• mrmaplebar@fedia.io
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    15 days ago

    To be fair, i’d say the Steam Machine is relatively cost competitive with other PC pre-builds. DIY will save you money but you’ll never end up with a system that’s as small or quiet, and you have to really know what you’re doing.

    The Steam Machine is not such a bad deal really, aside from the fact that every PC is a bad deal in 2026.

    • Nouvellalia@lemmy.world
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      14 days ago

      You can totally build a system as small and as quiet. You really have to be experienced to do it, for sure, but it can be done. My last build was a shoebox sized mini itx. It was 1" taller and one 1.5" longer than the top of the line video card I put in it. It had 4 SSDs and a full size PSU.

      It was whisper quiet until you asked for the absolute maximum output. It was always silent doing anything a console could do.

      • mrmaplebar@fedia.io
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        14 days ago

        I get what you’re saying, but it’s worth mentioning that even a Mini ITX board has a larger foot print (6.7" squared) than the Steam Machine’s absolutely tiny 6" cubic form factor. It’s really a very small device!

        FWIW, I’ve always found that small form factor parts are a little more expensive too.

        • Nouvellalia@lemmy.world
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          13 days ago

          Damn. I knew it was small, but I thought it was 9^3" not 6^3". I thought I’d at least matched it on volume, with my ~6.5x7x11". You’re right, hitting that size with those specs is only possible with custom PCBs.