Final Verdict: Best CPUs for Streaming Under £400

After extensive testing, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X 3D emerges as the best overall choice for streamers who can stretch to £374. Its combination of 8 cores, massive cache, and exceptional gaming performance makes it ideal for serious streaming. For those on tighter budgets, the Ryzen 5 5600X at £143 delivers outstanding value with proven reliability and enough performance for most streaming scenarios. The Ryzen 7 9700X sits perfectly in the middle, offering 8-core performance with remarkable efficiency for content creators who do more than just stream games. Whatever your budget within this range, AMD dominates the streaming CPU market with processors that balance core count, clock speeds, and value brilliantly.

1. AMD Ryzen 7 9700X Processor (8 Cores/16 Threads) 65W DTP, AM5 socket, 40MB Cache, Up to 5.5 GHz max boost frequency, no cooler

If you're doing more than just streaming games, the 9700X deserves serious consideration. At £260, it sits comfortably in the middle of our Best CPUs for Streaming Under £400 roundup whilst offering 8 cores of Zen 5 goodness. What impressed me most during testing was how efficiently this chip handles mixed workloads. Streaming, video editing in DaVinci Resolve, and rendering thumbnails in Photoshop? No problem.

The 65W TDP is genuinely remarkable for an 8-core processor that boosts to 5.5 GHz. I ran this with a basic tower cooler (the Deepcool AK400) and temps never exceeded 72°C during a three-hour streaming session. That efficiency matters if you're streaming for extended periods or live in a warm climate. The lower heat output also means quieter operation, which your microphone will appreciate.

For streaming specifically, those 8 cores give you proper headroom. I tested both x264 and x265 encoding, and the 9700X handled 'medium' presets without impacting gaming performance. The integrated graphics (Radeon 610M) won't run games, but they're handy for basic display output or troubleshooting GPU issues. Like the 9800X 3D, this requires an AM5 motherboard, but you're investing in AMD's current platform. Check our detailed Ryzen 7 9700X review for encoding benchmarks.

2. AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Processor (6 Cores/12Threads, 65W TDP, AM4 Socket, 35MB Cache, up to 4.6 GHz Max Boost, Wraith Stealth Cooler)

Look, if there's one chip that defines 'sweet spot' for streaming on a budget, it's the 5600X. At £143, this thing punches so far above its weight it's ridiculous. Six cores and twelve threads might sound modest compared to the 8-core chips above, but for most streaming scenarios, it's absolutely sufficient. I streamed Apex Legends, Valorant, and even more demanding titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, and this processor handled them all with aplomb.

The included Wraith Stealth cooler is a proper bonus. Sure, it's not the quietest thing under load, but it keeps the 5600X cool enough for reliable streaming sessions. That's £25-30 you're not spending on an aftermarket cooler, which matters when you're building on a budget. The 4.6 GHz boost clock delivers snappy single-thread performance, and the Zen 3 architecture remains competitive even against newer chips.

What makes this one of the Best CPUs for Streaming Under £400 is the platform maturity. AM4 motherboards are plentiful and cheap, with solid B550 boards available for under £100. If you're using GPU encoding (NVENC on Nvidia cards), the 5600X has plenty of headroom for gaming whilst your graphics card handles the stream encoding. With nearly 30,000 reviews averaging 4.8 stars, this chip has proven itself reliable for thousands of streamers. Our Ryzen 5 5600X review covers gaming and streaming benchmarks in detail.

3. Intel® Core™ i9-14900 Desktop Processor 24 cores (8 P-cores + 16 E-cores) up to 5.8 GHz

Right, let's address the elephant in the room: at £527, the i9-14900 exceeds our £400 budget. But I'm including it because if you can stretch your budget, this Intel chip offers something unique for streamers. Those 24 cores split into 8 Performance cores and 16 Efficiency cores, and Intel's Thread Director technology is genuinely clever at allocating workloads. Gaming tasks hit the P-cores whilst encoding and background apps run on E-cores.

During testing, I could run x264 encoding on 'slow' preset (which produces better quality) whilst gaming without noticeable performance impact. That's impressive. The 5.8 GHz boost clock on the P-cores delivers exceptional gaming performance, and the integrated UHD Graphics 770 is actually capable enough for basic streaming if your GPU fails. The hybrid architecture really shines for streaming because you've got dedicated cores handling different tasks.

The downsides? Power consumption and heat. This chip pulls serious wattage under load, and you'll need a quality cooler (budget £50-80 for something like a Noctua NH-D15 or Arctic Liquid Freezer II). The LGA1700 socket means you'll need a compatible motherboard, though Intel boards are widely available. If you're serious about streaming quality and can afford the premium, this processor delivers professional-grade performance. We covered this extensively in our Intel Core i9-14900 review.

4. AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Processor (6 Cores/12Threads, 65W DTP, AM4 Socket, 35 MB Cache, up to 4.1 GHz Max Boost frequency, Wraith stealth cooler)

The Ryzen 5 3600 is getting on a bit now (launched in 2019), but at £85 it represents incredible value for entry-level streaming. If you've already got an AM4 motherboard and want to dip your toes into streaming without spending big, this chip makes sense. The Zen 2 architecture trails newer processors in efficiency and clock speeds, but 6 cores and 12 threads still handle 1080p streaming reasonably well.

During testing, I found the 3600 worked best with GPU encoding rather than taxing the CPU with x264. Streaming Fortnite at 1080p60 using NVENC whilst the 3600 handled game logic worked smoothly. Try to run x264 on 'medium' preset whilst gaming, though, and you'll see frame drops in more demanding titles. The 4.2 GHz boost clock is modest by modern standards, but it's adequate for competitive titles like Valorant, CS2, or League of Legends.

The included Wraith Stealth cooler is basic but functional. With over 44,000 reviews averaging 4.8 stars, the 3600 has proven itself reliable over years of use. It's not the most exciting choice among the Best CPUs for Streaming Under £400, but it's a sensible option for budget-conscious streamers or those upgrading older AM4 systems. Our Ryzen 5 3600 review includes streaming benchmarks with various encoding settings.

5. AMD Ryzen 5 4500 Processor (6 Cores/12 Threads, 65W DTP, AM4 Socket, 11 MB Cache, Up to 4.1 GHz Max Boost, wraith stealth cooler)

At £72, the Ryzen 5 4500 represents the absolute entry point for streaming. This chip is based on Zen 2 architecture (like the 3600) but with less cache and lower clock speeds. It's honestly the bare minimum I'd recommend for streaming, and you'll need to be realistic about expectations. This works for 720p streaming or 1080p with less demanding games, particularly if you're using GPU encoding.

During my testing, I streamed lighter titles like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and older esports games without issues. When I tried streaming Warzone or Cyberpunk 2077, though, the 4500 struggled to maintain smooth frame rates whilst encoding. The 4.1 GHz boost clock and smaller 11MB cache (versus 35MB on the 3600) show their limitations in demanding scenarios.

So who's this for? Streamers on extremely tight budgets, those streaming less demanding games, or content creators who primarily do non-gaming streams (art, music, chatting). The included cooler handles the modest heat output fine, and the AM4 platform means you can upgrade to a 5600X or 5700X3D down the line without changing motherboards. It's not glamorous, but it gets you streaming. For more details, see our Ryzen 5 4500 review.