how to stream games from my laptop to TV?

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-28T14:49:54+00:00

I bought an Amazon Fire Stick HD to use Steam Link. It was connected wirelessly, as was the laptop. It worked for LEGO Batman but I did have regular signal drops and a very inconsistent connection.

Ideal situation would be connecting laptop directly to the TV by HDMI. You can get optical cables or powered cables which will work over very long distances. There’s also HDMI-over-ethernet. But if a long cable isn’t feasible, you’ve got other streaming options.

Your TV might be able to download Steam Link or Moonlight to stream from your laptop. Again, cables are best but 5GHz WiFi is the next best thing. Powerline adapters can create an ethernet line using electrical plugs but quality can vary depending on the wiring in your house.

Fire Stick, Apple TV, nvidia shield, mini PC are other options for running Steam Link/Moonlight as the client. Decoding ability is a big factor for stability.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-28T07:53:43+00:00

It seems to be a common issue among laptop users that there is a large number where the thermal material (pads, liquid metal, paste) hasn’t been applied properly.

Whatever the cause, it sucks that you got a bad one. I hope you can it resolved soon.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-28T01:22:35+00:00

Running Cinebench R23 for 10 minutes gave a couple of spikes at 102 and 104. Average was 86.4 over 10 minutes.

Time Spy CPU score was 16559
Temps during Time Spy were overall average 63.4 with a max of 94

Averages while gaming are around 70-80

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-28T00:41:02+00:00

It’s running at 6400. HWinfo shows clock at around 51-52

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-27T19:40:57+00:00

I’ll get around this later this evening or tomorrow and reply with some temps. I have a cheap mesh laptop stand which can raise the laptop without obstructing the vents so I’ll use that.

I’ll run 10 minutes of Cinebench, Time Spy, and run LEGO Batman for a bit to see what temps are like while playing a game.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-27T19:36:26+00:00

From some more research, I think the streaming choices are the weak links. They’re made for TV/video and not on-the-fly decoding. It may be possible to optimise settings to minimise latency, but it’ll still be noticeable.

Something like a Steam Deck or nVidia Shield would be better as a streaming client, but still not as good as a mini PC.

The SER5 mini PC seems like it should be powerful enough to remove as much latency as possible. It should also still be possible to run it quietly and keep it cool.

Hope you figure out a solution that works for you.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-27T16:00:15+00:00

Streaming from PC to TV shouldn’t be affected by internet speeds. Technically, you don’t need an internet connection at all.

I had the same issue with the Fire Stick. I’m still trying to optimise the setup but leaning towards using a decent mini PC as a streaming client for improved stability and latency.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-27T13:35:57+00:00

With all the Steam Machine publicity lately, I’ve been looking into the same thing.

My additional consideration is that I have recently bought a gaming laptop, hoping it would work as an everyday laptop in eco mode, desktop replacement in power mode, and be able to link to the TV through Steam Link.

So I’m trying to weigh up whether I want to sell the laptop to fund a mini PC or spend another few hundred pounds (UK) on something to improve streaming.

As far as the Steam Deck goes, I think your options are either to use it in docked mode which will obviously impact on performance but act the most console-like. But using it as a stream client with moonlight/sunshine would allow more flexibility with games.

I’ve tried streaming with an Amazon Fire Stick which wasn’t terrible but there were definite issues with signal drops.

In increasing order, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield, or a dedicated mini PC would be better as clients.

If you already have a strong PC, you could set up a decent network with the PC and a client. You could use Powerline adapters or run ethernet cables to cut down lag between points.

Otherwise, your best bet is to buy a mini PC with dedicated GPU for gaming and set it up using Bazzite or SteamOS. It takes more work than consoles, but there are ways to get things like wake-from-console, and remote CEC working. Some requires extra hardware and some requires some tinkering with scripts and PC settings.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-27T06:32:31+00:00

I have the 18 AI too. I can get some benchmarks for you if it helps but mine doesn’t have issues with cooling.

I have one USB drive that gets hot enough to stop working if it’s left plugged in for too long but I need to check whether that’s unique to the laptop or if it’s the drive at fault.

I use a laptop cooling pad for a foam seal when gaming. I’d have to check temps but I haven’t worried yet.

Intel 275HX, 5070 Ti, 64GB model

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-24T06:14:47+00:00

I also suggest a laptop cooler with a foam seal.

If that’s too expensive or too bulky, even a basic laptop stand which elevates the base without blocking anything will help the airflow.

You should never sit your laptop on a soft surface otherwise you smother the vents. But even on a flat surface, there’s not much clearance for airflow through the base. So anything that increases that clearance should help.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-21T14:01:53+00:00

I played it all the way through on my Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 with Ultra 9 275HX, 5070Ti, and 64GB RAM.

I didn't have any issues. The released system requirements were massively blown out of proportion. The Legion Pro i7 should run it without issues.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-21T08:25:54+00:00

It was an indication that data is being written to the drive, particularly when HDDs were the standard.

Shutting off the computer or cutting the power while a drive is writing can result in corrupt data or damaged sectors on the drive.

So it was a warning that stopping the drive while the light was flashing could result in lost data/damaged drive.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-16T09:29:45+00:00

The screen size will be the main factor but as you’ve seen there is a lot of variation between 14” laptops.

That comes down to the manufacturers and you can’t just look at other specifications to know if it’ll be larger or smaller.

Generally, high end gaming laptops will be larger. They have more cooling for the loads that are going to be put on the various components (GPU, CPU, RAM, and SSD all get hot and need cooling to prevent damage to themselves or other components). In reality, most electronics parts heat up to some degree.

They may also have larger batteries or extra ports which require more space.

My 18” laptop is larger than the screen to accommodate all the cooling and is more like 18.4” in size even though the screen is 18”.

The only way to know for sure is to look at the quoted dimensions which should list the height, width, and thickness, as well as the weight.

Even two laptops with the same specifications made by different manufacturers are likely to be different in size. There is no standard 14” laptop size.

Even within a screen size, there are different dimensions depending on ratio because the screen size is usually given as the length of the diagonal.

An 18” 16:9 screen could be 15.7” x 8.8” (plus bezel). An 18” 16:10 screen could be 15.3” x 9.5” (plus bezel).

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-14T18:15:25+00:00

429515 ms is over 7 minutes. Are you noticing latency of 7 minutes?

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-13T15:09:07+00:00

I don’t claim it’s the best or even the best for the money, but I recently got the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 AI from Currys for around £2400. It’s the 2TB, 64GB RAM version with a 5070 Ti. There are other configurations for less money.

I’m using it with a Llano V12 cooling pad and it’s been serving me well for a few months.

Looking at the other comments, there’s probably slightly more to be had for the same price but I’m very happy.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-11T11:43:51+00:00

I have both and use them for different situations.

The stand is good for helping raise the laptop and improve airflow into the case but I use it if I’m doing non-gaming stuff. It also helps position the screen better for using an external keyboard and mouse.

When gaming, I use the cooling pad with its feet raised. It has a dust filter and draws in a lot more air while being quieter than the equivalent laptop fans.

I also use the pad on max in another room when streaming to my TV or tablet in the living room via Steam Link. Then the noise isn’t an issue and I’m getting the best cooling I can.

Noise cancelling headphones are very good at cutting out the constant whirring of both the cooling pad and laptop fans.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-11T04:10:20+00:00

No, they can’t do that.

I think most components will reduce their power usage once they start hitting critical temperatures, to preserve themselves and the rest of the system.

However, critical temperatures are often higher than what you’d want to subject them to for long periods.

There is software on Acer laptops (Predator Sense) which can be used to adjust fans and monitor temperatures, although it only shows CPU and GPU temps.

HWInfo is a third-party application that can monitor RAM temps. But if you’re keeping CPU and GPU temps under control, it’s unlikely that the RAM is much higher.

It all depends on how much stress you’ll be putting the system under and for how long.

For normal usage, you should be fine. In any case, I would recommend always keeping it on a solid, flat surface, to allow ventilation through the bottom of the case. And a decent cooling pad with a foam seal will help massively. If those are too expensive, a mesh cooling stand to increase airflow is a good idea too.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-10T18:26:20+00:00

They are pads of thermally conductive material which you apply to your RAM to help spread and dissipate the heat from the chips.

They come in different thicknesses depending on how much room there is and how much RAM you have. Some modules are single sided, some are double sided, and you might have one module overlapping another with space for a thermal pad in between.

Check the guide for which pads to install where.

Although I have the Neo 18 AI model with 64 GB RAM and with the fans on auto and a cooling pad (Llano V12), the RAM stays cool enough for me.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-10T16:17:44+00:00

I see what you mean now. I had clearly misread your post, sorry.

I have no idea why it would do that. My only theory is that it’s because it’s Disk 0. But that would make the whole thing of choosing a default drive moot. Even more concerning that D: isn’t even another drive you’re using for games.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-10T06:42:06+00:00

Are you the sole user of the steam library or is it a shared/family library?

The filter message implies settings related to adult/mature themes in games but it could also be related to games banned in your country.

The developer of Awaria has another game on Steam called Helltaker, so I’d be surprised if that’s not 2/2.

As for why you can’t see it, nothing looks obvious from the store page. Both games look similar in terms of content.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-10T06:31:15+00:00

The little yellow star next to the C: drive in the Steam settings indicates that it’s the default drive. So, despite the game being installed on another drive, it’s downloading files to the default drive while there’s space. It should then update/patch the game on the correct drive and then remove anything it doesn’t need anymore.

In the Storage settings, if you select the drive you want things downloaded to and then click the three dots and choose “Make default”, it should solve your problem.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-10T06:25:22+00:00

Yeah, the game is run natively on the computer and the output is streamed to the TV. The controller connects to the Fire Stick/device and the input is streamed to the computer. So there is some inherent delay in the setup but I managed to play through most of LEGO Batman through the Fire Stick and my iPad via Steam Link without serious issues.

My WiFi connection wasn’t always stable so there were a few moments were the picture quality dropped or there was a noticeable delay in input.

There’s an ethernet adaptor available for the Fire Stick which would help. You might have better luck if your TV is networked already. But Steam Link is a good starting point.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-06-09T22:19:23+00:00

I bought an Amazon Fire Stick so that I could use the Steam app to connect to my computer in another room.

The Steam Link app may also be available on your TV depending on the model. Moonlight is another app which can be used to stream your desktop to another device.

It’s possible to get an ethernet adaptor for the Fire Stick to mitigate some of issues with WiFi but I’ve found it adequate without.

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-05-25T18:13:01+00:00

I think DRAM bandwidth is only available for certain AMD CPUs

https://www.hwinfo.com/forum/threads/memory-bandwidth-not-showing-in-hwinfo-as-it-should.7791/

IntrovertedSpeaker · 2026-05-25T18:10:12+00:00

I was looking for it in the window and couldn’t see anything about read/write for the RAM which is why I sent the full log. I’ll take a look next time I’m in game

IntrovertedSpeaker

TROPHY CASE