Knowing what the best laptop for streaming is can be a little complicated. Many streamers actually use two computers to manage everything. They use one PC to play the game theyre streaming while having a dedicated PC or Mac for controlling the stream such as by adding bots to their channel which enhance the general experience for everyone by offering key information regularly, moderating activity, or simply throwing in some fun quirky bonuses.

That means that there are technically two types of PC you could do with for streaming one thats focused on playing the latest games therefore one that has a good graphics card, while you also have a second one that is powerful for plenty of data crunching to support the main system. Whichever type of laptop it is youre seeking for streaming, weve got it listed below. Weve picked out the best laptops for streaming including options for gaming rigs as well as ones that will help enhance your content creation potential. As youd expect, all the laptops here come from the best laptop brands so theyre also great for general usage too. Heres what we recommend.

　　The best laptops for streaming in 2024

Buy the if you want a great all-rounder. Buy the if you need a streaming only laptop. Buy the for all your content creation needs. Buy the to start your streaming journey. Buy the for high-end gaming. Buy the for portable streaming.

　　Dell XPS 16

　　Best all-rounder streaming laptop

Pros	Cons
Perfect for both gaming and streaming support	No ethernet port
Highly portable

Related The Dell XPS 16 is the ideal all-rounder. Its powerful enough to be used as a streaming machine monitoring all your essentials, but it also packs a punch graphically so you can easily use it to play the games youre planning on streaming too. With the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and 32GB of memory, its certainly powerful with the side only slightly let down by 512GB of SSD storage rather than more. Still, its fine for having a few different games installed at once. If you plan on also using the laptop for video editing such as to post your streams on YouTube for later viewing, youll likely need to add an external hard drive.

If youre turning the Dell XPS 16 into a desktop replacement, the 16.3-inch full HD+ screen is a great starting point before adding a second monitor, while the media row of buttons is useful for controlling certain things and the haptic touchpad feels good on your fingers if youd prefer to not use a separate mouse. Theres no ethernet port so youll need to rely on Wi-Fi but Wi-Fi 7 support means youre all good to go with the latest protocols.

A plethora of ports means you can hook up all your key accessories, while the sound is catered for with Dolby Atmos support for the 360-degree spatial sound so you wont need a dedicated solution. The 1080p full HD webcam means viewers can see your reactions with software ensuring a reduction in background noise, and AI which helps keep you in focus.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	Intel Core Ultra 9/32GB
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	16.3-inch full HD+ 1920 x 1200

　　Dell XPS 13

　　Best for solely streaming

Pros	Cons
Small design for a support machine	No good for gaming on
Ideal for using on the move

For streaming, in an ideal world, you want one system for gaming and another for dealing with the demands that streaming can place on a laptop or PC. By doing so, you can take the weight off your gaming machine so that one can focus on gaming and your streaming laptop can handle bots and other fun additions for your channel. Thats where the Dell XPS 13 is perfect. It lacks a dedicated graphics card for anything gaming related but it offers good power for all the background processing. Theres an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor along with 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage so its just right for a support machine.

When you need to check whats going on, the 13.4-inch full HD+ screen with 1920 x 1200 is clear to look at so you can easily get things done alongside your gaming. Theres no ethernet port but like the Dell XPS 16, the Dell XPS 13 has Wi-Fi 7 which should be highly reliable. Its a thin and lightweight laptop only weighing 2.6 pounds so you can easily find room for it in your gaming setup.

Other useful extras include a 1080p full HD webcam packed with AI-based assistance if you want an extra camera while the haptic touchpad gives you precise feedback when youre doing something in a rush. The keyboard feels good to use too when issuing bot commands, thanks to offering deeper touch-friendly keycaps and less space between them to make typing more efficient.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	Intel Core Ultra 7/16GB
GPU	Intel Arc
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	13.4-inch full HD+ 1920 x 1200

　　Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max

　　Best for content creation

Pros	Cons
Very powerful	Mac gaming options are still limited
Perfect for speedy video processing

Besides streaming games, many streamers also record their video footage before uploading it to YouTube or editing it down to social media-friendly size for TikTok or other apps. If thats your intention, you need a machine that can handle a lot of video editing. No one wants to wait a long time for a video to process which is why the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max is the ultimate option. It has Apples most powerful processor the M3 Max with 14 cores for the CPU and 30 cores for the GPU. Its powerful stuff and sure to streamline your plans.

Alongside that, 36GB of memory further helps matters while 1TB of SSD storage is a good amount of storage for anything but the biggest of projects. What youre working on will look gorgeous and crisp too thanks to the 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display which has Extreme Dynamic Range, over 1,000 nits of brightness for HDR content and up to 600 nits for SDR content. Its incredibly well suited for content creation right down to 18 hours of battery life.

Thanks to the power involved, the Apple MacBook Pro M3 Max can handle gaming well too if you want to use it sometimes as your gaming machine, but youll need to be aware that not all PC games come to Mac. That number is improving over time but consider this your content creation device over your gaming rig.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	14-core M3 Max/36GB
GPU	30-core M3 Max
Storage	1TB SSD
Display	14.2-inch Liquid Retina

　　Lenovo Legion Slim 5i

　　Best for a new streamer

Pros	Cons
Well priced for what it offers	Not the fastest of gaming rigs
Slim design is convenient

If youre new to game streaming and you want to buy a dedicated rig for playing new games, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i is an excellent starting point for your streaming journey. Its more affordable than higher-end systems while still being more than competent for playing most games and then eventually being used as a support system once youre in a position to level up your streaming. It has a competent 13th-generation Intel Core i5 processor teamed up with 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD storage. These are the core specs you need for most activities these days while theres an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 to ensure you can handle plenty of gaming if you dont mind tweaking some detail levels.

While wed always recommend using one of the best gaming monitors to give you more screen space, the 16-inch WUXGA 1920 x 1200 is more than good enough thanks to its 144Hz refresh rate and 45% NTSC color. If you need to rely on the built-in webcam for your viewership, youll be happy too thanks to its 1080p full HD webcam with dual microphones and a camera shutter for those moments when you need to guarantee privacy.

Refreshingly, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i also finds room for an ethernet port so if you want a more stable internet connection, this is your chance to do so by wiring things up. Theres Wi-Fi 6E for when you want the freedom of a wireless connection. A slimline design, the Lenovo Legion Slim 5i wont take up too much room meaning you can easily move it around. Its a versatile machine for your introduction to the compelling world of game streaming.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	13th-generation Intel Core i5/16GB
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	16-inch WUXGA 1920 x 1200

　　Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop

　　Best for high-end streaming

Pros	Cons
Powerful hardware	Expensive
Fantastic screen

Anyone keen to invest in a high-end gaming rig should consider all that Alienware has to offer. The Alienware x16 gaming laptop is one of the best gaming laptops around right now and perfectly suited for if you want to stream games at high graphical levels. It has the latest Intel Core Ultra 9 processor along with a huge 32GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 with 12GB of dedicated VRAM so it can easily handle the most demanding of games now and in the future too. Its teamed up with a screen which means you dont need a dedicated monitor if you dont want. It has a 16-inch QHD+ screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and 3ms response time. Its all combined to make this a highly able laptop for playing and therefore streaming the latest games.

If youre new to streaming, you really dont need to spend this kind of money just yet but if youve made partner and youre working your way up through the ranks of Twitch popularity with a side dose of YouTube posting, this is a good investment. It also has a 1080p full HD webcam, a great cherry keyboard with per-key RGB LED lighting, and its precision touchpad is great to use too. The only thing we miss is theres no ethernet port but Wi-Fi 7 compatibility is a bonus here at least.

A truly phenomenal gaming laptop, the Alienware x16 gaming laptop is the perfect main rig for you. Stick it alongside your old laptop so you can use the latter to control the stream better and youre all set.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	Intel Core Ultra 9/32GB
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080
Storage	1TB SSD
Display	16-inch QHD+ 2560 x 1600

　　Razer Blade 14

　　Best for portable streaming

Specifications
CPU/RAM	Intel Core Ultra 9/32GB
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	16.3-inch full HD+ 1920 x 1200

0 The Razer Blade 14 is a super flexible laptop. Its sleek and small so you can easily take it out and about with you. Itll slot on your streaming desk to ensure you can use it well as a support laptop but its also powerful in the right ways for you to use as your dedicated gaming laptop for streaming too. Its screen is a little small at 14 inches but thats not a huge dealbreaker when you can add an extra monitor.

For performance, theres an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor, 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD storage. Its worth noting that the memory is extra speedy and designed with gaming in mind. The screen is a 14-inch QHD+ display with 2560 x 1600 resolution and 240Hz refresh rate for those times you need to rely on it. The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 which could be a little more powerful but is still more than good enough for current games without a hitch.

Predictably given the sleek build, theres no ethernet port but the Razer Blade 14 is otherwise packed with key ports like USB-C and USB-A as well as HDMI 2.1 so its perfect for branching out your setup. It also has a full HD webcam with a privacy shutter if you dont want to buy a dedicated webcam for streaming just yet.

Specifications
CPU/RAM	Intel Core Ultra 9/32GB
GPU	Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
Storage	512GB SSD
Display	16.3-inch full HD+ 1920 x 1200

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　　How we chose these laptops for streaming

When buying a laptop for streaming, you need to think carefully about several things. Those factors are what we considered when picking out the best laptops for streaming. While the laptops above are a general overview of your best options, its still important to consider just what you need from a laptop for streaming on Twitch, YouTube or elsewhere. By learning about how we came to our decision, you can go on to form your own opinions based on what you need and want most of all.

One of the most important things to consider is why you need the laptop for streaming. Do you want a laptop for actually playing the games youre streaming or do you want a secondary device for controlling your stream more efficiently, taking the effort off your gaming rig? Not everyone needs a secondary rig. If youre just going to stream occasionally and solely for fun, theres little need for it. However, if youre pursuing it as something more then the extra power is certainly helpful. Another thing to consider here is if you plan on doing more than just streaming. If you also want to edit videos, upload content to social media, and do more to expand your streaming brand, a laptop that can handle all that is important. A combination of a powerful processor, a large amount of RAM/memory, and a good graphics card help a lot here. More storage is good but you can always upgrade that through external hard drives further down the road. Video editing and streaming at a high resolution are some of the most demanding things you can expect from a PC. Particularly when it comes to video editing, no one likes waiting for a slow process to complete so its useful to have the hardware to handle it efficiently.

From there, think about your budget. We included options for different budgets, bearing in mind that some people can spend thousands while others can only afford a budget device. For gaming, nothing is super cheap but there are ways to save through picking laptops that have slightly older hardware and tech. On the other hand, while few people need a $3,000 laptop, if youre serious about streaming and your online career is going well, it could be a very worthwhile investment. Only you know if youre getting value for money by spending more.

One of the more important things you need from a laptop for streaming is flexibility. You want a system that has plenty of ports so you can hook up dedicated devices such as a second monitor, standalone webcam, charge controllers or simply be able to plug in your capture card. Most gaming laptops lack an ethernet port which is frustrating for gamers as a wired connection keeps signs low and reliability high compared to Wi-Fi. However, some of the latest models make up for this by having Wi-Fi 7 support which helps massively with reliability.

In some cases, you may also wish to consider how portable the laptop is. While streaming on the move isnt always ideal, its nice to have the option. Also, if you have a small amount of living space and want two systems a gaming rig and a streaming support rig a small size can help a lot here. Once you factor in extra monitors and accessories, space is soon filled, so slimline laptops are the most appealing.

This article is managed and created separately from the Digital Trends Editorial team.