4 ms·

Can't you build or buy an equivalent (in performance) PC for cheaper? All with upgradable standard parts? I get the appeal of a small form factor, but I am afra

by drnick1 4mo ago

Can't you build or buy an equivalent (in performance) PC for cheaper? All with upgradable standard parts? I get the appeal of a small form factor, but I am afraid it may not sell well at this price.

iLoveOncall 4mo ago
I think you would struggle to NOT build a more performant PC for the same price. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/brbFsK https://pcpartpicker.com/list/brbFsK This is $50 more but it has 1TB of storage and a newer generation of both CPU and GPU and will absolutely destroy it. I'm sure you could get actually easily cheaper and better even, I haven't followed the market a lot lately. Prebuilt are likely to be even better deals because they will use some cheap noname parts for the RAM and the PSU, which is mostly fine.
- xinayder 4mo ago
  Even with similar specs you can still get more performance from a PC because Valve is throttling the Machine to keep thermals down.
- amunozo 4mo ago
  For me, size and aesthetics play a role. A PC like that is huge and, imo, much uglier. I know a lot of people do not care but I am sure I am also no the only one.
  - drnick1 4mo ago
    > A PC like that is huge and, imo, much uglier. It's not huge, it's a mid-tower (admittedly, not a pretty one). But the real benefit is that it is upgradable. Basically you are trading off user serviceability for "it just works" and the form factor. Another thing the Steam machine has is HDMI-CEC support, which is nice if you intend to use this with a TV, perhaps with KDE Plasma Bigscreen. But $1000 is rather steep for a console/HTPC.
    - amunozo 4mo ago
      Yeah, I know that for a lot of people that does not make sense, and I understand, but it does for me.
- drnick1 4mo ago
  I would have probably picked an Intel B580 for the additional VRAM (at $250), and a case with better airflow like the Bequiet Pure Base 501, but your point stands.
- amlib 4mo ago
  It's still missing wi-fi, bluetooth, sc dongle, sd card reader, (frugal) led bar, the hdmi cec functionality and whatever you value yourself for assembly, installation, troubleshooting and tweaking time (between half an afternoon to a whole day). Dealing with pc bioses is tedious and tweaking fan behavior and thermals could take a whole other day, which you are gonna need because the cheapo case you've picked up only comes with a single loud fan and poor ventilation for pc case standards, so you either gonna have a loud motherfucker or a cooked to perfection unreliable rig. Let alone having to put the PC on the floor because it won't fit anywhere else in the living room.
  - iLoveOncall 4mo ago
    When you have to list the freaking led bar as a feature and important component is when you should know you have no argument. I love Steam but fanboys of anything really are simply embarrassing.
Ekaros 4mo ago
I think with reasonable and somewhat common sales and picking right machine probably could find even better prebuild. Size not withstanding.
vachina 4mo ago
You pay a premium for “it just works”.
- vaylian 4mo ago
  This. Game companies will probably test their games on a steam machine.
  - copx 4mo ago
    This is the #1 argument for buying a Steam Machine IMO. You can achieve a lot by specifically optimizing your game for a particular machine and Valve has such extreme market power that every game studio releasing on PC will make sure that their game looks and runs great on the Steam Machine. This machine is more limited than I expected e.g. only 8 GB VRAM, however because of Valve's market power all game studios will see 8 GB VRAM as the new limit. Every game will now aim to look and run great with only 8GB VRAM. As a poor gamer, I truly appreciate Valve setting such a low standard for gaming PC hardware. Game studios were certainly already looking at 16 GB VRAM + 32 GB RAM as the new standard for AAA games. That is now history.
    - OkayPhysicist 4mo ago
      Not being able to run adequately (even with tuned down graphics options) on 8GB of VRAM was already going to be an issue for most PC game devs. According to Valve's last hardware survey, a quarter of players only have 8GB, and another 15-20% of players have less than that.
      - emkoemko 4mo ago
        valve i think helped linux fix the 8GB VRAM issue somewhat, you get way way more fps on 8GB VRAM on linux then you do on Windows
    - emkoemko 4mo ago
      there is patch on linux where you can mark which allocated vram is important or something and then when you do it with games they have the full 8GB the rest goes to system ram i think, this makes games on linux run like 30+ fps vs Windows on systems with only 8GB VRAM, https://youtu.be/cUJGvKHdDRo?si=q7VrGGpP3mDlLhKl&t=28 https://youtu.be/cUJGvKHdDRo?si=q7VrGGpP3mDlLhKl&t=28
inigyou 4mo ago
Can you still, in 2026?
tracerbulletx 4mo ago
Only about 65 dollars cheaper for a comparable build and it wouldn't be small.

by drnick1 4mo ago

Can't you build or buy an equivalent (in performance) PC for cheaper? All with upgradable standard parts? I get the appeal of a small form factor, but I am afraid it may not sell well at this price.

iLoveOncall 4mo ago

I think you would struggle to NOT build a more performant PC for the same price. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/brbFsK https://pcpartpicker.com/list/brbFsK This is $50 more but it has 1TB of storage and a newer generation of both CPU and GPU and will absolutely destroy it. I'm sure you could get actually easily cheaper and better even, I haven't followed the market a lot lately. Prebuilt are likely to be even better deals because they will use some cheap noname parts for the RAM and the PSU, which is mostly fine.

xinayder 4mo ago
Even with similar specs you can still get more performance from a PC because Valve is throttling the Machine to keep thermals down.
amunozo 4mo ago
For me, size and aesthetics play a role. A PC like that is huge and, imo, much uglier. I know a lot of people do not care but I am sure I am also no the only one.
- drnick1 4mo ago
  > A PC like that is huge and, imo, much uglier. It's not huge, it's a mid-tower (admittedly, not a pretty one). But the real benefit is that it is upgradable. Basically you are trading off user serviceability for "it just works" and the form factor. Another thing the Steam machine has is HDMI-CEC support, which is nice if you intend to use this with a TV, perhaps with KDE Plasma Bigscreen. But $1000 is rather steep for a console/HTPC.
  - amunozo 4mo ago
    Yeah, I know that for a lot of people that does not make sense, and I understand, but it does for me.
drnick1 4mo ago
I would have probably picked an Intel B580 for the additional VRAM (at $250), and a case with better airflow like the Bequiet Pure Base 501, but your point stands.
amlib 4mo ago
It's still missing wi-fi, bluetooth, sc dongle, sd card reader, (frugal) led bar, the hdmi cec functionality and whatever you value yourself for assembly, installation, troubleshooting and tweaking time (between half an afternoon to a whole day). Dealing with pc bioses is tedious and tweaking fan behavior and thermals could take a whole other day, which you are gonna need because the cheapo case you've picked up only comes with a single loud fan and poor ventilation for pc case standards, so you either gonna have a loud motherfucker or a cooked to perfection unreliable rig. Let alone having to put the PC on the floor because it won't fit anywhere else in the living room.
- iLoveOncall 4mo ago
  When you have to list the freaking led bar as a feature and important component is when you should know you have no argument. I love Steam but fanboys of anything really are simply embarrassing.

Ekaros 4mo ago

I think with reasonable and somewhat common sales and picking right machine probably could find even better prebuild. Size not withstanding.

vachina 4mo ago

You pay a premium for “it just works”.

vaylian 4mo ago
This. Game companies will probably test their games on a steam machine.
- copx 4mo ago
  This is the #1 argument for buying a Steam Machine IMO. You can achieve a lot by specifically optimizing your game for a particular machine and Valve has such extreme market power that every game studio releasing on PC will make sure that their game looks and runs great on the Steam Machine. This machine is more limited than I expected e.g. only 8 GB VRAM, however because of Valve's market power all game studios will see 8 GB VRAM as the new limit. Every game will now aim to look and run great with only 8GB VRAM. As a poor gamer, I truly appreciate Valve setting such a low standard for gaming PC hardware. Game studios were certainly already looking at 16 GB VRAM + 32 GB RAM as the new standard for AAA games. That is now history.
  - OkayPhysicist 4mo ago
    Not being able to run adequately (even with tuned down graphics options) on 8GB of VRAM was already going to be an issue for most PC game devs. According to Valve's last hardware survey, a quarter of players only have 8GB, and another 15-20% of players have less than that.
    - emkoemko 4mo ago
      valve i think helped linux fix the 8GB VRAM issue somewhat, you get way way more fps on 8GB VRAM on linux then you do on Windows
  - emkoemko 4mo ago
    there is patch on linux where you can mark which allocated vram is important or something and then when you do it with games they have the full 8GB the rest goes to system ram i think, this makes games on linux run like 30+ fps vs Windows on systems with only 8GB VRAM, https://youtu.be/cUJGvKHdDRo?si=q7VrGGpP3mDlLhKl&t=28 https://youtu.be/cUJGvKHdDRo?si=q7VrGGpP3mDlLhKl&t=28

inigyou 4mo ago

Can you still, in 2026?

tracerbulletx 4mo ago

Only about 65 dollars cheaper for a comparable build and it wouldn't be small.