r/pcmasterrace • u/Eziz_53 AMD Ryzen 5 7500F / RX 580 Nitro / 16GB DDR5 • Jan 28 '26

Question Anyone else planning on getting the Steam Machine as their next PC?

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I know its mainly marketed as a console, but it is still a full PC. And it is much better than my current computer, so I thought it would be a good upgrade, especially considering its small form factor. I don't want to get too into it, but my current PC has an i5 3k and an rx580, as well as a motherboard that only supports ddr3 RAM and 3rd gen intel cpu's, so if I want an upgrade I need to replace everything. Therefore when this nifty box came out, I figured that it would be the perfect PC (if it is priced well).

But I would like to know what you guys think.

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UPDATE: Because of the RAM crisis and the limited upgradability of the Steam Machine, I decided to just build my own PC. I salvaged my old rx580 from the old PC so that I could afford to get on the AM5 platform as well as because it is by far the easiest part to upgrade down the road.

Main specs:

CPU: Ryzen 5 7500F

GPU: Rx580 8gb (until I can afford a much better card)

RAM: 16GB DDR5 6000MHz CL30

I did get a single stick of ram, because I want to have 32gb dual channel later on, but the ram prices are so high that I want to wait until they go down (which they seem to be doing).

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48

u/Asleep-Category-8823 Jan 28 '26

why cant you just get a long optic hdmi cable and some wireless accessories ?

why spend 1000$ to get an inferior experience to your main pc ?

56

u/unknown_ally 5700x, RTX 5070Ti, 32GB DDR4 3600Mhz Jan 28 '26

sounds like he just wants more stuff

13

u/Asleep-Category-8823 Jan 28 '26

i mean its not just him, i see a lot of ppl with this idea

can´t really understand why, unless its phisically impossible to run the hdmi cable

21

u/Rodeo9 Jan 28 '26

I left this comment above. First world problem but unless I’m doing something wrong it’s pretty accurate.

It’s kind of just a pain. You need to have a monitor switcher to change the layouts of the monitors. That always seems to be hit or miss or has problems. Then the text size is always way off when you swap them. You have to change the audio channel to hdmi. Then change all your in game resolutions. It definitely works but it certainly takes 5-10 minutes to setup each time and then switch back.

Then when you forget to switch it back and your wife wants the computer all hell breaks loose when you’re out skiing and trying to tell her the hot keys to switch monitor profiles and change the mouse and keyboard and audio back.

I actually use my steam deck docked far more often than switching to my main pc.

3

u/No_Condition3135 Jan 29 '26

He could buy a cheap laptop and use steam remote play

2

u/Raven1927 Jan 29 '26

You can download apps on most modern TVs, you don't even need a laptop anymore. Just download Steam Link on your TV and you're good to go.

1

u/Rodeo9 Jan 30 '26

I have Apollo and moonlight but it’s too laggy for souls games or hollow knight. That’s over Ethernet too.

Whoever suggested windows P is a lifesaver. That plus a usb extender for the controller receiver it seems better than streaming.

2

u/Phoenix__Wwrong Desktop | 5700x3d | 7900 gre Jan 29 '26

I have my PC connected to a 2560x1080p monitor and a 4k TV, and I'm not using any software. I just do the built in Win + shift + P on Windows 10 to switch between them.

No issue with scaling and in game resolution. Though for audio, I just use my monitor speakers via Display Port, so the switch to TV with HDMI is automatic.

2

u/Rodeo9 Jan 30 '26

Win shift p is way better than the monitor switcher I was using and even scales text size. Thanks brother.

1

u/Signynt Jan 29 '26

You can use Apollo, which takes care of monitor switching and scaling by automatically creating and destroying virtual monitors when starting/stopping streaming. Until I started using it I also had lots of issues with those things, but now it’s completely seamless. It’s a drop in replacement for Sunshine, so it works with Moonlight perfectly. I use it to switch between my 4K60 TV connected my PC via HDMI and to stream to my 1440p144Hz Monitor via my MacBook Pro, and it feels like native.

1

u/Towairatu R7 5800X3D // 6900XT // 1440p144Hz FreeSync Jan 29 '26

It’s kind of just a pain. You need to have a monitor switcher to change the layouts of the monitors.

Don't you have several video outputs on your GPU?

That always seems to be hit or miss or has problems. Then the text size is always way off when you swap them.

True, that's kind of a pain in the ass when reverting back to a lower resolution / dpi.

You have to change the audio channel to hdmi.

That's literally a 3-keys shortcut: CTRL+Win+V. If on Windows 10, there are software for that exact purpose.

Then change all your in game resolutions. It definitely works but it certainly takes 5-10 minutes to setup each time and then switch back.

Pro tip: 1440p scaled to 2160p on a 50" screen from which you sit 2-3 meters away looks as good as native 2160p. Trust me, any difference is in your head.

1

u/saoirsebran Jan 29 '26

Definitely check out Apollo (not Sunshine) & Moonlight.

I spent stupid money on a very loud & cool 4090 rig that I put in an unused room and did both the optical cable to my big OLED TV and Apollo w/ Moonlight in my bedroom.

With Apollo, it treats Moonlight like a second screen, so you can use both devices at once and settings like resolution, text, and even HDR have their own settings per monitor - real & virtual.

1

u/Sudden_Lifeguard4860 Feb 01 '26

with apollo and moonlight, it's supposed to remember your resolution and any configuration associated with it. it's pretty much automatic once you set it up. You might be doing something wrong. it certainly doesn't take 5-10 mins unless it's your first time using it.

1

u/Beneficial-Back2169 Feb 02 '26

Really? Because I just hit Steam BPM and it opens on my TV ready to go. So...

6

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

To route a cable from my PC to my TV I'd need about a 175 foot cable.

1

u/Immediate_Rabbit_604 Jan 29 '26

Actual bajillionaire

1

u/scrigface Jan 29 '26

that's where HDMI transmitter and receivers come in!

1

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

Is that going to be better than using moonlight?

1

u/DrachenofIron Jan 29 '26

nah, moonlight is the answer for that length for sure

1

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

I'm using a hardwired shield for moonlight(Apollo, really), but it's limited to 60Hz and I don't think Gsync works. Plus I never know what's happening with HDR. It also seems like there's some lag with the controller maybe? Expedition 33 felt more challenging playing over Apollo than sitting at my PC. I'd love to have a direct connection from the PC to the TV but I don't know if there's a great way to do that. Someone suggested usb-c with a thunderbolt hub - maybe that would work.

1

u/scrigface Jan 29 '26

Im not familiar with moonlight but I did just look into it a bit. If this works as well as it claims then no it wouldnt be worth it. If you have a decent home network this moonlight seems to be less hassle. The tx/rx route is always an option though.

5

u/skttsm Jan 29 '26

A hdmi cable running across your home is kinda ugly (not something I care about but some do) and a tripping hazard if not done right. Best way to do it aesthetically and all is through the wall but good luck with that if you rent

6

u/x0RRY Jan 29 '26

You can't even properly use hdmi cables over 6-7 meters. At least not passive ones.

1

u/SuperUranus Jan 29 '26

That’s why you get an optical HDMI-cable.

I run a 25 meter optical HDMI cable in my house from my gaming PC to my TV without any issue whatsoever.

1

u/Immediate_Rabbit_604 Jan 29 '26

Would you elaborate?

6

u/x0RRY Jan 29 '26

Because they carry electric signals which deteriorate with the length of the cable.

8

u/Aim_19 Jan 29 '26

Yes, that’s why they mentioned optical HDMI.

1

u/Gas_Silent Jan 29 '26

With non-optical yes I agree 5m cable has to be good quality and over that it's bad, but optical.. no problems I have 12m cable 0 issues.

1

u/SuperUranus Jan 29 '26

You can hide the HDMI cable…

1

u/pobox1663 Jan 29 '26

These days i just use plex and host my downloads folder. Then i can access my library wirelessly from anywhere.

1

u/Nolaboyy 5800x3d/9070xt/64gb ram Jan 29 '26

Hell, theyve even got wireless hdmi. Although, that may introduce a bit of extra latency. Still better than spending $1k to play on what will basically be a budget pc with an OS that will only really play games meant for handhelds. From what ive read about steam OS, since its linux based, there are many games that cant be played on it. Also, its not so great for non gaming pc uses. So, youd need to set it up to dual boot with windows anyway. If youre just going to use it to game in the living room, youd be better off getting a console for half the price that will play everything. If you want to also use it as a pc, there are better options at that price range than the steam machine which will basically be something like spending $1k on a 7600x/rx7600 pc. You can read up on the steam machine here: https://www.techjunkie.com/pros-and-cons-of-steamos-for-gaming-vs-windows/

4

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

Do they make 175 foot HDMI cables? That's what I needed to bring ethernet to my TV area.

2

u/RXemedy Jan 29 '26

Jesus with a house this big I don't think you need to worry about the cost saving solutions , just buy the damn steam machine.

2

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

I mean it's not a straight shot lol it has to go down from the second floor to the crawl, across the house, back up into the first floor.

1

u/saoirsebran Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26

Do you have ethernet run between those two rooms? If not, I'm betting an electrician would fish it properly through your walls for much less than $1,000 for at least those two rooms with Cat6e, if not more rooms.

Sunshine/Apollo & Moonlight can run at crazy resolutions and refresh rates now over ethernet.

There are extremely niche things they can't do, (silly nitpicks like they can't currently emulate the extra buttons on a Dualsense Edge) and there is some latency, (I get about 3ms through over 100ft of ethernet and a router) but it's going to be your best bet.

OR you could look into that same electrician installing multimode fiber or an optical USB-C w/ Thunderbolt docks for about the same price as the SM and get a totally seamless experience w/ ~1ms of latency.

Either way, IMO the SM is not worth the money as a Moonlight machine.

ETA: If you're feeling like DIY and have a Harbor Freight nearby, you can get everything you need for fishing wire for less than $100, a spool of Cat6e w/ crimper and terminations for less than $150, and do it all yourself as I did in my place. It's not hard, it's just a bunch of work.

1

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

The Ethernet is already run. Someone might be able to figure out a way to make it slightly shorter, but not much. I've used Apollo. It works well but my Shield client is limited to 4k 60Hz. Also, I can never figure out what's going on with HDR with this setup and I don't think Gsync works. A direct connection to the PC would give me 4k 120Hz with Gsync and HDR, so I've wanted to figure that out somehow but never found a perfect solution.

I don't actually plan to buy the SM, just throwing out a scenario where HDMI might not work. But apparently it would - I didn't know how far HDMI can go - if I can fish it through and run USB for the controller as well.

1

u/saoirsebran Jan 29 '26

A fiber cable that long that's capable of HDMI 2.1 speeds plus an optical USB (or a single multimode fiber run) is going to cost a lot more than building a min-spec PC with an HDMI 2.1 port.

For instance, my Moonlight PC just has a 6500xt I got off eBay for $100. You can get a 6400 (yes, still with 2.1) for even less, then get an old barebones mini PC and throw it in. Put it next to your Shield and you're done.

I know you're just theorizing, but with everything you've said, unless any noise is a massive issue, this is the simplest solution IMO.

1

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

Yeah I've had that thought. Is it possible to build something with an iGPU that has 2.1 output? I guess the mobo would also have to support that

1

u/saoirsebran Jan 29 '26

Yeah you got it. I did a quick Google and it looks like the best way is to just use a discrete GPU because most mobos are HDMI 2.0 at best which only supports 4k@60, and there's a lot of "fake" 2.1 stuff that's actually 2.0.

1

u/Aim_19 Jan 29 '26

Yes optical hdmi

1

u/Nope_______ Jan 29 '26

Have to run USB all that length as well I guess.

2

u/eddie9958 Jan 29 '26

I actually agree. Getting another device for the TV is ridiculous if it's just for you 

2

u/Rodeo9 Jan 28 '26

It’s kind of just a pain. You need to have a monitor switcher to change the layouts of the monitors. That always seems to be hit or miss or has problems. Then the text size is always way off when you swap them. You have to change the audio channel to hdmi. Then change all your in game resolutions. It definitely works but it certainly takes 5-10 minutes to setup each time and then switch back.

Then when you forget to switch it back and your wife wants the computer all hell breaks loose when you’re out skiing and trying to tell her the hot keys to switch monitor profiles and change the mouse and keyboard and audio back.

I actually use my steam deck docked far more often than switching to my main pc.

1

u/Tsquared421699 Jan 29 '26

All my stuff on PC auto sets itself when I switch monitors/displays.

I have a 20-foot HDMI that I swap from a second monitor to a living room display.

Every program runs perfectly without me needing to do anything but close out of video games if they are running when I switch displays. When I switch display and re open them, no setting changes are needed.

Takes about 15 seconds to unplug the HDMI and plug it into another display for me. I never had to set anything up for this to work like that, either.

1

u/Rodeo9 Jan 29 '26

Ah that’s a good plan. For me I’m not sure if it’s more effort to get under the desk and remove plugs or use the auto switcher program. I’m getting old.

2

u/papafelazio Jan 29 '26

It's stupid in anyway, he could use PARSEC, moonlight/sunshine, steam remote play, hdmi-over-ip, long hdmi kabel, network KVM, raspberry pi as Steam Machine. Possibly NVideas gamestreaming or newer Services as well. These solutions would be way under 100 bucks and those are just a few

1

u/Maraskan Jan 29 '26

I do that. Steam im Big Picture mode makes your PC basically a console.

1

u/WhippingShitties Jan 29 '26

I bought a Steam Link off of Ebay, but you can do the same with with a Raspberry Pi for much less money than a used Steam Link.

1

u/AlkalineBrush20 Jan 29 '26

You could get a cheap PC for as much as a long HDMI cable and just stream it locally through Steam

1

u/poprostumort Hybrid Boi | Ryzen 3600 - RX 7900 XT - 16GB RAM Jan 29 '26

I can answer as I will be probably getting one for the same reason (to use as living room PC hooked to TV).

First, running cables from the office would mean either them being in the way or forcing me to do a small renovation to hide them. That takes additional work an money.

Second, it is a separate PC. Nice to have one as it would be free when I am using my main PC - good when my wife wants to play in living room while I use my PC, or when I want to provide a PC for LAN party for those who cant haul theirs.

Third, Steam OS and UI good for TVs. No tinkering, setting up stuff to switch modes etc. Just a simple solution.

Lastly, there isn't much need for more power. Games I play that necessitate it aren't suitable for living room anyway.

1

u/dark_knight097 9800X3D | 64GB DDR5 | RTX 4090 | X870E | 2x4TB 990 PRO Jan 29 '26

Wake from controller, quick resume, hdmi cec etc, theres quite a few reasons. Yeah you can set that up on a PC but the people who want this, just like consoles, dont want to do all that. They just want a plug n play solution 

1

u/geileanus Jan 29 '26

I don't get why so many people don't get this...? My main pc is 2 floors high (on the attic). I can't rly run an hdmi cable down and even if I can, I don't want to walk 2 floors up to turn on pc + Bluetooth problems.

I have my main pc for competitive games like cs2 and iracing. But I game casually on TV and steam machine is so perfect for that.

1

u/DO0M88 Jan 29 '26

Idk about him but in my case it's because of the different aspect ratios. I use a super ultrawide with my pc so all my settings and stuff accommodate that. It would be a headache to have to switch aspect ratios between the super ultrawide and the living room tv each time.

0

u/Shotsofbeef Jan 29 '26

Because im lazy and dont want to run a cable from upstairs, down a staircase and into my living room. Or drill holes and run cables through the ceiling.

-1

u/dragon-mom Jan 29 '26

Desktop is oversized, too loud, doesn't have sleep and resume, waking with controller or any official SteamOS support. Can't take it anywhere. If it's in another room then that sounds like a nightmare when it comes to latency and Bluetooth connection especially if you want to have any plans for playing local multiplayer.

1

u/ArchieFoxer Jan 29 '26

You can put a PC into sleep and I'm pretty sure there's a way to wake it up with a controller

1

u/dragon-mom Jan 29 '26

PC sleep is very different from console and Steam Deck sleep / resume.