Predicting Steam Machine Price
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Description
We built a jank version of the Valve Steam machine, both to experience its performance and make our best guess at the price. For CPU, we're using a socketed desktop Ryzen 5 8400F, and we're slapping that in this ASRock motherboard that is a little bigger and probably a bit more expensive than what Valve will be using. For RAM, Valve has chosen compact SODM modules in order to save space. So, our equivalent is a little bigger, but it should be about the same performance. We're using a very similar 500 GB storage drive and an AMD stock cooler since we're going to be limiting our CPU to about 30 watts anyway. The whole thing is powered by the Spokus GX 550 from CIC because where the heck were we going to find a highquality 300 W equivalent. As for our GPU, the closest equivalent that we could find was this RX6600 from AMD. Throw in a case and a nice controller from Gamester and here's the price of our system. We estimate our costs are around here and we think Valve will save some money on key components. making our official estimate $6.99 US unless the ram apocalypse gets even worse.
This short recreates a compact, jankily assembled Valve Steam Machine to test both its performance and a rough forecast of its price. The creator describes using a socketed desktop Ryzen 5 8400F as the CPU, housed on a larger ASRock motherboard to approximate Valve’s likely configuration, even though it may be more expensive to accommodate the extra space. RAM is modeled after Valve’s preference for compact SODMs, but in a slightly larger form to fit the build, while storage sticks with a 500 GB drive and an AMD stock cooler to keep CPU power around 30 watts. The cooling solution comes from a Spokus GX 550 PSU, chosen because a high-quality 300 W equivalent is hard to obtain, illustrating the balancing act between power, size, and availability. For the GPU, an RX 6600 from AMD stands in as the closest substitute to Valve’s likely card, and a functional case plus a Gamester controller complete the system. With these components, the build results in a cost estimate that assumes Valve will save on some key parts, arriving at an official estimate of $6.99 USD, acknowledging uncertainty if RAM or other costs swing higher due to the “ram apocalypse.” The short emphasizes both the practical constraints of emulating a console-like PC in a compact form and the ongoing uncertainty around Valve’s final pricing, framing the $699 to $800 range as a speculative benchmark rather than a guaranteed price.
Topics · technology · hardware · gaming · price-prediction
Questions answered
- What was the CPU used in the mock Steam Machine build?
- A socketed desktop Ryzen 5 8400F.
- Which GPU was used as the closest substitute for Valve's Steam Machine in this build?
- An AMD RX6600.
- What price did the video estimate for the Steam Machine?
- $6.99 USD, with notes that price could vary due to RAM costs and other components.