The gaming world is still buzzing from Valve's November 12th announcement of the Steam Machine. While the company was quick to reveal the impressive specs for its compact, console-like PC—promising 4K 60 FPS gameplay with FSR—two crucial details were left in the dark: the exact release date and, most importantly, the price. With the device not slated to go on sale until sometime next year, the wait for concrete information feels agonizing for eager fans.
But what if you didn't have to wait? What if you could build a machine with similar power and form factor right now, and for a potentially budget-friendly price? That’s exactly what popular tech YouTuber ETA Prime set out to do, and the results are shockingly good.
The DIY Steam Machine Challenge
In a recent video, the ETA Prime YouTube channel embarked on a project to create a mini-ITX PC build that gets as close as possible to Valve’s vision for the Steam Machine. The goal was simple: replicate the performance in a similarly small package without breaking the bank.
To achieve this, the builder sourced a mix of used parts from eBay and a Radeon GPU from AliExpress, housing everything inside a compact ASRock Deskmeet X300 barebones kit. The entire system is built into a case measuring 218.3 x 219.3 x 168 mm. For context, while this is incredibly small for a desktop PC, it is a bit larger than Valve's official Steam Machine, which is an even more svelte 152 x 162.4 x 156 mm.
You can see the entire build process and performance testing in the video.
Inside the DIY Powerhouse
So, what exactly went into this custom-built contender? Let's break down the components and see how they stack up against Valve's official specs.
- CPU: The brain of the operation is a Ryzen 5 5600, a capable 6-core processor based on AMD's Zen 3 architecture. While Valve's machine uses a newer Zen 4 chip with the same core count, the Ryzen 5 5600 is a desktop-grade part with a higher 65W TDP, which can translate to sustained performance under load.
- GPU: This is where things get interesting. The initial plan was to use a desktop Radeon RX 6600, but the final build ended up with a BIOS-flashed card that was actually an RX 6600M mobile GPU. Don't let the "M" designation fool you—it still packs 8 GB of VRAM, matching the Steam Machine. Based on the RDNA 2 architecture and capable of up to 100W, it sits at a slight disadvantage to Valve's custom RDNA 3-based GPU, which is said to be on par with an RX 7600M and can draw up to 110W.
- Memory & Storage: The build is rounded out with 16 GB of DDR4 RAM (matching the Steam Machine) and a speedy 1 TB NVMe SSD for storage. The system is powered by the 500W PSU included with the ASRock Deskmeet kit and runs on the latest version of SteamOS, just like Valve intended.
For those inspired to start their own small-form-factor journey, the foundation of this build is the ASRock Deskmeet X300, which you can find online.
Performance Testing: Can It Handle Modern Games?
Specs are one thing, but real-world gaming performance is what truly matters. ETA Prime put the DIY Steam Machine through its paces with a suite of demanding titles, and the results are impressive for a system of this size and cost.
- Elden Ring: Ran smoothly at 1440p max settings with a locked 60 FPS.
- Spider-Man 2: With medium settings and FSR on Balanced, the game output a very playable 70-75 FPS at 1440p. Enabling FSR frame generation and bumping to high settings pushed performance over 100 FPS.
- Cyberpunk 2077: At high settings and 1440p, the game consistently stayed above the 60 FPS mark.
- The Witcher 3: The Ultra preset, aided by FSR, delivered a seamless experience with over 60 FPS.
- Doom: The Dark Ages: This modern shooter saw frame rates between 60 and 70 FPS at 1440p medium settings with FSR.
- Borderlands 4: While some ghosting was noted with FSR frame generation enabled, the game was reported as "very playable."
It's clear that AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and frame generation technologies are key contributors, helping this budget-friendly build punch well above its weight class at 1440p resolution.
The Bottom Line: Price vs. Performance
While an exact receipt wasn't provided, ETA Prime estimates the total cost for this powerful DIY build landed between $600 and $650. At that price, the value proposition is immense. You're getting a compact system that can run a full Windows environment (or SteamOS) and handle the latest AAA titles at 1440p with high frame rates.
This puts Valve in an interesting position. The company has stated the official Steam Machine will be priced similarly to a PC of the same spec and will target 4K 60 FPS gameplay. Interestingly, a recent leak from a known industry insider suggested the Steam Machine could be priced under $600 based on its Bill of Materials.
If Valve can indeed deliver a machine that is smaller, more power-efficient, and outperforms this capable DIY build for around the same price—or even less—it won't just be a niche product. It could be the console-PC hybrid that truly changes the game. For now, this project proves that with a little ingenuity, you don't always have to wait for the big players to get your hands on cutting-edge tech.
