Best CPU For Streaming in 2022
From a niche pursuit spearheaded by a few select pioneers a decade ago, live streaming has now morphed into an integral part of gaming and online culture. Whether it’s games, IRL, live podcasts, music, and everything in between, there’s something out there for everyone, and it’s no wonder more people than ever are tempted to jump in.
If you set on joining the wild world of streaming, you’ll need a PC up to the task, and no component is arguably more vital to ensure a broadcast capable of drawing in viewers than a CPU fit for purpose. It’s where you’ll drop most of your budget. As with most other PC hardware, the sheer number of options on the market make it a testing task to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Fret not, as you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to, and honed in on the very CPUs for streaming.
Products at a Glance
Best CPU For Streaming in 2022
- Best of both worlds option
- Excellent encoding performance
- Price
- Streaming quality
- Price
- Slightly lower gaming performance
- Stellar gaming performance
- A value alternative to Intel's pricier Core i9 10900k
- Limited motherboard compatibility
- Power-hungry
- Gaming performance
- Reasonably priced Intel option
- Encoding
- Unmatched price-to-performance value
- Multithreading performance
- Gaming is decent, but better performance is found elsewhere
Our Verdict
While our top picks feature a broad range of excellent options, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X takes the tops spot with some margin for the best CPU for streaming. It’s followed by the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which once again offers excellent performance at a lower price tag.
If gaming experience stands atop your list of priorities, we recommend the beefy Intel Core i7-10700K, while those looking for a mid-range option will find joy in erstwhile gaming powerhouse, the Intel Core i7-8700k.
Finally, we have the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, which takes the win when it comes to affordability while guaranteeing a good streaming experience, whether your gaming or not.
We hope our guide lifts some of the mist surrounding the best CPU for streaming, and you ultimately settle on a chip that suits your needs.
Should you have any questions, then don’t hesitate to pop them in the comments section below, and we’ll be sure to provide an answer.