Steam Machine prototype from iBuyPower

[Foxi4]

Yeah, Unity is pure horse shit.

My issue is that why not just buy a PC? It just kinda perplexes me. I guess to each their own though.

But The Catboy, this is an HTPC, not just by architecture but also by design. It's meant to run SteamOS or the user's OS of choice.

The question you should be asking is "why buy a Steambox when you can build a better one yourself", not to mention that if you're a PC gamer, you probably already have a gaming rig. This is really just a device for people who want to get into PC gaming but without the "PC" part of the equation.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Yeah, Unity is pure horse shit.

My issue is that why not just buy a PC? It just kinda perplexes me. I guess to each their own though.

Well Valve is trying to make PC gaming more affordable, so you don't have to go out and buy a $700-$800 PC so you can play games at high settings.

They're also trying to market this to the Console-oriented gamers (cuz Valve just doesn't have enough money ). While I myself wouldn't buy one, I could see a few people I know who would totally go for a mid-priced Steambox.

 

[The Catboy]

But The Catboy, this is an HTPC, not just by architecture but also by design. It's meant to run SteamOS or the user's OS of choice.

The question you should be asking is "why buy a Steambox when you can build a better one yourself", not to mention that if you're a PC gamer, you probably already have a gaming rig. This is really just a device for people who want to get into PC gaming but without the "PC" part of the equation.

True building your own PC would be the better option here.
Honestly I am not even sure why this perplexes me so much, concidering I shouldn't be talking since I was running CrunchBang Linux on my Chromebook. Maybe my hatred towards Windows just blinded me.

 

[Deleted-236924]

But does it support the ramble pack?

 

[Sop]

No, it isn't. Multi-core AMD CPU and a discrete Radeon R9 270 smells of "APU" from a mile. Where did I hear that before... Ah, yes - they're in the PS4 and the XBox One. This is not "high-end" this is entry-level PC.

In fact, the TFLOPS values of PS4's Liverpool and iBuy Power's R9 270 are pretty close, 1.84 on the PS4 and 2.37 on the iBuy, problem being that one is a console you can optimize for and one is an HTPC.


No, it doesn't. Radeon R9 270 is considered a low-end Graphics Core Next GPU, prices start at $180.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=Radeon R9 270 &N=-1&isNodeId=1

in australia.

 

[Foxi4]

in australia.

It's really not my fault that it costs more in Australia, globally it doesn't (unless you didn't convert AUD to USD...?).

 

[Sop]

It's really not my fault that it costs more in Australia, globally it doesn't (unless you didn't convert AUD to USD...?).

220 in USD and since when is newegg 'global'? newegg has always had better prices than everywhere else

 

[Veho]

Why would you want to do that?

Emulation and backwards compatibility

 

[Taleweaver]

But The Catboy, this is an HTPC, not just by architecture but also by design. It's meant to run SteamOS or the user's OS of choice.

The question you should be asking is "why buy a Steambox when you can build a better one yourself", not to mention that if you're a PC gamer, you probably already have a gaming rig. This is really just a device for people who want to get into PC gaming but without the "PC" part of the equation.

I'm not so sure about the HTPC comparison. The reason is that we know nothing of multimedia playback possibilities included in SteamOS*. And for a HTPC, that kind of counts for a lot.


The question certainly is an interesting one. I think there's also a market for PC gamers who are sick and tired of upgrading their rig every so often and having to spend a lot of time on overhead (making sure the new pc has correct and balanced specs, tweaking windows, reconfiguring things...that sort of stuff). In other words: laziness is a viable answer.




*stress the word 'included'. Since it's hackable, it probably won't be hard to port over codecs and programs. But as the thing is aimed at casuals, the difference 'included or not?' becomes important.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

No, it isn't. Multi-core AMD CPU and a discrete Radeon R9 270 smells of "APU" from a mile. Where did I hear that before... Ah, yes - they're in the PS4 and the XBox One. This is not "high-end" this is entry-level PC.

In fact, the TFLOPS values of PS4's Liverpool and iBuy Power's R9 270 are pretty close, 1.84 on the PS4 and 2.37 on the iBuy, problem being that one is a console you can optimize for and one is an HTPC.


No, it doesn't. Radeon R9 270 is considered a low-end Graphics Core Next GPU, prices start at $180.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=Radeon R9 270 &N=-1&isNodeId=1

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discrete

No it's a card....

http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-radeon-r9-270-2013nov13.aspx

Also it's way beyond what the PS4 and Xbox One are packing.

 

[Foxi4]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/discrete
No it's a card....
http://www.amd.com/us/press-releases/Pages/amd-radeon-r9-270-2013nov13.aspx
Also it's way beyond what the PS4 and Xbox One are packing.

Whoopsie - my bad. That's a error on my part, I misunderstood that as "discreet" which would change the meaning entirely.