Question Using Gaming Laptop as Streaming PC?

[RiseIsRising]

I built a gaming PC last weekend, i3 12100f and a RTX 2060. 16GB DDR4 RAM as well.
I wanted to use my laptop (Acer Nitro 5 GTX 1650 i5 9300h 16GB RAM) as a streaming computer, is that possible? Friends told me that I need an elgato or somt to do that, but idk. Can I do that or is there a way just to stream AND game on my pc at the same time?

 

[TerryLaze]

You don't need an elgato although that is the most popular choice and you will get the most info about issues or anything else for that, but you do need something to feed the video from one system to the other, there are cheap hdmi 2 usb devices all over ebay/aliexpress and they are decent enough and your laptop would be able to transcode the signal to send it to the youtubes.

You can also just use OBS and the nvenc encoder that will use your GPU so as long as you don't overdo it with high FPS and high quality settings you will be able to do everything on your main PC.

 

[Aeacus]

I wanted to use my laptop (Acer Nitro 5 GTX 1650 i5 9300h 16GB RAM) as a streaming computer, is that possible? Friends told me that I need an elgato or somt to do that, but idk. Can I do that or is there a way just to stream AND game on my pc at the same time?

Both are possible, with their own downsides of course.

Further reading from here, with plenty of options on what to do,
article: https://www.logicalincrements.com/articles/streaming

Overall, main diffs between single PC and dual PC setups are;
Single PC - worse gaming experience (less FPS), since one PC has to do everything. On the flip side, delay is much less and doesn't require to buy capture card.
Dual PC - far better gaming experience (since you have dedicated PCs for gaming and streaming). Downside is delay between gaming PC, streaming card and Twitch + you need to buy capture card and set it all up, properly.

Since your gaming PC isn't high-end, i'd go with dual-PC setup.

 

[RiseIsRising]

@Aeacus @TerryLaze what cards do you guys recommend? I want one with 120/144HZ transfer at 1080p if that's possible, but not something that breaks the bank. I have 4 ports on my GPU and I use the One HDMI, everything else is not used. Can I just connect it to one of those DisplayPorts? Also, if I were to use only one main pc, what are some OBS settings you'd recommend? I play eSports titles like CS:GO, Valorant, Minecraft, and Fortnite. I might play the occasional Triple A if I feel like it

 

[Aeacus]

@Aeacus @TerryLaze what cards do you guys recommend?

Plenty to choose from here, based on your needs and budget,
article: https://www.ign.com/articles/best-capture-card

Personally, i'd either go with AVerMedia Live Gamer Bolt, IF you have Thunderbolt 3 port. And if not, then NZXT Signal 4K30, which needs USB 3.2 port.

Also, if I were to use only one main pc, what are some OBS settings you'd recommend?

Depends on your upload speed and impact the game has on your PC.
But for overall, here is a nice guide to get you started,
link: https://recorder.easeus.com/screen-recording-resource/best-obs-settings-for-streaming.html

 

[RiseIsRising]

@Aeacus @TerryLaze okay so I dug up an ROXIO GAMECAP HD PRO from my brothers junk pile and set it up - IT WORKS! Issues:
The config is is that my 2060 is connected to monitor directly via displayport, but via hdmi it is connected to the Capture card. Outside of games, everything runs smoothly - inside of games, mouse becomes 60hz, but the game runs on 144. Any fixes?

 

[Aeacus]

inside of games, mouse becomes 60hz

That capture card is only capable of max 60 FPS capture. And since 60 FPS = 60 Hz, there is your issue.

Unofficial specs at retailer: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/896838-REG/Corel_rgchdpr1enam_Game_Capture_HD_Pro.html
No official specs page to look at (since it's EoL device).