For the complete list of panels, check out the main TwitchCon 2016 Panel Recap post.

VoD link:https://www.twitch.tv/twitchconfrankerz/v/93569882
FrankerZ Theater Day Two
Moderator: PancakePowTV
Participants: FemSteph, RikaConfesses, LoveLaughLeslie, OMGLazerKittens

Part overview and advice for taking the dive into building your own Streaming PC! Answers from panelists are summarized.

First portion of the panel is discussing the women’s first experiences building their first PCs and how they got into building them.

Brief Discussion on Motherboards

• Motherboard (Used the Gigabyte GA-990FX as example)
  • Can be the most intimidating part of the PC. Don’t get scared! Looks more complicated than it actually is.
  • The main thing to consider when getting a Motherboard is COMPATIBILITY.
    • Making sure other parts such as RAM, CPU, Graphic Cards, etc. work with your Motherboard. There are big differences such as using an AMD based board as opposed to an Intel one.
• Even if you’ve built computers before. Parts change and evolve all the time so make sure you ask around and do your research.

PartPicker (pcpartpicker.com)

• Extremely useful tool for both new builders and veterans alike.
• Can catalog every single part and show things like prices, compatibility, what’s missing, etc.
• Even though there is a compatibility checker, do your due diligence and research the compatibility yourself as well!
  • Can save/share your build before you purchase anything so others can give advice. Asking questions and looking at others builds is GOOD. Leave the ego at the door.

The PC Building Community

• There will be negative people. Shake it off and ignore them. This shouldn’t deter you from getting advice from people.
• There are many ways to build a PC to fit you right. People will question your choices. Stay vigilant in what you want out of your PC, your budget, etc.
• Don’t get discouraged when searching for advice. Even though there are people who will put you down, there are tons of helpful and friendly people to offer advice on your build.
• Be upfront and honest about your experience when asking for help. This can affect how people approach you with their advice.

Q and A @ 2:26:10

• ESD (Electrical Static Discharge) safety
  • Building on a “smart” surface such as a tabletop is a good idea.
  • Things like swapping GPU’s while the computer’s on may not be a 100% sure fire way to ruin your PC or injure yourself but there’s always a RISK.
  • At the end of the day, it’s risk assessing and common sense. Static IS something to be aware of, but it isn’t a be all end all to ruining builds or injuring yourself; so don’t be scared just be aware!

Fixing your build when you over budget

• Refer back to your goals and what you want out of your PC. Then you can target areas to cut back the price on.
• What are you going to be doing with the PC? If you only play pixel art games then maybe you don’t need two GPU’s crossfired. You can cut back on the graphics card.
• PC’s can be updated. Some parts are easier than others such as Graphics cards and RAM. You may have to sacrifice now, but always keep the future in mind when you’re financially more stable.

Returning parts and policies

• Be nice to customer service!
• Do your research and look at reviews as well as return policies of different companies.

Opinions on Gaming PC for streaming VS Gaming PC + Capture card VS 2 PC set up with Capture card

• FemSteph is a full-time streamer and only uses a 1 PC set up. Components are high end though so runs well. Can stream+record just fine.
• If you want the best of the best, streaming with a 2 PC set up can be problematic and difficult to set up but you have more power behind it.
• Check out our guide for creating a 2 PC streaming setup

Smaller form factors

• Can have overheating issues.
• OMGLazerKittens prefers mid-sized cases. More room for cooling, GPUs, etc.
• Small form factor PCs still have a place. Just depends on what you’re using your PC for.
• Good for portability.
• Not recommended for streaming if it’s a 1 PC set up.