Valve Claims Steam Machine Outperforms 70% of Current Gaming PCs

by AleksandarKNov 17th, 2025 15:41Discuss (131 Comments)

When Valve introduced itsSteam Machine cube gaming console/PC, the gaming community began questioning the hardware choices and Valve's performance claims. However, a Valve engineer stated that the Steam Machine is more powerful than 70% of gaming PCs on the market, based on Steam Survey data. It features a semi-custom six-core AMD "Zen 4" processor with 28 compute units of RDNA 3 graphics. Valve promotes the PC as capable of achieving 4K gaming at 60 FPS with ray tracing and FSR support. It includes 16 GB of DDR5 system memory and 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, powering a semi-custom GPU that may be closer to AMD's RDNA 3.5 than pure RDNA 3.

During Adam Savage's Tested podcast, Valve engineer Yazan Aldehayyat remarked that the machine can run all available games on the market. Valve selected this configuration considering the price (which remains unknown), entry-level segment, and market position based on Steam Survey data. Being equal to or better than 70% of existing hardware makes it suitable for most users, and we expect the price point to be attractive to justify its value. Until the pricing is published, we don't know where the Steam Machine will land in terms of market segmentation. However, if Valve plans mass adoption, it will have to be a competitive price point even if it keeps profit margins lower.

Source:via Notebook Check

131 CommentsonValve Claims Steam Machine Outperforms 70% of Current Gaming PCs

Onasi

And they are, most likely, correct. Enthusiasts are living in a bubble and are biased towards the “AAA, 4K, 120 FPS, Final Destination” sort of market where the X3D chips and flagship GPUs live. In practice, most PC gaming is done on older and “weaker” PCs and consists of online live service games, MMOs, indies and games with a long tail that released ages ago. Hell, even on consoles the shiny new AAA releases sell a fraction of the actual install base.

N/A

This is a potato PC in essence at an exorbitant price. Suitable for lovers of potatoes or bananas, to which they compare it. A very big heavy and power hungry banana at 3.75 liters, 2.6 kg and 140 Watts. Get the power under 100 Watts ZEN6 RDNA6 N3 that outperforms a 5070 and we have a deal.

ONEoo7

Very lazy research on my part. 28 CUs vs 40CUs that come with the 4060s part in Ryzen AI MAX+ PRO 395.

The higher end part with 40CUs gets wrecked by a 4060 laptop gpu.
Wonder how bad 28CUs will be because as far as I remember 4060 laptop gpu was not a 4k 60 part. 1080p with decent framerate maybe.
As usual steam selling overpriced superseded hardware for the masses who can't tell the difference between upscaling and native res.
I'm not a fan of steam deck or any handheld because of poor performance. 30 fps is a target framerate for the 2000s not the 2020s.

A Computer Guy

The only thing it's missing is X3D!

Jtuck9

OnasiAnd they are, most likely, correct. Enthusiasts are living in a bubble and are biased towards the “AAA, 4K, 120 FPS, Final Destination” sort of market where the X3D chips and flagship GPUs live. In practice, most PC gaming is done on older and “weaker” PCs and consists of online live service games, MMOs, indies and games with a long tail that released ages ago. Hell, even on consoles the shiny new AAA releases sell a fraction of the actual install base.

Necessity or choice?

www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/18/are-we-living-in-a-golden-age-of-stupidity-technology

Also wondering what The Steam Machine offers if Half Life 3 is indeed a release title.

Jun

The major selling point for me is the Steam OS. Need to get away from Windows.

Onasi

N/AThis is a potato PC in essence at an exorbitant price. Suitable for lovers of potatoes or bananas, to which they compare it. A very big heavy and power hungry banana at 3.75 liters, 2.6 kg and 140 Watts. Get the power under 100 Watts ZEN6 RDNA6 N3 that outperforms a 5070 and we have a deal.

I also enjoy science fiction.

Jtuck9Necessity or choice?

Both and neither. Most people just don’t really care about PC specs as long as whatever they want to play runs okay. Since the “whatever” in a lot of cases is something like League of Legends or WoW or modded Skyrim or whatever it just doesn’t take much.

Jtuck9

OnasiBoth and neither. Most people just don’t really care about PC specs as long as whatever they want to play runs okay. Since the “whatever” in a lot of cases is something like League of Legends or WoW or modded Skyrim or whatever it just doesn’t take much.

True, although I would look at how the market gets shaped and by whom and for what. Something like that "Dopamine Nation" book makes for an interesting read. It's littered throughout that article I linked above, along with the term "shifting baselines"...

I suppose you could say something like this illustrates a point (i've since heard it was "fake news"?!)

www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/gabe-newell-caps-off-steam-machine-week-by-taking-delivery-of-a-new-usd500-million-superyacht-with-a-submarine-garage-on-board-hospital-and-15-gaming-pcs/

Shonendo

OnasiAnd they are, most likely, correct. Enthusiasts are living in a bubble and are biased towards the “AAA, 4K, 120 FPS, Final Destination” sort of market where the X3D chips and flagship GPUs live. In practice, most PC gaming is done on older and “weaker” PCs and consists of online live service games, MMOs, indies and games with a long tail that released ages ago. Hell, even on consoles the shiny new AAA releases sell a fraction of the actual install base.

You had me at Final Destination.

Say no more.

You win this thread.

#10

Cheeseball

Not a Potato

ONEoo7Very lazy research on my part. 28 CUs vs 40CUs that come with the 4060s part in Ryzen AI MAX+ PRO 395.

The higher end part with 40CUs gets wrecked by a 4060 laptop gpu.
Wonder how bad 28CUs will be because as far as I remember 4060 laptop gpu was not a 4k 60 part. 1080p with decent framerate maybe.
As usual steam selling overpriced superseded hardware for the masses who can't tell the difference between upscaling and native res.
I'm not a fan of steam deck or any handheld because of poor performance. 30 fps is a target framerate for the 2000s not the 2020s.

Not defending the Radeon 8060S here (it is my main laptop/tablet), but take note that the 2025 Flow Z13 only has a maximum TDP of around 80W, shared with the CPU part (which are 16C/32T Zen 5 non-c cores). Framework's implementation on their desktop and ITX motherboard models show that it can go up to 160W fPPT (PL4 Intel equivalent) then 140W sPPT (PL2). This is where it will slightly beat the RTX 4060 Mobile (115W TGP) and more-or-less match a stock RTX 4060 (also 115W TGP) desktop.

RTX 4060 can reach 60 FPS to run almost all games at 2160p. Obviously don't max out the settings and use FSR in games that support it.

#11

TheDeeGee

JunThe major selling point for me is the Steam OS. Need to get away from Windows.

You can install that on your Desktop as well.

No need for a Steam Machine.

#12

N/A

It is misleading to consider every computer that logs into Steam and participates in polls as a gaming computer and to use it for chatting or playing turn-based games. This is a joke.

#13

Blue4130

N/AThis is a potato PC in essence at an exorbitant price. Suitable for lovers of potatoes or bananas, to which they compare it. A very big heavy and power hungry banana at 3.75 liters, 2.6 kg and 140 Watts. Get the power under 100 Watts ZEN6 RDNA6 N3 that outperforms a 5070 and we have a deal.

The average mid-tower PC case is over 55 liters. This is under 4. Frankly amazing.

#14

Onasi

N/AIt is misleading to consider every computer that logs into Steam and participates in polls as a gaming computer and to use it for chatting or playing turn-based games. This is a joke.

Are turn-based games not games, or…? If I solely play turn-based games on my PC is it not a “gaming PC”? What exactly do we count, is there some sort of hardware apartheid in effect that anyone running non-enthusiast hardware just isn’t a “gamer”?

#15

loztagainman

N/AIt is misleading to consider every computer that logs into Steam and participates in polls as a gaming computer and to use it for chatting or playing turn-based games. This is a joke.

That seems about the short and skinny of it. Let's face it the specs are poor for this point in time. It could have passed muster with more vram, 12gb at least, but it is still weak for 4k 60fps regardless of the vram configuration.

#16

i4506718

The Steam Survey data includes many GPU and CPU models that are completely outdated and have little to no overlap with the target users of this console. A console developed based on such flawed data is likely doomed from the start.

#17

N/A

Blue4130The average mid-tower PC case is over 55 liters. This is under 4. Frankly amazing.

With the built-in CPU, NVMe, and external power, it shouldn't be any bigger than the RX 7600, 12 x 30 x 4 cm, 1.5 liters, 900 grams. I have no idea what they do with the remaining 2.25 liters, it's more of a design choice.

#18

Vayra86

N/AIt is misleading to consider every computer that logs into Steam and participates in polls as a gaming computer and to use it for chatting or playing turn-based games. This is a joke.

Its also misleading to be convinced that the market for high end gaming PCs is bigger than the markets below it.

This has never been a thing, will never be a thing, and with the hardware price increasing, it will increasingly NOT be a thing.

The movement in gaming markets is towards entry-sub midrange level devices. The midrange is losing ground. The enthusiast segment is gaining too. Its quite similar to what we see in society's division of wealth.
Handhelds, SFF boxes, NUC, but also the 600 dollar laptop.

Steam Machine is hitting that segment with full force, with, in a relative sense, a capable and affordable product.

I'm not sure why you say its a joke, really, and why you think there is a sharp divide between gamers on higher end systems and those below it. They play generally the same content, they just time it differently. They might play Helldivers 2 in three years because now there's a device that plays it - or they have a console for those games, and a PC for the rest.

The reality is, 'we' the enthusiasts are the bigger idiots for overpaying for what is essentially the same experience ;) But wewantto do that, right?

OnasiAre turn-based games not games, or…? If I solely play turn-based games on my PC is it not a “gaming PC”? What exactly do we count, is there some sort of hardware apartheid in effect that anyone running non-enthusiast hardware just isn’t a “gamer”?

Its called elitism and thinking every product should be aimed at yourself.

#19

yfn_ratchet

I find the title a little misleading, the more apt decriptor is "Valve: Steam Machine Outperforms 70% of Steam Hardware Survey". What qualifies as a 'current gaming PC' and 'a PC capable of playing games' can anddoes have a huge delta in many people's minds, especially enthusiasts.

The Steam Machine is not something that is going to keep up with next-gen consoles—it barely paces alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X for that matter—and it's a little disingenuous for anyone to suggest it's gonna handle AAA at 4K, 60FPS (with FSR) for its lifetime. It's meant to play the games you already have, and for me that's stuff like Fallout 4, Cyberpunk 2077, Project Wingman, Risk of Rain 2, and Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX. Games like those it'll eat to the face no problem, and I think that's the intent with it.

#20

Onasi

N/AI have no idea what they do with the remaining 2.25 liters, it's more of a design choice.

There is no “remaining” space. It’s basically packed as tightly as it can be. The vast majority of it being occupied by the HSF assembly, which is needed to run this, as Valve intends, quietly and cool no matter where the customer decides to chuck it in. And said HSF is used to cool EVERYTHING - CPU, GPU, memory, VRM. They specifically said that they designed the fan and the heatsink first and then built the system around that. It’s actually a very inspired piece of engineering. Unironically claiming that it’s a joke and that they could have achieved the exact same in a smaller volume is disingenuous at best and rage bait at worst.

#21

Fourstaff

$500 - Buy
$600 - eh, can consider
$700 - bottom of shopping list
$800 - forget it

I would like to remind everyone that Switch launched with obsolete chips, but that did not stop it from selling >150mln units.

#22

ONEoo7

Fourstaff$500 - Buy
$600 - eh, can consider
$700 - bottom of shopping list
$800 - forget it

I would like to remind everyone that Switch launched with obsolete chips, but that did not stop it from selling >150mln units.

Switch was 300$ in 2017. Adjusted for inflation that's around 400$ in 2025. Switch never pretended to have quality graphics or good framerate. It was all about the games. If you can play most of your steam library on it and it's not higher than 500$, I guess it's ok. Regular people see consoles as a means to have fun, not an investment of any kind. They would rather pay for the games themselves than the hardware.

#23

Broken Processor

How are the settings going to be defined if indeed this is going to provide a console experience has valve made adjustments to the steam library to remove unsurported games and define game settings for each game? Will there be a tool or some easy way of showing users what games in there library work with steam console before purchasing.. I'd like to see some adjustments made for making it easier to install games outside of steam like for example I'd love to be able to install World of Warcraft, geforce now or game pass without watching a YouTube video.
At face value the steam console looks like a great idea but the more you look into it the more the exact same that plagued the original steam console are still there. The fundamental thing is calling something a console conjures certain expectations and this console needs to meet them. I want the console to succeed but they need to make sure the average user knows what it is they are buying.

#24

Nostras

This is like the biggest "well, duh", but it's a meaningless statement.
I'd argue that 98% of those 70% have 0 interest in buying a steam machine because they either don't care whatsoever or already have a console and have no interest in it.
For the other 2% it's going to come down to how much they like valve and/or the marketing reaches them.

Funnily enough I'd expect valve to sell the majority of the steam machines to the 30% with a better PC already.

#25

Shihab

Broken ProcessorI'd like to see some adjustments made for making it easier to install games outside of steam like for example I'd love to be able to install World of Warcraft, geforce now or game pass without watching a YouTube video.

That’s not a console experience tho…

Installing non-vendor-sanctioned software on a typical console would need way more than just a youtube video…