What PC specs do I need for streaming?

For a smooth streaming experience you need a capable modern CPU, a dedicated graphics card and at least 16GB of memory. The recommended configurations on this page cover competitive, mid-range and high-end options.

How much FPS can I get in streaming at 1440P?

The recommended gaming PCs on this page are selected to deliver strong frame rates in streaming at 1440P, with higher-tier builds providing significantly more headroom for high refresh rate displays.

What budget do I need for a streaming PC?

A capable streaming PC can be built from around £1200, with larger budgets buying higher resolutions, better settings and more future-proof performance.

Can PCTG Builder recommend a streaming PC?

Yes. The PCTG AI Builder recommends compatible components based on your budget, purpose and resolution, so you can generate a streaming gaming PC in seconds.

Can I upgrade my streaming PC later?

Most of the recommended builds use upgradeable platforms, allowing future graphics card, memory and storage upgrades where supported.

Best PC For Streaming UK

Streaming places a unique demand on a PC: it must run your game, capture and encode your gameplay, and keep streaming software, chat and overlays running smoothly — all at the same time. This guide recommends the best streaming PCs across budgets, with a focus on processor cores, memory capacity and modern encoding.

Updated 2026

Recommended Streaming PC Builds

Entry — £1200

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
GPU: RTX 4060
Memory: 32GB DDR5
Target: Smooth 1080P gaming + stream

Mid — £1500

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
GPU: RTX 5070
Memory: 32GB DDR5 6000
Target: 1440P gaming + 1080P stream

High — £2500

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
GPU: RTX 5080
Memory: 64GB DDR5 6000
Target: 4K gaming + heavy multi-tasking

Why Cores And Memory Matter For Streaming

A streamer-friendly PC benefits from more processor cores to handle the game alongside OBS, and more memory to keep browser, chat and overlays responsive. Modern graphics cards also include dedicated hardware encoders, allowing gameplay to be encoded with minimal impact on frame rate.

Hardware Encoding: NVENC And Beyond

Every RTX graphics card recommended in this guide includes a dedicated NVENC encoder. This offloads the encoding workload from the CPU, so streaming in 1080P at high quality barely affects gaming performance — even on a single PC.

Who Is Each Build For?

✓ New streamers — the £1200 build
✓ 1440P streamers and growing channels — the £1500 build
✓ Full-time creators and 4K streams — the £2500 build

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I stream on one PC?

Yes. With a modern CPU and an RTX graphics card using NVENC, a single PC handles gaming and streaming comfortably at 1080P, and 1440P on higher-end builds.