The Last Piece of the Puzzle: My Streaming Upgrade Journey

You know those moments when you think you’ve finally figured everything out, only to be hit with reality a second later? That’s been me these past few weeks with my streaming setup. Let me tell you the story—feels like catching up with an old friend anyway.

The CPU That Wouldn’t Work

So, remember how I saved up from Uber driving, bought my GPU (RX 5700) , upgraded my desk , swapped to a bigger case for better airflow , and even got Starlink internet? Yeah, the setup was finally looking like a dream. The last thing on my list was the CPU.

I thought, perfect, I’ll swap my Ryzen 7 1700X for a Ryzen 5 5500. Simple, right? Wrong.

I updated the BIOS, tried again and again, swapped things around, and every single time: black screen. The 1700X booted fine, but the 5500? Nothing. After too many failed attempts, I had to face it—the upgrade wasn’t happening.

The Delusional Stream Test

At that point, I thought: Fine. Maybe I don’t even need to upgrade. Maybe my old CPU can handle streaming just fine.

So, in true “let’s prove myself right” fashion, I fired up OBS Studio and tried multi-streaming on Twitch and Kick (check the stream recording on kick titled "Fortnite x Anime Vibes – 2HR Guess-The-Anime Stream!").

Oh boy… what a mistake.

The render was all over the place, frames were dropping like crazy, and the gameplay looked like it had been dragged through the mud. I lowered the quality, switched from DirectX 12 to DirectX 11, and things seemed a little smoother—but still not up to the standard I wanted.

Look, I’ll admit it: I’m not the best gamer, and I’m not exactly a natural streamer either. I get camera shy, I stumble over words—but still, that stream? Even for me, it was rough.

Back to the Drawing Board

So here I am again, back at square one. After a lot of thinking (and maybe a little sulking), I’ve decided the next step is getting a Ryzen 7 2700 CPU. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking—it’s old. But here’s the truth: it fits my budget right now, and it’s the piece I need to finally make this setup whole.

This CPU upgrade should be the last piece of the puzzle. Once it’s in place, I can finally stream the way I’ve been planning all along.

The Moral of the Story

Here’s what I’ve learned through all of this: sometimes things don’t go the way you expect. You can plan, save, and work toward something, and it still might not work out. But that doesn’t mean you failed. It just means you adjust, re-plan, and keep going.

Dreams aren’t always built in straight lines—they’re built in reroutes, retries, and sometimes in buying a “dated” processor because that’s what your budget allows.

And that’s okay. Because progress, no matter how slow or imperfect, is still progress.

My Streaming Setup Upgrade Journey: Saving Through Uber to Build My Dream PC

If you’ve ever had to put your passion on hold because of money, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. For me, that passion is streaming. I love gaming, I love creating, and I love connecting with people online—but without the right gear and internet, it just wasn’t possible.

For the past few months, I haven’t been streaming. Not because I lost interest, but because my old setup couldn’t keep up. I decided instead of forcing it, I’d do it the right way: make a plan, set a budget, and upgrade piece by piece.

The best part? I funded it all through Uber driving. Every trip I completed wasn’t just gas money—it was an investment into building my dream PC setup. It took time, but the progress has been worth it.

 The First Step: GPU Upgrade (RX 5700)

One of the most important upgrades for gaming and streaming is the graphics card. I picked up the AMD RX 5700 GPU, which gives me enough power for both smooth game play and encoding streams. If you’ve ever struggled with stutters or poor frame rates, you know how big of a difference a good GPU makes. 

 A Better Desk for a Better Setup

After years of using a cramped space, I finally invested in a proper desk. It might not sound like a big deal, but having enough room for a monitor, keyboard, and mic stand makes everything so much easier. A good desk helps keep the setup clean and organized. Best gaming desk on Amazon

 Bigger PC Case = Better Airflow

Next, I changed my old PC case for a bigger one. This might sound like just a cosmetic change, but airflow is super important. A larger case keeps the system cooler, which means longer hardware life and fewer crashes when gaming or streaming. Mid-tower PC case

 The Internet Game-Changer: Starlink

Before, I was stuck with a local ISP that promised 6 Mbps—but only delivered that speed if I was lucky. Streaming was frustrating, buffering was constant, and gaming online felt like a gamble.

That all changed when I decided to upgrade to Starlink. I ordered the kit online, expecting it to take at least two weeks to arrive. To my surprise, it showed up in just six days. That fast delivery alone had me smiling—it felt like the upgrade I’d been waiting years for was finally within reach.

Setting it up was straightforward, and once it was running, the difference was night and day. Stable speeds, low latency, and finally the freedom to stream and game without worrying about constant dropouts. It wasn’t just an upgrade—it was a whole new experience.

Honestly, if you’re stuck with slow, unreliable internet like I was, I’d encourage anyone to give Starlink Kit a serious look. For me, it turned a dream of returning to streaming into a real possibility. 

 What’s Left: CPU Upgrade

The last piece of the puzzle is upgrading my processor. Right now, I’m still running a Ryzen 7 1700X, but my goal is to switch to the Ryzen 5 5500 Processor by the end of September 2025. Once that’s done, my setup will be complete, and I’ll be back to streaming regularly. 

What We Learned Along the Way

This whole journey isn’t just about tech—it’s about patience, planning, and persistence. I could have gone into debt to buy everything at once, but instead, I saved bit by bit from my Uber earnings. Each upgrade felt like a small win, and over time, those wins started adding up to something bigger.

And then there was Starlink. I ordered it online thinking it would take two weeks to arrive, but it showed up in just six days. That moment reminded me that sometimes, when you’ve done the work and made the plan, good things can come sooner than expected.

The bigger lesson is this: if you save money with a goal and a clear plan, it might take time, but eventually, you’ll get there—and sometimes, the results even surprise you by coming faster.

Whether it’s streaming, building a PC, or chasing any other dream, progress is progress. Every step you take brings you closer to where you want to be.