What Is The Best Graphics Card for Game Streaming

The importance of a graphics card for a PC is largely determined by the games you are going to stream. For some undemanding games, it is completely optional and the graphics chip built into the system is quite enough. Still, if you are going to develop your streaming abilities and prospects, it is better to look for more professional options that provide the highest quality.

The basics of the choice

When you are streaming the loading is quite big because it combines the needs of the game itself and its sharing. No wonder, that to use high resolution, you need quality parts. There are some tips on the main components.

The GPU will keep the graphics and encode the stream, providing the required level of power to make everything perfect. In most cases, the Nvidia cards are recommended as both reliable and suitable options. AMD has made significant strides in this area, and its latest cards (Navi) are solid, but Nvidia's GPUs still outperform in many games.

This is especially true for resource-intensive tasks, which include high frame rate games. Moreover, the GPU is highly dependent on your choice of resolution. If you want to have the highest possible, then you need to carefully choose your video card.

For the utilization of the high resolution, we would start with the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti which is both a powerful and trustworthy option with affordable pricing. Older options will be less suitable to even run games at lower rates. Of course, they are not good for proper streaming.

Also, pay attention to Nvidia RTX series the real strength of which is that they pack more power for gaming and also use specialized encoders to improve the quality of the streaming. It also allows you to optimize your system for the most popular modern software.

The games vs the graphic card

If you are only starting your streaming career, pay attention to the games that you want to play. The options for choosing a video card for the streaming are approximately the following:

  • For undemanding games with low graphics settings, a card with 2 GB of memory, such as the GTX 1050, is suitable.
  • For more powerful games in FHD resolution or for budget streaming in 1440p resolution, an option with 6 GB is a good choice.
  • For demanding modern games, it is better to pay attention to a computer with a top-end graphics card, such as the GeForce GTX 2080. This model will give you the chance to forget about the brakes and delays that can cut a significant part of your audience.

In addition, top-end graphics cards are also great because they can provide excellent overclocking and power enough for games at top settings, and the ability to connect multiple monitors to it at once will make the stream awesome.

Please note that video cards from different manufacturers offer hardware encoding methods, which can vary significantly. The undisputed leader in this area is Nvidia.