Have you ever wanted to learn to build your own gaming PC? Do you love Minecraft? Have you ever wanted to be a video game streamer? Well here is where you start! I have written a step-by-step guide to how to build your own dream video game streaming PC.
With a machine like this, not only will you be able to play awesome games like Minecraft and many others, but it also has the components and software needed to stream your gaming sessions to the masses! So, without further delay, here is the guide:
1. Determine your budget: The first step to building your dream Minecraft streaming PC is to determine your budget. This will help you choose the right components that fit your needs and financial goals. Since we want to game and stream, we're going to want to have a solid machine, and that may come out to around $800-1200 USD.
This budget does not include peripherals and monitor, which generally will come out to another $200-400 depending on the size of the monitor. Peripherals and extra streaming items will be something that we cover in future posts, but I would budget an extra $100-$200. Stay tuned for more on that!
2. Choose your CPU: The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of your computer. Choose a highly efficient and powerful CPU that can handle multi-tasking and streaming.
The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of your computer. It is responsible for executing instructions and processing data. A powerful and efficient CPU is essential for a fast and responsive computer. When choosing a CPU, consider its processing speed, number of cores, and power consumption. A CPU with a high processing speed can handle multiple tasks simultaneously and quickly stream video and audio. A CPU with more cores can also handle more tasks simultaneously. However, a CPU with more cores may consume more power. Choose a CPU that strikes a balance between power and performance to get the best value for your money.
For a solid budget PC build we'd go with a core i5 11400 processor. It provides you with 6 cores and up to 4.4ghz. This processor will be able to put up with a dedicated video game streaming session with room to spare!
3. Pick an appropriate motherboard: Choose a compatible motherboard with your CPU that has enough slots for RAM and expansion cards! This is a huge step because the motherboard is also the one component that can allow for further upgrades in the future or allow for the correct amount of storage or component devices. We went with a socket LGA1200 to allow for blazing fast PCI-e speeds!
6. When it comes to gaming and video editing, you'll need a powerful GPU with ample graphics memory. To ensure that your system can handle high-resolution content, pick a GPU with sufficient power that is capable of providing optimal performance and quality. Investing in the right GPU is key!
The NVIDIA GTX 1650 is an excellent choice to provide strong 1080p performance and allow for gaming and graphical processing without hinderance. The 4GB VRAM will immensely increase the performance of the PC while processing and opening video imagery.
5. Consider getting NVMe SSD storage: These drives offer faster read and write speeds than traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD), and can significantly improve system performance.
Consider going with the much newer (and faster) SSD or NVMe storage devices to save your games and video. You'll notice a huge bottleneck in processing any information from an older HDD.
6. Invest in 16GB - 32GB DDR4 RAM: High-speed RAM improves your computer's performance both in regular usage and video editing. For heavier video editing and streaming, I would go with 32 GB of 3200 DDR4.
7. Add cooling solutions: The more powerful components, the hotter your computer will get. Make sure to add cooling solutions like CPU coolers, case fans, and water cooling to prevent hardware issues. Liquid cooling may be too much of an overkill for 1080p gaming and low grade video editing, so going with a trusty CPU heatsink and fan is always a good choice.
8. Get a suitable power supply: Calculate the combined wattage of all components and choose a power supply unit that has enough power output to support all the hardware. For this smaller build, anything around 400-600 watts will do just fine.
9. Choose a case that can house components: Choose a computer case with proper ventilation for cooling and a good airflow pattern to prevent heat build-up. The case can also be one of the most important aspects for fit and upgrade potential. Make sure that you can house all of the components (storage, cards, etc) that you want to have in your build. Here's one of my favorite Thermaltake cases that provides a great build starter for our Creepcase!
10. Install Windows, Games, and Streaming Software: Finally, install your preferred operating system. Ensure the games and streaming software are installed for your Minecraft streaming PC. There are a ton of options for streaming software, but OBS is a great starting choice.
And that's it! These simple steps will have you go from wanting to build your own awesome gaming PC, to having one right in front of you playing and streaming your favorite games.
Check out some of the awesome and budget builds we've put together to start Minecraft streaming ourselves. It's been fun and we've built something awesome!
We'll go in-depth into each one of these steps in the future, too, so stay tuned!
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