptops, even gaming laptops, are going to use an FHD, 144hz display, the Nitro 5 is a QHD (2560×1440) 165Hz display, which is going to mean even smoother video quality and much sharper image than you’re used to on FHD screens.
In terms of connectivity, there are three USB ports and one USB-C port, so you may have to keep an eye on what you connect and how. There’s only one HDMI port, which will still allow for duplicating displays or dual-display setups.
Surprisingly, it’s a slightly more portable option, at 0.94 inches (24mm) thick and just over 5 pounds (2.3kg). The battery life is an impressive 8 hours, but remember that streaming is an intensive task and will easily cut that in half (or more).
All in all, the Acer Nitro 5 basically uses brute force to make itself one of the best laptops for streaming you can get this year, and manages to do it at a fairly low price compared to its competitors. If you don’t want to compromise on performance but don’t want to spend a fortune either, the Nitro 5 is the perfect option.
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5. Razer Blade 17
Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1440) | CPU: Intel Core i7-12800H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 5 hours | Weight: 6.1 lbs / 2.8 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Exceptional performance for streamers
- Large, sharp display
- Outstanding display quality
- Insanely high refresh rate
- Impeccable build quality
- Stylish, thin design
- Fantastic 1080p webcam
- One of the best speakers on a gaming laptop
- Excellent keyboard
REASONS TO AVOID
- Higher price
- Heavy
- No Numpad
Our Rating: 9.5/10
You can safely say that Razer knows what gamers want, and in the case of the Razer Blade 17, that includes a 17” 360Hz display.
A bigger display can be more demanding in some cases, but for gaming laptops is never going to be a downside. For something like streaming, the extra space for split-screen operation is going to be a huge benefit as well.
The display is far from the only thing that makes this a great gaming laptop. The Razer Blade 17 uses an Intel Core i7-12800H, which is a 12th-gen processor with 14 cores and a base clock rate of 3.7GHz but can be boosted to up to 4.8GHz. That’s a performance that’s barely going to break a sweat streaming even the most intensive games.
It also includes a high-performing GPU, the RTX 3080 Ti. Of course, the use of a high-tier GPU means that you’re gonna pay a lot of money, especially when it’s in a laptop from Razer, but you’ll have the ability to run all of this year’s releases at higher settings and will likely continue to be able to do so for a year or two.
Now, the 1 TB SSD is going to provide enough storage for a core handful of games and allow you to load them quickly. If you have a larger library, you may need to uninstall and reinstall or get an external backup. Additionally, the 32GB of RAM is going to allow for peak performance of all current games and still have the capacity left over for the demands of streaming or video editing.
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. It can achieve equal speeds on an ethernet connection, and you may get a more stable connection if you’re streaming something more intensive.
Furthermore, the laptop features both stereo spreaders and an array microphone, so you’ll get exceptional sound quality for some casual uses, but for streaming, you’re still going to want a headset or a dedicated microphone.
The webcam is a 1080p FullHD camera, which actually offers one of the absolute best image quality you can get from a gaming laptop. If you don’t want to invest in a separate webcam, your viewers may not notice the difference.
In terms of connectivity, this laptop includes plenty of support for external devices, with three USB ports and two USB-C ports (including one Thunderbolt-compatible USB-C port).
Lastly, the aluminum construction and thin body might make this a bit more portable, but it’s also a little heavier than average, and of course, the 17-inch screen means it might not fit all laptop bags. It weighs just over 6 pounds (2.75kg) and is 0.78 inches (19.8mm) thick.
There are a lot of gamers (and streamers) who won’t consider a gaming laptop if it doesn’t have a 17-inch display. If that’s you, this should be one of your top choices. Besides that, the webcam quality and display are just excellent.
Unfortunately, it’s a bit pricier than its competitors; on the bright side, you won’t have to worry about your performance for years to come.
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6. Acer Predator Helios 300
Display: 15.6” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 6 hours | Weight: 5.7 lbs / 2.6 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Great value for the money
- Affordable price
- High-quality construction
- Plenty of power for streaming
- Powerful cooling
- Plenty of connectivity options
- Excellent display
- RGB backlit keyboard
REASONS TO AVOID
- Lower battery life
- Heavier
- Only 16GB of RAM
Our Rating: 9.4/10
Acer’s Predator series is part of their powerful gaming lineup and comes loaded with some of the best hardware currently on the market.
We’ve selected the 15.6” Predator Helios 300 with the RTX 3060 because the best laptop for streaming games is going to be a gaming laptop with the power to spare that’s also affordable. It also looks like a serious gaming laptop but without too much bulk or ostentatiousness.
The Predator Helios 300 includes a 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12700H, which is a 14-core processor. It can be clocked up to 4.7 GHz, but cooling can be a concern as laptops often already have to work hard to keep internal temperatures low at the default clock rates.
Possibly the biggest draw for the Helios 300 is that it includes a 30 series Nvidia GPU at a low price point. As we already mentioned, the RTX 3060 isn’t the strongest of Nvidia’s current lineup, but it’s still going to be able to run 60FPS or above on any games currently on the market, most of them at the highest available graphics settings.
Most gaming laptops you’ll see have 8GB to 16GB of RAM. Typically 8GB is going to be enough to run just about anything at optimal settings, but you can still see a slight boost if you jump to 16GB.
In either case, the benefits to quantities beyond that are going to be negligible. Since streaming necessarily involves running multiple concurrent programs, you’re going to be better off with the 16GB offered by this laptop.
In terms of internet connection, the Helios 300 features an onboard Killer Wi-Fi 6E module, capable of sustaining up to 2.4Gbps internet speeds, and an ethernet connection that can manage up to 2.5Gbps. If at all possible, it’s going to be better to use a wired connection for your internet.
Now, the question of onboard speakers, a microphone, and a webcam is a complicated one. They’re all things you’re technically going to need, but there are certain inevitable performance issues that can come from using just the built-in peripherals.
This laptop has dual stereo speakers installed and a dual-mic setup, which is going to deliver more sound quality than a lot of laptops on the market, but a good gaming headset is still going to be hugely preferable. It’s going to mean better sound quality for you and make sure that your voice gets picked up with minimal interference or feedback.
The webcam is a 1280×720 HD camera, which is good for the built-in option on a laptop. You’ll be able to get away with just using this in more cases than you would use the built-in microphone. That said, you can get better quality and control if you purchase a 1080p mountable webcam, most of which are under $50.
Connectivity-wise, there’s a total of 4 USB ports, which should power all your peripherals, especially if you use the laptop keyboard instead of your own. There are also both HDMI and mini display-port connectors, which can make multi-display setups easier.
If you’re looking for portability, this is a good but not perfect option. It’s less than an inch thick (0.9” or 23mm), but it’s on the heavier side for a 15-inch laptop, at 5.5 lbs (2.5kg). The battery life is tolerable six hours, but that’s assuming you’re not putting it through the demanding process of gaming, streaming, and powering all your peripheral devices.
Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an all-around safe bet for gaming and streaming. Its up-to-date components mean that it will remain a functional choice for several years to come. It can work as both an on-the-go gaming laptop and the center of a home streaming station.
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7. ASUS ROG Strix G15
Display: 15.6” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 | Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 12 hours | Weight: 5.1 lbs / 2.3 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Lots of performance for streaming
- High-quality construction
- Attractive aesthetics
- Well-executed cooling
- Excellent keyboard
- Really solid speakers
- RGB backlighting
REASONS TO AVOID
- Thicker than some other options
- Relatively low storage space
- No webcam
- Only 16GB of RAM
Our Rating: 9.3/10
Like their similarly named and similarly equipped competitor Acer, ASUS offers two series of gaming laptops (and other gaming products).
The ASUS ROG series contains their more expensive options: laptops that focus more on performance and less on budget. The 15.6” ROG Strix G15 has put all its focus into performance but still found time to put some attractive RGB elements on the outside of the case.
For starters, the laptop uses the 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, which is widely considered to be one of the best gaming laptop processors currently available. The combination of the 4.6GHz clock rate and the high core count make this a powerful laptop for streaming. The extra focus on cooling, both with the internal construction and the size and placement of vents, will help with performance as well.
The use of an RTX 3060 GPU is going to ensure a high amount of compatibility going into the future, even though you might have to take a small hit on graphics settings to keep your framerates high. For now, though, it’s going to 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. The 16GB RAM is going to handle any operations you need to perform, including top-tier graphics while streaming or running other programs. As we already discussed, the 512GB SSD is a bit on the small side, especially without additional external/backup storage, but is going to provide quick load times.
Additionally, the laptop is wifi 6 capable and supports speeds up to 1Gbps and similar speeds on ethernet/LAN connections, which is not the fastest on the list but more than adequate for streaming and online gaming.
In terms of audio, 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.
Sadly, there is no webcam in this model, though some of the higher ROG laptops have one. Since the built-in webcam is usually functional, especially for beginning streamers, we have to count this as a point against it, though you can get a good webcam fairly cheaply.
It’s a bit on the bulkier side, at 1.1 inches (27.1mm) thick, but still not as heavy as it could be, owing to a plastic construction rather than metal. It’s 5.1 pounds (2.3kg), which, again, isn’t bad for a gaming laptop. On average, the battery can last up to 10 hours, but with the CPU and GPU running at full speed, it’s going to eat through that a lot quicker.
Connectivity-wise, it has three USB ports and one USB-C port, as well as an HDMI port. Several of these are placed in the back, which keeps them out of the way, but can also make them harder to access.
Overall, the Asus ROG Strix G15 is going to be a good option if you’re looking for something that can be the center of a gaming/streaming station in your home but still needs to be moved periodically. Currently, there are better options available on the market, but the G15 is still a powerful laptop for streaming on twitch and certainly worth the money.
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8. MSI Alpha 17
Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800H | GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5600M | RAM: 32 GB DDR4 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 9 hours | Weight: 5.1 lbs / 2.3 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Lots of screen real estate
- Decent performance
- Plenty of RGB customization
- Good price-to-performance ratio
- Plenty of storage and RAM
- Great display quality
REASONS TO AVOID
- Not very portable
- Low-end GPU
- Thicker bezels
- Weak overall performance
Our Rating: 9.2/10
The MSI Alpha 17 is a gaming PC built on AMD components, which will typically give you a better price on a similar level of performance. The 17-inch display and individually programmable RGB keys unmistakably mark this as a gaming laptop, and it has the power to back up that impression.
The MSI Alpha 17 uses an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, which is an 8-core processor with a clock rate of up to 4.2 GHz. 8 cores is the maximum of what you’ll conceivably be using for streaming, and the relatively high clock rate means that all aspects of your game and streaming setup will respond quickly and smoothly.
The GPU is also from AMD, specifically a Radeon RX5600M. If you’re not familiar with AMD’s GPU lineup, the RX5600M is roughly the equivalent of the RTX 2060. It’s one of the weaker entries for the previous generation, which is going to affect future compatibility a bit.
For now, it’ll run any of the games on the market, though you’ll need to scale back graphical performance on most of the newer AAA releases.
On the brighter side, the Alpha 17 has put a lot of the money saved on components toward memory. The base model has a 1TB SSD, which is above average for most gaming laptops, and the higher-end models include 2TB or even 4TB SSDs, though that obviously drives the price up. It’s going to give you a lot more flexibility on how much of your library you keep installed and ready to launch.
Further, the laptop includes 16GB of RAM, which will comfortably support any current or recent game releases, and still be able to deliver the necessary performance for streaming.
Both the WiFi module and the ethernet connection support internet speeds up to 2.4Gbps, which is going to make the most of any connection that’s going to be available to you. If the choice is available, you should still use a wired internet connection for more stability during your streams.
You get a little extra power in the speakers, with two 3W speakers, which, if you’re gaming alone or watching movies, is going to give you a better experience than you’ll get with the 2W speakers most laptops on our list have.
The built-in microphone is pretty basic, so once again, our official recommendation is that you get a headset or dedicated mic. Additionally, the webcam captures images at a 1280×720 resolution, which is reasonably sharp, but it’s still not as good as you’d get with some of the professional external cams.
As far as ports go, you get three USB ports, a USB-C, and both a DisplayPort and HDMI, so you’ll have a pretty decent range of options for connectivity.
A 17-inch laptop is always going to have some setbacks when it comes to portability, and there’s no exception here. It’s not as heavy as it could be at 5.1 pounds (2.3kg), but it’s over an inch thick (1.1 inches or 28mm).
If you’re looking for something that’s going to run this year’s competitive FPSs, this is probably not the best choice for you. On the other hand, if you play more strategy games, RPGs, or games that aren’t going to rely as heavily on high framerates, the lower price and large display are going to be huge selling points.
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9. Lenovo Legion 5
Display: 15.6” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 | Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 8 hours | Weight: 5.5 lbs / 2.5 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Budget-friendly
- Great laptop for the money
- CPU adequate for streaming
- High-quality construction
- Great display
- Plenty of cooling capacity
REASONS TO AVOID
- On the bulkier side
- Previous-gen components
- Only 8GB of RAM
- Not enough performance for serious streaming
Our Rating: 9.1/10
Like the 7i we saw earlier in our list, the Lenovo Legion 5 is a laptop that takes a no-nonsense approach to making something you can have a lot of fun with. It’s a more budget-friendly option than most of the laptops on our list, but still checks most of the boxes we’re looking for in a streaming laptop.
The biggest thing, as always, is the CPU. The Legion 5 uses a six-core processor, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600H, which tends to give you a better price for a good level of performance. This one only has a speed of 3 GHz, so you might not get the quickest responses on individual operations, but the higher core count will allow for the multitasking you need for streaming.
The graphics card is a GTX 1660Ti, what you might call the budget laptop version of the RTX 2060. It has pretty much all the same advantages and drawbacks and only a hair less power. If you’re not worried about being able to play this year’s releases at full graphics, you won’t even notice the difference.
In terms of memory, the 512GB SSD will allow for quick load times on a relatively large number of games. The RAM is on the low side, at only 8GB. This isn’t likely to be a major issue if you’re not running brand-new games and keeping your background operations to a minimum.
Furthermore, the Legion 5 has full wifi 6 capability, supporting connections up to 1Gbps.
The dual speakers and microphone array have some basic functionality but nothing you’ll want to use for long-term gaming or streaming. Plus, it has an HD webcam, which will typically be enough if you only plan on streaming casually.
Connectivity-wise, there’s support for plenty of external devices, with 4 USB ports and a USB-C port.
It’s a bit blocky for a 15.6” gaming laptop, at an inch (25mm) thick and 5.5 pounds (2.5kg). The battery life is a bit disappointing at 5 hours since you’d expect a less powerful laptop to at least hold a charge better than its larger cousin.
If you’re not worried about having the top-of-the-line everything and want something that’s going to work to stream a core handful of games that you’re familiar with and good at, this is going to be a serious contender. There’s even enough power to try out some new releases, as long as you’re okay dropping your graphics settings or framerate.
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10. ASUS TUF Gaming F17
Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: FullHD (1920 x 1080) | CPU: Intel Core i5-10300H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 | Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 6 hours | Weight: 5.7 lbs / 2.6 kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Budget-friendly
- Large display
- Sturdy construction
- Will handle streaming basic games
- Nice design
REASONS TO AVOID
- May not handle this year’s releases
- Heats up very fast
- Not enough performance for serious streaming
Our Rating: 8.9/10
In theory, the beauty of streaming, and PC gaming in general, is the accessibility. Anyone can do it, and there are games for everyone. Of course, that can be offset a little when most of the laptops we’ve recommended are pushing two grand or more.
For that, ASUS comes to the rescue with their TUF gaming brand. These laptops, like the TUF Gaming F17, offer some basic technical functionality while still being attainable for most budgets.
That said, you may have to make some sacrifices that won’t let you play or stream the most current games, at least not at the highest settings. The CPU is an Intel Core i5-10300H, which is a 4-core processor. Four cores are adequate for gaming, but for streaming, you usually want at least six.
You can still usually get away with four; you’ll just have to keep a more careful eye on how everything is performing and make sure you don’t have anything running in the background.
For graphics, you have a GTX 1650ti, which is one of the most budget-friendly graphics cards that’s still going to be functional in a current laptop. It might struggle with some games from the last couple of years, but has pretty good performance for the price.
You still have a 512GB SSD, which means that you won’t have to reorganize your library every time you want to install something new, but it is still on the small side.
Like the CPU, the RAM is a bit below what we’d typically recommend for streaming, at only 8GB. That’s still going to be a solid performance for gaming, and as long as you keep an eye on it and don’t try to push too hard on newer games, it’s still going to be functional.
Internet-wise, the laptop features a wifi 6 module, which is going to allow for fast, stable internet connections, which is the only thing you absolutely need for streaming.
The TUF Gaming 17 has an HD camera, but the speakers and mic, and bottom-tier, so be prepared to drop some money on a headset as well.
You only get two USB ports for this one and only one USB-C port. Depending on how many peripherals you plan on using, you might run into issues.
As a 17” laptop, this is naturally going to be on the bulky side, and ASUS hasn’t done much to avoid that. It’s a hair over an inch (25mm) thick and just shy of six pounds (2.6kg). The battery life is tolerable, about 5 hours, less if you’re gaming, and possibly more under extremely light use.
This is going to be a great choice for gamers or streamers who are on a budget but looking to upgrade a laptop that’s 4 or 5 (or more) years old. Or, if you’re looking to get into gaming but don’t want to drop thousands of dollars right off the bat, this is a functional introduction to the wonderful world of PC gaming and twitch streaming. You don’t need to go overboard to have a good time and share your fun with the world.
Final Words
As we said at the top, the best streaming laptop is a gaming laptop with a bit of power left over. The most important part of this is your CPU since it’s going to need to handle the extra stress of uploading your video stream and processing the extra chat and streaming programs that you use.
If everything else is equal in your book, get the laptop with the best CPU you can afford.
The other thing to be aware of is that setting up for streaming is going to require more than just the laptop. At a minimum, you’re going to need a good gaming headset, though an external webcam and a dedicated mic will also come in handy if you plan on doing this on a serious basis.
Whatever you choose, have fun sharing your games and stories with the world!
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