Best Budget Laptop for Streaming from a Desktop?

Streaming over Wi-Fi can be a bit of a nightmare to deal with. It's often unreliable, and you might end up frustrated with lag.

For better performance, it's best if your source computer is connected via Ethernet. If you can manage both devices on Ethernet, that's ideal, but even just one plugged in can significantly help with latency.

You can definitely use apps like Apollo and Moonlight to stream from your PC to your laptop. It works pretty well even on tablets! Just keep in mind there might be some latency, but it usually isn’t too noticeable if you're connected via Ethernet, especially when playing with a controller instead of just Wi-Fi. Plus, if you set up Tailscale, you can even access and wake up your PC remotely when it's asleep, which is super handy for gaming on the go.

If you're playing less demanding games like RPGs or anything that doesn't need quick reflexes, then you should be fine. However, for more intensive games, like shooters, you might notice some issues. If you want to test things out quickly, try Steam's streaming function first to see if it works for you. If you're okay with that, then you can upgrade to Apollo and Moonlight for better performance later.

Yes, streaming is a standard approach now, but it'll really depend on how you've set up your network. Ideally, your Wi-Fi should be at least Wi-Fi 6 or even Wi-Fi 7, though you'd need both the laptop and router to support these standards. This setup should be okay for casual gaming, but maybe not for fast-paced games like Fortnite.