Best Laptops For Streaming in 2024 – For Every Budget!

We hand-picked & reviewed for you the 10 best gaming laptops for streaming currently available on the market!

Best Laptops For Streaming

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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 2024, with options for every budget.

Also, be sure to check out our recommendations for other streaming gear:

10 Best Laptops For Streaming in 2024 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. Razer Blade 18

''Best laptop for streaming overall''

9.8

2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

''Best dual-screen laptop for streaming''

9.7

3. Razer Blade 16

''Best overall runner-up''

9.7

4. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

''Best bang for your buck''

9.6

5. Acer Nitro 17

''Best budget laptop for streaming''

9.5

6. Dell Alienware X16

''Excellent all-rounder with unique design''

9.4

7. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17

''Editor's pick''

9.3

8. Acer Predator Helios 16

''Honorable mention''

9.2

9. Lenovo Legion 5

''Honorable mention #2''

9.1

10. ASUS TUF Gaming F17

''Honorable mention #3''

8.8



1. Razer Blade 18

Display: 18” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: Intel Core i9-13950HX GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 6.8 lbs / 3.1 kg

Razer Blade 18

REASONS TO BUY

  • Impeccable build quality
  • Stylish and surprisingly thin design
  • Plenty of performance for streaming
  • Fantastic webcam
  • Rich 6-speaker audio
  • Large and beautiful display
  • Fantastic connectivity
  • Solid battery life

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Heavy and cumbersome
  • Premium price

Our Rating:   9.8/10

The Razer Blade 18 is currently the world’s largest gaming laptop that can be, without a doubt, considered a literal desktop replacement, making it our number-one recommendation for serious streamers looking for a high-end laptop. Above all, it offers amazing performance for gaming and streaming, as well as content creation and a ton of features that make streaming enjoyable.

First off, the Blade 18 looks just as stylish and elegant as we’re used to seeing from previous years. Plus, it uses a sturdy aluminum unibody, making it one of the most durable gaming laptops on the market.

The total dimensions are 0.86 x 10.84 x 15.74 inches, and the laptop weighs 6.8 pounds (3.1kg), making it difficult to travel with, but that is expected for an 18-inch gaming monster.

In terms of performance, this laptop offers all the power you need to stream the latest games on high settings on the included QHD+ display. It comes equipped with a high-performing, current-gen CPU and GPU combo, the Intel Core i9-13950HX and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080.

In addition to that, you get 32GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5200MHz, which is the amount we recommend for high-end streaming. The 1TB NVMe storage is fast but a bit light; however, both the RAM and storage can be upgraded to a total of 64GB and 8TB, respectively.

Now, the display is easily the best IPS panel currently available and offers everything would expect from a premium gaming laptop–It’s a massive and gorgeous 18” IPS QHD+ resolution panel, with 500 nits of brightness and 240hz refresh rate for buttery smooth visuals.

Not only that, it’s also exceptionally color-accurate, with 100% coverage of both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, which makes it perfect if you’re looking to stream and edit your stream highlights on one device.

Another important feature for streamers is connectivity. The Blade 18 has you covered with two USB-C ports (supporting Thunderbolt 4), three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and your standard Ethernet and audio jacks. This should be enough to cover all of your peripheral needs.

Now, if you’re a serious streamer, you’re likely going to use an external webcam, but if you get into a situation where you need to use the laptop without it, the Blade 18 is up for the task. The 1080p 5MP webcam is one of the best we’ve seen on a gaming laptop, and the same can be said about the speakers, with a 6-speaker (2 tweeters, 4-woofers) system providing rich, full-bodied audio.

You’ll average about 6-7 hours of battery life with light usage (read: no gaming) with the included 91Wh battery. That’s slightly above average and, honestly, a bit impressive considering the massive display and the high-performing components–We definitely expected a lot less.

The Razer Blade 18 is obviously an extremely expensive laptop, but it’s the most complete gaming laptop that would satisfy even professional streamers. It features an epic display, top-of-the-line performance, impeccable build quality, and perfectly nails secondary features like the webcam, speakers, and connectivity. If you’ve got the money for it, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest.

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2. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

Display: 16” Mini LED | Screen Resolution: QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Battery Life: Up to 4 hours | Weight: 5.9 lbs / 2.7 kg

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16

REASONS TO BUY

  • Exceptional gaming performance
  • Stylish and unique design
  • Gorgeous mini LED display
  • Second touchscreen display is perfect for streamers
  • High-quality construction
  • Excellent connectivity
  • Good audio system
  • 1080p webcam

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Poor battery life 
  • Premium price
  • Awkward keyboard position
  • Loud fans

Our Rating:   9.7/10

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is another highly recommendable laptop for serious streamers. Streaming typically requires two (or more) monitors, and the included secondary screen fulfills that need to an extent, setting this laptop apart from the competition.

Rest assured, it 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 the 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, 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, this laptop is ready to play and stream the most demanding AAA titles. It comes equipped with a top-of-the-line 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX processor and an Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card, one of the best CPU and GPU combos available in gaming laptops today.

In addition to that, the 1TB NVMe storage is a bit light for the price point but adequate for most gamers. Plus, the 32GB of the newer DDR5 RAM is going to handle just about anything you throw, including high-end streaming, video editing, and so on.

In terms of the main display, this one is sure to wow you when you first open it. It’s a 16” QHD+ screen featuring the latest MiniLED panel technology, which provides an exceptionally bright (1100 nits), vibrant, and immersive experience.

Besides that, it’s also buttery smooth with a 240hz refresh rate and color-accurate, coming in with 100% coverage of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts. No matter if you’re gaming or video editing, you’ll appreciate the color reproduction and visual clarity–It is among the very best we’ve seen in the past years.

As far as a webcam, this model features a 1080p camera, which is an improvement over last year’s model’s 720p webcam. There is a noticeable difference in image quality, but it’s not quite as good as the one on the Blade 18 model from Razer–For streaming, we recommend getting an external one.

Further, the connectivity is great but not excellent, with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, a microSD card reader, an HDMI port, and 2.5 Gbps Ethernet. The battery life is terrible, maxing out at just over three hours, which is expected with a mini LED display and high-end components.

Overall, the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is perfect for gamers looking for a portable streaming station. Yes, it’s expensive, but the second screen, in combination with high-end performance and a gorgeous display, makes for an extremely versatile and functional laptop. If you’re fine with the smaller 16-inch screen, this would be our first recommendation for streamers.

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3. Razer Blade 16

Display Size: 16” | Panel Type: MiniLED | Screen Resolution: 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) & FullHD+ (1920 x 1200) | CPU: Intel Core i9-13950HX | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 5.4 lbs / 2.4 kg

Razer Blade 16

REASONS TO BUY

  • Dual mode display makes the laptop more versatile
  • Adequate performance for streaming
  • Beautiful Mini LED display
  • Generous port selection
  • Great battery life
  • Sturdy aluminum unibody
  • Fantastic webcam
  • Great 6-speaker audio system

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Switching resolutions is a hassle
  • Premium price

Our Rating:   9.7/10

Next up, we have another laptop from the Blade series, and it’s not an accident. This one is both smaller and cheaper than the Blade 18 above, plus it has one extremely useful feature for streamers who edit their own videos or make content in general.

We’re talking about the dual-mode display. This feature allows you to change the resolution of the display between 4K (3840 x 2400) for editing pictures and videos and FullHD+ (1920 x 1200) to help you get the most FPS when gaming.

This can be very useful (depending on your needs), and the switch can be done with one click in Razer’s Synapse software. However, in order for the change to take effect, you have to fully restart the laptop, which is a bit of a chore.

In terms of the viewing experience, the display is fantastic. It is an extremely crisp and vibrant 16” Mini LED panel with rich colors and either a 120hz or 240hz refresh rate, depending on the resolution you choose. It’s plenty bright at 500 nits and highly color accurate, with 100% coverage of sRGB and DCI-P3 and 91% of the Adobe RGB color gamuts.

In terms of the build, the laptop uses the same aluminum unibody we described in the Blade 18 review above. It’s extremely durable, with a premium finish and overall clean design. The dimensions are 0.87 x 9.61 x 13.98 inches, and the laptop weighs 5.4 pounds (2.4kg), making it much more portable than its bigger brother.

Now, the component choice for this particular model is perfect for the display it possesses. It comes packed with a powerful Intel Core i9-13950HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, allowing you to play and stream even the most demanding games currently out, especially when you switch to the FullHD+ resolution.

Considering 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.

Further, there are plenty of ports to satisfy all your peripherals needs. In total, this laptop comes equipped with two USB-C ports (one Thunderbolt 4), three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and standard audio jacks.

Just like all the Blade models, both the webcam and speakers are among the very best when compared to other gaming laptops. The 1080p webcam produces a high-quality, sharp image, while the 6-speaker system takes care of rich audio with a much wider frequency range than your average laptop.

The battery life is also a step up from previous year’s models, with an upgrade to a massive 95.2Wh battery. That’s good enough for up to 7 hours of use for low-demanding tasks and roughly 2-4 hours of gaming, depending on the title.

With all this being said, the Razer Blade 16 is a fantastic choice for all levels of streaming, especially if you also dabble in content creation, thanks to the dual-mode display feature. And just like the Blade 18, it offers a premium experience in every other way, be it performance, visual experience, or even webcam performance and audio quality. If you’ve got some room in your budget, this is an excellent option.

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4. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

Display: 16” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | RAM: 16 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 5.5 lbs / 2.5 kg

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

REASONS TO BUY

  • Robust and sturdy design
  • Excellent value for the money
  • Competitive pricing
  • Excellent hardware for streaming
  • Crisp IPS display
  • Good battery life
  • Plenty of connectivity

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Poor speakers
  • Disappointing webcam quality
  • Bulky

Our Rating:   9.6/10

Gaming laptops from Lenovo have always offered great value for money, and the Legion 5 Pro is no different. It’s a powerful mid-range offering and our recommendation for streamers who are looking to get the best bang for their buck.

It doesn’t have any flashy features but instead delivers high-octane performance for smooth streaming, along with a great display and excellent connectivity.

Let’s first discuss the hardware, which is at the sweet spot in terms of money spent and performance needed for high-end streaming. This model ships with a current-gen CPU and GPU combo, the Ryzen 7 7745HX and RTX 4070, which produce smooth FPS in games and enough processing power for more intensive tasks.

In addition to that, you get 16GB of DDR5 RAM clocked at 5200MHz, which is fast but below the 32GB we recommend for streaming demanding games. However, there’s an extra DIMM slot, so you can easily and cheaply upgrade your RAM if needed.

Now, while the laptop is very robust and sturdy, with a quality aluminum lid and polycarbonate base, it lacks a visual flair, and you may find the design a bit boring. It measures 14.3 by 10.3 and 1.05 inches and weighs 5.5 pounds (2.5kg), making it also both bulky and quite heavy for its size.

Furthermore, the display is a smooth and sharp 16” QHD+ resolution IPS panel with a 165hz refresh rate, and the overall viewing experience is better than expected for a Lenovo laptop. The brightness was measured at 350 nits, which is above average and enough for use in bright environments. Color accuracy is solid but not great, with 100% coverage of the sRGB but only 70% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

Lenovo makes sure to always put extra ports on their laptop, so it’s no surprise the Legion 5 Pro offers amazing connectivity. Included on this laptop are four USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (one DisplayPort capable), an HDMI port, and 1Gbps Ethernet. Unfortunately, there is no SD card reader.

In terms of other features, the webcam has been upgraded to 1080p from last year’s 720p; however, the speakers are still lacking in audio quality, with only two small 2-watt speakers. On the brighter side, the battery life is solid for a gaming laptop, with up to 7 hours of light use.

All in all, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro basically uses brute force to make itself one of the best mid-range 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 Legion 5 Pro is the perfect option.

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5. Acer Nitro 17

Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1440) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 8 hours | Weight: 6.8 lbs / 3.1 kg

Acer Nitro 17

REASONS TO BUY

  • Excellent value for the money
  • Great performance for streaming
  • Large and smooth display for gaming
  • Sturdy build
  • Fantastic connectivity (including Thunderbolt 4)
  • Long battery life
  • Solid audio quality

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Thick and heavy
  • Poor 720p webcam
  • Full plastic build
  • Noticeable light bleed in dark rooms

Our Rating:   9.5/10

The idea behind the Nitro series is to offer a more affordable gaming experience, making the Nitro 17 our pick for the best budget laptop for streaming. This year’s model features an improved build, solid hardware for streaming, and a large 17” display, which is everything you really need to comfortably stream while staying under $1,500.

First off, while the build feels a lot sturdier compared to its predecessor, it still features a full plastic chassis that doesn’t really promote durability. Despite that, the hinges are stiff, and the laptop feels well assembled. What bothers us more than the plastic is the weight (6.8 pounds), which puts it in the 18-inch laptops’ territory.

Performance-wise, the laptop uses an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, which is an 8-core processor with a max clock rate of over 5GHz. That’s slightly more than what you’d get with some Intel processors, making it one of the best laptop CPUs you can get at this price. Plus, 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 solid GPU for streaming: an RTX 4060. While the most demanding games will be out of your reach, it will run the majority of popular competitive titles above 60FPS 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 16GB of DDR5 RAM keeps the price down but could be an issue if you’re planning on editing videos of your stream after the fact.

While most budget laptops are going to use an FHD, 144hz display, the Nitro 17 features a QHD (2560×1440) 165Hz display, which is going to mean even smoother video quality and much sharper image quality than you’re used to on 1080p screens.

In addition to that, the 360 nits of brightness are above the standard, and you’ll also appreciate the color accuracy (100% sRGB, 98% DCI-P3, 85% Adobe RGB), which makes colors in games look how they were intended. The only gripe we have is the poor 600:1 contrast, which results in a noticeable light bleed, especially in dark rooms.

While the laptop only has two small 2-watt speakers, the audio is surprisingly good, especially compared to its budget competitors. The audio has a wide frequency range, and it can get fairly loud (up to 80 dbA). The webcam quality is poor, however, with a basic and grainy 720p camera.

Connectivity is solid, with a Gigabit Ethernet, microSD card reader, audio jacks, three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, Thunderbolt 4, and one HDMI port. Lastly, the included 90Wh battery ensures a lengthy battery life of up to 8 hours of light use and around 3-6 hours of gaming, depending on the title.

Overall, the Acer Nitro 17 is an all-around safe bet for streaming. It checks nearly all the boxes for a budget laptop, with a large display, excellent connectivity, and good performance. Plus, its up-to-date components mean that it will remain a functional choice for several years to come.

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6. Dell Alienware X16

Display: 16” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: Intel Core i9-13900HK GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 6 lbs / 2.7 kg

Alienware X16

REASONS TO BUY

  • Noticeable improvements over last year’s model
  • Premium build and finish
  • Unique and extremely thin design
  • Excellent performance
  • Smooth, color-accurate display
  • Amazing CherryMX mechanical keyboard
  • Fantastic audio quality
  • Excellent 1080p webcam
  • Plenty of RGB
  • Solid battery life

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Port placement is a double-edged sword
  • Poor brightness
  • Premium price
  • Heavy

Our Rating:   9.4/10

The Alienware X16 is the latest addition to Dell’s premium line-up of gaming laptops, with plenty of power under the hood to stream the latest games. Enthusiasts will appreciate its flashy design along with the inclusion of a mechanical keyboard and other cool features, which provide an all-around premium experience at a premium price point.

Performance-wise, the X16 features the perfect mix of components for high-end gaming and streaming. It comes equipped with a powerful 14-core i9-13900HK processor, a high-performing RTX 4070 graphics card, 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe storage drive.

This is, in our opinion, the sweet spot for those who don’t want to compromise on in-game settings but also keep the price somewhat affordable. There is an extra M.2 for a storage upgrade; however, the RAM is soldered, so you’ll be stuck with 32 Gigs.

Moving along, the display is a bit of a mixed bag. It’s a 16-inch QHD+ resolution (189 PPI) IPS panel with a 240hz refresh rate and 300 nits of brightness. Overall, it offers a pleasant viewing experience, with a sharp and smooth screen and highly accurate colors (100% sRGB, 100% DCI-P3, 88% Adobe RGB). However, the brightness is poor and not suitable for use outside or in brightly lit environments.

Now, the standout feature is definitely the design. The X16 is both well-constructed and aesthetically pleasing, with a black and white design accented with a variety of RGB elements. Plus, the magnesium alloy and anodized aluminum ensure durability and longevity.

It’s also remarkably thin at 19mm (0.74 inches)–Even thinner than Blade 16, but heavier at a total weight of 6 pounds (2.7 kg).

The X16 also offers two keyboard options, with either a standard membrane keyboard or a mechanical option with CherryMX ultra low-profile keys, both with per-key RGB lighting.

The mechanical keyboard is one of the best laptop keyboards we tested, with a much more satisfying, responsive, and clicky feel compared to classic laptop keyboards. If you’re going to buy this laptop, the mechanical keyboard is a must.

Further, all of the I/O ports are located at the rear of the laptop, which helps with cable management but makes connecting and disconnecting devices a chore.

In total, there is one USB-C (Thunderbolt 4), one USB 4.0 (power delivery and DisplayPort), one USB-C (power delivery and DisplayPort), one HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and a single Mini DisplayPort.

Alienware finally made the switch to a 1080p webcam from their previous models, and it’s a visible difference with much higher image quality. The audio is also excellent with six integrated speakers (4x 3W woofers + 2x 2W tweeters), producing loud and punchy audio.

Finally, battery life is also a step up from previous models, with a 90Wh battery unit providing up to 7 hours of use on a single charge. There are longer-lasting laptops, but compared to what you get on the older models, it’s a pleasant surprise.

Overall, this is a premium offering across the board and a great laptop for high-end streaming. Most of the issues of previous models, such as battery life or poor webcam, have been fixed, making us confidently recommend this to anyone looking for a premium laptop for gaming, streaming, and even content creation.

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7. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17

Display: 17.3” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD (2560 x 1440) | CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 5 hours | Weight: 6.6 lbs / 3 kg

ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17

REASONS TO BUY

  • Premium gaming aesthetics
  • Quality and durable build
  • Excellent performance for all levels of streaming
  • Plenty of customizable RGB
  • Large, smooth, color-accurate display
  • Upgradeable RAM and storage
  • Impressive speaker system

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Short battery life
  • Poor webcam
  • Heavy and bulky
  • No SD card reader

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 aesthetics and less on budget. The ROG Strix Scar 17 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 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, which is widely considered to be one of the best gaming laptop processors currently available. The combination of the 5.4GHz clock rate and the high core count make this a powerful CPU for streaming.

Plus, 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 4080 GPU is going to ensure top-notch gaming performance as well as a high amount of compatibility going into the future. In terms of streaming, it’s going to run just about anything at max settings with smooth FPS.

In addition to that, this is another 32GB RAM offering, which means it’s going to handle any operations you need to perform, including top-tier graphics while streaming or running other programs.

As we already discussed, the 1TB SSD is a bit on the small side, especially without additional external/backup storage, but luckily, both RAM and storage are upgradeable to higher amounts.

In terms of display, this is a higher-end display offering an immersive viewing experience but not quite top-of-the-line. The display is a large 17.3” QHD IPS with a 240hz refresh rate for smooth gaming and a matte coating to help with reflections.

The brightness is good, but not great, with 350 nits of brightness; however, the screen is exceptionally color accurate, with 100% coverage of both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, lending itself to professional use as well.

Now, the design hasn’t really changed compared to the previous year’s model–It’s still on the bulkier side, at 1.1 inches (27.1mm) thick and heavy, weighing in at 6.6 pounds (3 kilos), making carrying it around a chore. On the brighter side, the design is both stylish and sturdy, with an aluminum lid and a high-quality plastic base.

Further, the connectivity is decent, with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (with DisplayPort), USB-C power delivery, a HDMI port, and HD audio. On average, the 90Wh battery can last up to 4-5 hours, which is expected but still disappointing.

Similar to most ROG laptops, the 4-speaker audio system is impressive, putting out loud and punchy audio. Lastly, the webcam is a very disappointing 720p unit, which is a questionable choice for a gaming laptop of this caliber.

Overall, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 is going to be a good option if you’re looking for a reliable laptop with a flashy design and performance to match. Currently, there are better options available on the market, but the Scar 17 is still a powerful laptop for streaming on Twitch and certainly worth the money.

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8. Acer Predator Helios 16

Display: 16” IPS | Screen Resolution: QHD+ (2560 x 1600) | CPU: Intel Core i7-13700HX GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 6 lbs / 2.7 kg

Acer Predator Helios 16

REASONS TO BUY

  • Competitive price
  • Durable build
  • Robust cooling system
  • Good performance for the money
  • Bright, color-accurate display
  • Great 1080p webcam
  • Rich I/O selection
  • Mini LED per-key RGB lighting

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Average speakers
  • Collects fingerprints
  • Mediocre battery life
  • Bulky and heavy

Our Rating:   9.2/10

Acer’s Predator series is part of their powerful gaming lineup and comes with solid hardware and a competitive price tag. This is a mid-range laptop aimed at budget-conscious gamers who still want a higher-end machine for more demanding tasks like streaming.

We’ve selected the 16” Predator Helios 16 with the RTX 4060 because the best option for most people 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 16 comes with a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13700HX, which is a powerful 14-core processor. It can be clocked up to 5 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.

Another draw for this laptop is the included 40 series Nvidia GPU at a low price point. As we already mentioned, the RTX 4060 isn’t the strongest of Nvidia’s current lineup, but it’s still going to be able to run 60FPS or above on most competitive titles, only excluding the highest-demanding games.

In terms of display, you don’t need to spend extra for the Mini LED version in order to get a top viewing experience. It’s a 16” QHD+ (189 PPI) IPS panel with a 240hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness. It’s easily among the best panels in this price range, with exceptional brightness, buttery-smooth visuals for gaming, and high color accuracy.

We do like the design, with a combination of the brushed aluminum lid, high-quality plastic base, and very stiff hinges, albeit it’s a bit boring and easily picks up fingerprints. It’s moderately thick at 27mm (1.06 inches) and fairly heavy at 6 pounds (2.7 kg).

The connectivity should be more than enough for any of your streaming needs. There is a total of three USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (both Thunderbolt 4 capable), Gigabit Ethernet, a microSD card reader, HDMI, and HD audio.

The laptop also features a solid 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support and good image quality, definitely above the average compared to other laptops in this price range. That can’t be said about two 2-watt stereo speakers, which lack bass and only produce up to 77 dbA of max volume.

Lastly, the battery life is solid but not great, lasting about six and a half to seven hours on minimum brightness and light load and around 3-4 hours when gaming. A full charge takes only about an hour, which is decent.

In summary, the Acer Helios 16 is a very solid option with current-gen components and a competitive price tag. There are some smaller drawbacks, but the overall combination of performance, quality, display, and webcam makes it a strong contender.

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9. Lenovo Legion 5

Display: 15.6” IPS | Screen Resolution: WQHD (2560 x 1440) | CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 | RAM: 32 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 7 hours | Weight: 5.3 lbs / 2.4 kg

Lenovo Legion 5

REASONS TO BUY

  • Very competitive price
  • Beefy processing power
  • Sturdy and well-constructed
  • Vibrant, color-accurate display
  • Upgradeable RAM and storage
  • Exceptional connectivity
  • 1080p webcam
  • RGB keyboard

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Gets hot under load
  • Noisy fans
  • Blocky design
  • Poor audio quality
  • Weak GPU for high-demanding games

Our Rating:   9.1/10

Like the Legion 5 Pro 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 12th-gen, 14-core processor, the Intel Core i7-12700H, which tends to give you a better price for a good level of performance–The higher core count will allow for the multitasking you need for streaming.

Additionally, the graphics card is an RTX 3060, which is an older version of the RTX 4060. 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 1TB SSD will allow for quick load times on a relatively large number of games. The RAM configuration is excellent, at 32GB of the new DDR5. This, in combination with the CPU, will provide enough power for streaming and running multiple background operations.

The display is surprisingly good for the price range, offering a 15.6-inch QHD IPS panel with a 165hz refresh rate, 300 nits of brightness, and 100% sRGB color gamut coverage. It’s sharp, smooth, and vibrant for gaming and is even suited for some casual content creation thanks to its high color accuracy.

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 a solid FullHD webcam, which is an upgrade from the previous year’s model 720p unit.

Connectivity-wise, there’s support for plenty of external devices, with three USB-A ports, three USB-C ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a HDMI port, and audio jacks.

Lastly, the design is sturdy but a bit blocky for a 15.6” gaming laptop, at an inch (25mm) thick and 5.3 pounds (2.4kg). The battery life is a bit disappointing at 2-3 hours of gaming since you’d expect a less powerful laptop to at least hold a charge better than its larger cousin.

Overall, the Lenovo Legion 5 is a decent and affordable laptop you can confidently use for streaming. If you’re not worried about having 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: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 | RAM: 16 GB DDR5 | Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD | Battery Life: Up to 11 hours | Weight: 5.7 lbs / 2.6 kg

ASUS TUF Gaming F17

REASONS TO BUY

  • Budget-friendly
  • Good performance for the price point
  • Large, smooth IPS display
  • Exceptional battery life
  • Great port selection

REASONS TO AVOID

  • Weak GPU for high-end streaming
  • Poor webcam quality
  • Bottom-tier speakers and microphone
  • Terrible color accuracy
  • Low brightness

Our Rating:   8.8/10

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 AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS, an 8-core current-generation processor, which will handle any of your streaming or productivity demands.

However, for graphics, you have an RTX 4050, which is one of the most budget-friendly graphics cards in current laptops. It will struggle with some games from the last couple of years but still offers pretty good performance for the price.

Like the GPU, the RAM is a bit below what we’d typically recommend for streaming, at only 16GB. That’s still going to be a great 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.

In addition, you still have a 1TB 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 smaller side for serious gamers.

When it comes to the display, you get what you pay for. The laptop comes equipped with a 17.3” FullHD (1920×1080) IPS panel with a 144hz refresh rate and a matte coating to help with reflections. It’s plenty large and smooth for gaming, but that’s where the positives end.

The 1080p is stretched on the 17-inch screen, resulting in a low PPI of 127, and the 250-nit brightness is below average for what we recommend. Plus, the color accuracy is also terrible, with only 63% coverage of the sRGB color gamut.

Internet-wise, the laptop features a WiFi 6 module and a Gigabit Ethernet port, which is going to allow for fast, stable internet connections, which is the only thing you absolutely need for streaming. In addition to that, there are two USB-A, two USB-C ports (only one supporting Thunderbolt 4), a HDMI port, and audio jacks.

Now, the TUF Gaming 17 has a decent 720p camera, but for serious streaming, you’ll definitely want to upgrade to an external webcam. The speakers and mic are also bottom-tier, so be prepared to drop some money on a headset as well.

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 excellent, at an average of 7 hours, less if you’re gaming, and 3-4 hours 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.

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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!

About Richard Gamin 232 Articles
My name's Richard and over the years, I have personally built many PCs for myself and my friends. I love gaming, programming, graphics designing and basically anything that has to do with computers and technology. If you ever need a hand with anything, feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to help you out.

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