Minimum PC Requirements

[HS Media Dude]

At the school where I work, I ran across a mini computer (Minisforum Z83-F) something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Windows-x5-Z8350-Desktop-1000Mbps-Computer/dp/B07LC5WV9W

It is in our Security Kiosk at the student entrance and runs Windows 10 and Microsoft Office, all pre-loaded at the factory.

This set the gears into a tizzy and I began thinking about how to put together a mobile streaming setup where I would dedicate a computer for streaming, running OBS. Not finding anything in the forum that addresses this issue, I thought that I'd ask for your collective wisdom regarding what computer would meet the school's needs for streaming events to Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, etc.

BTW, my experience with OBS is extremely limited as I've only performed one test onto Facebook from my basement using only my 11 year old laptop's built-in camera back in the days when I only had DSL and didn't realize that I needed to use a network cable connected directly to my router which was two floors above me.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Sorry, but the answer is.... it depends (on more than what you've posted already)
At what resolution and frame rate, what about chroma-keying (green screen)?
Audio effects/filters? How many cameras, etc. How long do you want this system to last?

When you say event, I think of something that a webcam won't work for (too wide angle, blurry at best more than 10ft out).
So which camera tech to connect (as that has its own processing impact)

Folks can get older, lower-powered system to work, by carefully and expertly managing Operating System and OBS settings to minimize hardware resource demands. Do you have such expertise available to you? If not, you 'll need extra horsepower so folks aren't tripped up by non-optimized settings
For buying a new system, expecting 3+ years life, personally I wouldn't go for anything less than 6-core/12-thread, which is overkill today for simple streaming to Facebook at 720p/30fps. But a mini PC without a nVideo NVENC capable card, the CPU will be busy. And I don't know how much CPU is needed for YouTube 1080p 60fps (much less 4K)

 

[HS Media Dude]

Thank you for the reply. I recently learned about having the correct video card to remove processing load from the processor. So that is a given. I'm looking at only one video input to OBS but that will come, most likely, from an ATEM mini which has four HDMI inputs. Again, that off-loads processing from the computer. But there is software for running the ATEM mini, if you're using remote control over Ethernet. Also, running a graphics program for only-the-fly creation of graphic overlays (lower third?) might be required.

Ideally, productions will be recorded at 1080p/30fpd while streaming to social networks. As students learn OBS and the ATEM mini, room to grow on the computer should be ready to go.

Most likely, I will be the technical consultant here at school. I'm fairly competent technically but my main focus in life has been as a musician. All this video stuff is rather new to me. OBS is part of that equation. I'm learning as I go...

 

[HS Media Dude]

Oops... That's on-the-fly.

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

I'll tell you what I bought recently (last Oct)
I got an 8-core/16-thread CPU, with a GTX 1660 Super (only needed GTX 1650 Super, but not available on the model PC I got). AMD is making better CPUs at the moment, but in my case I ended up with an Intel i7-10700. I expect 5 years life out of the Tower PC, and it is powerful enough to edit videos locally recorded (you'll want clips from stream). I'm running at 12-13% CPU, and that is with an NDI PTZ camera feeding a 60fps video feed at 30+mb/s to the PC... so like I said, overkill today, but lower-end system wouldn't save that much, and not have the life nor headroom, so for me, slight extra budget was well worth it... ymmv

I am NOT doing any green screen or similar, which will drive up CPU impact.

 

[qhobbes]

If the mini PC/laptop has an Intel processor and motherboard that support QuickSync Video, you can just use that. The processor in my sig is from Q2 2012 and works just fine for 1080p/30fps. I'm also able to green screen and the whole system uses less than 4GB of RAM.

 

[HS Media Dude]

Thank you everyone for your comments. It helps a LOT. Since my laptop and iMac are a decade+ old, not only am I trying to figure out the school's future needs for a portable system but my personal needs as well. It might be too much to fit inside of my skull cavity all at once... I think that I keep confusing my needs with the school's needs. Portability seems to be desirable for both. Personally, I keep thinking about getting a whopper of a tower in my personal studio but I do a weekly on-line radio stream from a friend's house. Well, that was pre-pandemic. Although we're soldiering on from the safety of our own home studios and putting up with the inherent latencies, we are anxious to return to our previous, in-person concerts once we're both vaccinated.

When we finally can be in the same room, I'd like to turn our weekly concert into a simultaneous video stream which will require a portable streaming rig. If I also want plugin synthesizers along side of my iPad synths, I'll either need a more powerful computer or a separate one. This thinking out loud is supposed to help me figure out what to do but it isn't helping, yet! <sigh> I think that I need to organize my thoughts by breaking down each need into a separate thought process...

 

[Lawrence_SoCal]

Thanks @qhobbes
I figured it might be possible, but forgot if you mentioned using green screen before. Good to know it is possible (by someone who really knows their setup).

@HS Media Dude - the issue though remains as I mentioned above - you can get older equipment to work... *if* you spend the time to optimize your setup (which could be extensive), and accept the compromises that may be driven by such optimizations. Or get a more powerful system and spend your time instead on content and presentation. Unfortunately, that is a wide grey line with a lot of 'it depends' as to what will or won't work with a given level of CPU, GPU, RAM, disk and network I/O. As a tech geek, I find the exploration to be fun.

 

[HS Media Dude]

A friend of mine in the UK (Nottingham!), is already doing what I'd like to be doing. He's using OBS on a used laptop. Instead of expensive cameras having HDMI outputs like I've been seeing in many Youtube videos, Jez is using webcams (1080p at 30 fps) and can get by with a powered hub instead of a more expensive video switcher since the webcams output USB. So OBS is doing all of the switching. With plugins, Jez is also layering graphics on the webcam video on some of his scenes. He is looking into automating scene switching so he can more fully concentrate on his musical performance.

As a result, I've ordered a "renewed" (i.e. refurbished) laptop; an i7 having 8G RAM which ought to be plenty powerful enough for my purposes. If all goes well, I hope you'll see me in other forums asking stupid questions about plugins.

Meanwhile, in my guise as high school staff member, the G.A.S. I have for the ATEM mini might be satisfied if the desire around here to stream persists and the budget allows.