Valve’s Steam Machine is designed to offer a console-like PC gaming experience in a compact package, but its pricing has made it difficult to ignore the value offered by traditional PC hardware (even in the current market). A new test from Hardware Unboxed shows just how much performance you can get by building your own compact gaming PC for roughly the same money.

The custom system is based on ASRock’s DeskMeet X300, a small-form-factor 8-liter barebones PC that already includes the motherboard, power supply, and chassis. Hardware Unboxed added an AMD Ryzen 5 5600, Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB, 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a 1TB M.2 SSD to complete the custom build.

Specs, price, and performance

• Case: ASRock DeskMeet X300
• CPU: Ryzen 5 5600
• GPU: RX 9060 XT 16GB
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB M.2 SSD
• OS: SteamOS / Windows
• Price: ~$1,050
• Target resolution: 1440p
• Performance: 70+ FPS in many AAA games

The complete system cost $1,050, exactly matching the price of Valve’s 512GB Steam Machine. The individual components included a $190 DeskMeet X300, $140 Ryzen 5 5600, $470 RX 9060 XT 16GB, $110 memory kit, and $140 SSD.

The custom PC was able to deliver over 70 FPS in many AAA games at 1440p with Ultra settings and FSR Quality enabled. Hardware Unboxed found it significantly ahead of the Steam Machine in almost every title tested.

“If you have access to the DeskMeet X300 in your market and it’s priced right, it is a pretty neat product. I don’t think it’s the absolute best choice in the 8-leter range, but for a simple barebone option, it’s very nice, very simple, and the results are remarkably pleasing. I am surprised by just how well this works […] This is something that I would genuinely use for gaming – impress power for the money, especially in today’s market.”

Steve Walton, Hardware Unboxed

The RX 9060 XT 16GB is the biggest reason for the difference. Valve’s Steam Machine uses a semi-custom AMD GPU with 8GB of VRAM, while the custom system has a dedicated 16GB graphics card. In some games, the performance gap was reportedly around 70% or more compared to Steam Machine results used for comparison.

The compact build did have some problems out of the box. CPU temperatures approached 100°C, while GPU hotspot temperatures were also high. Hardware Unboxed was able to address much of the issue through BIOS adjustments and GPU undervolting, bringing temperatures down without sacrificing performance.

The system also runs SteamOS, although Windows testing was included as well. That makes the comparison particularly interesting because buyers don’t necessarily have to choose between a compact form factor and the SteamOS experience.

Of course, building a PC requires more effort than simply buying a Steam Machine, and component prices can change quickly. Still, the test shows that $1,050 can buy substantially more gaming performance when the budget is spent directly on the CPU and GPU. We also put together a Steam Machine build cheaper than Valve’s (in theory), helped by Prime Day deals at the time.

About the Author

Abdul Haddi

Abdul is a tech writer and Editor for PC Guide, specializing in all things tech, gaming, and hardware.