Better processors for streaming

Streaming is a practice within the world of video games, podcasts and entertainment. The platform par excellence for streaming is Steam, although YouTube or Facebook Gaming are other equally popular platforms for this practice. Above all, to stream while we play we need a good processor. For this we have chosen the best processors from AMD and Intel for this practice.

What is the best processor for streaming?

For this article we are going to consider that our intention is to stream video games. Video game streaming is a great card for the processor, which is why many-core processors are recommended. The higher the graphic quality (resolution) at which we are going to transmit, the more power we will need. In addition we must also take into account other parameters such as threads, frequency and family of processors.

Is the processor really important for streaming?

If we talk about CPU for games we could adjust the processor to benefit the graphics card. When in addition to playing we want to transmit, things change a lot.

Having many cores is important, because the processor must encode the data and handle multiple applications at the same time. If you do not have a processor to match, what we will end up having are synchronization problems or jerks in the transmission. To avoid this we need a good processor with many cores and good working frequencies.

In addition to offering a quality transmission, we should not suffer jerks when we are playing. Therefore, to stream we need a processor that can handle everything, especially in 4K resolutions.

How many cores do I need for streaming?

It depends a lot on the resolution at which you want to transmit. The usual thing if we are going to stream in FullHD (1080p) are 4 or 6 cores, although there are those who opt for 8 cores to be safe. The arrival of the new Ryzen 3000 processors has democratized 8 cores, with really good prices, so price is not as much of an issue as it used to be.

We could say that 4 cores is the most basic, although normally 6 or 8 cores are usually chosen. If we want to opt for transmissions with 4K resolutions, for this we must go to 12 cores, to be safe. We can find many solutions on the market and some are very well priced.

Are more cores better for sreaming?

In short, yes. But there is a problem, the more cores, the frequency is usually lower to avoid temperature problems in the processor. With more cores, the video encoding load is spread out and done faster.

Keep in mind that over 60% of games use one core and the rest at most 4 cores. For games the frequency is the most important, but for streaming the number of cores is more important than the frequency, although this last parameter also has its importance.

Do threads and clock frequencies matter?

Nowadays the parameter of threads is not a problem, since it is very rare to see a processor that does not have twice as many threads as cores. The last generation of Intel processor without twice as many threads as cores was the 8th Generation, after which they all had twice as many cores as threads. Of course, in the low-end Intel and AMD may not offer twice as many threads as cores, but we don't care, because they are not processors for streaming.

We must bear in mind that the threads are a help for the processor cores. We could say that they help to manage the workload and make calculations, which we could call simple.

Playing and streaming requires efficient work, but having many threads also helps, especially in managing threads. For non-streaming gaming, the threads aren't really that relevant.

The frequency is also important, although it is not as critical as the number of threads and cores. This parameter no longer depends so much on the number of cores, as on the temperature or TDP of the processor. Intel, for example, has different types of frequencies, being able to exceed 5.0GHz on a core under certain conditions. In both Intel and AMD, they tend to have various frequencies depending on whether all the cores are fully loaded or part of them and always varies according to the temperature of the processor. It is almost more important to cool the processor well than its frequency, since this will depend directly on the temperature.

Intel Core or AMD Ryzen?

If we were talking about gaming processors, Intel processors have the advantage of supporting higher frequencies in one core, something that gives them a certain advantage. But for streaming and gaming simultaneously we need an all-terrain processor with many cores and for this the Ryzen are unbeatable.

AMD offers us many more cores than Intel for the same price and sometimes for less. For streaming and gaming simultaneously the number of cores and threads is more important than the frequency, therefore the Ryzen processor families have an advantage.

Off-road processors

Three years ago a 10-core processor could have cost several thousand euros, but now we can buy it for a lot less. The number of cores and threads has been 'democratized', offering users solutions unthinkable not so long ago that allows them to do everything. What's more, these processors are considered the intermediate step between a processor for workstations and gaming processors. Its large number of cores and threads for 'affordable' prices, make these processors ideal for gaming and streaming

The most modern

They are the latest solutions launched on the market by both processor manufacturers. With these processors you will not have major problems playing and streaming and practically anything.

Workstation Processors for Streaming

Many streamers like to broadcast live in high quality, such as 4K resolutions. This has a heavy impact on the processor, so a large number of cores are required. In addition, it is possible that they generate content for digital, such as videos for YouTube, so with these processors that we have chosen you will have a solution for everything.

Like everything in life, these processors have good and bad things:

The most modern

These are the latest processors from both AMD and Intel based on their latest architectures. Logically these processors are not designed for ordinary mortals, due to their high prices, and not only that, components such as motherboard, RAM or heatsinks for these processors represent a significant outlay of money.