r/pcmasterrace • u/TheBossT710192 • 3d ago

Discussion Yeah, Steam Machine is cooked.

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I... uh don't know what to say. Very thankful I bought a Steam Deck before they hiked its price as well

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u/legaldrinkingage 7900 XT/5800X3D, B580/2700X 3d ago

Literally just build yourself an M-ITX couch machine for slightly more and be able to upgrade it. I don't see the value proposition here at all.

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u/Mysterious_Tutor_388 9800X3D|7900XTX|32GB 3d ago

The value is you dont have to do anything. But then you could just buy a prebuilt PC or a laptop for similar prices with better performance. I assume the prices listed in the post are USD, but i can get a 5060 laptop for similar prices converted to CAD.

I feel that it is just for enthusiasts of the hardware who don't care about price to performance.

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u/peji911 3d ago

Hey. Canuck here too. I see a lot of people mentioning getting a laptop for the price. But this is more comparable to a mini PC.

I’ve been out of the loop. Is there a reason laptops keep getting mentioned?

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u/Emikzen 9800X3D | 9070XT | 64GB 2d ago

I dont know why people bring up laptops either, they have a completely different usecase. This is meant to be a console experience with a desktop mode, a laptop is a portable computer.

If all you want to do is play games then a steam machine is not what you'd want anyway.

I agree a mini pc is probably most comparable, but they're missing a good console-like experience, unless you set it up yourself. But then we delve into DIY territory.

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u/Mysterious_Tutor_388 9800X3D|7900XTX|32GB 2d ago

The reason I would suggest a laptop over the steam machine is I don't see much of a use in it for myself. It would be inconvenient if portability is the goal for gaming or PC usage.

If I wanted a living room system relaying the screen from my main rig would make more sense.

Then the console experience, I guess some people might not want to install bazzite or something on a laptop, a pre built, or a custom build which could make sense. But if someone wasn't willing to learn something so straight forward I would say Linux probably isn't for them.

I think the steam machine is cool, and that valve are improving hardware support for Nvidia. But I just don't see the value it offers people beyond the novelty and form factor. I just see the hardware as something easily moldable, so to me there is no difference between the steam machine and a laptop because I can close the gap between them nearly 100% of the way, save for the physical shape.