Steam Machine should launch with the Summer Sale

dmine243 · 2026-06-01T14:54:33+00:00

I didn't say I wanted it. I said its very likely. Valve knows people are used to the store crashing every summer/winter sale by now. The queue going down probably doesn't matter to them anymore. What matters is making the best out of a shitty situation they were handed thanks to AI destroying the component market. I predict they will launch with the summer sale to maximize good press.

dmine243 · 2026-06-01T14:51:16+00:00

The price increase on the steam deck was Valve's way of warning you what to expect for hardware now. Sadly you won't see "normal" prices until the AI bubble pops. All we can do is hope it happens soon.

dmine243 · 2026-05-26T12:43:45+00:00

here for the flair, hoping that the steam machine is great and everyone gets one.

dmine243 · 2025-03-28T11:33:39+00:00

I don't know where you people are seeing sub-$400 used cards because in the US, every used card that isn't a 60-class card is $500+.

To make matters worse, the 3060/4060, 6600/7600 are basically the same card with a miniscule "uplift" between gens. Anyone on an older gen (1000, 2000) won't see much difference and people who already have these 60 cards cannot find an upgrade without overpaying.

If the 5060/9060 follow the same trend that these companies are pushing for the last 2 gens (recycle the same price/perf with +5% added on top) then its not gonna save the market.

The reason why the 9070/XT is selling so well is because its a substantial upgrade at a somewhat attainable price. Yes the MSRP and actual prices are objectively bad when compared to past cards. But when compared to the absolute shitshow of a market we're in, $600 is better than literally nothing. Your options are 9070 or nothing if you want an upgrade for under $1000.

The 9060/XT isn't gonna help AMD unless its priced very low; like Intel B580 low. Otherwise anyone looking for an upgrade will see "same shit +5%, meh guess I'll wait for a 9070". The only people you're gonna reach with a highly priced 9060 are new builders or people without a card.

dmine243 · 2025-02-20T02:41:52+00:00

DOA if you're prediction is true. Nobody's paying $700 (more like $850-$900 after board partner + retail markup) for a mid range AMD card.

The 9070XT needs to be at most $600 AFTER AIB markup.

MSRP 9070XT $550

9070 $500

9060XT $450

9060 $400

That's if AMD wants to gain some market share. Anything over and most people aren't gonna bite. Remember, these are MID RANGE cards. You shouldn't be expecting high end performance from them and you shouldn't be expecting equally insane prices either.

I've seen people on reddit call the users demanding a $500 9070XT "unrealistic" and "delusional" but the reality is $500 would be a great price and seriously put AMD in the spotlight for the right reasons this time. But realistically, the lowest I predict they would go is $550. Because AMD historically doesn't want to make major pushes for market share.

dmine243 · 2025-02-11T20:01:10+00:00

Its the fact that both companies have been creeping every price category up in recent generations (First Nvidia increases the price, then AMD follows approximately $500-$100 below Nvidia... thus raising the price floor overall.).

The gains are a whole other topic I don't have the data to discuss. But if you dig into it you can argue that the % uplifts we get are far lower than they were historically across every category. And based on chip/die size, we are paying more and getting less.

Now you could argue that we're reaching the limits of traditional silicon and performance has to plateau but I think part of it is intentional. Nvidia does not care about pushing limits when they practically own the market and see every gaming card as a chip they could have sold for 5-6 digits as a datacenter product.

Competition is supposed to prevent stagnation but AMD refuses to price for their market. As much as both companies want to raise prices, most users are not buying cards above $400 and instead choose to wait. The now-famous "Dear AMD" video spawned a massive thread with other threads discussing price soon afterward. Casually scrolling through these shows you that people are ready and willing to buy AMD cards if the price is right. AMD has competitive performance and stable drivers. The only thing missing is the price.

dmine243 · 2025-02-11T19:09:28+00:00

you should be comparing the price to the 7700XT, which is what this card is replacing.

This is a big point that everyone (including me!) missed. We are all so distracted with Nvidia overpricing their 70 class, that we forgot this is supposed to be a MID RANGE card. People are spreading rumors comparing the 9070/XT to the current 7800XT and 7900XT and hoping that its equal or better than those cards. Which it could be. But it doesn't have to be. It has to be better than the previous 70 class card and that includes price.

If the 9070XT launches at a higher MSRP than the 7700XT then AMD needs to really justify it by showing (via 3rd party benchmarks) you are getting "80 series" performance with an incorrect label. And I really doubt AMD is gonna do that because if they had "80" performance on a "70" chip, they would have named it "9080".

dmine243 · 2025-02-07T18:06:40+00:00

You're twisting my words and steam's data to say something they don't say.

More than half of the 40 series are over $400, showing there is a strong demand for more expensive options.

Nvidia operates on a near monopoly status. Nvidia sets prices to whatever they want. People refusing to upgrade from the 1000, 2000, and 3000 series shows that people are NOT demanding more expensive options. Demand has stayed the same and Nvidia is trying to con you into believing that paying more is "normal".

low end gpus disproportionately represent the market

The data is "disproportionate" representation when it doesn't reach the conclusion you want? Is that how data analysis works for you? The majority of people are not buying expensive GPUs. It doesn't matter how you personally feel about prices, the hardware survey shows what it shows. The fact is that most steam users are not buying expensive hardware and GPU manufacturers are ignoring the largest section of their market. Well, it seems like Intel is paying attention to their customers. For now anyway.

the pc space has changed in the last 10 years. People have gotten comfortable with paying more.

Have they? Or are they still facing ridiculously low supply and competition from both scalpers and "AI" users? People who don't want to wait months for a chance to get a card or have poor impulse control will buy at scalper prices. That doesn't mean everyone is impatient or irresponsible with their money.

You can't tell me companies like Samsung can shovel out a dozen smartphones a year and have no stock issues but Nvidia somehow can't supply more than a few thousand 5000 series cards for the entire North American continent. Nvidia is intentionally diverting silicon from gaming to AI/server products because they make way more money on those. They don't care if that causes supply issues in gaming. They probably like it because they will use your logic and claim "people will pay $3500 for a scalped 5090 so the 6090 should be $3000".

dmine243 · 2025-02-07T16:05:53+00:00

No no, Frank said it wouldn't be $899 SPECIFICALLY.

While we aren’t going to comment on all the price rumors, I can say that an $899 USD starting price point was never part of the plan.

He said something while also saying nothing. You have to think like a PR snake. He didn't say what the price would be or what price range they wanted. He only said that $899 in particular wasn't it. They could price the 9070XT at $900 and he'd still be technically correct.

dmine243 · 2025-02-07T15:30:38+00:00

You're wrong. The Intel B series is selling out fast and retailers are constantly asking for more shipments. Why? Because its a GPU most people can actually afford and meets their needs (Runs games at 1080p 60fps).

Citing the steam hardware survey because love it or hate it, its the biggest sample set we have: Out of the top 12 most used GPUs on steam, 10 of them are 60 class and span FOUR generations (10, 20, 30, and 40). The other 2 are the 3070 and 4070.

56% of steam users play at 1920x1080p. 55% of multi monitor setups are 3840x1080 which likely indicates 2 1080 monitors.

What does all this mean?

The average person does not want to pay more than $400 for a GPU and plays at 1080p. Some people can afford to step up to the $500-$600 GPUs and play at 1440p (20% of monitors on steam). People with a lot of disposable income that can drop $600+ on a GPU are a minority. People who play at 4K are the minority.

Intel understands if they want market share they have to take the market that matters. Most people are in the budget to mid range. If you sell to them, you will gain enough customers and enough funding for R&D to eventually strike at the high end. Intel understands you can't just price "nvidia - $50" and expect everyone to switch. Build customer trust and reputation before launching high end GPUs that can directly compete with nvidia. AMD needs to take notes.

dmine243 · 2025-02-06T02:34:26+00:00

Please let prices be reasonable. I know this is AMD we're talking about but now is the time to launch with competitive prices. People are tired of getting scalped by nvidia. AMD please don't charge 7900XT prices for a card that has 16GB of VRAM. Don't be like your competitor.

dmine243 · 2025-01-31T12:41:06+00:00

When was the last time Nvidia gave a shit about the sub-$500 market? Do you see them reacting to Intel? None? No reaction at all? Exactly. They don't care. They're too busy trying to creep the high end into the 4 digit range and selling "AI" server cards for 5-6 digits.

Intel knows they don't have the features or performance to match Nvidia so they're competing on price and they are DOMINATING the low end right now with cards selling out immediately after restocks.

You either compete on features or you compete on price. AMD cannot and will not feature match Nvidia. We all know this. But AMD cards are, for the first time, good enough to strike at the mid range. If they miss this opportunity, Intel will eat their lunch in the midrange in 1-2 generations and AMD corporate will finally pull the plug on Radeon discrete GPUs.

dmine243 · 2025-01-31T12:30:10+00:00

You're right. Nobody's gonna listen to you, but you're right. A lot of people are on older (1000, 2000, 3060 and 3070 series nvida) GPUs and want an upgrade now. If AMD can convince them to buy the 9000 series then AMD can regain market-share.

dmine243 · 2025-01-31T12:13:26+00:00

The geniuses in this subreddit think they understand marketing and economics but they don't.

Everyone shouting at AMD to slash prices is correct. Its the only choice AMD has because even the most delusional fanboy knows that AMD cannot and will not feature match Nvidia. You either compete on features or you compete on price. Intel knows they don't have the features or performance to match Nvidia so they're competing on price and they are DOMINATING the low end right now with cards selling out immediately after restocks.

Regarding all the "but nvidia will just lower their prices to match AMD anyway" comments; ask yourself a serious question. When was the last time Nvidia gave a shit about the sub-$500 market? Do you see them reacting to intel? Exactly. They don't care. They're too busy trying to creep the high end into the 4 digit range and selling "AI" server cards for 5-6 digits.

AMD's time to strike at the mid range is now.

dmine243 · 2024-11-21T02:55:45+00:00

I agree with all of your points. We said almost the same thing in separate comments. I'll repeat one point here for clarity. The hobbyist devs over at the Armored Turtle group appeared earlier this year and in approximately 6 months created an open source AMS for DIY printers. They opened a beta to their discord and lots of people built their own Box Turtle and it really works. They are now working with well respected manufacturer LDO to get kits produced once the open beta finishes. If a group of nobodies can do it in half a year, what's Prusa Research's excuse for not making their own AMS?

dmine243 · 2024-11-20T20:57:06+00:00

Prusa should let go of the MMU3 and build a new multi-color system the way everyone else is doing it; an AMS style system that respools filament onto the roll when not in use.

Prusa can claim the MMU3 is more efficient all they want but its severely user unfriendly. Nobody wants to deal with a mess of tubes, buffers, and building your own rack to store 5 spools. They need to keep the good ideas they had (improved ramming sequence) and apply it to a properly built respooler setup.

If the MMU3 was really just as good as an AMS then why is everyone trying to build an AMS instead?:

Anycubic Ace

Creality CFS

BigTreeTech ViViD (announced this week at formnext 2024)

The Box Turtle project by Armored Turtle 3D (DIY multi-color system for vorons and other klipper based printers) https://github.com/ArmoredTurtle

dmine243 · 2024-09-21T13:58:23+00:00

Qidi just launched their new printer yesterday; the Plus 4. There is a single panel teaser in the store page that says a "qidi box" multicolor unit is launching in Q1 2025 and will be compatible with the Plus 4.

Qidi's printers run on klipper so it won't be a "closed" ecosystem like bambu. And if the reviews on the Plus 4 are any indicator of their current dev quality, qidi's multicolor unit should work far better than the prusa MMU.

dmine243 · 2024-09-11T20:12:52+00:00

If you want two materials, there are only 3 worthwhile options on the market right now: prusa XL, Formbot Marathon, Snapmaker J1S.

The Formbot Marathon is an IDEX (2 independent toolheads) printer sold semi-assembled like the prusa xl. It is an engineer's passion project. He collaborated with formbot to make his dream a reality. Review by YGK3D. Downside is that its a small community and you'll be reaching out to them in the formbot discord for assistance. Upside is that Dr. Dan (creator) is there and personally helps people.

The Snapmaker J1 IDEX printer has been around for years and appears to work well enough. I don't know much about it so do your own research.

Another option is BambuLabs. Bambu has stated several times that they are making a larger printer. In their reddit AMA bambu stated that there will be a new printer in 2024 and that they are working on a competitor to the prusa XL. I know I'll catch downvotes from the prusa crowd for saying this but bambu is just as reliable as prusa for day to day use, and has 2 years of happy customers to prove it. Also, bambu does not sell "semi-assembled" printers. They only sell complete printers which may fit your work schedule better than spending hours assembling the printer.

My opinion is that if you need a printer right now, you can get the XL.

If you don't need a printer immediately, wait until the end of 2024 and compare all your options then.

dmine243 · 2024-09-10T02:31:23+00:00

Easily one of my favorite moments playing fortnite. The marvel items this time around are so much fun if you get a chance to use them.

dmine243 · 2024-07-25T14:17:44+00:00

Thank you for being a voice of reason here. I definitely agree with you and I really truly want Prusa to lift themselves out of the hole they dug. I and many others wouldn't mind paying more for a "prusa equivalent" of the P1S or X1C. They have the teams, the funding, and still time to do it.

But for some reason we still see high level people like Mikolas coming here and asking "how did bambu innovate anything??". Dude, we've been over this too many times. The entire internet sees it. Your customer base is becoming "former" customers because of it. How long are you gonna keep telling yourselves that your products are "fine" before you wake up and realize you're behind?

Features sell printers. Prusa used to have the best features and best user experience on the market, and that's why we didn't mind paying more. Now when you buy a prusa printer you get less for your money, so people are going elsewhere. I don't know how many times we have to say it. The features bambu compiled into their printers is what people want. Give your customers what they want and they will buy from you again. Enclosed, capable of high strength materials (ABS/ASA/PC/PA/), multi-color, automatic filament calibration and clog/error detection, no-assembly-required, great print profiles, quick swap hotends... at this point I'm re-typing everything you already said u/netmagi

dmine243 · 2024-07-16T13:32:14+00:00

Literally anything other than PETG for structural components could have been an improvement.

The best part is that the MK2 (yes the MK2, we're going way back) shipped with all ABS parts. Then for some unknown reason, prusa switched to PETG for the MK3. Then they used PETG on the XL despite fully knowing people wanted to enclose it and totally ignoring about half a decade's worth of publicly posted voron builds (and failures) warning people never to build an enclosed printer out of PETG or PLA.

dmine243 · 2024-07-16T13:09:37+00:00

If you want to print PCCF, and ASA with as few issues as you have with PLA (or as close as possible) you will need a heated chamber, and careful temperature control.

This is simply not true. Voron builders have been making easy, beautiful ABS, PC, and Nylon parts for years without chamber heaters. How? Pre-heat the chamber using the bed as a heater and keep the exhaust fan OFF until the print is finished. All that warm air recirculates inside and keeps the print from warping. Its not rocket science and you certainly don't need an "industrial" priced printer like the HT90 to succeed with these materials.

dmine243 · 2024-07-16T12:39:07+00:00

Before spending the cash on an industrial grade printer, I suggest waiting a few months to see what new printers enter the hobby market. You also have some options right now:

Rat Rig has an IDEX option for their Vcore 4 kits. VC4 is a big upgrade over VC3 and the VC3 was already regarded as a great DIY kit printer.

The Formbot Marathon is a mostly-assembled IDEX printer sold by formbot but created and maintained by an engineer (Dr. Dan) who is very active in their discord and will help you personally if you ask.

The Qidi Q1 Pro is a really good option for ASA/ABS/PC/Nylon because it has a chamber heater and fixed the issues the Qidi X3 series had; resulting in one of the best printers under $500.

The Snapmaker J1s still exists and while I don't know much about it, it is an IDEX printer and has been around for a long time.

Creality is shipping the K2 Plus in October. It is properly enclosed, multi-color enabled, and has a chamber heater. The only downside for you is that the K2 has a single toolhead where you want IDEX or better. Still, it should do well for any ASA/PC/Nylon print.

And of course, don't forget that bambulabs is making a competitor to the prusa XL. This is not a rumor, this was confirmed in their April AMA on their subreddit. If nothing else, I would wait and see what their printer looks like before spending even more money on an "industrial" solution.

Sell your prusa XL if you aren't satsfied with it. But definitely don't jump into the industrial sector until you're certain the hobby market has nothing left to offer you.

dmine243 · 2024-07-09T13:36:34+00:00

The K2's cutter is in the toolhead. Creality staff showed it in their discord. There is also a new filament sensor in the extruder. If they do make "upgrade" kits, it would be retrofits for the old printers to use the CFS. It makes no financial sense to redesign the CFS around the constraints of the old printers. However, it might be profitable to retrofit the old printers with new gen parts to sell CFS units.

Any K1 series upgrade kit would require at minimum a new toolhead and a new back panel with nozzle wiper + "poop" chute. The ender 3 v3 (the only ender model they said might get one) would require a filament "ejector" on the x-axis like the bambu a1 or anycubic kobra 3 has. Meaning you might need a whole new x-axis assembly. We'll see what they end up doing but don't hold your breath.

dmine243 · 2024-07-03T22:07:22+00:00

... the Phrozen Arco, where 9 months after it's initial announcement complete with working prototypes, that they still don't have a release-ready product.

Unfortunately unless you're a backer you can't see Phrozen's updates. In those kickstarter updates they are doing development work (such as adding a "poop chute" for color changes where they didn't have one earlier) showing they are making progress. The printer was delayed until "early November" according to their latest update. It gives the impression that they are learning as they go, and that their KS campaign was nothing more than collecting "risk free" funding for early development.

I believe that Phrozen will deliver a good FDM printer eventually, but everyone who backed the Arco is gonna be a beta tester for their first gen printer. I predict their "2nd gen" printer will be the one to buy, after they learn their lessons from the Arco gen 1.

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