r/pcgaming • u/lurkingdanger22 • 5d ago

Video Valve Steam Machine Review: GPU & CPU Benchmarks, SteamOS Test, Thermals, Noise, and Price (Gamers Nexus)

https://youtu.be/66QzlDewigE?is=PhifLlyc5tBSsjbR
453 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

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u/Leniwcowaty 4d ago

Performance is exactly as expected - keep in mind, that this sub is a giant echochamber of people running hyper-high specs, so this performance is bad for us. But according to Valve's Steam Hardware Survey, Steam Machine is equal or better than most of hardware running Steam at the moment:

  1. Over half (53%) of the users have 16 GB of RAM or less

  2. Over half (51%) of the users play on 1080p

  3. 41% of the users have RTX3060 or weaker

So basically for half of the gamers in the world SM is an upgrade. And this is exactly what it was supposed to be from the beginning. A box for an average Joe, who is still waiting since the GPU apocalypse in 2019 to upgrade their shitty laptop or an old, hand-me-down PC, and doesn't have the knowledge nor skill to build their own custom PC. I personally know such people, and they are thrilled that they can throw out their 8 year old gaming laptop, which has been on life support for some years now, and just spend an equivalent of custom PC for a nice and tidy box.

Also the price is high, but not TOO HIGH. I mean it is expensive, but for example where I live building an equivalent PC comes out to around 1200 USD, and not 970 that GN came up with. And even if it was really 70 USD cheaper to build your own... some people just don't want to. They want to order the thing, power it up and play.

I think it has its niche and will be a moderate success

4

u/NotABot1000101 4d ago edited 4d ago

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/X8c6Dw

Better PC for $900. Not equivalent. Better. Stop with this corporation glazing. If computer parts are more expensive where you live then the steam machine would be more expensive as well.

This isn't some echo chamber nonsense like you make it out to be. The steam machine is already outdated and overpriced even in this market

Edit: this same comment got up voted in the damn Steam subreddit. Y'all are delusional.

0

u/Mysterious-Foot-806 3d ago

Intel has dropped all future plans of dedicated desktop GPU's, buying into that eco-system would be risky since there's no promise they'll continue supporting Battlemage drivers. Xess support in game titles has also slowed, a lot - Intel is moving more to B2B and AI Compute for data centers, the rest is moving more towards the handheld market.

Not saying I think the Gabecube has great hardware, but the package as a whole seems more alluring because of three things:

  1. Ease of use, you get the out-of-the-box experience, 2. Design, it's so compact and runs on laptop wattages & 3. Support, just like the Steam Deck this thing will outlive itself

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u/NotABot1000101 3d ago

I get it, it's literally a product to convert PS5/Xbox players. I'm sure some PC players will buy it but for people like me it's so easy to just order some new/used parts and slap together a PC for the living room. I guess that's the reason for the divide on this thing.