Best GPU for Streamers 2023

Last Updated on 08/11/2023 by Dean

In the market for a GPU upgrade for your streaming PC? Or maybe you are building a streaming PC from scratch and want to know what your options are? You came to the right article.

Streamerfacts is a blog by streamers for streamers and will help you make a solid GPU choice that will improve the quality of your live stream. After the brief introduction in which I’ll teach you some things to look out for when buying a GPU, I’ll give you GPU options for every budget.

As GPU prices are constantly changing, they aren’t mentioned in this article. You can click on the link next to every product to check its current price.

I have to remind you that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you do, thank you for supporting Streamerfacts!

Things to look for in a Streaming GPU

Here are some tips to help you in your quest of finding the perfect GPU for your streaming PC build.

Pay attention to the size of the GPU

You wouldn’t be the first person to underestimate the size of a GPU. Before making your purchase, make sure the GPU can fit inside your current PC Case. The dimensions of the GPU are always featured on the product page for your reference.

Compatibility

Is the GPU compatible with your current Streaming PC Build? Ensure your power supply is capable of running your new investment. You can always find the wattage requirement on the product page.

Avoid Bottlenecking your PC

While a GPU upgrade is a wise choice, you should make sure you don’t bottleneck it by pairing it with an underpowered CPU or not having enough RAM in your Streaming PC.

We recommend streaming PCs to have at least 16GBs of ram.

Read also: best CPU for streaming

AMD vs Nvidia?

While you may hear a lot more from Nvidia, AMD cards should not be ignored. AMD cards often have more VRAM than Nvidia equivalents and often come cheaper in price.

More VRAM = better streaming performance

A big mistake when buying GPUs is streamers will opt for the highest-digit Nvidia Graphics Card they can afford while neglecting the amount of VRAM the card has.

VRAM = Video Ram; the amount of RAM on your GPU.

You want this number to be high. Especially if you like to play on high graphics and stream simultaneously, this will eat up a lot of VRAM.

8GB of VRAM is fine, but if you can afford it, try to aim higher.

Keep it cool!

When purchasing a GPU, you’ll notice that some come with 1 fan while others come with 2 or even 3 fans. The more fans, the less hot the GPU will get, the more performance you’ll get out of it.

Furthermore, you should ensure your case has proper airflow. Adding extra fans in your case can help increase cooling for your GPU upgrade.

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Cool, now that you know exactly what to look for in a streaming PC, let’s look at the options on the market shall we?

Top 5 GPUs for streaming

Nvidia’s RTX 4090 is the top dog of streaming and gaming CPUs. If budget is no problem for you, the choice is clear.

However, compared to other options on this list, the price of the Nvidia 4090 is astronomically high. Way higher than it should be. Going with AMD’s RX 7900 XTX (listed below) will save you up to 50% of your money while still providing you with a top-tier GPU capable of keeping up with the 4090 while boasting the same 24GB of VRAM.

If you want a powerful graphics card for streaming that is future-proof, look no further than the RX 7900 XTX. Considering this is one of the best GPUs on the market right now while still being 50% cheaper than the RTX 4090, this GPU is an absolute steal.

With 24GB of VRAM, I wouldn’t look any further for the best GPU on the market right now.

If the RX 7900 XTX is just outside of your budget (or it’s too powerful for you), you’ll love the RX 7900. For a lower price, you still get a powerhouse GPU with more than enough VRAM for streaming.

You can already expect what I’m going to say here. The RX 6950 XT is the most affordable top-tier AMD video card you can get.

This GPU is:

• 2.7x cheaper than the RTX 4090
• 1.25x cheaper than the RX 7900XT
• 1.6x cheaper than the RX 7900XTX

While still performing exceedingly well and boasting more than enough VRAM (16GB) for livestreaming and high-end gaming simultaneously.

The RTX 3080 is a solid choice if you cannot afford the RTX 4090 and don’t want to opt for an AMD alternative. (Some people hate AMD, I personally don’t understand this but to each their own.)

However, you should probably look for a used version of this card on eBay, instead of settling for the new price, which is way overpriced compared to similar performing AMD graphics cards (e.g. the aforementioned RX 6950XT is 40% cheaper with more VRAM and similar specs)

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Best Budget GPU for streaming

Are the video cards listed above a little outside of your budget? Don’t fret, you don’t need to spend nearly $1k on a GPU for your streaming build, here are some budget GPU options in the $100 – $350 range!

If you’re looking for a budget CPU that will still provide excellent performance and allow you to play and stream on higher settings, the 6700XT is a great choice. It’s far more expensive than the other 2 GPUs on this list, but it’s a solid choice for anyone looking for a mid-range GPU.

To get the best bang for your buck, I recommend Radeon’s RX 6600. A solid choice for a budget GPU that still packs a punch!

For an extreme budget streaming build, the 8GB version of the RX 580 is a solid choice at the lowest possible price point.

You won’t be streaming with graphics on high, but it’s a great option nonetheless for anyone looking to start streaming on a micro budget.

Continue Reading: best CPU for streaming