Two years ago, NZXT expanded its reach into custom built gaming PCs with a simple proposition—select the games you want to play from a pre-populated list of around 20 options, what resolution you want to play at (1080p or 1440p), and how much you're looking to spend. NZXT then presents you with a proposed build, which you can buy or tweak. It's a simple way of doing things, and now NZXT is taking a similar approach to streaming with specialized packages.
NZXT says it has received "numerous requests" from the community to help make the entry into streaming easier. Like building a PC, for someone who is inexperienced, picking out the right streaming gear might seem daunting. That is where these new bundles come into play.
There are currently two bundles to choose from: Essentials and Premium. The Essentials bundle costs $199.99 by itself, or $2,697.91 with an an accompanying PC and comes with the following:
- Blue Snowball
- Elgato Stream Deck Mini
- Logitech c922x Pro Stream
- Streamlabs OBS
Pricing looks reasonable here—I priced the same parts at around $217 on Amazon. They could probably be had for less if searching around and/or taking advantage of sales, but its notable that NZXT isn't tacking on a premium.
The Premium bundle costs considerably more at $1,099.99 for the streaming gear alone, or $3,597.91 with a PC. It also includes a bunch of extra stuff, and consists of the following:
- Blue Yeti Pro
- Blue Radius II shock mount + pop filter
- Microphone boom arm
- Elgato Stream Deck
- Elgato Key Light
- Elgato Green Screen
- Elgato Game Capture HD60 Pro
- Logitech c922x Pro Stream
Here again, I'm coming up with a comparable price for the same components, if purchased individually on Amazon. What NZXT is basically doing is taking the guesswork out of what is needed to become a streamer. That's not to say that NZXT's part selections are the best, or the only way a buyer could go. But they certainly work.
As for the PC in both bundles (if opting for the full package), you can purchase it without the streaming gear for $2,498.91. It consists of the following components:
- Case: H700 White
- CPU: Intel Core i7-9700k
- GPU: EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Black Gaming Edition
- Motherboard: MSI MPG Z390 Gaming Pro Carbon AC
- Ram: G.Skill TridentZ RGB 16GB DDR4-3600
- SSD: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB
- CPU Cooling: NZXT Kraken X72
- Software: Windows 10 Home & Streamlabs OBS
We reviewed a "BLD by NZXT" system last December and came away generally impressed with the experience. Cable management looked good, the component selection was simple, and NZXT had a quick turnaround.
"From beginning to end, I don't have a single complaint about NZXT's BLD service. Everything was professionally assembled and worked perfectly right out of the box, and every PC comes with a comprehensive two-year warranty on all parts and labor," Joanna said.
Offering streaming bundles seems like a logical extension of what NZXT is doing with its custom built PCs. We still prefer to roll our own rigs, but for someone who doesn't want to fuss with assembly and component selection, NZXT is stepping in with some interesting packages.
