With most of us having to stay at home for the majority of 2020, it’s no surprise that Twitch streamers have been amassing more and more viewers daily. Gaming has always been a source of entertainment, particularly for the younger generation, myself included.
Those of you who enjoy playing games might even be considering kickstarting their Twitch career, but need a laptop do to so. That’s where we come in.
We’ve listed down our top 8 choices for the best laptops for Twitch streaming, reviewed them, and done all the research for you to help you come to the right decision for which laptop is best for you.
Make Twitch Streaming Smooth With These Laptops
#1. ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
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A great way to kick this list off is the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, which has insanely good specs and is a very viable option for your Twitch streams. Its fantastic displays will give you tons of room to monitor your streams, chatbox, and OBS while playing games with no problem.
What we like
The 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor goes up to speeds of 4.5GHz, which gives you tons of power to play your games to stream. Having a quadcore processor means you’ve got more simultaneous computing power as well.
With 16GB of RAM paired with 1TB of storage, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo makes the laptop much quicker than most other ultrabooks, and also much sturdier. Most games need at most 16GB of RAM to run smoothly, and this is enough storage space to store your games and recording programs safely.
You can’t stream games if you’re going to play them with low graphics settings. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card should let you play your favorite titles on high settings with little to no difficulty. This dedicated GPU offers gaming-grade graphics and 6GB of VRAM.
The best feature, or should I say features, of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo’s 4K touchscreen display. The main display has a screen resolution of 3840x2560p, and the second display is at 3840x1100p.
When you’re streaming, you can have the second display function as a second display, or as an extension of the main display. We believe that it’s best used as a second display for your other streaming programs or the OBS for great streaming management.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo is also designed very stylishly. The metal chassis is very sturdy, and it looks fantastic. The keyboard is comfortable as well, the keys don’t feel mushy, so playing your favorite games will be comfortable.
There are tons of ports on the ASUS as well, which allow you to connect to another monitor if needed through the HDMI port. You can easily connect a mouse or controller through either the USB ports or through the Bluetooth support of this laptop.
Downsides
There are a couple of downsides to the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo. You can’t upgrade the RAM and storage of the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo, so you’re going to be stuck with this configuration. The displays aren’t the brightest, either only reaching about 350-nits of brightness.
The only other issue with the ASUS is that it isn’t that portable either. The laptop itself weighs in at around 5.5lbs, which is heavier than some of the gaming laptops we have here, and the battery isn’t that impressive either, lasting up to 3 hours long when running your favorite games at high settings.
#2. Razer Blade 15
- Best Feature: ScreenPad Plus (Dual Screen)
- RAM: 16GB
- Processor: 9th Gen, i7 9750H
- CPU Speed: 4.5 GHz
- Graphics: RTX 2060 (6GB)
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15.6” (3840 x 2160)
- Weight: 5.51 lbs
- Battery Life: 4-6 hrs
The Razer Blade 15 is by far our best Windows laptop choice for Twitch streamers. It has powerful, gaming-grade specs, as well as gaming-tier hardware, to pair with it, making it one of the best gaming laptops out on the market right now.
What we like
The first spec we’ll talk about is the CPU. This laptop comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, which can clock speeds up to 5.1GHz. This is the fastest CPU we have here and has the greatest number of cores, which gives the Razer Blade 15 tons of simultaneous computing power.
It also has adequate memory and storage as well. It has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive. While those specs are already impressive, you can also upgrade them to give the Razer Blade 15 an even bigger power boost. The memory can be brought up to 64GB in total, and you can add another drive that’s compatible with the M.2 PCle slot.
The Razer Blade 15 also offers gamer-tier graphics, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU. It’s a dedicated graphics card that offers 8GB of VRAM. You’ll be able to play your favorite titles and stream them on Twitch in very high quality.
This laptop also sports the best display for gamers. The 15.6-inch 4K Ultra-HD display is no joke. It has a screen resolution of 3840x2160p, and a refresh rate of 300Hz, so the in-game animations won’t look any smoother anywhere else.
The Razer Blade 15 is also quite stylish. Not only does it keep the gamer laptop look, but it reinvents it with a more minimalist design. The aluminum chassis is also very sturdy, and the hinge won’t wear easily when constantly opening and closing the laptop lid.
It also has a very good keyboard for gaming. The keys have a good travel distance between them, and the RGB behind the keyboard can be fully customized to your tastes as well, making it look even better.
One of the stand-out perks of the Razer Blade 15 has is that it’s already primed to run virtual reality games, and the Oculus is compatible with it. Not only is it compatible, but it will also run your games on the Oculus with no difficulty whatsoever.
Downsides
The only major downside to the Razer Blade 15 that we could find is that it gets quite hot when running intensive programs. If you’re streaming while playing some of the latest AAA releases, you might find that the Razer will start heating up after quite some time.
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#3. Apple MacBook Pro (Best MacBook)
- Best Feature: Magic Keyboard
- RAM: 8GB
- Processor: 10th Gen, i3
- CPU Speed: Up to 3.20 GHz
- Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 13.3″ Retina Display (2560×1600)
- Weight 2.80 lbs
- Battery Life 7-8 Hrs
You might not have expected a MacBook to make it into this list, but the gaming industry is changing, and most mainstream major releases are now compatible with both Windows and macOS laptops nowadays, making the MacBook Pro the best macOS laptop for Twitch Streamers today.
What we like
The MacBook Pro comes with a hexacore 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, which has 6 cores to work with and can turbo up to speeds of 4.5GHz. The MacBook Pro is fast and will handle your games with ease.
This model comes equipped with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, which is just right for gamers who want to stream on Twitch. This gives you tons of speed to work with, you’ll be able to stream smoothly and run your OBS with no issues, and the solid-state drive is better for storing your programs and games.
The AMD Radeon Pro Graphics GPU is great for gaming as well. This dedicated graphics card offers an additional 4GB of VRAM and gives you the ability to play your games on high settings.
One of the best features of the MacBook Pro is its display. Its 16-inch retina display has a screen resolution of 3072x1920p and has a very high pixel density. It’s supported by Apple’s True Tone technology, which should make streaming for long hours much kinder on your eyes.
The MacBook Pro is sturdy and has an all-aluminum chassis. It’s sleek and stylish and is quite portable because of how thin it is. The keyboard is backlit, and makes use of Apple’s scissor-switch technology, making it extremely comfortable to use.
Apple’s TouchBar should give you extra maneuverability with your streaming OBS as well, so this is a definite plus if you’re the type of streamer who needs to constantly switch up your settings in your OBS.
Downsides
The MacBook Pro, first and foremost, isn’t a gaming laptop, and it’s only recently that most major releases are compatible with macOS. If you’re planning on streaming older titles, you might need to find a way to patch it to become Mac compatible, as most older games are only compatible with Windows.
Paying for further upgrades for the Apple MacBook Pro is expensive, and considering the price point of the MacBook Pro, you might be better off purchasing a gaming laptop for your Twitch streams.
#4. Acer Nitro 5 (Best Budget Laptop)
You don’t need to have to spend the big bucks to become a Twitch streamer, and there are extremely affordable gaming laptops that’ll help you kickstart your Twitch career. The Acer Nitro 5 is our best budget choice for streamers on a tight budget.
What we like
The Acer Nitro 5 comes equipped with a 9th Gen Intel Core i5 quadcore processor, which can clock up to speeds of 4.1GHz. Most games will easily run on an i5 processor now, albeit on slightly lower settings.
It also comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. It’s speedy, reliable, and should easily handle some older titles on high settings, and the latest releases on medium settings. If this isn’t good enough, you can add an 8GB RAM chip for more speed and upgrade the storage capacity.
You’ll be able to run your games on high settings thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650. Sure, this isn’t as impressive as the other laptops here with the RTX cards, but this GPU offers 4GB of VRAM. This extra boost in power will help you run your games seamlessly.
The display of the Acer Nitro 5 is pretty good. It’s 15.6-inches and has a screen resolution of 1920x1080p and is a full-HD display. It’s got a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, but this does just fine for your lower-end gaming laptop.
You won’t have any difficulty adjusting to the keyboard of the Acer Nitro 5. There’s a good amount of travel distance between them, and the backlight behind the keys, particularly with the emphasis around the WASD keys, makes it easy to see when gaming in the dark.
Downsides
A couple of corners had to be cut to make this gaming laptop much more affordable. The build quality of the Acer Nitro 5 is nothing to write home about, as the plastic build makes it feel flimsy. It also has very thick bezels around the display, making it look much older than it is.
The memory and storage are substandard for most gaming laptops, as most come with at least 16GB RAM and 512GB of storage. It’s difficult to bring around as well, as it weighs in at around 5.5lbs.
#5. MSI GL75 Leopard
The MSI GL75 Leopard is the biggest laptop we have on this list, with the most powerful specs under its hood, making it an almost perfect streaming laptop if you’re planning on replacing an older desktop or don’t have a monitor to plug into when playing.
What we like
Starting with the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 hexacore processor, the MSI GL75 Leopard has the power to clock in speeds of up to 5.0GHz. You can be sure your streams will go smoothly with this device.
The Leopard comes with 32GB of memory and has a 1TB solid-state drive. This laptop has the highest amount of memory of all the laptops here, and the solid-state drive has more than enough room to store your files and games safely. You can also upgrade these specs to even greater heights if you’re looking for even more power for your gaming laptop.
With the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 dedicated graphics card, games set on very high settings will also run without any lag. It offers up to 6GB of additional VRAM for your laptop to work with, so expect smooth and speedy gameplay while streaming.
As we’ve stated earlier, this laptop has the largest display of all the laptops here. The 17.3-inch display has the standard full-HD resolution of 1920x1080p but has a refresh rate of 144Hz. Your games are sure to look fantastic whether streaming or playing games in your free time.
The build quality of the MSI GL75 Leopard is fantastic. Despite being made primarily made of plastic, it feels very solid, and the chassis doesn’t creak or rattle. The lid of the MSI is made of aluminum as well, making it less prone to flex and bend. The bottom is made of plastic and doesn’t retain much heat when the laptop is running intensive tasks.
You’ll be pretty satisfied with the keyboard of the Leopard as well. The travel distance is good, and the keys have just the right sensitivity for gaming purposes. The number pad is a little cramped for our tastes, but the addition of full-sized arrow keys is still a plus for gaming.
The MSI GL75 Leopard has a good number of vents underneath it as well, and this laptop manages to stay relatively cool while gaming thanks to its fantastic thermal management system.
Downsides
One of the downsides of the MSI GL75 Leopard lies in its thermal management system. While it’s efficient, it is also quite loud, so make sure you have some headphones on while streaming or adjust your mic in a way that reduces background noises.
#6. ASUS ROG Strix G15
The ASUS ROG Strix G15 is by far our most stylish option for the best laptop for Twitch streamers, but it’s got as much power as it does style, and considering its price point, it’s a great option for streamers looking for a powerful mid-range laptop.
What we like
Starting with the processor, the ASUS ROG Strix G15 comes equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, which can clock up to speeds of 5.0GHz. It’s a hexacore processor that is compatible with all major releases today.
It also has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive. Streaming games will go smoothly, as it’s got tons of multitasking power to work with, and the SSD is sure to be speedier than your average HDD. Both of these are upgradeable as well, so if you’re looking to boost the power of this laptop even further later down the line, it’s easy enough to do.
The ROG Strix also has a great GPU for gaming. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 dedicated graphics card offers 8GB of VRAM, so your games can play on ultra-high settings with no lag whatsoever, and your frame rates won’t drop too much either.
This laptop also has the most impressive display because of its 240Hz refresh rate. We aren’t exaggerating when we say that the animations in-game will look as smooth as butter. It’s also a full-HD display, with a maximum screen resolution of 1920x1080p.
By far, this laptop is the most good-looking laptop we’ve got listed on here, with the RGB backlit keys, to the glowing under chassis, which make it look like a top-tier gaming rig. The build quality is also fantastic, with an all-metal build that prevents any flex on your laptop whatsoever.
The keyboard itself doesn’t just look good either, the keys are extremely comfortable to use, and have a great feel for when you’re gaming. The travel distance isn’t too far or too close either, so you won’t have any difficulty adjusting to the keys.
Lastly, the thermal management system of this laptop is great. Despite being made entirely of metal, the laptop never gets too hot, and it has enough ventilation to keep cool even when running intensive tasks.
Downsides
While the thermal system is great for keeping the laptop cool, you might hear the fans spinning loudly when overclocking the laptop. As long as your streaming setup is done properly and you have some form of background noise reduction features on your recording software, this won’t be much of a problem.
#7. Acer Predator Helios 300
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is one of the most popular gaming laptops out on the market today, and for good reason. It’s got powerful specs that are ideal for gamers, a great display for gaming, and
What we like
The Predator Helios 300 comes equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 hexacore processor, which clocks up to speeds of 5.0GHz. This is perfect for Twitch streamers looking to stream games that require a fair bit of power to run.
It also has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive, which will help with streaming immensely. It should be able to run your OBS smoothly with your games, so you won’t experience any drops in framerate while streaming.
Both the RAM and storage of the Acer Predator Helios 300 can be upgraded as well, as it has two NVMe slots and a 2.5-inch SSD slot.
This laptop also comes equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 dedicated GPU. This graphics card offers up to 6GB of additional VRAM and will surely run any AAA title on high settings. The Predator is sure to handle whatever games you plan to stream.
The display of the Acer Predator Helios 300 is nothing to scoff at either. It’s a full high-definition display with a screen resolution of 1920x1080p and has a screen refresh rate of 144Hz, so your games will look smooth even when a lot is going on.
You won’t have to worry about the build quality of the Acer Predator Helios 300. Despite it being made of plastic, there’s no rattling or creaking when you pick it up. The blue accents are also much less “stand-out” than the gamer red, and make it look so much sleeker.
It also has narrow screen bezels, giving you a wider viewing area while streaming. The keyboard is also fantastic, with a good travel distance between the keys and the backlight behind the keys is great for gaming in the dark as well.
Downsides
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has only one real downside for Twitch streamers is that the fans are quite noisy. This might be a minor downside for some users but can easily be fixed by wearing noise-canceling headphones and setting your microphone settings to reduce background noise.
#8. ASUS TUF Gaming A15
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We have another affordable laptop on this list for gaming, the ASUS TUF Gaming A15. It’s by far the sturdiest laptop on this list, and it has great specs for gaming.
What we like
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 laptop comes with the AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which can turbo up to speeds of 4.0GHz. This CPU is the direct competition to their Intel i5 counterpart but comes at a much more affordable price.
It has 8GB of RAM, which can easily run most mainstream titles, and the 512GB SSD boots the laptop and your programs almost instantly. If you’re looking to upgrade the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 laptop further down the line, there’s an additional M.2 NVMe slot, and you can raise the memory to 32GB.
You can expect your games to run smoothly on high settings thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 dedicated graphics card. It gives you an additional 4GB of VRAM, which will give you a bit more power for running intensive tasks.
Considering this laptop is under $1000, it has a spectacular screen. The 15.6-inch display has a maximum screen resolution of 1920x1080p, full-HD capabilities, and a refresh rate of 144Hz, which is sure to make your in-game animations look much smoother.
The ASUS TUF Gaming A15 laptop has the best build quality of all the laptops here, using military-grade materials, which means that even if you drop it, it won’t even scratch. This laptop can take a beating, and you can be sure that expressing your frustrations on this laptop won’t do any damage to it at all.
It has very narrow bezels around the screen, so you have a larger viewing area for your games, and the entire laptop is decorated with gold trimmings, making it look quite sleek for a gaming laptop. The keyboard is great, and the gold backlight that emphasizes the WASD keys makes it great for late-night gaming.
Downsides
Because of the materials that make the chassis of the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 laptop, it is considerably heavy as well, weighing in at 5lbs. If you enjoy taking your games with you when you travel around, you’re sure to feel the weight of this laptop.
Pros
- Compact, user-friendly design
- More affordable processor
- Great gaming specs
- Upgradeable storage and memory
- Military-grade build quality
- 144Hz refresh rates
Cons
- Heaviest laptop on this list
FAQ
Q1. What’s the best streaming software to use for Twitch?
The most common software used for streaming on Twitch is OBS Studio. It’s completely free, and it’s compatible with streaming on other platforms as well. The only issue is the learning curve of this laptop is quite steep.
Q2. Do I need a dedicated GPU to stream?
Yes, because most games require a dedicated graphics card to run smoothly, especially if you want to stream your games in extremely high quality. Plus, the additional amount of VRAM that dedicated GPUs give is sure to give your laptop a well-needed boost for streaming.
Q3. Should I get a touchscreen laptop for streaming?
We don’t think that’s particularly necessary; it all depends on your personal preferences. Most streaming software won’t require you to have touchscreen support, so if you feel you need it, then purchase one with a touchscreen display.
Q4. Can I make money streaming on Twitch?
Absolutely. The number of streamers who are partnered with Twitch has increased this year, and the numbers will only go up. Streaming has become extremely profitable and encouraging users to subscribe to your channel so they can avail of certain benefits is also going to earn you money.
Conclusion
There you have our top 8 laptops for Twitch streaming. With the rise in popularity of streaming platforms, it’s a completely viable option for users who want to stay at home and earn some extra money while playing the games that they love.
Hopefully, the FAQ helps answer some of the basic questions you might have about Twitch streaming. Let us know down below if this article helped you in finding the perfect laptop, or if you feel that some of our picks don’t fit on this list; we’d love to hear from you.
Good luck, and happy streaming!
