You can still build a pretty great pc for a little over $1000, though there are some compromises imo. You can get under the $1000 mark if you’re willing to get make some more compromises and/or do a mix of new and used parts. But either way you can get way more performance than the steam machine for the money, though maybe not in as svelte a package.
Comment on Steam Machine pricing announced (from $1049-$1428 USD), reservation lists open
shiv@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
Should I even try to build a PC for $1000 or just give up at this point?
kahjtheundedicated@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
ironycanal@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 weeks ago
Can’t wait for ram prices to come down after the crash.
Donjuanme@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
And if something breaks you get a fast and easy response with the steam machine. Not at all fast nor easy if you’re buying from multiple vendors.
The 300 bucks of better parts I could be getting is entirely worth my never having to diagnose or repair parts myself.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
This is a fair point, although you’re making an assumption. How has steam’s support been for their hardware thus far?
i promise i’m not sealioning, i’ve never had to deal with their customer support. Which is the epitome of the IT paradox, so like, I’m inclined to think it’s good.
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
I first got my Steam Deck 2-3 weeks after they started shipping. Unfortunately the “Y” button wasn’t triggering consistently. I sent it in to Valve for warranty repairs without issue, though it took 3-4 weeks to get back.
Also fun fact, in the time it took to get back I learned how to juggle because I was bored
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
i’m waiting until either the dollar halves in value so a $1000 PC is worth $500 or the market sanes out, hopefully via blood clot or something
MangoPenguin@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 weeks ago
If you build a PC with DDR4 RAM it does get cheaper, and I think under $1k is very doable.
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
For $1k you could do quite better than the Steam Machine. Just spec’d out a build on Amazon with AM4 and you’ve got options:
Total cost: About $950, which leaves a bit of overhead to get a cheap cooler for the CPU (optional since it comes with one), and/or additional case fan(s).
grue@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
If you want it to be like a Steam Machine, you should definitely go for the AMD GPU so you can run Steam OS on it.
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Good point. Though personally I prefer running EndeavourOS, I like having an up-to-date kernel and mesa improvements.
AgentRocket@feddit.org 4 weeks ago
Since SteamOS is Arch based (same as endeavour) shouldn’t it also have up to date kernel and mesa?
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
hey, so i suck at picking parts and never know if they’ll fit my build. like, i was a hardware guy back in the 90s and haven’t really kept up. is there a compatibility checker somewhere?
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Use a PSU calculator for the parts you’re selecting. Power supplies are rated to always provide consistent load of at least 80% of rated spec, so aim for a PSU with at least 20% overhead. So if the system uses 600w peak, you’ll want a 720w PSU or better.
In general, an 800w PSU is generally more than enough for most systems, unless you’re buying really power hungry parts (think Nvidia 5080 or 5090 and the highest end Intel chips or AMD threadrippers).
If in doubt, just buy a bigger PSU than you need, like 1000w. Always better to have more than you need, it only uses what the system requires, it’s not like it’s always actually going to draw that 1kw power.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Thank you for the detailed advice. I cheaped out on my psu on my last build and figured it wouldn’t hurt too much.
Oh, past me, you sweet summer child.
CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Just use pcpartpicker.com
It’s very good at telling you if parts aren’t compatible.
HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
thanks! i’ll give it a try next upgrade
kahjtheundedicated@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Yeah I was looking at mostly similar parts, but squeezing for a 9060xt. I got to a little less than $1200 on an am5 platform with all new stuff, or $1000 using used ddr4 and ssd on an am4 platform, but still with the 9060xt
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I couldn’t squeeze in the 9060 XT (specifically the 16 GB variant) for under $1k, though if you went with the used parts I mentioned and the cheaper case it should fit the budget.
mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
Just my $0.02, but my DDR4 system with a 9070XT is doing alright. But I also don’t play competitive FPS, so ymmv
absquatulate@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Funny you should create this. I made an identical spec for my potential upgrade from a 2019 intel pc to a 2021 amd pc in order to keep the ram. Looks like i’ll have to ride these memory sticks until the wheels fall off.
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
Please don’t buy a Corsair case
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Why not? The 4000D is solid.
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 4 weeks ago
Ok my bias, sorry shouldn’t have written that. I had very poor experiences with corsaire products, especially while assembling a PC in one of their cases.
tomalley8342@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
You can go up to a 5060Ti 8gb for $370 and get +45% more GPU performance and still stay under the budget for a steam machine
shiv@sh.itjust.works 4 weeks ago
Ultimately, this will likely be the road I take. I just haven’t owned a PC in like 15 years and building one feels daunting because mistakes would be too costly. I know it’s not that hard though, I’ll just watch a few YouTube tutorials.
LiveLM@lemmy.zip 4 weeks ago
Is that power supply any good?
tomkatt@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Thermaltake makes good stuff.