Do I need two PCs to stream games?

No, a balanced single PC can play and stream many titles with a modern hardware encoder. A second system is useful when isolation, production complexity or fault tolerance justifies the extra capture and audio routing.

Is CPU or GPU more important for OBS?

OBS uses both: the GPU composites scenes, while the selected encoder may run on a GPU media engine or the CPU. The game and scene design determine which resource becomes the constraint.

How much RAM should a streaming PC have?

16GB is a workable starting point for a lean setup, but 32GB better accommodates a game, OBS, browser sources, chat and editing tools together. Watch actual peak usage before adding more.

Which encoder should I select for live streaming?

Use an encoder supported by the graphics hardware and destination service, then test the resolution, frame rate and bitrate. OBS recommends modern hardware encoding for strong quality with limited performance impact.

Does streaming require a fast internet connection?

Stable upload capacity matters, and the chosen bitrate must leave margin for network variation and other users. A wired Ethernet connection usually avoids the interference and signal changes possible on Wi-Fi.

Can a streaming PC also edit videos?

Yes, but editing adds storage, memory and codec requirements beyond live output. Match the system to the editing application and footage resolution as well as the stream.

What ports are needed for cameras and capture cards?

That depends on whether devices use USB, PCIe or HDMI pass-through and on their bandwidth requirements. Several high-rate USB devices can compete for one controller, so motherboard layout matters.

How do I avoid dropped frames while streaming?

Separate network drops from encoding or rendering overload in the OBS statistics window. Reduce the relevant load, cap an uncapped game frame rate, simplify scenes or adjust output settings based on that diagnosis.