Hi everyone!
I had been a Playstation user since the first one and I own the fifth one.
After using Linux for years on weak computers for my admin, I decided to try Linux gaming in 2025 and bought a used LCD Steam Deck.
While I’ve been enjoying the Steam Deck, it hurts my neck and isn’t powerful enough for sim racing games.
Naturally, I was happy to learn that the Steam Machine was coming and was willing to invest up to CHF1000.- (~$1236) to get it.
Sadly, it’s not available to order in my country, Switzerland.
So now I have to choose between finding ways to order a Steam Machine or buying a prebuilt computer since I don’t want to source components to build something myself.
My priority would still be the Steam Machine, but I’d be open to alternatives.
What are your advices, what would you do if you’re in the same situation?
Thanks in advance for your help.
I would do what I always do and build my own computer. But as for what you should do, probably get a pre-built with AMD GPU, without operating system to avoid paying for Windows, and then follow Valve’s instructions here to install SteamOS: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227
Raid a data center.
La france est jamais bien loin :p Tu as pas des amis avec une adresse en france?
Non c’est bien ça le problème, pas d’ami proche qui pourrait me rendre ce service, juste des connaissances.
Mais à la lecture des autres commentaires, je pense de plus en plus attendre et me construire/faire construire un pc gaming dans quelques années.
What others are saying plus install bazzite
I’d just build my own PC, duh.
Never understood the hype behind pre-builts. Over half the fun of owning a gaming PC is picking your own parts and assembling it yourself. By having someone else do that part, you’re robbing yourself of the joy of owning your own custom machine.
Plenty of people just want an appliance to play games.
I build my own, but that’s because I want to save money. Actually picking the parts and figuring out compatibility, specs, etc is my least favorite exercise. Luckily I have a friend who cares way more about that, so I tell them what I want to achieve and they give me a shopping list.
Hence why consoles exist.
Like the other person said, we have game consoles for that. That’s fine if someone wants an appliance; buy one then. I just get frustrated when those same people go ahead and buy a pre-built made with low-end parts and insufficient cooling, then when one of those parts break, they blame it on PC gaming as a whole rather than realizing it’s a result of their own incompetence. God forbid such a person runs into a minor inconvenience such as having to edit an .ini file…no, the “appliance” people should stay in their lane.
Right, a game console, such as the Steam Machine. And unlike traditional game consoles, you have options if Sony / Microsoft etc decide to increase prices or remove games from your existing library at will. Especially now that physical discs are going away.
Is there any reason other than FOMO that you need a Steam Machine right now?
You could get a dock for your Steam Deck and play on a TV using a controller, that way it would be a larger screen that wouldn’t hurt your neck.
I already have a dock and might be exploring waiting 3 more years until getting something more powerful.
To be honest, it’s only for the sim racing side that I really need something powerful. I tried Asseto Corsa Competizione on the big screen with my wheel and it was unplayable…
But I might just use my Playstation 5 for this for a few more years even if I wanted to get out of that ecosystem and fully enjoy Linux gaming.
Self built pc user here, but fellow sim racing degenerate.
ACC runs great on bazzite, though I have never played competitively. Got a g29 and works OOTB on Bazzite. The only extra step was downloading “oversteer” to adjust settings per game. You might need a different piece of software (from Bazaar aappstore) depending on your base’s brand.
If you are somewhat inclined, I’d highly recommend building your own machine, especially if you have a nerdy friend, relative or coworker that could coach you along the way.
FWIW, here are some titles I’ve tried and ran without issues:
- AMS2
- RaceRoom
- Project Cars 2
- Beam.ng (AI drivers have a lot more cpu overhead tho)
- Asetto Corsa (tho CSP and launcher are a pain to set up)
- Dirt Rally 2.0
- Forza 4 5 and 6 (6 needs a few tweaks)
- RaceRoom
Depending on the usecase for your future machine, you can choose between regular and “deck” versions of bazzite. Deck versions boot straight to big picture mode, easier if you want it on your living room or as a dedicated simrig pc.
Go for amd and you’ll have absolutely no issues, everything will run straight out of the install
But did you try these games on a big screen with the Deck?
I’ll try running ACC again because I’ve just watched the wrong settings video since it was unplayable.
I dont have a deck, I’m on LATAM so I don’t even expect neither the deck nor the gabecube ever coming here…
Used to play it on my previous rig (ryzen 5 2400G + rx580) on lower settings. That’s why I got hooked with AMS 2, ran far better 😁
The only way to get steam hardware, according to support, is to have a credit card, address and steam account from an EU country or other supported country. Or wait if a local reseller (like digitec) gets their hands on them.
I just installed SteamOS on a mini PC that costs about half what the Steam Machine does (and less than the Deck under current pricing), and runs on an AMD 7840HS with 32GB of RAM in a form-factor that’s the size of 3 stacked pieces of bread.
While that APU is likely powerful than the Steam machine’s with its dedicated VRAM, I did test a few games and it definitely outperforms the Deck and the higher system RAM makes it potentially more versatile than either.
Look into MiniPCs!
I’m not sure what will have availability in your country, but MinisForum, GMKTec, AOOSTAR would be where I’d start looking.
If you go for a MiniPC with an OcuLink external port… well, then you can get a GPU cradle and a small PSU for it, plug that in to MiniPC when you need the graphical power.
Its hard to find exact numbers on this, but basically, OcuLink appears to perform better than Thunderbolt 4 as a kind of eGPU data transfer method… there is some efficiency loss as compared to directly slotting it into a MoBo, but in practice, its often 10% or less.
And, now that FSR 4 works on 7000 series AMD GPUs, you may be able to find such a GPU that is cheaper, yet still performs somewhere between a Steam Machine and a more powerful PC.
This kind of setup is about as spatially small as a Steam Machine, and allows you the ability to upgrade to either a new GPU or MiniPC when you want to.
The MiniPC will be the CPU and storage memory and RAM.
MiniPCs often use laptop style SODIMM RAM and M.2 SSDs… so… if prices for those remain high, you can at least take those out of your old MiniPC, and then get a new ‘barebones’ MiniPC based around a newer CPU, and slot them into it.
Creating a mini-ITX system based on the 9060 is a pretty good alternative. It’s gonna cost you, but so is the SM.
Look at classified ads. If you’re in France (looks like you are) have a look at LeBonCoin, there are people selling theirs.
The Steam Machine itself is just a very fancy prebuilt PC - so while it is your preference, there’s no reason a similar spec prebuilt wouldn’t work too
Would you have any suggestion? I was looking at what tuxedo offers, but I’m a bit lost with the specs.
https://www.tuxedocomputers.com/en/Linux-Hardware/Linux-Computer-/-PCs/Alle-Systeme.tuxedo
Looks like anything above the nano pro is more powerful than the Steam machine as long as you don’t pick the weakest GPU in the configurator.
Technically their Cube L w/ a 9060 XT 16GB outperforms the Steam Cube by a long shot (I’d guess 40-80%) and offers upgradeability but it’s also wildly more expensive and a little bit bigger. It also comes with 32gb RAM at a minimum instead of the Cube’s 16gb which contributes to the high price. Choosing an older GPU like the 7600 doesn’t make too much sense cost and feature wise, for Couch gaming you’d want the newest FSR’n’stuff in a just-works manner.
Technically a full AMD system is best for SteamOS, but the most important piece is the GPU (do not chose an Nvidia whatsoever). Their Cube with AMD is outdated. It will work fine with the Ultra 5.
Beating the price point of the Steam Cube is almost impossible if bought new, even full diy systems have a hard time unless using used parts.
Beating the price point of the Steam Cube is almost impossible if bought new, even full diy systems have a hard time unless using used parts.
A regular pre-built with a 9060 XT 8GB can be had for about 10% less than the Steam Machine (900 Euro). That will be quite a bit faster and also upgradeable. The main advantage of the Steam Machine is the form factor and power consumption.
Where. I just checked with Geizhals, the only pre-built that comes somewhat close to the Cube is this HP (and I’d bet the build quality is shit, they did some nonsense that causes issues for om anything but Windows etc). And even that one with its mediocre CPU is still more expensive than the Cube.
With the Tuxedo you at least get modern hardware with no additional shenanigans and proper customer support (tho’ that one will be hardware-only if you install SteamOS, but still). Sure you can get it cheaper elsewhere (about 300€ less for same performance as the Tuxedo if you buy some no-name pre-built from Amazon) and especially with diy, but knowing your hardware harmonizes with your OS (i.e. Linux) and doesn’t contain bad surprises goes a VERY long way.
(I literally had a PSU in a pre-built catch fire without shutting down as a teenager, inside my wooden desk)
And even that one with its mediocre CPU is still more expensive than the Cube.
Keep in mind that the Steam Machine roughly has the CPU performance of a Ryzen 5 3600, so a 8400F should actually be quite a bit faster.
I filtered for the 9060 XT on Galaxus and got about 20 results below 1k EUR, e.g. this one for 844: https://www.galaxus.de/de/s1/producttype/pc-18?filter=347%3D7709265&so=5. But it seems that Galaxus mis-labeled the GPU, and it’s the non-XT version 👎 This one for 899 EUR actually seems to have the XT though: https://www.galaxus.de/de/s1/product/kiebel-viper-v-1000-gb-16-gb-amd-ryzen-5-5500-radeon-rx-9060-xt-pc-69216705
I also linked a Mifcom machine in another post, this is the German equivalent for 900 EUR: https://www.mifcom.de/entry-gaming-pc-ryzen-5-8400f-rx-9060-id186 But, this also comes with the non-XT version and selecting the 9060 XT 8 GB pushes it to 1059 EUR.
Edit: I guess the RX 9060 non-XT should still be quite a bit faster than the Steam Machine though, it’s just bad if the retailers (and me) mix them up.
Huh, I stand corrected. I didn’t expect the Cube to be well below a 8400F.
Though I’d still expect higher quality from Tuxedo over the absolute cheapest pre-built, as well as the thing with Linux compatibility of all parts and Customer Support. Still bet Mifcom used the cheapest shit everywhere including for parts you should never cheap out on, like the power supply.
On another note, I’m almost sure Steve at some point ranted about how stupid modern GPUs with 8gb VRAM are and that you should never buy them… 🤔
It’s clear that you’re making some trade-offs with a 1000 EUR gaming PC in the current memory shortage.
What looks nice about Mifcom is that they give you 3 years of warranty, use standard components, show you what they are, and allow you to change those. But, indeed the PSU looks very cheap and I have never personally ordered from them.
With Tuxedo you certainly gain better Linux (Tuxedo OS) support, but they’re also rather expensive.
So they sell the steam deck in your country now? You can probably just wait a good while for them to sell the console in your country.
If you wait long enough they might offer a barebones kit kind of like the old Intel nuks. You can get for cheaper and buy your own ram and storage. Its rumored that the failure for many ai data centers to come to fruition, will line up with the ram manufacturers getting new facilities up, will cause a crash in hardware prices. Don’t know if that means cheap ram or if it gets more expensive in the wacky economy anymore, but its something to gain or lose from when you wait long enough.
I would definately not buy from a scalper though. The thing is barely worth it to me at 700 dollars as a fan boy who would love a new toy from valve. I could not imagine paying close to double for it, or risk getting just scammed. I’m sure I could do something like a charge back, or having to get on some Ai customer support to get my money back but its not worth it to me anymore.
The only real reasons to get a Steam Machine are if:
- You really want your computer to be a 6" cube
- You really want HDMI CEC support
- You really want to give your money to Valve instead of some other company
Otherwise, something else will be cheaper and/or faster, at the cost of being a more normal desktop size and shape.
I haven’t had a prebuilt desktop since I was 15, so I would definitely build my own. (In other words, if the thing stopping you is being nervous about screwing it up, don’t be because it isn’t actually hard.)
Otherwise, I don’t have any specific prebuilt brand recommendations for you, but I’ll echo the advice to get something with a Radeon 9060 XT (or better). Alternatively, if you think you might want to do AI things with it too instead of just gaming, consider a small-form-factor PC with a fast APU and a lot of unified memory (e.g. like the Framework Desktop or Minisforum MS-S1 Max) or a Radeon RX 7900 XTX (with 24GB RAM), but be aware that those would be a lot more expensive right now.
Not op but to give my perspective, I’m not a computer person, and I’m on the waitlist for a steam machine for a few reasons:
- I’m terrified of breaking the expensive computer parts if I tried to build my own computer. That’s potentially a lot of money to waste
- I don’t even know enough about computers to know which parts are good. I’ve looked into it, and I could probably create a decent grocery list for myself, but I have no personal sense of what’s good or bad
- I want to switch to Linux gaming and the steam machine offers Linux gaming in a prebuilt package. I don’t have to download Linux or proton myself, or pick which distro I want to use. I want to just boot up the steam machine and have things work. (I got Kubuntu for myself on my laptop to try Linux but even that was scary for me. Progress takes time and the steam machine offers an easier learning curve)
- I get valve support if something doesn’t work or needs fixing
I’d like to one day get to the point where I can build my own computer and be confident on Linux. But for now, the steam machine offers an ease of access that I’m willing to pay more for. Hopefully the steam machine can inspire people who’ve never even considered trying Linux to give it a go on their other devices as well
I understand being intimidated. Under normal circumstances I’d say maybe try building a cheap computer for your first time, but there kinda aren’t any right now. That said, my first one was a reasonably high-end machine for the time, and it turned out fine.
I feel like the biggest sticking point is actually #2, not #1. I was the kind of kid who was obsessively reading tech magazines/websites/newspaper ad flyers and knew exactly what I wanted and where to get the best deal on it. So yeah, I definitely recommend doing your research first.
But good news: you’ve got it easy these days with YouTube showing you what to get and how to assemble it instead of having to read. The parts themselves are easier these days, too: no jumpers to set, and almost everything is keyed to only fit one way. Short of being really inept/careless and bending CPU pins or snapping the edge connector off a PCB or something, you’re not going to hurt anything.
The bottom line is, if you want to do it eventually you might as well do it now, because there really isn’t that much to it.
Building a pc is no doubt scary if you are not used to it. It does make sense to own a pre-built first, just so you can become more familiar with the parts, but once you build, you are very unlikely to want a pre-built, and will also look at the specs of the steam machine and wonder why anyone would even consider it. Gaming is very easy on linux due to steam, you just install it and play games. Distro selection… well everyone has an opinion. I use Manjaro KDE because it is very user friendly.
All good and valid points!
As you say, progress takes time, have a good journey!
Thank you!
Just for your information: the steam machine is not availne anywhere right now.
I honestly really want one and will wait some months, to see how the supply situation changes.
That’s not what’s happening to OP. It’s not that they can get into a raffle and wait their turn. As I’ve said elsewhere, 90% of Steam users can’t even get to the raffle as the Steam Machine is not sold to their region. Due to the hardware supply chain constraints. Fuck AI.
Ah, i see! Thanks for the info.
