Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people in the US, a modern quad‑core laptop or desktop, 6–8 GB of RAM, and at least 5 Mbps upload is enough to stream reliably with a browser‑based studio like StreamYard. If you want to run OBS or Streamlabs for high‑action 1080p/60 game streams and complex overlays, plan on a stronger CPU, more RAM, a dedicated GPU, and higher upload speeds.

Summary

• Start with StreamYard on a modern (2015+) quad‑core CPU, 4 GB+ RAM (6–8 GB recommended), and a solid browser plus 5 Mbps+ upload. (StreamYard Requirements)
• Use OBS or Streamlabs Desktop when you need advanced game capture and deep scene control, backed by a dedicated GPU and at least 8–16 GB RAM. (OBS Studio, Streamlabs System Requirements)
• For multistreaming and higher resolutions, prioritize upload bandwidth (10–25 Mbps+), then CPU/GPU. (Restream Equipment Guide)
• Unless you’re gaming or building very complex layouts, simpler browser‑based tools usually beat heavy desktop encoders on setup time and reliability.

What’s the minimum hardware to start streaming today?

If your goal is to get on air quickly—with decent video, good audio, and guests who don’t struggle with tech—your baseline is lower than you might think.

For a browser‑based studio like StreamYard, the official guidance is a modern (2015+) quad‑core Intel or AMD CPU, at least 4 GB of RAM (with 6–8 GB recommended), and a supported browser such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, or Opera. (StreamYard Requirements)

In practice, that means:

• A reasonably recent Windows, macOS, or Linux laptop/desktop
• Built‑in webcam or a simple USB camera
• A USB mic or headset (or at minimum, wired earbuds to reduce echo)

Because the heavy lifting happens in the cloud, you don’t need a monster GPU just to run StreamYard. For a lot of US creators, reusing a work or school laptop is enough to launch a polished interview show, webinar, or live Q&A.

How important is your internet connection?

Your upload speed matters more than almost any other spec.

For StreamYard, we recommend at least 5 Mbps upload and download to stream reliably. (StreamYard Requirements) If your household regularly has multiple devices streaming video, gaming, or on video calls, bumping that target up gives you more headroom.

Restream’s studio guidance is a useful upper bound: they suggest a minimum of 10 Mbps upload, and 25 Mbps or higher if you want Full HD streams or multistreaming. (Restream Equipment Guide) That’s a good rule of thumb regardless of which live studio you use.

Quick checklist before you go live:

• Run a speed test when others are home and online
• Aim for 5–10 Mbps upload for a single HD stream
• Aim for 15–25 Mbps+ upload if you’re multistreaming or sharing your screen a lot
• Whenever possible, use Ethernet instead of Wi‑Fi for your main streaming computer

Can I stream with integrated graphics (StreamYard vs OBS)?

This is one of the big forks in the road.

With StreamYard, integrated graphics are usually fine. A modern quad‑core CPU with integrated GPU and a supported browser will handle most talking‑head shows, interviews, and webinars. The only time you’re likely to notice GPU strain is with features like virtual backgrounds, where a more powerful dedicated Nvidia/AMD GPU may be required. (StreamYard Requirements)

OBS and Streamlabs are different stories. Both are local desktop encoders that render scenes, capture games, and compress video on your machine. OBS references example minimum specs like an Intel i5‑2500K or AMD Ryzen 1300X CPU and 4 GB of RAM, but performance quickly becomes CPU/GPU‑bound as you add 1080p/60 video and multiple sources. (OBS Studio) Streamlabs explicitly calls for 8 GB RAM minimum and recommends 16 GB+ plus a modern GPU for heavier setups. (Streamlabs System Requirements)

So if you’re on a typical integrated‑graphics laptop and you mostly:

• Talk to the camera
• Share slides
• Bring on remote guests

…starting in StreamYard lets you avoid a lot of configuration and potential lag. Many creators who tried OBS or Streamlabs first later default to StreamYard because they prioritize ease of use over complex setups.

What CPU/GPU do I need to stream 1080p 60fps?

If you’re planning fast‑paced game streams at 1080p/60 with OBS or Streamlabs, your hardware bar is higher.

From the public guidance:

• OBS references CPUs like Intel i5‑2500K / AMD Ryzen 1300X and 4 GB RAM as a floor, but high‑frame‑rate encoding often benefits from significantly stronger, newer CPUs. (OBS Studio)
• Streamlabs recommends an Intel Core i5 (11th/12th gen or higher), 16 GB+ RAM, and modern GPUs such as Nvidia RTX 20/30 series for smooth performance. (Streamlabs System Requirements)

A practical setup for 1080p/60 gaming with desktop encoders:

• CPU: Recent 6‑core or better Intel/AMD desktop CPU
• RAM: 16 GB or more
• GPU: Dedicated Nvidia/AMD card that supports hardware encoding (NVENC, Quick Sync, or similar)
• Storage: SSD for your OS/games, plus space for local recordings

For most non‑gaming streams, though, chasing 60 fps on a heavy encoder doesn’t change outcomes nearly as much as a stable connection, solid audio, and a layout that looks professional. That’s where browser‑based studios such as StreamYard feel like a better trade: less hardware, less tuning, more time to focus on your content.

How much upload bandwidth do I need for multistreaming?

Multistreaming means sending your show to multiple destinations at once—YouTube and Facebook, maybe LinkedIn too.

On StreamYard, multistreaming is handled in the cloud on paid plans: you send a single feed up to our servers, and we handle the distribution to multiple platforms from there. (StreamYard Paid Features) That means you don’t need 3× the upload speed just because you’re streaming to 3 platforms.

Restream, which also focuses on multistreaming, recommends a minimum of 10 Mbps upload and 25 Mbps+ for Full HD or multistreaming. (Restream Equipment Guide) Treat that as a good target if you expect higher bitrates or a lot of motion.

Most creators in the US can safely plan around:

• ~5–10 Mbps upload for a single HD destination
• ~10–20 Mbps upload if you’re multistreaming in HD with screen shares

If your upload speed is tight, one of the advantages of StreamYard over running OBS or Streamlabs to multiple RTMP endpoints is that you only need to send one clean feed to the cloud.

Streamlabs recommended hardware for game capture and overlays

Streamlabs Desktop is popular with gamers because of built‑in alerts, overlays, and tipping tools—but that convenience rides on your hardware.

Their guidance calls for at least 8 GB of RAM, with 16 GB+ recommended, plus modern CPUs and GPUs when you run demanding game streams with multiple overlays. (Streamlabs System Requirements) That puts you firmly in “decent gaming PC” territory.

If that sounds like overkill for your actual needs—hosting conversations, panels, workshops, or faith services—then a simpler browser‑based setup like StreamYard often gives you everything you’re after:

• Up to 10 people in the studio and 15 backstage participants
• Studio‑quality multi‑track local recording in 4K UHD for repurposing
• Multi‑Aspect Ratio Streaming (MARS) to broadcast landscape and portrait from a single studio session
• AI Clips to automatically pull captioned shorts and reels from your recordings, with the option to regenerate using text prompts when you want clips around specific themes

Many creators find that once they move those types of shows into StreamYard, they rarely need to go back to more complex desktop tools for non‑gaming content.

Troubleshooting lag: OBS hardware encoder and CPU solutions

If you do choose OBS for advanced control, you’ll eventually run into performance tuning.

OBS’s own help guidance suggests lowering your resolution or using hardware encoding (NVENC, Quick Sync, or AMD VCE) to reduce CPU load and improve performance when streams stutter. (OBS Help) That’s where having a capable dedicated GPU really pays off.

A quick mental model:

• Laggy preview but good in‑game FPS? Your encoder may be overloaded—switch to a hardware encoder, reduce output resolution, or lower your frame rate.
• Game itself is lagging? Your GPU/CPU may not keep up with both rendering and encoding. Closing background apps or reducing in‑game settings can help.

If your main priority is running smooth live conversations without worrying about encoder profiles at all, StreamYard’s in‑browser studio and cloud processing take most of that complexity away. Many people who started in OBS eventually move guest‑based shows into StreamYard for exactly this reason.

What we recommend

• Default path: Use StreamYard on a modern quad‑core laptop/desktop, 6–8 GB RAM, and 5–10 Mbps upload to run most interviews, webinars, and live shows with minimal setup. (StreamYard Requirements)
• When to go heavier: Pick OBS or Streamlabs Desktop only when you truly need high‑action 1080p/60 game capture or intricate scene systems and you have a PC with 16 GB+ RAM, a strong CPU, and a dedicated GPU. (OBS Studio, Streamlabs System Requirements)
• Bandwidth rule: Prioritize a stable, wired internet connection with at least 5 Mbps upload for simple shows and closer to 10–25 Mbps if you’re multistreaming in HD. (Restream Equipment Guide)
• Upgrade slowly: Before buying new hardware, simplify your workflow and try a browser‑based studio; many creators discover their existing machine is already more than enough when the software is doing less on the local side.