Best PC build for gaming and live streaming?

So, here's the deal. I wasn't really planning on buying new parts right now, but since Grand Theft Auto V is coming out soon, I'm looking at an upgrade specifically to handle that game and maybe some other newer titles around that level of intensity.

Besides just playing, I want to stream on YouTube in 720p, which is going to put some extra strain on both my CPU and GPU.

I’ve already put together a list of potential components, provided the total doesn't go over $1667.

CPU: AMD x4 A10 7700 k FM2 $325
Motherboard definitely needs to be ASUS; I picked out the A88X-PRO FM2+ $290, though I haven't double-checked if it perfectly matches the processor—it says it supports A-series, though.
RAM: Kingston 8GB 1600 MHz 517
GPU: XFX Radeon R7 260 x 2 2GB $338
PSU: Corsair RM650 $341
I’ll probably grab a cheaper aftermarket vertical CPU cooler, something up to 120mm, just to make sure it fits in my current case.

Basically, this is what I'd get to start. My case and HDD will stay as they are for now, and later down the road, I'll pick up an SSD and a larger case—maybe even a full tower with good airflow.
I don't plan on playing at anything higher than 720p, and the same goes for the stream, even if I run the game settings at mid-high.

All these parts and prices are pulled from Newegg.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, advice, or any comments you might have. 🙂

Oof, this thing is completely unbalanced. The motherboard is overpriced, the power supply is overkill, the GPU is too weak, and the CPU has integrated graphics that honestly won't do anything at all. Give me a minute 🙂

EDIT:

2x Crucial 4GB CL11
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P motherboard
Sapphire Radeon R9 280 Dual-X 3gb GDDR5 Graphics Card
be quiet! system Power 7 600w AMD FX 8320
AMD FX 8320E X8 16MB 3,5GHz

~$1633 Newegg

An 8-core processor (which is key for streaming), a much stronger graphics card, a really solid cooler and motherboard ready for overclocking, plus a decent, high-quality power supply.

If you went with a slightly cheaper cooler, motherboard, and PSU, maybe you could squeeze in a 120GB SSD.

People streaming on Twitch usually run two separate rigs—and we're talking beastly setups where the streaming PC is actually beefier than the gaming one. Honestly, if you don't have a massive audience already, I wouldn't even bother going down that road.

I actually thought about diving into that side of things, but looking at it now, it just doesn't seem worth the investment right away. I think I’ll just stick strictly to gaming for the time being. That way, I can probably hunt down some cheaper components that can still handle games at mid-to-high settings without breaking the bank.
That’s exactly why I’m hanging out here to get some advice. 🙂
Basically, investing in a streaming setup right now just isn't a smart move for me.

It’s really not that bad... I have a buddy who streams on Twitch using much weaker hardware, and even with a triple monitor setup at 5760x1080, he only runs into stutters once in a while.

The parts I’ve put together should cover just about everything anyway—streaming, heavy multitasking, gaming, rendering, you name it.

Can I just see the temps without the Cooler? It won't fit in my case—I already checked the dimensions.

I mean, if I could pull off playing JC on low settings with a mediocre laptop and record 720p video without any issues, then this beefier rig should handle it just fine.

Could work...

AMD FX-6300 box 3.5GHz - 14MB Cache - 95W BOX
2x Crucial 4GB CL11
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P motherboard
Cosmo Cool LC-CC-95 - CPU cooler
Sapphire Radeon R9 280 Dual-X 3gb GDDR5 Graphics Card
be quiet! system Power 7 500W

~$1367

EDIT: You just edited your post 😁

Anyway, if you went with that previous setup featuring the 8-core processor, I guess you could just pop in an Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 CO.

Sure thing, thanks. I’m going to take some time to weigh my options—deciding whether it makes sense to go for the high-end setup or just stick with a budget-friendly version. It really comes down to the math for me. Since I'm a total newbie and will probably only have a handful of viewers at first, I need to figure out if investing this much upfront actually makes any sense.

Like Chris Robinson25 was saying, streaming isn't really worth the effort if you're looking for big numbers right away. When you're just starting out, you basically have zero viewers, and let's be honest—the Twitch front page is pretty much reserved for the massive pros.
The only people actually watching would probably just be your buddies clicking a link you sent them.

I actually tried jumping into it myself last year when Titanfall was still a thing, and man, it’s a total grind. It can be pretty discouraging.
You'll need to grab Xplit Gamecaster to handle the stream itself, plus if you want to get fancy with editing titles or adding things like "Top Donors" on screen, you might look into Wirecast.

So, my plan is to just save up some cash and grab this cheaper, lower-spec option instead. I'm actually thinking about selling my laptop for $1167, assuming I can even get anything for it. To give you some context, I picked it up two years ago for $1500. I might chip in a little extra from my paycheck, too. Honestly, I’m also considering picking up a more breathable mid-tower case and a 120GB SSD right away. For gaming, that should be plenty.

So, what kind of monitor are you rocking right now?
If you're stuck with something around 22'', honestly, if I were in your shoes, I’d go with that Smartik build. Sell the laptop for whatever cash you can scrape together and put it toward a nice 27" or even a 32" IPS monitor.
I really regret not grabbing something bigger than a 24'' right off the bat—I was eyeing a 27'' all along. Looking back, I basically threw money down the drain buying that old Samsung with the TV tuner when I could have just bought a solid 27'' monitor instead.

It's a 19" monitor I'm looking at. Besides, I've still got some time to chew on it. It’s going to be a bit of a hybrid setup anyway.

In that case, you definitely want a bigger monitor. 19 inches feels tiny these days.
Honestly, just sell that laptop and toss the cash into this budget. You’ll end up coming up short on funds anyway if you don't.
There are plenty of solid 27'' monitors out there from brands like $583 and up—for example, check out the LG HDTV monitor 27MT46D-PZ

I won't even get started on how much bandwidth you need for that. I struggle enough just trying to upload stuff to YouTube, let alone attempting to live stream. That’s why I stick to making YT videos instead.

Yeah. I remember back when my upload speed was stuck at just 100 kB/s, I could barely even pull off a 360p stream, sometimes it would drop down to 240p or worse.
I honestly think if he bumps his upload up to 10 Mbps, he might be able to manage a decent 720p stream, but like I said before, it’s probably just a waste of both time and cash since he won't have much of an audience to make it worth the effort.
That’s why I suggested selling the laptop instead; he could grab a desktop setup like the one crimsonstag84 put together and still have enough left over for a solid 27'' IPS monitor.
At the end of the day, all he really wants to do is play Grand Theft Auto V, and you can't get better gear than a bigger screen to actually make the game look amazing on a PC.

If you’re planning to get into livestreaming or starting a YouTube channel, you really need to find a niche—a gap in the market. There are just way too many Let's Play channels out there on both platforms right now.

Regardless of what kind of PC setup you have, if you were thinking about streaming Grand Theft Auto V, everyone and their grandmother is already doing that—plus, Grand Theft Auto V has been on consoles for so long that it's hard to find anyone still interested in watching it. For games that massive, you actually have to bring something unique to the table that nobody else is offering.

I don't even know anymore. I’ve somehow ended up in this spot where I’m not allowed to sell my laptop, yet I'm also told I can't spend my own paycheck on anything worthwhile. Meanwhile, the old man gets to sit there and map out how he’s going to use my income to pay off his own debts...

So yeah, that’s basically my life right now. 😢

Just send it already, for crying out loud 😁

Anthony Hayes82 said:I don't know. Now I'm stuck in this position where I can't sell my laptop, yet I'm also not allowed to spend my paycheck on anything remotely fun—all while my old man sits there planning exactly how he’s going to use my earnings to pay off his own debts... I guess that's just how it is.

So, that's pretty much everything regarding my plans. 😢

I'm sorry to hear that.

Don't give up on streaming or Let's Play videos if you're actually interested—just start with something that doesn't get played constantly. There are tons of old-school classics out there that don't even need a high-end rig, and they rarely get picked up anymore. You'll have way less competition that way, and it'll give you a chance to see how the whole thing works. Right now, everyone seems to be streaming League of Legends, DOTA, or CS, which basically just means people prefer watching PvP over PvE. It's kind of like GTA—most people just watch the multiplayer chaos or people messing around rather than the actual game itself.

You need to decide which language niche you're going after. Since everyone knows English, you get the widest possible audience—but honestly, that market is just incredibly oversaturated. I've seen some attempts from local Twitch streamers and YouTubers trying to stick to regional content, though I'm not entirely sure how much traction they actually get. It feels like a bit of a market gap, even if our domestic market is a little small to really capitalize on it.

Don't just stick to those standard Let's Play videos. You know—headphones on, playing the game, glancing at the chat every thirty seconds to say something, and just repeating the same cycle. I'm honestly getting pretty tired of seeing that everywhere. If you actually put on a Batman costume and did the whole commentary in his voice—assuming you can really get into the character—you’d probably stand out from everyone else. 😁Maybe it wasn't the best call—but I’m doubling down.

Anthony Hayes82 said:I don't even know anymore. Now I'm stuck in this spot where I can't sell my laptop, but I'm also not allowed to spend my paycheck on whatever I want. Meanwhile, the old man thinks he can just sit there and plan how he’s going to use my money to pay off his own debts...

So yeah, that's my life right now. 😢

Wait, your dad is planning to use your paycheck to settle his debts? WTF?
Are you actually in charge of your own wallet, or is he? Honestly, at this rate, you might as well hand him your receipts so he can tell you what you're allowed to buy with your own hard-earned cash.

George Sanders37 said:Sorry to hear that.

Don't give up on streaming or Let's play videos if you're still interested. Maybe try something that isn't constantly being streamed—there are tons of great old classics out there that don't need a NASA supercomputer to run and aren't played much anymore. You'll face way less competition that way, and you'll get a better feel for the whole scene. For instance, everyone is playing League of Legends, DOTA, or CS right now, which basically means people prefer watching PvP over PvE. It's kind of like GTA; most people just watch the multiplayer chaos rather than the actual story.

Pick your lane. If you go the English route, you've got the biggest audience since everyone speaks it, but that also means the market is incredibly crowded. I've seen some attempts from creators focusing on specific regions, but I'm not sure how much traction they get. To me, that seems like a gap in the market, even if our local scene is a bit smaller.

Avoid doing the standard Let's play thing. You know, the headphones on, playing a game, glancing at the chat every thirty seconds, and repeating the same loop. I'm already bored of seeing that everywhere. Honestly, if you put on a Batman costume and did all your commentary in his voice—if you could actually pull it off—you'd stand out from the crowd immediately 😁. (Maybe not the best advice, but I'm exaggerating here).

It's not exactly a gold mine for a beginner, though. It takes forever to hit those first 10k followers, and you really have to look at it as a long-term hobby.
Streaming games is fun for a little while—I lost interest pretty fast myself—but if I were in his shoes, I'd probably take the advice he was given.