Question / Help Processor requirement

[danma06]

I'm hoping to get a laptop, install Ubuntu on it, and use it for OBS. Generally I look for older model stuff on eBay that can work for my needs because I typically don't need a top of the line machine. But with OBS and streaming, I'm not sure if a really old processor will work.

I'm going to be capturing through a Cam Link 4K capture device.

Originally the thought was to just stream to YouTube. Although recording a local copy might have some benefits as well. Would recording a local copy AND streaming require that much more processor power?

What kind of processor should I look for? Would an i5-7200U suffice? Need more? Could I get by with less?

 

[Tuna]

Both is possible: you can streams and record with the same encoding or encode twice at different settings. The latter is more demanding since is needs to encode twice.

Depending on your use case it may also be an option to find a machine with GPU enabled encoding capabilities. Nvidia's NVENC or intel or AMD vaapi support. That often lets you get away with weaker CPUs. These vary in usability and quality - check if there are comparisons out on the net if you are concerned.