Valve's Steam Machine Prototype

i hope that i could get just the case as i have all the hardware already. just needs the case.
 
That circle looks really bright. Also, didnt read the whole thing, mostly looked at the pics, but why is there a mechanical drive in there? Who the hell wants to hear a mechanical drive in a HTPC chewing away while watching tv or gaming.
 
8du8 said:
That circle looks really bright. Also, didnt read the whole thing, mostly looked at the pics, but why is there a mechanical drive in there? Who the hell wants to hear a mechanical drive in a HTPC chewing away while watching tv or gaming.
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I guess read the whole thing.
 
8du8 said:
That circle looks really bright. Also, didnt read the whole thing, mostly looked at the pics, but why is there a mechanical drive in there? Who the hell wants to hear a mechanical drive in a HTPC chewing away while watching tv or gaming.
Click to expand...

Trying to manage the price to a reasonable level I'd imagine.
 
I still fail to see how this has potential. The people they're aiming to sell these things to won't pay a premium for what they already have (a PC gaming rig). The only folks they'll swing will be the people who would have typically been buying Dell Alienware machines or something like that (a pre-fab gaming rig). But, since they have other people building these things they'll just have Dell and all the other pre-fab people sticking "Steam" on their PC's and offering an option to install SteamOS.

Parents buying it for the kid will be hard pressed to buy Jimmy a $2000 PC that he can effectively only game on. A $2000 PC that he can also do his homework on and all the other Windows things he normally does? Sure, they mentally justify that. Even my boss convinced himself that his son needed the Alienware gaming laptop for "school work".
 
They will need to get some HTPC functionality on these otherwise I don't have a lot of use for anything but the controller. It says they are in talks with streaming companies, but I'd want something like this to entirely eliminate my need for a traditional HTPC.
 
So long as I can plug in and use my wired X360 controller, I am pretty much sold. I have been waiting for something for that offers PC gaming performance with the simplicity of a console.
 
The bottom line is - how much will they cost? Console players were already squawking about the announced prices of the next gen consoles,but the video card alone in the prototype they tested costs as much as those consoles. I know there will be lower end models available,but you're not going to get the performance of the one reviewed.
 
Not sure what the point of this is if it's going to be a subcompact low-functionality htpc with heat issues and outdated hardware by the time it's released...

Question is, if it's packing a high end GTX card and i7, is this thing going to cost more than a PS4 or XBOne? If it is, I might as well just build my own with full functionality.
 
im disappointed steamOS wont have the option of just booting into linux desktop. it's all there underneath, right? why not just leave it all in the but have the default be boot into the big picture UI and leave the desktop accessible if you want it? i had big ideas for replacing windows on my laptop and my htpc with steamOS but if the ONLY thing it can do is game then it just isnt useful to me as an OS.
 
MrGoodbar said:
Not sure what the point of this is if it's going to be a subcompact low-functionality htpc with heat issues and outdated hardware by the time it's released...

Question is, if it's packing a high end GTX card and i7, is this thing going to cost more than a PS4 or XBOne? If it is, I might as well just build my own with full functionality.
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Of course it will cost more...lots & lots more...;) The $400-$500 3d card pictured isn't going to miraculously drop to 1/10th its MSRP (and this goes for everything crammed in that little box) simply because Valve wants to sell it...;) Depending on what's in it, the x86 clone pictured could easily cost $2,000+.

The more serious question is, why would anyone want a case like that? There's hardly any room at all to get your hands in there to work on something or replace a component, you'll have to remove component A (and maybe B, too) to get to component C, etc. And we aren't even talking about heat and fans, etc.

What you're actually looking at here is literally a desktop computer case, for those of you old enough to remember what that is...;) These cases were used before tower & mini-tower cases became the norm. They'd sit on top of your desk and you'd place your CRT monitor on top of the case.

The "Steambox" is an x86 clone. Valve even states in its Q&A/FAQ that you can build your own--and that you can upgrade it off the shelf. So build your own if you haven't already done so. With this proviso: Since SteamOS is Ubuntu 12.03+ it will need to restrict itself to peripherals for which there are decent Unbuntu 12.03+-compliant drivers. I don't yet use Ubuntu 12.03+ so I have no idea whether it will or won't support the same hardware that Windows supports.

I do plan to download SteamOS and install it to a separate boot partition to check it out--maybe. I'm running a UEFI install of Windows 8.1 at the moment, and I don't know if SteamOS will support a native UEFI install--or whether it will strictly support a legacy install. Right now I am dual-booting between Windows 8.1 legacy and Windows 8.1 UEFI and the normal boot manager won't work with UEFI 8.1 features enabled--I change boot partitions through the UEFI boot interface itself. Should be interesting to see what happens with SteamOS. Anyone know if Ubuntu supports a UEFI install? If so, then of course SteamOS will also support it.
 
So what exactly is the point of all of this outside of a neat looking controller? Anyone can build the same thing in roughly the same sized enclosure and play the same games for -at most- the same price. Is steam trying to pull an Apple here and force the same old shit down our throats and convince us to pay them for the privilege of eating it?

For the record, I am a fan of Steam and Valve.
 
It is a beta prototype with a custom hardware confirguration. I'm not sure why people think this is what's going on the retail shelves.

Also, SteamOS is not an Ubuntu build according to the article.
 
8du8 said:
Which I have now done, and it doesnt mention anything about the drive. Who the hell would buy a system with an i7 + Titan with a mechanical HDD?
Click to expand...

That system is not for sale. The purpose is to beta test different hardware configurations.
 
michael.pa2 said:
The bottom line is - how much will they cost? Console players were already squawking about the announced prices of the next gen consoles,but the video card alone in the prototype they tested costs as much as those consoles. I know there will be lower end models available,but you're not going to get the performance of the one reviewed.
Click to expand...

The idea is that anyone can make and sell Steam boxes so the prices will probably range from a little over the basic hardware costs to Alienware/Apple style pricing where you're paying a hell of a premium for packaging and a logo.

I get the feeling one of Valve's aims with the SteamBox is to simplify gaming on PC games. It would improve things greatly if there were presets like SteamBox Low/Mid/High for people who dont understand what MSFXAAx4x16 means. Even easier would be for the Steam client to set defaults based on the box type.

I think the multi-platform nature of Steam (phone/tablet games too one day?) could turn into a very interesting and successful future for pc gaming. I'd love to see something like a cross-platform MMO that has a phone app that allows you to keep your character busy crafting/training when you're busy and cant be sat at your computer killing BAMs.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
That system is not for sale. The purpose is to beta test different hardware configurations.
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Doesnt it seem pretty pointless to beta test a hardware config that isnt going to be available in the retail version?
 
8du8 said:
Which I have now done, and it doesnt mention anything about the drive. Who the hell would buy a system with an i7 + Titan with a mechanical HDD?
Click to expand...

You're right but it is implied that this may be an 'option' for the model you wish to purchase, one of which may be high end without an SSD.

Also, this is a prototype model.
 
When I first saw this article, I immediately thought of the Phantom console =)
 
8du8 said:
Which I have now done, and it doesnt mention anything about the drive. Who the hell would buy a system with an i7 + Titan with a mechanical HDD?
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_Machine#Hardware
 states Hard drive: 1 TB storage/8 GB SSD cache hybrid drive

If you're installing multiple games that can be 30GB or more an SSD is going to fill up quite quickly. Both consoles have 500GB drives but make no mention of a cache.
 
8du8 said:
Doesnt it seem pretty pointless to beta test a hardware config that isnt going to be available in the retail version?
Click to expand...

Since you can roll your own, and many botique shops will be selling their own configurations: No. Since there is no single retail version: No.
 
8du8 said:
Doesnt it seem pretty pointless to beta test a hardware config that isnt going to be available in the retail version?
Click to expand...

To everyone looking at this and questioning why so-and-so hardware is in this, B!nd said it already:
B!nd. said:
Also, this is a prototype model.
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Even the title mentions "... Steam Machine Prototype", unless the font probably has to be a tad bigger to make it more understandable, with an emphasis on prototype.

AKA- Not production or retail version.

There will be different configurations of a Steam Machine. If you don't feel that Valve has one configuration for you, download the SteamOS install image when it's available and get your own hardware-- with or without an SSD.
 
Well now I can see that if I truly want to replace Windows then it will be straight Linux with Steam running in big picture mode for when I want to game. I really thought Valve would have left it setup so you could still use it as a computer if you wanted. Really disappointed with this, but I should have known.
 
03grandam said:
Well now I can see that if I truly want to replace Windows then it will be straight Linux with Steam running in big picture mode for when I want to game. I really thought Valve would have left it setup so you could still use it as a computer if you wanted. Really disappointed with this, but I should have known.
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yep i feel the exact same way. i dont mind keeping windows, i already have my win7 keys and dont plan on upgrading to win8, so the only thing i demand is that they bring the streaming games feature to windows big picture mode so i can play more serious games on my htpc. i dont see why that should be a steamOS only feature, but i havent heard anything about it coming to windows.
 
octoberasian said:
To everyone looking at this and questioning why so-and-so hardware is in this, B!nd said it already:

Even the title mentions "... Steam Machine Prototype", unless the font probably has to be a tad bigger to make it more understandable, with an emphasis on prototype.

AKA- Not production or retail version.

There will be different configurations of a Steam Machine. If you don't feel that Valve has one configuration for you, download the SteamOS install image when it's available and get your own hardware-- with or without an SSD.
Click to expand...

Did you really think people wouldnt scrutinize it? Calling something a prototype isnt going to stop people from criticizing it while trying to show it off.
 
Hey guys I read somewhere that steam intends to put up the steambox cad files for open source. This means if you like the design it should be easy to build a similar box, or maybe some one / company will manufacture the enclosures if they are popular enough. In my opinion there are already better mitx boxes out there already.
 
Very underwhelming prototype and almost needless. Not sure what is the point of all of this. There will be games on Steam that will not run on that GTX 780/Titan in there. Then what?

I think I will keep my PC and avoid the hassle altogether. Also Sli.
 
That thing is a tight fit (...that's what she said). I hope they do a good job designing the cooling system otherwise it's going to be an oven in there.

8du8 said:
Which I have now done, and it doesnt mention anything about the drive. Who the hell would buy a system with an i7 + Titan with a mechanical HDD?
Click to expand...
Somebody who has a lot of data that won't fit on an SSD? As long as there's space enough to fit an SSD I wouldn't mind. SSD's are expensive things, so one person might want only be willing to pay for a 120GB, another might want a 1TB, another might not want one at all even in a high end system
 
michael.pa2 said:
The bottom line is - how much will they cost? Console players were already squawking about the announced prices of the next gen consoles,but the video card alone in the prototype they tested costs as much as those consoles. I know there will be lower end models available,but you're not going to get the performance of the one reviewed.
Click to expand...

Things become a lot cheaper when you order in bulk. A video card that is normally $500 suddenly becomes a lot cheaper when you order them in lots of a thousand or more.
 
8du8 said:
That circle looks really bright. Also, didnt read the whole thing, mostly looked at the pics, but why is there a mechanical drive in there? Who the hell wants to hear a mechanical drive in a HTPC chewing away while watching tv or gaming.
Click to expand...

Do you hear the drive in any DVR out there and complain this loudly too?
 
I don't get people hatorading on this. It only presents positives for PC gaming. Greater demand for high end PC gaming parts will bring down the prices on them. More people playing PC games will get more games coming out for the PC. And the FREE OS could mean better gaming gaming perfomrnace through optimization and $100 less you have to spend every time you build a new gaming PC.

You don't have to buy one to experience the upside. I probably will never buy one since I build my own PCs, but I may if the pricing is right, and even if I don't I hope these take off for the reasons above.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
They will need to get some HTPC functionality on these otherwise I don't have a lot of use for anything but the controller. It says they are in talks with streaming companies, but I'd want something like this to entirely eliminate my need for a traditional HTPC.
Click to expand...

Also doesn't have any optical drive, so Blu-ray is out of the question. You may want to give the XBOX ONE a look.
 
damicatz said:
Things become a lot cheaper when you order in bulk. A video card that is normally $500 suddenly becomes a lot cheaper when you order them in lots of a thousand or more.
Click to expand...
Define "lots cheaper". My understanding was that raw PC hardware doesn't have huge margins to begin with even at the consumer level, making it hard to build systems much cheaper than your average basement dwelling nerd even if you order them in the thousands.
 
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