Best CPU for streaming and YouTube
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 or YouTube? Sounds fun and you also can make new friends. For casual streaming, set at 720p/30fps, with a low bitrate, you can use almost any modern CPU with four cores and eight threads. For semi-pro streaming, on the other hand, you’ll need one of the most powerful CPUs on the market.
If you want to improve your streaming game, you’re in luck. Because today, we’ve made a list featuring the best CPUs for Twitch and YouTube streaming. We have the value, mid-range, and high-end picks, along with an interesting proposition for those on a tight budget.
Now, if you’re a streamer, you’ll probably want to check out our guide for the best RTX 3090 graphics cards. We also recommend our list of the best fiber optics modems and routers to keep your internet connection stable. Finally, visit our guide for the best 1440p 240Hz monitor in case you’re an esports streamer.
Read more on AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16-Core 32-Thread REVIEW
Intel Core i3 10100F: Best entry-level CPU for streaming
CORES ~4
THREADS~8
BASE FREQUENCY~3.6 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~ 4.3 GHz
For esports games, the i3 10100F is a good CPU, but not great for streaming them. Therefore, we only recommend this CPU if you can pair it with powerful Nvidia Turing and Ampere GPUs. You can use NVENC to get excellent CPU and GPU performance and solid image quality instead of using the fast or very fast OBS preset, which results in subpar image quality.
At the moment, the best entry-level CPU for gaming and streaming is the Core i3 10100F. The Ryzen 3 3300X is a great CPU that performs better than the 10100F, but its current cost is beyond ridiculous. Therefore, if you’re on a tight budget, go with the i3 and any Turing-based Nvidia GPU or newer for a great starting setup for streaming esports games.
Keep in mind, this central processor isn’t appropriate for programming encoding. NVENC is your only viable choice. In theory, you can use OBS presets that are faster (superfast, very fast), but the image quality will look like it was recorded with a 90s camcorder.
In the event that you choose to purchase the i3, we also suggest that you purchase a low-cost B560 motherboard rather than a B460 board. Memory overclocking is a feature of the most recent chipset that can significantly improve gaming and streaming performance.
If you stream variety shows and AAA games, you might want to spend more money and get a CPU with six cores instead. If that’s the case, take a look at our next suggestion.,
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Intel Core i5 10400F: Best value CPU for streaming
Intel Core i5-1310400F
CORES~6
THREADS~12
BASE FREQUENCY~2.9 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~4.3 GHz
With six cores, the Core i5 10400F can handle any current game at high refresh rates. Gaming at 1440p with a high refresh rate is guaranteed with a capable graphics card. This makes the 10400F the best worth central processor for streaming. Allow the GPU to do the truly difficult work, and your decoration profession might start.
When using the medium preset in OBS, the CPU might be able to produce playable frame rates and a steady stream. However, we recommend using the NVENC to enjoy (much) higher frame rates because the quality difference isn’t so great that you’d have to give up CPU performance.
In comparison to using the CPU on a B460 board, if you pair the 10400F with a B560 motherboard and fast DDR4 memory (such as DDR4-3200 with tight latencies), you will experience a significant performance boost. Jump to our RAM vs. CPU guide to learn how much RAM affects CPU performance..Also related: Best CPU Under $200 in 2023 . Read more on best cpu for 4090
Intel Core i7 10700KF: Best mid-range CPU for streaming
Intel Core i7-10700KF 3.80GHz LGA1200 Socket 125 Wat
CORES~8
THREADS~16
BASE FREQUENCY~3.8 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~5.1 GHz
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The 10700KF is a better option for streaming than the Ryzen 7 3700X or 5800X because of its lower price. Surprisingly, the 10700KF can stream at a higher quality via OBS than the 5800X without dropping frames. Although the 5800X is significantly more expensive, we believe that the slight performance hit is well worth it.
Having said that, the AMD component performs slightly better in heavy multi-threaded workloads. Video editing is possible with the 10700KF. Preparing YouTube videos of your streams won’t take up too much of your time. In addition, you will be able to stream any game at competitive frame rates with higher OBS presets.
The 10700KF is an excellent gaming CPU in general. If you don’t stream, the 5600X might be a better choice for you. However, the 10700KF is a much better CPU for streaming games than the 5600X because it has two additional cores and costs almost the same..Also related: Best X99 CPUs of 2023 . Read more on Best CPUs for Mining Monero
Intel Core i9 10850K: Best value high-end CPU for streaming
Intel® Core™ i9-10850K Desktop Processor 10 Cores up to 5.2 GHz Unlocked LGA1200 (Intel® 400 Series chipset) 125W
CORES~10
THREADS~20
BASE FREQUENCY~3.6 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~5.2 GHz
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When compared to more expensive gaming CPUs, the Core i9 10850K is the most cost-effective CPU for streaming. a superb option for streamers who intend to employ software encoding. When it comes to streaming performance, the CPU, which is a 10900K with slightly lower boost clocks and overclocking potential, performs worse than the 3900X.
The problem is that the 3900X is currently significantly more expensive than the 10850K. The Intel CPU is a better option for streaming and gaming due to its lower price. The 5800X, on the other hand, is a faster gaming CPU and costs about the same.
But the 10850K’s two additional cores make a big difference for CPU-based streaming. The 10850K is a better option for the same price point because the 5800X is worse than the 10700K at gaming and streaming.Also related: best cpu for YouTube video editing. Read more on The Best Intel Xeon Processors For Gaming
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X: Best high-end CPU for streaming and video editing
AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-core, 24-Thread
CORES~12
THREADS~27
BASE FREQUENCY~3.7 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~4.8 GHz
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We believe that the Ryzen 9 5900X is the best CPU for streaming in general and a beast of a CPU. It can deal with any game with OBS slow preset@1080p turned on and with a high bitrate. Without a single frame dropping, even the notorious Ashes of the Singularity will run smoothly.
What’s more, the best thing of everything is that the 5900X is additionally an enormously strong processor for serious work. It can be used to edit videos, and you can quickly create and export videos for YouTube. The 5900X is the way to go if you want the best.
You’re set when you pair it with a motherboard in the middle range. Several of the best B550 motherboards on our list should work well with the 5900X. If you have the money and want a faster CPU for heavy multitasking, our next recommendation is for you..Read more on best cpu to for RTX 3060 . Read more on Best cpu for java
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X: Best flagship CPU for streaming
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core, 32-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
CORES~16
THREADS~32
BASE FREQUENCY~3.4 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~4.9 GHz
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Get the Ryzen 9 5900X if you want the best CPU for gaming and streaming, but go with the Ryzen 9 5950X if you have the money and can use all 16 cores. This is the most powerful mainstream CPU you can get right now, but most people won’t need it.
Regardless of whether you’re streaming @1080p with a high piece rate. Be that as it may, assuming you’re doing a great deal of 4K video altering, you could save a lot of time by getting this 16-center behemoth. The fact that the 5950X does not require a high-end motherboard to fully spread its wings is one of its redeeming features.
However, the 5950X is extremely pricey in the end. Again, gamers who only require a CPU for streaming do not merit our recommendation. In the event that that is the situation, get the 5900X and put the cost distinction in a superior screen or a quicker GPU. However, the 5950X is a fantastic option if you can fully utilize its power..Read more on Best Budget CPU For Gaming. Read more on best cpu to pair with 3090
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X: Best workstation CPU for streaming
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X 24-Core, 48-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X 24-Core, 48-Thread Unlocked Desktop Processor
CORES~24
THREADS~48
BASE FREQUENCY~3.8 GHz
TURBO FREQUENCY~4.5 GHz
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The Ryzen Threadripper 3960X is a high-end CPU for workstations at an affordable price. It’s a beast if you need its 24 cores for serious video editing or rendering tasks and have money to spare. However, the 5900X is currently the best value if you require a CPU solely for gaming and streaming.
With the best OBS presets, you can use a Threadripper, but the benefits diminish. If you want to improve the quality of your stream, it is better to increase the bitrate rather than switch from the medium preset to the slow preset. Also, this means faster internet, not a CPU with more cores that runs faster.
When working on extremely challenging tasks, the 3960X performs better. workloads that are extremely demanding and run on multiple threads, such as rendering and streaming simultaneously. Assuming you intend to involve the 3960X for something to that effect, get it.
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Using Nvidia Turing & Ampere GPUs for streaming
On the Turing graphics cards, Nvidia’s NVENC hardware-accelerated video encoding engine received a slew of enhancements. Ampere GPUs (RTX 3000 series) and GTX 1650 and 1660 models are all included in this. As a result, streaming video at high bitrates should now be possible without requiring a fast CPU with a lot of cores.
The truth is a little bit different. While it performed better when tested against the OBS X264 Fast preset at low bitrates, the video quality was lower than that of the OBS X264 Medium preset. Now, the issue is that the X264 medium preset cannot be used on CPUs with four or six cores because their performance will suffer. For the medium preset, those CPUs have too few cores. When encoding, it’s best to use an Nvidia Turing GPU if you have one.
If you can’t stream at a high bitrate because of poor internet, Nvidia graphics cards are also better. In OBS, the NVENC outperforms both the X264 fast and medium presets at low bitrates. Additionally, this is precisely what our budget CPU choices must provide. In eSports titles, competitive performance and high frame rates allow for a stream that is watchable in quality. While maintaining decent video quality, you only lose five to ten percent of the frames.
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