Steam Machine is ridiculously expensive — here are 9 PCs (and a $1000 laptop) that easily surpass Valve’s controversial gaming console
$1,049 for a 512GB customized mini PC with 16GB of RAM and an integrated APU is tough to swallow for many
Valve’s Steam Machine has generated a lot of negative publicity because of its price tag. At just over $1,049, it is expensive for what is essentially a very, very powerful mini PC. But are we being too harsh on Valve given that the timing of the launch sadly coincided with the worst component crisis we’ve witnessed over the last 20 years?
Amazon Prime Day provides us with a great window to check out how prices compare. My colleague Matthew Hanson has been looking at the component prices should you want to build your own Steam Machine-slayer console (loaded with SteamOS rather than Windows 11). Read his analysis.
The CPU on the Steam Machine is equivalent to an AMD Ryzen 5 7600 or a 8400F or an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H or a Core i5-14400T. Its GPU roughly matches an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060/RTX 5050 or a Radeon RX 7600M XT/S. Remember that the Steam Machine operates with a very strict TDP of 30W and its GPU has only 8GB VRAM.
The rest of the spec sheet is as follows: 16GB DDR5, 802.11ax, GbE Ethernet and Bluetooth 5.3. It also has a microSD card reader and a tiny form factor - a 16cm cube that can be customized. Let’s get one fact out of the way: no Windows mini PC can match with the Steam Machine’s price-performance. Not one.
You will have to check standard gaming PC and the odd laptop to find real alternatives to Valve’s cultural phenomenon.
AMD Ryzen 7 250 | RTX 5070 GPU | 16GB DDR5 | 512GB
There's no better laptop (or PC or console) right now. This Acer Nitro V Slim 16-inch laptop has the fastest GPU/CPU combination right now and nothing comes close, including Valve's Steam Machine. Have some heat Acer!View Deal
Choose your Steam Machine rival
More Prime Day deals in the US
- Amazon Devices: Fire Sticks & Echo from $18
- Amazon Haul: viral gadgets, tech & appliances from $1.99
- Apple: MacBooks, AirPods & AirTags from $29
- Beauty: 50% off toothbrushes & hair tools
- Cheap TVs: smart TVs from $69.99
- Garden: tools, mowers, planters from $24.99
- Headphones: 50% off Beats, Bose & Samsung
- Laptops: Apple, HP & Dell from $199
- Mattresses: Sealy, Serta & more from $186
- Patio: outdoor furniture, rugs & decor from $19.99
- Sports: 50% off fitness gear, treadmills & clothing
- Vacuums: Dyson, Shark & Bissell from $34
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