We don’t yet know how much Valve’s Steam Machine will cost. However, we do know how much you can get comparably fast hardware for.
While things have been very quiet recently in terms of new graphics cards and processors, Valve has recently attracted a lot of attention on the PC market with its Steam Machine.
We already know the exact components. The release date is set for early 2026. But we won’t find out the price until next year.
To get a rough idea of the hardware costs we are talking about here, we have put together a comparably fast gaming PC on paper.
This is how expensive our counterpart to the Steam Machine is
- Before we look at the price table, here’s an important note: The Steam Machine cannot be replicated one-to-one, as many components are not available individually in stores.
- This applies, for example, to the combination of CPU and GPU or the very compact case with integrated power supply.
- Even when selecting the most similar alternatives possible, there is no completely clear-cut ideal solution. Therefore, please consider our compilation for what it is: a rough approximation.
In total, we arrive at a sum of around 700 to 1,000 euros for the hardware:
| Upgradable Mini-ITX PC | Price | Further savings potential | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case | SilverStone Sugo 16 | approx. $100 | approx. – $40 |
| Motherboard | ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi | approx. $200 | approx. – $100 |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 7500F | approx. $130 | approx. $30 |
| Graphics card | PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 7600 | approx. $250 | approx. – $20 |
| RAM | Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB DDR5-6000 | approx. $110 | approx. – $20 |
| Power supply | be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 850 Watt ATX 3.1 | approx. $145 | approx. $70 |
| SSD | Verbatim Vi5000 PCIe NVMe SSD 2TB | approx. $140 | approx. $80 |
| CPU cooler | Noctua NH-L9x65 chromax.black | approx. $70 | approx. $50 |
| Total cost | approx. $1,030 | approx. $680 |
A Windows license is not included in the costs. The power supply in the Mini-ITX version is deliberately an 850-watt model in order to improve the system’s upgradeability.
We also opted for a 2 TB SSD here, as the 512 GB of the second Steam Machine version is quickly becoming insufficient these days.
It can be even cheaper
If you save as much as possible, for example on the CPU cooler and by choosing a power supply that is exactly matched to the GPU, the total cost can be in the range of 700 to 800 euros.
But also consider the memory crisis that is becoming increasingly apparent. It is likely to increase the cost of RAM and SSDs, and possibly also GPUs, in the future.
What does this mean for the price of the Steam Machine?
Since Valve purchases special hardware for the production of Steam Machines in large quantities, there is no direct comparability. However, the cost of a similarly fast self-built PC still gives a rough indication.
Valve itself has also said that the Steam Machine will not have a console price, but will cost about the same as an entry-level gaming PC.
Overall, we therefore expect the Steam Machine to cost between €600 and €800. What you can expect (or not expect) in terms of 4K performance
Compared to our complete PC, the Steam Machine has advantages in some areas, such as its particularly compact form factor and the fact that it comes as a complete package. On the other hand, if you like to build your own and value future upgradeability, a self-built PC is the better choice.
Let us know in the comments what price you expect for the Steam Machine and whether you can imagine buying one.
