Steamroller is a great name.
Should’ve put wheels on it to make it even better
I’m on the reservation list for a Steam Machine and personally have no regrets, but I’m so happy these exist. I don’t think it has to be a big competition, but between not appealing to a mass audience and have limited stock, the Steam Machine may have inadvertently ushered in a prebuilt Linux PC revolution, and that’s a wonderful thing.
You’ve been able to make a low powered Linux machine whenever you wanted to. The Steam machine didn’t change anything.
Not everyone wants to build their own PC, and that’s okay. Other use cases exist besides just what the hardcore PC crowd wants. There was a penguin-shaped gap in the prebuilt market, and now the Linux gap is closing, thankfully.
You didn’t need to build your own pc to install Linux on a prebuilt pc either 🤣
Not everyone wants to figure out an os install
Linux isn’t for people like that.
inadvertently
I suspect Valve knew what they were doing, and while they probably care more about having prebuilts with Steam preinstalled and convenient to use, they included desktop mode in SteamOS and made sure the steam deck was open to tinkering.
Can we finally say it? Is the year of the Linux desktop finally upon us??
nah, it’s more like the year of the linux game console, if anything.
Neither the Steam Machine nor this Steamroller are consoles tho
Edit: grammar
something something quacks like a duck, swins like a duck, it’s a duck. The steam machine does
swim like a duckbehave like what is commonly referres to as a game console. The steamroller is debatable tho.The steam machine:
- Custom hardware
- Custom software and os
- Specifically designed to play games
- Has a dedicated controller
- Designed to work well with a living room TV (HDMI-CEC)
The only difference between the steam machine and other consoles is that it’s not locked down
The Steam Machine ain’t a typical PC either, at least that’s not the intention on how it is to be used. It’s kinda a PC-console hybrid.
*Neither
Yup, I was thinking the same thing, the more people that can get on the Linux train, the better.
Aaand they’re more powerful for the same (or even lower) price. All the people saying you can’t build anything better than the Steam Machine for the same price have been awfully quiet these last few days. I guess the memes about Valve fanboys have some truth to them.
On the other hand, the Steam Machine is smaller and needs less power, so there’s that. I don’t know if anyone cares that much, but I can appreciate very small PCs.
Can we just stop with the “these people have been awfully quiet the last few days”. Did you scour every location? Do you think people have nothing better to do than post the same shit all the time? This is some Facebook-level copium. Like when people feel they were justified when someone died or had complications due to the Covid vaccine and then people would say, “Where are all the supporters of it now…” Just stop.
SteamOS support for hardware is in beta support. https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227
Could other hardware work, sure. Potentially w/o issues. And yeah, it might be better in performance. But if issues crop up, is Meta PC going to resolve the problems? Is Meta going to contribute to SteamOS for driver support/bug fixes? If issues come up on the Steam Deck or Steam Machine… Valve are the ones you are going to address it, both hardware and software.
If you want to build your own machine, and run whatever OS on it, cool. Don’t try gatekeeping/shaming people because someone wants the vendors version.
But if issues crop up, is Meta PC going to resolve the problems?
Spoken like a true Apple user that needs their hand held 24/7 or else they’re helpless. Seriously? Do you need constant customer support for a PC?
Is Meta going to contribute to SteamOS for driver support/bug fixes?
What sort of question is that? Do any Windows PC vendors contribute to Windows? lol
Don’t try gatekeeping/shaming people because someone wants the vendors version.
Absolutely not gatekeeping anything. Just shaming fanboys that were proven wrong beyond any reasonable excuse. Valve being one of the most consumer friendly companies doesn’t mean it’s suddenly acceptable to follow them blindly like a religious figure.
Is needing less power a plus when talking about a gaming pc? The steam machine uses less power than the competition because they’ve kneecapped the SoC with power draw limits, limiting performance.
It’s not a major concern, or even a minor concern for most. But it’s still a plus. Less money spent on electricity bills (even if it’s a tiny amount), and less strain on the environment (even if it’s an even tinier difference).
And less performance.
I guess. But is anybody interested in the Steam Machine because of its performance? I’d be surprised if that was the case.
It’s got less performance than it should though. Why they chose to limit its power draw I have no idea.
And unlike Nintendo switch, you can play games you bought 15 years ago… and use other stores or emulation
I love rebuying Minecraft every time I get a new console
Yeah. I have 2 copies now of no mans sky I’m fairly sure… And, I sold my PS5 and xbox ages ago
Don’t worry, I’m waiting to pay $40 of an old game Nintendo will release on the NSO. That k you Nintendo for making me pay for emulated old game again.
Yeah. I bought a bunch on my Wii. Then I got a Wii U and lost them
Wii games run on the Wii U?
I bought them on the wii store. And they didn’t go to Wii U too
I looked not long ago for a steamos iso… does that exist somewhere?
Here ya go official OS. https://store.steampowered.com/steamos/download?ver=steamdeck
You are the man (or woman or whatever).
Thanks!!!
1300 and only 16gb of ram and a GPU on par with a RTX 3060 / RX 6650 . Brutal.
Im probably going to have to die with my 3060ti
I’m babying my 3090 like its the last GPU on earth. Undervolted, TDP way down, clockspeed capped, fans RUNNING.
It will never see 420W again.
Make sure you can get replacement fans before you abuse them
I can! It’s an EVGA FTW3.
Even if I couldn’t, it’s ducted to the side of an SFF case, so I could just disconnect them, wire the PWM lead from the GPU and use 120mm case fans.
The card rarely goes above 300W now and ingests ambient air, so the fans hardly spin up anyway.
EVGA, nice, all you needed to say haha
I wish they still made GPUs :(. Even an Intel Arc.
Hell, if they could somehow source 3090 dies, they’d make a killing selling them in this market, heh.
Does that actually shorten its lifespan? Aren’t GPUs made to run at full power without wear? (As long as they don’t overheat, but they thermal throttle before that)
Aren’t GPUs made to run at full power without wear?
That’s just textbook propaganda from hardware manufacturers.
They can say it because technically the change from cold to hot damages components… Not the actual heat… Afaik.
Also, thermal throttling tanks performance, especially in CPU’s. It causes massive hitching or even crashes.
Like 87 said, thermal expansion slowly damages them, so less extreme shifts between temperatures are better. Hence when turning the PC on, I also let it slowly “warm up” before heavily loading it, and don’t run the fans too aggressively when it’s cooler.
You can also have individual components overheat and die. VRMs on some 3090s are notorious for this. I’m trying to minimize this risk by undervolting and clock capping it, so current draw never peaks too high.
9070xt will run circles around it for $630 or so.
There’s certainly CPU options out there for high fps gaming on ddr4 rigs, I just feel bad for the guys still on ddr3 who can’t eat the extra ~400 needed for a proper rig nowadays.
Yeah. X3D 5000-series will outrun many DDR5 CPUs in games.
Meanwhile you can walk into microcenter and pick up a 7500x3d with a 5060 for $999
5060 aint fast either, but it’s way faster than a 7600. $300 will let you upgrade easily to 32GB of ram, or you could sell the 5060 (they seem to be about 300-320 for completed fleabay listings) and take the saved $300 and buy a 9070xt or something which are $630 at MC. 4k gaming for $1300. PSU is 650W and should work fine.
$300 will let you upgrade easily to 32GB of ram
Where ya buying ya ram? I haven’t seen any 32GB packs for less than $380
It comes with 16, you only need to buy 16 more for 32.
so even if you want a matching pair it’s pretty close.
480€ here…
God I wish we had microcenter here. All the tech shops around the just sell overpriced prebuilts and peripherals
I own Minisforum HX99g and it can be compared to SM and only costed me 800 eur 2 years ago. 6900hx and 6650m with 32gb ddr5.Today refurbished can go around 600eur.
dumb people have always bought crap. just because components are more expensive doesn’t change anything–a savvy computer user is always going to go for pre-built. i’d personally take out a loan before i bought a meta pc even if steep discounts are on the menu.
it also makes me think that all the conspiratorial talk is just talk. maybe all these companies are conspiring to raise prices so they can sell you garbage like this pathetic excuse for a pc.
but that doesn’t fit into the ‘all rich people are geniuses’ narrative. greed doesn’t require intelligence. even someone with an intense hunger and a 50 IQ is gonna try and put their hand into your burger king bag and swipe a fry or two.
I’m a bit confused by this comment. This computer is a better option than the steam machine.
Do you think that the Meta, as in Facebook meta, make this?
well that didn’t take very long
Bruz this is the real history that the steam machine release let loose.
Respect valve for it.
Wonder what percent is the chance you get it shipped with the CPU cooler plastic cover still attached
Not that it’s a bad thing, but did anyone ever offer something like Bazzite before?
OEMs were waiting for SteamOS because it shifts the OS support to Valve instead of DIY, but I wonder if anyone tried before SteamOS was ready.
Iirc there’s a pre built company that offers mint, but I haven’t seen anyone offer a gaming distro.
Bazzite itself has an OS image specifically for handled PCs, and even desktop Bazzite has an option to boot into game mode basically “Big Picture mode”
They’ve had this for a while
I think he means if OEMs actually sold hardware with Bazzite on it.
I can’t see the size listed anywhere, this is just a mini itx junk box.
From what I can tell, the PC in the image is built in the Jonsbo D32 PRO MESH Black, which is listed as “D396×W207×H314mm”. However, the META PCs page says it’s built in the Jonsbo D32 Black, which doesn’t quite exist (the Jonsbo D32 models are PRO Black, PRO MESH Black, and STD Black). Thankfully, they are all the same size and the only differences are the side panel (mesh vs glass) and whether or not it has a moveable spine for variable spacing (PRO vs STD).
Though, the META PCs website should really be more specific in their specs list.
On the bottom of the page it says preorder: 1300 dollars
Ahh yes the standard volumetric measurement of dollars.
I misread it as price.
The steam machine from valve is just a small form factor junk box.
Seems fine for most gamers… As others have said, Steam don’t make much profit on it, and the hardware isn’t bad.
Not everyone is playing 4K titles with raytracing. And when you start considering how quickly the cost of games adds up, steam ends up cheaper fairly quickly (I can’t imagine buying 300 games on PS5 lol)
The hardware is bad. It’s a power throttled bottom of the barrel GPU and CPU. It’s a 1080p30fps machine for anything other than indies, and for most AAA gaming it will need the atrocious FSR to even get to that.
It’s not upgradable either, so it’s not like you can just swap out the GPU or CPU for a better one later.
For a machine that’s targeting the living room, where most people who might consider buying this would be wanting to use it on a big 4K TV, they’ve made the worst possible performing machine for that use case.
I’m not sure how much of a console gamer you are, or how much you keep an eye on game prices, but almost every sale on steam for games that are on consoles happens on Xbox and PlayStation too. I know because I often have to choose between buying on Xbox or Steam when there’s a sale, and the Xbox version with play anywhere is the same price as the steam one so I usually buy the Xbox one.
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Yeah but it has the Steam logo on it. That’s worth $1000 by itself
From the comparison I saw valve is only making ~$71 per device which honestly isn’t that much of a premium for a pre-built mini pc
I’m kinda surprised they don’t just sell it at cost. We knew they couldn’t subsidize the price with game sales, as anyone could buy this and install a different OS without ever buying a single steam game, but I kinda figured they’d bank on most people not doing that, hence selling at cost.
Maybe it’s just ~$71 margin for component costs to inflate further without the need for them to change the price.
It doesn’t really matter how much profit they’re making on it, it’s a bad deal because every other comparable low end pc is upgradable whereas the steam machine isn’t.
There’s just no reason for a locked-hardware low-end device like the steam machine to exist. Why would anyone want a non-upgradable PC, when the reason people play on PC is for the upgradability?
The funny thing is, I don’t believe it actually does lol
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Hey guys there’s a ram and storage price gouching going on because of the AI bs. Hey guys here’s a pc with an open source OS re-built for 1,000$ each. Hey guys there will be a new model next year and they might even start a subscription service next year but you’ll all buy it anyways because the price point will seem better but you’ll all bitch about the subscription service…
Fuckin’ shit.
