Best laptop for OBS?

[Charlieboy24]

Hi,

I want to start a YouTube channel and start recording FIFA gameplay for PS4.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best laptop to use or what type of laptop I should be looking for? My budget is £500. I will also have the other required softwares on their as well.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Unfortunately for you - it depends. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or mis-informed, so beware
Almost all lower-end laptops (budget range you are looking at), are optimized for battery life, not the VERY computationally demanding task of real-time video encoding. A gaming-oriented laptop would probably be a good start to give you system capability headroom (ie avoid running close to limit and bottlenecking/crashing/freezing computer)

And it depends on how sophisticated you want your stream to be. A £500 could be fine with an optimized Operating System and OBS configuration, and realistic expectations. But... Start adding CPU intensive features like noise suppression, chroma-keying (green screen effects), poorly written plugins like streamelements, etc and system requirements can go up quickly (but it depends).
And how long do you want this system to last? Most live-stream services today accept H.264 input as H.265 is a licensing mess. AV1 will likely supplant H.264 in the coming years, but only some of the latest GPUs include a hardware AV1 encoder to enable CPU offload (and maybe only latest Intel ARC mobile GPUs?? I believe nVidia RTX 4xxx series may include AV1 encoder as well .. desktop models only at the moment)
If/when 4K streaming becomes the norm in a few years, will you want this system to handle that as well? or will you be ok buying a newer system at that point.

With all that that said, beware quality compromises on consumer (vs business) grade laptops.
- so read performance reviews and be attentive to thermal throttling and what, if anything can be done on a specific model to overcome such
- Assuming a desire for a multi-year life, with latest Windows desktop OSes, I'd advise against anything with less than 16GB RAM.
- And be thoughtful about your audio and video inputs, and the laptop chipset so as to avoid a USB Root Hub bottleneck.
Personally I'd prefer an AMD CPU, but their lack of overall system integration is problematic. So, I'll be waiting for a USB4/TB4 Intel Raptor Lake HX workstation laptop with hopefully a PCIe v5 NVMe SSD. But such a system will cost way more (4X+?) than £500, but such a laptop would also be complete overkill for what you are asking (and possibly not released/available for 6 months).

Some thigs to consider.
If your budget is key driver, then I'd recommend considering looking at an CPU with an integrated GPU (low performance, but possibly adequate for 1080p streaming ? For example, is 30fps ok, or are you expecting 60fps stream/recording?

 

[Charlieboy24]

Unfortunately for you - it depends. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or mis-informed, so beware
Almost all lower-end laptops (budget range you are looking at), are optimized for battery life, not the VERY computationally demanding task of real-time video encoding. A gaming-oriented laptop would probably be a good start to give you system capability headroom (ie avoid running close to limit and bottlenecking/crashing/freezing computer)

And it depends on how sophisticated you want your stream to be. A £500 could be fine with an optimized Operating System and OBS configuration, and realistic expectations. But... Start adding CPU intensive features like noise suppression, chroma-keying (green screen effects), poorly written plugins like streamelements, etc and system requirements can go up quickly (but it depends).
And how long do you want this system to last? Most live-stream services today accept H.264 input as H.265 is a licensing mess. AV1 will likely supplant H.264 in the coming years, but only some of the latest GPUs include a hardware AV1 encoder to enable CPU offload (and maybe only latest Intel ARC mobile GPUs?? I believe nVidia RTX 4xxx series may include AV1 encoder as well .. desktop models only at the moment)
If/when 4K streaming becomes the norm in a few years, will you want this system to handle that as well? or will you be ok buying a newer system at that point.

With all that that said, beware quality compromises on consumer (vs business) grade laptops.
- so read performance reviews and be attentive to thermal throttling and what, if anything can be done on a specific model to overcome such
- Assuming a desire for a multi-year life, with latest Windows desktop OSes, I'd advise against anything with less than 16GB RAM.
- And be thoughtful about your audio and video inputs, and the laptop chipset so as to avoid a USB Root Hub bottleneck.
Personally I'd prefer an AMD CPU, but their lack of overall system integration is problematic. So, I'll be waiting for a USB4/TB4 Intel Raptor Lake HX workstation laptop with hopefully a PCIe v5 NVMe SSD. But such a system will cost way more (4X+?) than £500, but such a laptop would also be complete overkill for what you are asking (and possibly not released/available for 6 months).

Some thigs to consider.
If your budget is key driver, then I'd recommend considering looking at an CPU with an integrated GPU (low performance, but possibly adequate for 1080p streaming ? For example, is 30fps ok, or are you expecting 60fps stream/recording?

60fps

 

[awwan]

Selecting the best laptop for OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) depends on your specific requirements and budget. OBS can be resource-intensive, especially when streaming or recording high-quality video content. Here are some factors to consider when choosing a laptop for OBS:

1. **Processor (CPU):**
- Look for laptops with powerful multi-core processors. Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processors are great choices for handling OBS, especially when streaming and encoding video.

2. **Graphics Card (GPU):**
- While OBS primarily relies on CPU encoding, having a dedicated GPU can help with rendering and handling graphics. NVIDIA GPUs, such as the GeForce GTX or RTX series, are often recommended for streaming and gaming simultaneously.

3. **RAM (Memory):**
- A laptop with at least 16GB of RAM is ideal for running OBS and other applications simultaneously. If you're dealing with high-definition or 4K content, consider 32GB or more.

4. **Storage:**
- Opt for an SSD (Solid State Drive) for your laptop's storage. An SSD provides faster read/write speeds, which is essential for smooth recording and streaming. You might also consider an additional external storage device for storing large video files.

5. **Portability:**
- If you plan to use your laptop for on-the-go streaming, consider a lightweight and portable laptop with a good battery life. You don't want to be tethered to a power outlet during streams.

6. **Display:**
- A laptop with a high-resolution display is useful for monitoring your content while streaming or recording. A full HD (1080p) or 4K display can be beneficial.

7. **Connectivity:**
- Make sure the laptop has an adequate number of USB ports for connecting peripherals like cameras, microphones, and capture cards.

8. **Cooling System:**
- Because OBS can be resource-intensive, a laptop with an efficient cooling system is essential to prevent overheating during extended streaming or recording sessions.

9. **Audio Quality:**
- If you plan to use the laptop's built-in microphone, consider laptops with good built-in microphones. Alternatively, invest in an external USB microphone for better audio quality.

10. **Budget:**
- Determine your budget and find the best laptop that meets your requirements within that budget.

Recommended laptops for OBS, depending on your budget, include the following:

- **Budget Option:** Dell Inspiron 15 5000, Lenovo IdeaPad L340, or Acer Aspire 5 with a mid-range processor and dedicated GPU.

- **Mid-Range:** Dell XPS 15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, or HP Omen with high-performance processors and dedicated GPUs.

- **High-End:** Alienware m15 R5, MSI GS66 Stealth, or ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 with top-tier processors and powerful GPUs for high-quality streaming and gaming.

Remember to consider your specific streaming needs. If you plan to stream demanding games or capture high-quality video content, invest in a laptop with higher-end specifications. Additionally, check the laptop's compatibility with your peripherals and ensure it meets your software requirements, including the version of OBS you plan to use.

 

[fpn]

Its an old post but I consider it a good question. I want to contribute with the following:
I do stream with OBS on Lenovo P5x laptops for more than five years now and I consider them very good at this.
My main configuration is: 2 or 3 cameras wired on hdmi to usb3 converters (or through dji sdr tranmission), 1 drone through fixed-IP streaming, lots of videos and photos, overlay/lower thirds, one usb2 audio itf, one or two midi-usb keyboards, one external monitor, and one hdmi output to giant screen outdoor, streaming to YT 5kbps or 8kbps . It works well for hours. I do no gaming
Using different laptops from Lenovo since P50 (then P51 then P52)
1. **Processor (CPU):** Intel Core i7 8850H (P52)
2. **Graphics Card (GPU):** NVIDIA Quadro : P2000 (early config, P50) then P3200 (for production, P52) and also P1000 (for tests, P52).
3. **RAM (Memory):** 32GB (early P50+QP2000: 16 GB)
4. **Storage:** 500GB SDD
5. **Portability:** about 5 kg ; also 300W lenovo power ; heavy but greatly portable compared to video switchers and towers.
6. **Display:** I think hhe p3200 enables up to 4 screens ; I use 3 of them : integrated 15" display 1920x1080p60 for main OBS window, one DisplayPort (dell p2417h 16x9 1080p60) for preview matrix, one HDMI 1920x1080p60 for live output "program" (full sreen) (optionally one hdmi through usb-c to another dell pXX or an additional camera input). I select 60p because I mainly film sport.
7. **Connectivity:** most usb ports are used : 2x input graphic converters hdmi to usb3 on 2x usb-c ports, usb-a for audio input device (UR824), usb-a to dell screen usb hub (for : wired mouse, loupedeck, launchpad, usb key), rj45 for internet
8. **Cooling System:** once, during hot summer, the video output lagged so I put some spacers under the laptop, the temp came down and all went back to normal. I usually do streaming to YT for up to 8 hours, no recording on the laptop.
9. **Audio Quality:** not relying on internal audio devices except monitoring occasionnaly headphone or builtin speakers ; otherwise output to the hdmi monitor / main output ;
10. **Budget:** from 1000 € to 1500 € for a used P50 or P52. I recommend. Main reasons are: powerful and a lot of connectors. Recent Lenovos (P1) seem not to have a lot of these usb plugs nor rj45 and until now (2025), I consider this a no-go.

Regards,
FredP