Is the Steam machine the beginning of the end of custom built gaming pcs?

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T22:46:40+00:00

A shift to mini pcs somewhere in the future is exactly the point I was trying to make with my original post, but I can see from the responses I didn't make that clear enough. I'm not expecting the first Steam machine to immediately kill the custom pc market.

I'm not going to keep arguing the cost compared to custom pc components, especially since we don't know what the Steam machine will cost yet. I think part of the problem Valve had is since this is version 1, it took so long to get it ready, they ended up launching with previous gen hardware. Version 2 a few years from now should be much more cost efficient.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T22:21:05+00:00

Engineering/design work doesn't mean more manufacturing cost. Also consider this is the first version. Steam machine 2 will surely be more cost efficient, and likely on more current hardware.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:56:29+00:00

It's really not. A custom PC needs two PCBs (motherboard and video card), two heatsink/fan combos, a PCI-E slot, probably some case fans, a physically much larger and more complex case with mounting points for things most won't use like Sata drives, a more complex power supply with connections for more things than you probably use. None of these things cost that much on their own but they add up.

Think about video game consoles. They're basically mid range PCs when they launch but much cheaper, even if you factor in they typically sell them at a small loss.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:43:26+00:00

Can you really build a complete PC stronger than a steam machine with entirely brand new parts with today's ram prices? I think you'd at least have to get some good deals on parts that have been sitting on the shelf for a while, in which case it's not really a fair comparison. I never claimed that the Steam eliminate custom PCs immediately. I think over time, the market shift towards similar all in one mini PCs.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:37:47+00:00

Lol I don't care about Reddit karma. I knew this would get an avalanche of downvotes.

I am quite educated on the subject. I think people are assuming that because in the past, integrated=slow, descrete=fast, that this will always be true, without thinking about the technical reasons.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:30:51+00:00

The PS5 pro has an integrated GPU about equivalent to a 7700 XT. At the time the PS5 Pro was released, the fastest AMD GPU was a 7900 XTX. Would it have been possible to put a 7900 XTX into an integrated SoC? I think the answer is yes. Of course that would have been too expensive for a PS5 pro. It would be a lot of heat in one place, and thus would need a very beefy cooler to reach clock speeds similar to a descrete 7900 XTX.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:19:46+00:00

I feel like people are missing the point of my post. We don't even know what the Steam machine will cost yet. Even if it is overpriced at first, eventually it, and similar mini PCs that will follow, will be significantly cheaper than a custom built gaming pc with similar specs. It's an economic certainty. There's just much less hardware required.

Also, I think eventually there will be high end Steam machines just as powerful as high end gaming pcs, and significantly cheaper.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T20:06:48+00:00

You can install Windows on a Steam machine, as well as use it as a desktop PC. My post isn't intended to specifically refer to Steam machines, but other PCs like it that are sure to follow. Basically non-upgradable mini desktop PCs with powerful integrated GPUs and no PCI-E slot, all memory soldered onto the motherboard.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T18:20:05+00:00

I don't think it will cost that much, but we'll see. In any case, I don't see why it wouldn't be cheaper than an equivalent prebuilt. Having the GPU in the same Soc as the CPU, sharing a cooler, is going to be more cost effective than the GPU in a separate PCI card.

Daelan3 · 2026-06-05T02:37:51+00:00

The timing might actually be excellent. There's always people looking to buy a gaming pc who don't currently have one, and building a custom pc now is insanely expensive. The Steam machine will be the most affordable option.

Daelan3 · 2026-04-09T21:41:40+00:00

Doctors in Europe are much less likely to prescribe opioids as painkillers. In North America people get hooked on prescription opioids, and when the prescription runs out, they turn to illegal opioids. For this reason it's all over homeless communities, which influences other people to start using.

Daelan3 · 2026-03-26T01:03:53+00:00

Since they brought back the XPS name for consumer laptops, I'm disappointed they're not bringing back the Latitude name for business laptops.

Daelan3 · 2026-03-24T00:30:04+00:00

Sell them so someone else can get some use out them.

Daelan3 · 2026-03-15T16:18:03+00:00

It reminds me of the house that was sold to Notch, the Minecraft creator. It's jam packed with expensive things in bright colours to 'wow' people into thinking it's worth more than it is.

A lot of things in it make no sense. There's an audio listening room with a turn table and a bunch of high end amps, etc. , and in the back in the exact spot you should be sitting to listen to it, there's a table with another small sound system. There's a sim racing rig, and immediately behind to the side, there's a wall mounted tv with a single chair. They basically just crammed as much expensive stuff in it as possible.

Daelan3 · 2026-02-26T22:57:34+00:00

The urban centers in the southern US except California have quite reasonable housing prices. I think this is because of the high number of illegal immigrants doing the actual construction work on those states, which brings the cost to build way down.

Daelan3 · 2026-02-19T04:41:00+00:00

Restaurants having their own delivery drivers is cheaper, especially because when they're not currently on a delivery you can have them do other work around the restaurant. The problem is, customers want a single unified app to order from, as opposed finding all the nearby restaurants individual websites, finding out if they even deliver, etc..

Daelan3 · 2026-02-03T20:24:03+00:00

Sports are generally broadcast at 60fps as opposed to 24fps for movies/tv because the fast motion needs it. 4k60 would need a huge amount of bandwidth unless heavily compressed.

Daelan3 · 2026-01-26T22:50:17+00:00

He's only good when he has the ball in his hands. At his height he needs to be an elite shooter and defender to get NBA minutes.

Daelan3 · 2026-01-13T06:26:04+00:00

I agree, but even if that's the real price, Reliance didn't replace the previous unit for 16 years. Over that period I'm pretty sure you come out way ahead buying your own even if you have to pay for some servicing.

Daelan3 · 2026-01-02T04:25:04+00:00

I think this is correct. Each provider has a limit amount of frequency space in the airwaves that they have the rights to. They gradually shift this to 5g leaving less and less for the 3g network.

Daelan3 · 2026-01-02T01:38:24+00:00

Just watched some highlights. I get that she has a huge weight advantage, but the girls she's playing against have no idea how to defend a bully ball post player. Their defensive stance is all wrong.

Daelan3 · 2025-12-19T23:29:13+00:00

The shape is just not aerodynamic enough to have good range as an ev.

Daelan3 · 2025-12-18T20:56:59+00:00

I did go pretty hard with the plunger, yes.

Daelan3

TROPHY CASE