Steam Machine: What should a gaming PC with SteamOS cost?

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Source: Velve

The new Steam Machine, powered by Zen 4, RDNA 3, and SteamOS, features semi-custom AMD hardware comparable to that found in typical gaming PCs. So, what price point should the new Steam Machine have to remain competitive?

How much should the new Steam Machine cost?

The new Steam Machine with Zen 4, RDNA 3 and SteamOS has optimized semi-custom hardware ("semi-custom silicon") from AMD and should therefore be six times faster than the Steam Deck. However, the Zen-4 CPU and the RDNA-3 graphics card can certainly be compared with the hardware of ordinary gaming PCs, as the PCGH editorial team has already worked out clearly when classifying the technical specifications. So what can the new Steam Machine cost to launch with a competitive price promised by Valve? We are calculating this through and are looking forward to your opinions.

The Processor

Valve relies on an optimized Zen-4 processor for the new Steam Machine 2.0, which was specially adapted for Valve by AMD Semi-Custom Solutions and can process up to 12 threads in parallel with 6 Zen-4 processor cores and SMT ("Simultaneous Multithreading"). The clock frequencies are up to 4.8 GHz, which means that the processor can be classified roughly between the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and Ryzen 5 7400F, but has to be content with a TDP of 30 watts.

According to the Shero King price comparison by Miser, the Ryzen 5 7500F is now being traded at prices starting at 125 euros and comes closest to the Custom Zen 4 processor from the new Steam Deck. Here it can be assumed that Valve will achieve a significantly better price through purchase obligations and thus have a comparatively large margin for its price calculation.

The Graphics card

While the Steam Deck and Steam Deck OLED with Aerith and Sephiroth rely on a full-fledged custom SoC ("system-on-a-chip"), Valve probably also opted for a more classic setup for the new Steam Machine for cost reasons, which uses a dedicated RDNA-3 graphics card in addition to the Zen-4 processor, which is equivalent to a cropped Radeon RX 7600.

The custom designs of the Radeon RX 7600 are currently being traded at prices starting at 230 euros and here too Valve would probably have the greatest possible scope for a price reduction compared to a self-made gaming PC.

The Motherboard

Here Valve will have to resort to a mini-ITX motherboard with a B650 or A620 chipset due to the dimensions of from 152 × 162 × 156 mm (H×D×W). On sale, models such as the Asrock B650I Lightning WiFi cost around 140 euros.

Since Valve will most likely rely on an OEM solution, i.e. an OEM motherboard adapted to its own needs, there is also a certain savings potential for the manufacturer here.

The Memory

While 16 gibytes of DDR5 RAM are currently being traded from 60 euros, 512 gibytes or 2 terabytes of SSD storage space in the form of an NVMe SSD connected via PCIe 4.0 × 4 in a diy PC would cost about 40 euros or 110 euros in purchasing.

Since the new Steam Machine is a complete PC, on which the manufacturer must also give appropriate guarantees for error-free operation, Valve will opt for DDR5-5200 or DDR5-5600 here.

The conclusion

Even if you include other components such as the housing, adequate cooling and the power supply, Valve will be able to easily undercut the cheapest purchase price of a self-assembled gaming PC with comparable hardware even without subsidies. invoice:

DIY Gaming PC
CPU	125 euros
GPU	230 euros
Mainboard	145 euros
R.A.M.	70 euros
Solid storage space	50 euros (512 GiBytes) 110 euros (2 terabytes)
CPU cooler	20 euros
Housing	80 euros
power supply	60 euros
	760 euros (512 GiBytes) 810 euros (2 terabytes)

While a self-assembled gaming PC would likely cost between 750 and 850 euros, it is expected that Valve could also put together such a package for 600 euros (512 GiBytes) and 750 euros (2 Terabytes).

The new Steam Machine, Steam Frame, and Steam Controller are slated for release in early 2026 at as-yet-unknown prices. Valve plans to release further details next year.