Streaming games or other content on popular platforms like Twitch does not need to involve complex PC setups in order to run everything smoothly.
What if I told you there is another way by which you can stream that is not only hassle-free but cost-effective as well.
Yes, I am talking about dual PC streaming which this article is based on.
Dual PC streaming is gaining a lot of popularity with streamers nowadays who are looking to improve their streaming setups. The fact that popular streamers also use dual PC setups for streaming also contributes to the rise in dual PC streaming because aspiring streamers who want to go big in this industry follow in the footsteps of their idols.
Whatever the reason maybe we cannot take away the importance of dual PC streaming. There is a lot of information to be had in this article so let’s dive straight into the topic at hand.
Why Should You Go For a Dual PC Streaming Setup?
Streaming is a very resourceful task, and it can stress your PC to the limit. Excess stress on the PC causes throttling.
In simple words, throttling is the induced restriction on the performance of the PC to combat stress. In order to destress the PC, it is programmed to limit its operation and this limiting of power due to stress is called throttling.
This not only affects the in-game performance of the PC but also makes your stream laggy to the viewers.
Now the whole purpose your viewers are watching your stream is to be entertained and let me tell you no one is entertained when your stream starts to lag.
Therefore, a simple fix for this menacing problem is to stream on a separate PC and game on a different one.
By having separate PCs for streaming and gaming your PC will no longer need to work at its peak power levels and hence exposure to throttling will be kept to a minimum.
Not only your game but also your stream will run smoothly if you go with this approach. Hence this is the reason many believe dual PC setups to be the best for streaming.
Setting up Dual PC Streaming
Setting up a proper dual pc streaming battle station is not that hard as people might make you believe.
With the right equipment, you can get up and running in no time. So, what do you say, ready to dual PC stream?
Equipment Required for Dual PC Streaming
The following is the appropriate equipment you will need:
Secondary PC
It is quite obvious that without a second PC you cannot set up dual PC streaming. While I would advise you to build your own PC in the $1000 budget but I know these days most of us just don’t want to go through that hassle anymore especially when PC components are in short supply.
Therefore, going with a prebuilt gaming PC under $1000 will serve you just well. Just make sure to get a prebuilt PC that has at least a 6-core processor. Remember more cores are always better when it comes to streaming.
For recommendation, I will suggest you check out Skytech Archangel or CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR.
Gaming Laptop (Optional)
If you for some reason don’t want to go down the prebuilt PC path, then you can use your existing gaming laptop. That being if you already have a powerful gaming laptop on hand.
Otherwise, it is preferable to buy the best gaming laptop under $2000 price point because only at this price you will get a laptop powerful enough to handle streaming.
You can utilize the services of your laptop as not only a streaming computer but also a regular one.
The reason I suggest you go with a gaming laptop is because traditional run-of-the-mill laptops lack the sufficient power required for streaming. Also, they cannot cope up with the constant stress that streaming can put on a computer.
Therefore, high-end gaming laptops fit the bill for our purpose. A popular choice is the Razer Blade 15.
Capture Card
The capture card is a very important piece to put together this whole puzzle. It serves a crucial role in transmitting your gaming display to your streaming PC.
This device single-handedly makes dual PC streaming setups possible and without it, we wouldn’t witness such a thing.
HDMI cable
A display cable is required to connect the streaming PC to your capture card. In most cases, the HDMI cable fulfills this role. Since this HDMI will be used to feed display information for your streaming PC, I recommend getting a good quality one.
Method to Setup Dual PC Streaming
For putting a dual PC streaming setup together, we need to connect both our PCs to the capture card and then configure some settings to get the desired output. Here is how it goes
- Download your preferred streaming software on both the streaming PC and the gaming PC
- By using the supplied USB cable connect your capture card to your streaming PC
- Plug one end of an HDMI cable into the graphics card of your gaming PC and the other end into the HDMI in slot of the capture card
Our hardware is physically connected. All we need to do now is tinker with some settings to properly set up our hardware.
- Head over to your gaming PC and open display settings by right-clicking on the desktop screen and then selecting the said option.
- Navigate to the multiple displays heading. Click on it and from the drop-down menu select the duplicate option.
- Now head over to your streaming PC and open the streaming software you are using. Here you want to make sure to add the capture card as a streaming source.
- After doing this your gaming display should show up in the preview panel of the streaming software.
- We are almost set up; all we need to do now is ensure that sound is coming through the HDMI cable, and everything is running smoothly.
- Once this is successfully verified you can finally start up a test stream to see the difference dual PC streaming makes.
With our dual PC streaming setup now finished you can enjoy hassle-free streams with your viewers. You will be immediately able to feel the smoothness difference both in your game and your stream.
Conclusion
As demonstrated in the article dual PC streaming is very effective and also easy to set up. Get a hold of the right equipment and some free time on your hands to get working on your own dual PC streaming setup. With taking help from the aforementioned method you will be up and running in no time.
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