What Components Do I Need for a Streaming & Gaming PC

Heckenberg on 15/04/2021 - 09:29

I have recently started streaming on console, but am looking into doing more on PC.
The games I play on PC (OSRS, Oxenfree, Overcooked, etc.) are not very demanding, and play fine while not streaming.
I have quickly discovered that as soon as I try to run a game and stream it, my computer simply can't handle it (eg. frames drop drastically, video recording freezes, and gameplay stutters). When I purchased this build I did not have streaming in mind, as it was mainly just used for Uni and light gaming.

Question: Can I simply upgrade parts/buy new components to ensure a smooth streaming experience, or do I need a whole new unit?
What is the recommended GPU, CPU, and would I need to buy a new motherboard to get better RAM, etc?

Ryzen 3 3200G
VEGA 8 On-Board Graphics
8GB 2666MHz RAM
120GB Allied SSD
1TB Samsung 860 QVO SSD
Biostar AMD A320M motherboard
550W PSU
Leaper Flair Case

Unsure of budget, but not looking to play very demanding games as that is reserved for my consoles.

Any help would be appreciated from this community, thank you!

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • Fergy1987 on 15/04/2021 - 09:37
    +1

    Need a new PC I think

    From that list you need:
    New CPU which means new motherboard - 3600 could do it if you can get one cheap enough - Get a B550 motherboard so you can upgrade CPU later.
    A GPU and depending on the PSU quality, could also need an upgrade - GPU prices are ridiculous at the moment so you will struggle to find something at a good price
    At least 16GB Ram at a faster speed than 2666

    Looks like you're running a Techfast PC

    If you were happy with that I would look at their current deals instead of trying to upgrade.

    • garetz on 15/04/2021 - 14:53
      +1

      dunno why you got negged, but this advice is spot on

    • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 08:53

      Thank you for your input. Looking at other builds now. Seems like the way to go considering the upgrades I would need to consider.

  • oscargamer on 15/04/2021 - 09:37
    -6

    If it works fine offline and struggles online, then the problem is the internet connection or your network connection, not the computer.

  • Master Bates on 15/04/2021 - 09:38
    +4

    More RAM would help because you have an APU (integrated GPU in your CPU) that is utilising a large slice of your 8GB of RAM.

    • Heckenberg on 15/04/2021 - 12:22

      Thanks for your suggestion! How much RAM do you think is recommended? 16GB? Also, will my RAM speeds be restricted by my motherboard?

      • Master Bates on 15/04/2021 - 12:45

        I would try another 8GB stick of matching RAM. It looks to be about $70 brand new or you can try and scour Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree (but that comes with a lot of inherent risks there from a working/matching standpoint).

        With that said, others below have commented that there is a possibility the APU cannot handle the concurrent streaming and gaming activity, so more RAM may not fully resolve your issue.

        • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 08:55

          A $70 stick of RAM would be a cheap fix if it is the main issue, so I am definitely considering it if I choose to keep this PC. Thanks!

  • Switchblade88 on 15/04/2021 - 09:41
    +5

    You need a discrete GPU so you can utilise their inbuilt encoding features, as well as have capacity to stream & play at the same time.

    Unfortunately GPUs are overvalued at the moment so you're screwed

    • iforgotmysocks on 15/04/2021 - 09:47
      -1

      discrete GPU

      Yes one that can keep it's mouth shut

      • Switchblade88 on 15/04/2021 - 10:08
        +2

        Was I being too discreet about correctly defining a 'distinct and separate entity'??

    • Heckenberg on 15/04/2021 - 12:03

      Thanks for the reply. Noob question, but any recommendations? Or, what should I be considering when looking at different GPUs?

      • Switchblade88 on 15/04/2021 - 13:03

        A secondhand 'cheap' 1660 is currently selling for MORE than the original RRP.

        A brand new 3070 is so expensive at $1800 or so that it actually becomes better value to buy a prebuilt PC from Techfast again (i.e. you're getting a GPU, with a new CPU/mobo/RAM/PSU etc included for another $100!)

        So whilst a GPU addition is the simplest route, it's likely not the best route - and both options are going to be expensive unfortunately.

        • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 09:21

          In terms of a new prebuilt system, what sort of GPU do you think I should be considering as a minimum requirement? 3060?

          • Switchblade88 on 16/04/2021 - 09:49
            +1

            @Heckenberg: If you can afford it, a 3070 definitely has better value/performance than a 3060 system. A 3060ti would be a good option but they're simply not available to buy. However, you'd be paying $2000 versus $1300 for a 3060 system, and you may well be better off buying a good monitor, extra storage or the like within that $700 price gap.

            I'd also recommend a better motherboard if available, having 4 ram slots, extra m.2 ports and additional PCIe slots is much more useful later on to get more life from your system. Techfast did have a few options to offer on their 3060 systems page

  • toomuchdogfur on 15/04/2021 - 09:51
    +2

    First check to see if you're utilising AMD Relive properly: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonevangelho/2018/04/17/how-t… - this will offload stream encoding to your APU's Vega cores, which might help if your games aren't demanding too much graphics power.

    If it's still not good then unfortunately you're not going to fix this without a lot of money.

    While streaming, either your CPU or GPU has to dedicate some cores to converting your game stream on the fly. Your PC only has 4 cores/4 threads and a relatively light built in GPU - it has its hands full already with the CPU/GPU load of a game, hence why it struggles to stream as well.

    Unfortunately there's no cheap solution to this - you need a GPU, and GPUs are really expensive right now. No APU is going to cut it for gaming and streaming simultaneously - simply not enough cores/threads on any of them, you want at least 6 cores OR a GPU that is beefy enough to run the game and AMD Relive/NVENC

    EDIT: Alternatively… you could buy a capture card and stream your console games instead, as your APU is strong enough to do stream encoding only. The capture card would cost $200-$300, but that's still less than half of what a decent GPU costs now…

    • User2049 on 15/04/2021 - 10:44

      You can just get a much cheaper USB HDMI capture card for under $50.

      • toomuchdogfur on 15/04/2021 - 16:34

        I thought you we're exaggerating, but holy cow there are capture cards for $20! There's even one for under $12 if you're OK with no reviews on it.

        • User2049 on 15/04/2021 - 16:51

          Yeah it's not like you are getting a terrible signal if you are happy with 1080p 60fps. You only really need an expensive capture card for 4k or high refresh rate.

    • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 09:27

      Thanks for the suggestions! Having a look at Relive now. Also, I have considered just using my consoles with my PC for streaming purposes, so will look into capture cards a bit more.

  • geekcohen on 15/04/2021 - 11:48
    +1

    Always go more RAM. It would suggest 16GB Minimum. Otherwise I would highly suggest 32GB.

    I would go a new build rather than just upgrading certain parts. To upgrade certain parts you are going to need a new motherboard most likely anyway and then you would might as well get a whole new build.

    • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 10:38

      Thanks, I'm looking into purchasing another stick of RAM as it is pretty inexpensive. Any recommendations on a new build, ie. GPU/CPU?

  • [Deactivated] on 15/04/2021 - 12:06
    +1

    You need to buy a dedicated graphics card as that is the bottleneck.

    • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 10:40

      Which graphics card would you recommend as a minimum?

  • scrimshaw on 15/04/2021 - 13:18

    In this weird market it might actually make more sense to buy a completely new prebuilt system that already has a graphics card.

    a RTX 3060 system is around $1.3k https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/616034

    meanwhile the graphic card just by itself costs $850

    In your position I would just sell off your current GPU-less system (but keep the 1TB QVO SSD) and replace it completely with the new build, It's an upgrade in every aspect including memory and processor speed.

    The next best alternative is to pre-order a RTX3070 from PLE which would set you back $999, although the wait times can be long and unpredictable. I only had to wait 2 weeks for mine.

    • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 11:47

      Thanks for your advice. I think I'll have to upgrade the Mobo to fit my PCIe network card, but besides that do you think the RAM or PSU should be upgraded? I'll bring my 1TB QVO SSD from my current build over as you have suggested so I'm fine for storage.

      • scrimshaw on 16/04/2021 - 11:59

        Are you going with a new prebuilt or are you upgrading parts of your current system?

        If you're upgrading your rig to a 3070, your 550w power supply is not going to cut it. Maybe try this Silverstone PSU.

        The RAM of course will be a huge bottleneck until you've gone dual channel. Single channel memory hurts Ryzen performance by quite a bit.

        the BIostar a320m motherboard has a very low end chipset which doesn't support high speed memory either, so if you're upgrading that I'd look at B550 motherboard at a minimum. You could try this

        • Heckenberg on 16/04/2021 - 13:06

          Sorry, I meant in regards to the prebuild from Techfast you suggested. The included mobo won't fit my PCIe card, and I don't mind having to pay an extra $29 for the upgrade.

          • scrimshaw on 16/04/2021 - 13:33

            @Heckenberg: Yes I would imagine the GIGABYTE b550 is probably quite a bit better than the Biostar board.

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