As a solo gamer who doesn't really care much for others seeing me die over and over again, or listen to me sound my barbaric yawp over the rooftops of the world, I have not streamed any of my own personal gaming sessions. I have, however, had the good fortune to work with colleagues and professional gamers who are extremely adept at showing off their skills in everything from Fall Guys to Escape from Tarkov. The light is on and burning brightly for the masses, and Twitch's popularity cannot be ignored, so it comes as no surprise that CCL is getting a higher number of requests for streaming PC builds that can scratch the itch of today's gamer: a PC that can play the latest games, stream flawlessly to Twitch, and edit high quality video footage.
This article will help you find that PC, and hopefully answer a few questions about why millions of gamers are streaming on Twitch in the first place.
Is now a good time to get into streaming on Twitch?
With so many creators landing on Twitch every month, you might be wondering if you should even bother. Our recent article answered if you should start streaming on Twitch in a little more depth, and goes a long way to answer that question, but here's some more reasons (by the numbers).
The largest game streaming platform has not slowed down its growth over the last few years, and the number of people logging in to watch their favourite streamers saw incredible peaks over 2020, 2021 and the better part of 2022. Fans and followers watched thousands of hours of gaming during the lockdowns, further cementing Twitch as the number one live streaming service in the industry.
Are there Twitch alternatives?
If you have had an eye on the news lately, you might be hearing a lot about a new Twitch rival - Kick.com. One of the most popular streamers in the world, Tyler “Trainwreck” Niknam, is moving to the new platform, and is recommending others do the same. Trainwreck is a non-exclusive streamer with Kick.com and non-owner advisor to the new service, and has accused Twitch of lining the pockets of a “handful” of content creators, adding that the platform - in his opinion - is going in the “wrong direction.”
"Twitch has deemed most of us, irrelevant.", says Trainwreck in a lengthy Twitlonger post vilifying Twitch: "As a top 5 twitch creator in the world for 16.5 months straight, and currently a top 10 twitch creator in the world, I have a good understanding of twitch, its foundations, whether they be underground or mainstream, and the way everything works. Twitch pads the pockets of a handful of creators, and they are the only ones that won’t admit twitch’s negligence toward the majority of its streamers.
"I’ve always believed in Twitch and want to stream there, but they are going in the wrong direction. Twitch has built an empire off of our backs and has the audacity to spit in all of our faces by not only giving us no financial security, with its inconsistent policies, but by also cutting our pay in places that they have no right to cut."
The platform does look inviting, if not identical to some of Twitch's famous UI, with an interesting split of revenue for streamers. Kick says they will provide a 95% to 5% subscriber split, which means 95% of the funds go to streamers, and 5% goes to Kick.com. 100% of tips go to the creator as well, which has been a bone of contention for some time in the community, with the "cheering" or tipping mechanic in Twitch (Bits) allowing the platform to take a share of the Bits at the point of purchase. This is being seen as akin to a restaurant owner skimming employees tips, and is not looked on favourably by streamers. Kick's philosophy and attempt to break new ground in the streaming world is certainly admirable, though concerns over a lack of privacy policy and many other issues are circulating on the official Reddit sub. At least for now, it seems, Twitch have a monopoly in the space. But that space is worth watching.
The best PC for gaming, editing and live streaming
First and foremost, to ensure you have the best possible experience when playing ands streaming, as well as editing your gameplay footage, you will need a mid-tier or high-end gaming PC. Of course, if you are just starting out and don't even know if you will be streaming on Twitch or editing video in the next year or so, an entry level streaming PC will suffice. However, this guide is probably not for you.
Specifications
The main hardware specifications you'll need are: -
NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card
Using NVENC to encode your streams ensures the highest possible quality and smoothest video for your viewers, whilst enjoying flawless gameplay. NVIDIA Studio supports video editing tools like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, delivering creative performance and faster workflows.
Higher performance Intel or AMD processor
Our Intel 12th-Gen streaming PCs allow you to multi-task and create with ease, using Thread Director and Hybrid technology to prioritise workloads during gaming, streaming or editing sessions. Similarly, AMD Ryzen delivers performance through high core/thread counts and boost technology, allowing you to power through long gaming or streaming sessions, and work on high resolution video clips without compromise.
Fast, high capacity memory
Our gaming and streaming PCs are equipped with fast RAM, which also allows you to work on video edits without experiencing any lag. Choose a minimum of 16GB 3200MHz RAM for absolute performance when you need it most.
Why choose CCL?
Before we get into the PC specs, you might be wondering why you should listen to our advice?
One of the biggest changes CCL made to our mid-tier and high end gaming PC specifications is ensuring the gamer has the option to live stream and edit video to share with their fans. With so many of our customers looking to create their own content, and share their gameplay with the world, our PC engineers always ensure each gaming PC spec meets the needs (and future needs) of the modern gamer.
Whether you are building your own or buying a streaming PC, or buying accessories to help you deliver the best possible stream, you will find it at CCL. Working with streamers like TigressX, Tech Notice and Aaron Longstaff has given us an incredible insight into what modern streamers value most in both the hardware and accessories they use.
Ready to buy your dream streaming, gaming and editing PC? Read on...
Best Mid-Tier PC for streaming, gaming and editing
Specification:
- Windows 11 Home
- Intel Core i3 12100F 3.3GHz
- 16GB DDR4 3200
- GeForce RTX 3050 8GB
- 500GB Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
- 2,400Mbps Built-in Wi-Fi
Best High-End PCs for streaming, gaming and editing
Specification:
- Windows 11 Home
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5GHz
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
- GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB
- 1000GB Samsung 980 NVMe SSD
- 2,400Mbps Built-in Wi-Fi
Specification:
- Windows 11 Home
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D 3.4GHz
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
- GeForce RTX 3080 10GB
- 1000GB Samsung 980 PRO NVMe SSD
- 1,733Mbps Built-in Wi-Fi
What else do I need to start streaming and editing?
Our dedicated Streamer Deals section will help you find what you're looking for, from webcams to gaming chairs, and offering exclusive deals on streaming PCs you won't find anywhere else.
Check out all of our Streaming Deals here.
