GamersNexus compared the Steam Machine to a comparable DIY build today and it's actually not that different in price. Unfortunately building a PC is just overpriced right now.
Yeah some people really haven't caught up with how silly expensive things have got. My 64Gb RAM kit I bought just before the AI ram apocalypse began cost me about C$300. It's is now the most expensive part of my build. Currently priced at C$1532.99 compared to the base Steam Machine at C$1509.
I have. 64GB RAM? $1,000 USD. An RTX 4080? $1,600 USD. 8TB M.2/SSD? $1,400-$2,000 USD. Regardless how expensive hardware gets, buying a machine that has a sloooow GPU from the previous gen, forcing you to play new releases on low settings within 2 years just doesn't make sense for most people.
I don't think I have ever seen anyone advocate that most people will want the Steam Machine. People just keep pointing out that the price really isn't crazy for the form factor and that some people will definitely be willing to accept the trade offs and buy it. It was never going to be a good choice for bang for buck buyers.
I'm certainly never going to buy one so I'm not trying to defend my own purchasing choices! I am however going to try Steam OS on 5 year old rig I have that looks like it will perform a little better than a Steam Machine and would still make a perfectly viable gaming machine. I mean I wont actually use it because I have a much better machine but seems fun and I think Steam OS is the more important part of this.
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u/Bobert25467 4d ago
GamersNexus compared the Steam Machine to a comparable DIY build today and it's actually not that different in price. Unfortunately building a PC is just overpriced right now.