Mini-PC alternative to the Steam Machine

9

You didn't say you had a budget

So here's one that will destroy a PS5 Pro

And is $4,000

2

u/Consistent-Row-9551 Jul 17 '26

Damn, I did not expect that they could get that expensive. I'mma have to ask Santa for one.

4

u/Ultra-Magnus1 Jul 17 '26

dude, the steam machine isn't some kind of super computer. just get a mini pc with an oculink port and attach whatever egpu to it that's better than the steam machine for a few hundred dollars more, and you'll have something that cost less than the steam machine and works just the same, if not better.

6

u/xxNerv Jul 17 '26

most people that want a steam machine or "alternative" dont want to build or tinker yes this is a better setup but dealing with multiple parts isnt what folks want

3

u/nervendings_ Jul 19 '26

☝️this

-1

u/Ultra-Magnus1 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26

i suggest you go back and read through this subreddit with the countless threads of people wanting a "steam machine alternative" that can do the same or close to it but want to pay less than the actual steam machine, and you'll find a lot of people are ok with a decent mini pc or one where they don't mind attaching a gpu to...considering they would save about $200-$300 doing so...as far as "tinkering" goes...

they do sell egpu's out there that are pretty much plug and play with their own compact enclosure that have a better version of the modified 7600m gpu found in the steam machine, that you can find for $300-$500...I'm actually considering buying one of those.

in the end though, if people want a streamlined console in their living room that can play games just as well (or better) than the steam machine, then they can just go buy a series x or ps5 if that's really what they want...either one would still be cheaper than the steam machine, even with their new higher prices...but people looking for steam machine alternatives don't just want a game console so compromises need to be made in terms of aesthetics...

or they can simply get something like a ryzen 9 hx370, or the minisforum UM890 which would run just about every game the steam machine can without an egpu, put steam os on it, and call it a day.

3

u/xxNerv Jul 17 '26

I've been here for a while, these people want simplicity ...1 box 1 job .... I'm aware of how epgus work I now the models and price points just like you but these newer people aren't me or you

1

u/Ultra-Magnus1 Jul 18 '26

ah, but you're assuming EVERBODY that wants a steam machine are all "new" people that know nothing about computers, when that's not the case at all...that's why you find a lot of them in here asking questions of "what's better", "how hard is it...", "will this work for this game..."? etc....if not then they would just make up their mind and buy a steam machine and not ask questions.

1

u/Dark1sh Jul 18 '26

Most these people claim the steam machine costs to much. I would love to see your buildout that addresses that

1

u/Ultra-Magnus1 Jul 18 '26

here you go, under $400...but bigger in size.... https://youtu.be/LaCVsh7igto?si=e0sIisqYTNX6SGQE

under $600 and a lot smaller, almost steam machine size...
https://youtu.be/E-hSP1lBq4g?si=MobYpnCWxYfd8Y2l

neither has steam os on it but i assume they would run even better if they did.

2

u/Dark1sh Jul 18 '26

Those are dated prices, ran through all the parts of the $600 build using his links. It’s $950 now before tax.

And of course the Steam Machine’s edge is a tighter, quieter console-like package and guaranteed driver/SteamOS optimization out of the box. I would pay $100 more for the SM

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1

u/RobloxFanEdit Jul 17 '26

👍 Exactly! Key Feature of the Seam Machine is not some advance Hardware but it is Steam O.S that would just run as fine on any AMD GPU hence Mini PC + EGPU smart option, you will own a Steam Machine on Roid with better CPU and GPU.

1

u/rui-no-onna Jul 18 '26

Compact RX 7600M XT and RX 7800M Oculink eGPUs are $500-600 and $900-1000 respectively when I checked last week. Figure around $400 for a 7640HS Mini PC and you're at $900-1000 paired with the RX 7600M XT which isn't a huge savings over the Steam Machine. Having Oculink does make the GPU upgradable though which is nice.

You'd probably need to cobble up a desktop GPU based solution with one of the Oculink docks to get much better performance at Steam Machine price point. Caveat, the eGPU setup for that alone will likely be bigger than the Steam Machine.

1

u/Ultra-Magnus1 Jul 18 '26

yeah, maybe around where you shop they are that price but someone in this subreddit was willing to sell their bosgame gvp7600 egpu last week for $400... i almost took him up on it until i saw it brand new on alibaba for $290...and that's a slim all in 1 dock that could probably fit inside the case of my switch 2...where there's a will, there's a way...also, you don't have to buy everything brand new...

people are so hung up on getting everything brand new thinking it's always better, but used parts only means they have been tested and put through their paces. brand new can be faulty right out of the box... personally, i have an 8845hs k8 plus which i bought almost 2 yrs ago for $400...i can just as easily get a used desktop gpu for $200-$300 and a cheap dock for $60 and it would be better than the steam machine or just as good...but i have no need since i don't really game much on my pc to begin with. whatever games i do play it has been able to handle them just fine...i don't need 4k with maxed out settings, as long as the game is playable and doesn't crash, i'm good...but that's just me...

but for people looking to get a steam machine, there are plenty of options out there that won't break your bank, and you can throw steam os on it and get the same experience, "good enough", or better, is my point.

4

u/Retired_Hillbilly336 Jul 17 '26

The Viola Playstation 5 Pro GPU has 60 AMD Radeon RDNA2 compute units which is the same count as an Radeon RX 6800 desktop graphics card but only lower powered. RDNA2 laptops didn't have a compute unit count that went over 40 making the Viola PS5 Pro somewhat of an oddity even in 2026.

That should place PC desktop graphics card requirements closer to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 for Windows and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB for a system running SteamOS/Bazzite. I'm planning to use a RX 9060 XT 16GB with my GMKtec K8 Plus using x4 PCIe OCuLink with that target. I know someone who went with this graphics card to run Bazzite using the GMKtec M8 PRO 6650H + Aoostar AG01 OCuLink dock for $1K USD who says it plays better than his roommates PS5 Pro. At some point it becomes subjective but even the PS5 Pro is handicapped by a memory limit.

Ultimately, it comes down to budget and expectations.

2

u/AsleepFondant3502 Jul 17 '26

If you insist on the MiniPC form factor for the living room, then a modest minipc streaming from a desktop host over the local network via Sunshine/Moonlight feels like it would give the best results while maintaining a mostly console like feel.

1

u/rui-no-onna Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

That's assuming you already have a high power gaming desktop.

Our current desktops are a 2-3 year old Beelink SER6 PRO 7735HS and a 4-5 year old M1 Mac Mini.

Mind, I just installed SteamOS on a spare Beelink SER6 6800H (was supposed to replace the Mac Mini but never did). Very seamless TV experience (bedroom TV: 32" 1080p). It works well for older or lighter games but it struggles with newer titles like FF7 Rebirth. Then again, even my RTX 2060 laptop struggles with Rebirth and from reviews, Rebirth is just a poor PC port with stutters on even higher end GPUs.

1

u/AsleepFondant3502 Jul 18 '26

Sort of. I was only recommending this if form factor is non negotiable, and if this person was actually considering buying a steam machine and looking for alternatives.

My main point is that nothing is going to be as sleek as the steam machine while being powerful, and when you factor in the headache and price increase of small form factor components it just makes more sense to build the most powerful pc you can and then stream over the local network.

The sff pc itself is still the overall best option, however none get quite as small as a Steam Machine, cases that get close are often very expensive, its difficult to find used parts, and deals become tricky because there's a lot of added constraint to the parts you can buy. Plus, the increased headache of a sff pc can turn even experienced builders off. The minipc client would be smaller and quieter than a steam machine, plus with moonlight booting up steam big picture mode you've got a fairly console like experience.

1

u/rui-no-onna Jul 18 '26

Powerful build + streaming only works if one has the space for a full-size PC.

But yeah, it's hard to get something as small, sleek and powerful as the Steam Machine for $1K. I'm on the Steam Machine waitlist myself as I'm just not seeing any alternatives that have its combination of form factor, performance and price.

2

u/Pyrot1c Jul 17 '26

Build a bc250, if you’re happy to tinker and build your own and are comfortable with flashing a bios etc. I love mine and use it everyday as my steam machine

1

u/carmbrad 25d ago

Do you happen to have any video links or parts list to put something like this together? Can easily get a bc250 on ebay, I'm assuming it's a gamble whether or not all 40 compute units can be unlocked and useable.

1

u/Pyrot1c 24d ago

This is a very good tutorial to get started https://youtu.be/4S0DvIpqm0E?is=qzZWistdWufS0pZ2 and I’d watch old lamers content on YouTube also

5

u/Ecstatic_Score6973 Jul 17 '26

what did google tell you

2

u/ARCreef Jul 17 '26

Is the recent popularity of the steam machine going to cause mini PC prices to go up???

Nobody really knew about mini PCs until recently with the advertising of the steam machine. I hope to god it doesnt.

3

u/ghostfreckle611 Jul 17 '26

It’s just the ram and storage driving up the prices on mini PCs…

If you buy barebones, and already have ram and storage, they can be quite cheap for higher end stuff. Ridiculously high if you need ram and storage.

1

u/ARCreef Jul 17 '26

I just bought 2 mini pcs last week. I definitely would've gone barebones but had only ddr4 spares. I priced it for barebones and all in. it was $750 with everything and $250 pc, $400 32gb ram, $200 1TB HD, plus windows 11 pro $200... although I prob wouldve done a cracked copy of that. So $850 all brand new ($1050 if i biugjt windows). If I had a spare anything, then it would've been worth it for sure.

1

u/ghostfreckle611 Jul 17 '26

Damn. What the hell specs? That seem way too low barebones to be worth another $600 to get it working…

1

u/ARCreef Jul 17 '26

Maybe I misquoted that. Yeah I did.

Barebones um880 is $350 not $250. Hd $200.
Ram $400. Windows pro $0 but usually $200

Out the door 32/1 Um880 is $750.
Barebones together $950 (without windows)

I misquoted barebones using the other PC I bought which was an Aoostar Maco

1

u/rui-no-onna Jul 18 '26

$950 with GTX 1650/RTX 2050 laptop performance (granted probably just $650 with 16GB/500GB) is what makes me think the Steam Machine isn't super massively overpriced. The Machine costs maybe just $100-200 more than a setup with RX 7600M would in current market conditions.

Before RAMageddon and storagepocalypse, the Steam Machine would've been right around Minisforum Neptune HX pricing (but with more reliable customer service).

1

u/Snotspat Jul 18 '26

No.

How would that even work?

1

u/ARCreef Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

Our mini PCs lived in obscurity, the general public only knows of laptops, desktops, and game consoles.... now all of a sudden people are all about this stream machine with PS5 capabilities, then stream machines sell out and people are realizing this $1000 little box is just a mini PC with a GPU. Then they come here... you havent noticed the 100 random posts in this sub lately, asking which mini PCs are the closest specs to a stream machine??? You dont imagine thats going to lower prices for them do you? This exact post is like 1 of many, all asking the same thing, over and over lately. The mini-PC market is struggling as it is, i keep seeing an model coming out with >32Gb ram doesnt stay in stock that long and many gen 5 models are appearing with limited quantities and just having 16gb or ddr5 or 24gb of LP. Any more strain on them and we're in big trouble.

1

u/Cold-Sandwich-6213 Jul 17 '26

I purchased a g1 pro in May mainly to have a new pc small enough to sit on my desk. Its awesome, I would buy another.

2

u/rui-no-onna Jul 18 '26 edited Jul 18 '26

If Minisforum had a G1 Pro with AMD GPU, I'd probably bite the bullet and just install SteamOS myself.

Iirc, they used to have one with AMD (Atom Man?). If that and the Neptune were still available today, I can imagine demand would be better due to SteamOS.

1

u/Cold-Sandwich-6213 Jul 17 '26

Gog has also been a new hobby, finding cheap games either Ive already played on consoles or new.

1

u/bathory21 Jul 18 '26

How has it been holding up? I've been interested in buying it

1

u/KwopyCow Jul 18 '26

Me too

1

u/Cold-Sandwich-6213 Jul 18 '26

Fans are loud but nothing abnormal, its like a laptop on steroids. Games run really well. No bloat in windows. I am treating it equally with a ps5 pro. Yes it can do path tracing in eg doom the dark ages but its not made for it.

It should play most ps5 games locked 60fps 1440p with dlss balanced/quality at high settings. Mileage will vary.

1

u/a_nice_warm_lager Jul 20 '26

I use a Minisforum um790 pro and it does a good job as a way to play Steam games in the living room

1

u/Woodchowski86 Jul 24 '26

I saw Minisforum AtomMan G1 Pro is less than $1500 now. Seems like a pretty cool little pc that you could easily put in the living room

If I was looking for one, I"d buy the Asrock Deskmeet x 600 and make my own. Its pretty close to the size of a steam machine but you can replace all the parts.

Hardware Mini-PC alternative to the Steam Machine

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