- A French retailer has made its own version of the Steam Machine
- The “Stim Machine” packs an RX 9060 XT GPU, giving it much faster frame rates at the same price.
- The alternative PC also has other advantages, as well as compromises in which the device loses out to the Steam Engine.
With the price of the Steam Machine, we’ve inevitably seen a lot of talk about alternatives, whether in DIY form or with pre-built ones, and here’s another of the latter: the ‘Stim Machine’.
VideoCardz reports that French retailer LDLC made the Stim Machine, although it has since dropped that cheeky name, but I’m still going to use it here, because I like it, and it’s much better than the LDLC “PC Box” which is the new name (yawn).
The device largely follows Valve’s gaming PC specifications, with a few key differences.
The main change is that instead of the semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 GPU found in the Steam Machine, you get a current generation RX 9060 XT graphics card (RDNA 4). This is the 8GB model (the same load as the Steam Machine’s GPU), but the 9060 XT has a lot more power under its hood.
The processor is the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, a 6-core, 12-thread effort like the Steam Machine’s Zen 4 chip, and there’s also 16GB of DDR5 RAM. You get a 500GB SSD (again, the same as Valve’s) but with two additional SATA slots for more storage if you want (as opposed to the microSD option with the Steam Machine).
The price is exactly the same as the Steam Machine in France if you want the retailer to supply you with the pre-built version (or you can save 4% if you just order the parts to be sent and build the rig yourself).
Analysis: Stim versus Steam – the relative advantages and disadvantages
As noted, the main difference is the RX 9060 XT, which will significantly increase your frame rates compared to the Steam Machine. Not only is the GPU considerably faster, but you also get FSR 4 with the current generation Radeon family for even better frames per second. And there is the option to upgrade the graphics card in the future, which is missing on the Steam Machine.
Indeed, even upgrading the RAM on the Steam Machine is a relatively tricky task by all accounts, as you have to remove a good portion of the internals to access those RAM slots. The Stim Machine also gives you these additional storage options.
Having argued against Valve’s creation, it’s only fair to list the downsides of the Stim Machine. For starters, although it’s a Mini-ITX case and a compact PC – apparently a SilverStone SST-SG13B Sugo case, as pointed out on Reddit – it’s still a bit larger than the Steam Machine (11.5 liters versus 3.8 liters).
In other words, in terms of volume, it’s three times larger than Valve’s PC, and yes, it’s still quite small, but part of the Steam Machine’s appeal is its small size that allows the device to sit unobtrusively in your living room. There are also thermal, cooling, and noise settings to consider when it comes to the 9060 XT GPU in the Stim Machine, especially in a living room setting. Valve’s Steam Machine is incredibly quiet, as the reviews clearly show.
Alternatives to the Steam Machine that are also missing are some of Valve’s quality-of-life features for more streamlined (Steam?) operation, including instant sleep/wake functionality and HDMI CEC support (allowing your TV remote to control the volume or turn the TV on or off with the Steam Machine). These are some really thoughtful touches from Valve.
Not to mention that with the Stim Machine, you have to set it up and install SteamOS yourself (although the retailer provides a guide), which could be a stumbling block for tech newbies. This is all done for you with the Steam Machine, with a simple out-of-the-box browsing experience.
So overall, it’s not that straightforward a matchup here, but there’s no doubt that, thanks to its RX 9060 XT, the Stim Machine will deliver a lot more oomph with frame rates than Valve’s compact gaming PC. So if frame rate smoothness is your top priority and you can live with the mentioned compromises, an alternative like the Stim Machine is the way to go.
What we also shouldn’t forget is that whether you buy a Steam Machine or a pre-built alternative like this (or go the DIY route yourself), it’s a win for Valve, as it’s another player on SteamOS – and buying software from its store, which is the real purpose of this living room PC. Indeed, Valve actively encourages people to build their own Steam Machines if they feel the official model is too expensive (but of course, building any computer is an uphill battle when it comes to price these days).
Another interesting point to note, among the many interviews recently given by Valve engineers, PC Gamer has a new nugget on the new generation Steam Machine from Pierre-Loup Griffais and Yazan Aldehayyat.
Regarding a potential PC sequel, Griffais noted: “I don’t think we’re thinking about [the Steam Machine] with a delay as long as something like the Steam Deck. “
So, a Steam Machine 2 with more powerful innards shouldn’t be as long of a wait as a Steam Deck sequel, but that said, Aldehayyat explained that it’s not just around the corner (unsurprisingly).
The next Steam Machine will happen “in line with typical PC upgrade cycles and what people usually do,” and Aldehayyat said, “It’s just a matter of knowing when it makes sense.” [upgrade]at what price, at what time, on what games are available. Like if a bunch of new games came out on Steam and demanded more performance, it would probably make us want to upgrade the Steam Machine faster. »
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