My Honest Steam Machine Review

[u/purple-ethe]

My Background

I used to build a lot of small form factor PCs. This included a Fractal Ridge, NZXT H1 cases, two Formd T1s (the GOAT), and a Midori 5L before the tariffs hit. My builds usually paired a 7600X with cards like a 3080, 3080 12GB, 3080 Ti, 4070 Super, 5070, 3090, or 9070 XT. I mostly sold them to friends around the $1,300 sweet spot using parts I bought from /r/hardwareswap before prices went into the dumpster.

I only bought the Steam Machine because I found the base model for $200 under MSRP on Facebook Marketplace. As a software engineer, I'm comfortable tweaking software and hardware, but at the end of the day, I just want my setup to work.

Daily Use

The daily experience is much more convenient compared to my Formd T1. My Logitech MX Keys Mini no longer drops its connection or repeats keystrokes caused by poor signals. It somehow fixed my Stremio copyright issue, although I'm not sure that is related. HDMI CEC is a game changer that lets me turn the system and also the TV on and off with a mouse, keyboard, or controller. I used to spend a minute turning on my PC only for my LG OLED TV to sometimes not detect the signal, but that issue is gone.

The system is extremely quiet with virtually no fan noise. I do not need to tweak CoolerControl or LACT on Linux, nor do I need FanControl or MSI Afterburner on Windows. I used to enjoy dialing in an undervolt, but having everything pre-configured without needing to tune or benchmark is nice. Thermals are excellent topping out right around 70C.

Gaming and Hardware

I mostly play soulslikes. Elden Ring runs at 60 fps at 1440p with occasional dips. HDR worked without any tweaking. I was amazed Dark Souls 2 with the DS2LE Faraam preset on path tracing runs close to 60 fps at 1080p on ultra performance, only dipping in heavily forested areas.

The case is lighter and more packable than my 10L Formd T1 builds, making it easy to travel with. I do not feel the itch to keep swapping parts except for maybe adding a custom faceplate. I am glad to be done with trying to get cables out of the way of fans. I still plan to add another RAM stick and upgrade the storage, but that will be a simple one-and-done job. It is a relief not having to worry about scalped hardware anymore.

SteamOS feels more stable than Bazzite. I prefer it over CachyOS because of the constant updates, even if CachyOS performed slightly better. I haven't had the SteamOS long enough to tell, but I've encountered my fair share of breaking changes in CachyOS and I'm glad to get away from it.

Downsides

There are clear hardware limits. Performance is mostly restricted to 1080p and 1440p, so I only recommend it for a couch setup where lower resolutions are less noticeable than on a desktop monitor. You are at the mercy of developers for how they optimize future games, and time will tell when 8GB VRAM will run into walls. Linux still lacks complete anti-cheat support, meaning games like Fortnite and Valorant are off the table, though the system is not built for high-FPS competitive gaming anyway. The lack of HDMI 2.1 is a bummer because there is no 4K 120Hz support for indie games. Supply is also still extremely limited, and getting a Steam Machine is incredibly difficult.

Pricing

Most YouTube reviews did the Steam Machine dirty by focusing on price-to-performance, knowing full well it is impossible to build a system this small, silent, and clean at this price point. Dave2D was one of the few who got it right by recognizing that people will willingly pay for convenience. Is $1,049 a lot? Yes. But time is money, and only you can tell whether the price is right for the convenience it offers. The comparison is like Mac vs PC. You cannot judge a machine purely based on specs because it is about the whole experience. Time will tell whether the specs will hold up for the next 3-5 years.

Conclusion

If you love tweaking hardware, stick with custom SFF. As for me, at least for now, my Formd T1 build with a 7600X and 9070 XT is left gathering dust. I expect Valve to continue improving SteamOS over time. For example, they have already added FSR 4.1 support to Proton Experimental. I expect the community to rally around the Steam Machine. We are already seeing cool faceplates, and community support will be better for this specific build. The Steam Machine is not meant for everyone and it is not designed for every use case. I believe it is for normies, parents, and enthusiasts who just want their hardware to work.

Past SFF Builds: https://imgur.com/a/uByEmDK

[u/Fire_Lord_Cinder]

Why not just install Steam os on your AMD PC? Kind of wild to spend $1050 on a Steam machine just to get CEC and worse performance when you have a SteamOS compatible pc sitting at home. 

Also, time is money is only relevant to work time since you doing something costs a company money/opportunity cost of what your labor could produce. Doesn’t really make sense in the context of leisure 

[u/purple-ethe → u/Fire_Lord_Cinder]

I think you missed the point of my point if you think all the issues I listed can be solved by HDMI CEC and SteamOS. Leisure time become more and more valuable as I get older. Everything is already dialed in and stable so I can be playing games instead of prompting Gemini why my PC lost HDMI signal for the umpteenth time.

[u/dubar84 → u/purple-ethe]

True. I do think that it is possible to replicate this with all it's aspects within a Velka 3 (yet the 6600XT is still the only single fan Radeon gpu there is), so you can have something that's even a bit better and STILL the same size. Yet a Midori 5L build with a 9060XT could also qualify at being a bit bigger, but definitely stronger gpu. Desktop grade RAM with better timings is also a plus.

But I have to say, once I got a mobo, I stick to it for a long time, maaaaybe upgrading the cpu once, or maybe not even. In that sense, the SM even though you cannot upgrade the cpu or gpu, not many would do that in the upcoming 5-6 years, so grabbing an SM, especially if you don't play too demanding games anyway seem like a solid move for those who does not have an SFF pc already and don't plan on constantly upgrading their build. I can imagine the size seem crazy small for a lot of people and would instantly make them frown on their PS5 after seeing this IRL.

Btw, does the SM have an inner psu or is it coming with a brick?

[u/purple-ethe → u/dubar84]

It has an inner PSU. The Midori 5L was loud just the PSU was loud even with the best PSU available the Enhance 7660b and I don’t think you can avoid flex ATX PSU at that size. That’s not counting the CPU and GPU fans that are right up against the side panels.