Valve Releases Specs for Prototype Steam Machine
by Jarred Walton on October 4, 2013 7:27 PM ESTLast week we analyzed Valve’s announcement of their forthcoming SteamOS, Steam Machines, and Steam Controller. There are still a lot of unknowns, but today Valve released the details for their prototype Steam Machine. When the actual Steam Machines begin shipping next year, it will be up to various system builders to decide exactly what configurations they want to ship, but the prototype system will give us a good idea of what to expect in terms of pricing and performance. Here’s what Valve will be shipping to the 300 beta testers in the next month or two – and note that there are going to be multiple CPU and GPU configurations:
Valve Steam Machine Prototype Specifications | |
Processors< |
Intel Core i7-4770 (4x3.5-3.9GHz, 8MB L3, 22nm, 84W) Intel Core i5-4570 (4x3.2-3.6GHz, 6MB L3, 22nm, 84W) Intel Core i3 (Not specified – i3-4130, i3-4330, or i3-4340?) |
Motherboard | Unknown |
Memory |
2x8GB DDR3-1600 3GB (?) GDDR5 (GPU) |
Graphics |
GeForce GTX Titan (2688 CUDA cores, 837-876MHz, 6GHz GDDR5) GeForce GTX 780 (2304 CUDA cores, 863-900MHz, 6GHz GDDR5) GeForce GTX 760 (1152 CUDA cores, 980-1033MHz, 6GHz GDDR5) GeForce GTX 660 (960 CUDA cores, 980-1033MHz, 6GHz GDDR5) |
Storage | 1TB/8GB SSHD |
Power Supply | 450W 80 Plus Gold |
Valve is covering a decent range of performance, from basic Core i3 processors up through the latest Haswell i5-4570 and i7-4770. Valve doesn’t specify the model of the Core i3 CPU, but assuming they’re using the same platform in all prototypes it stands to reason that it will be one of the i3 Haswell models listed in the table above. The only differences between the i3-4130 and i3-4340 are the clock speed (3.4 to 3.6GHz) and the iGPU (the 4310 has HD 4400 while the other two have HD 4600, but since they use GT2 and the max clock is 1.15GHz I’m not sure why Intel uses different model numbers). Unlike the i5 and i7, the Core i3 is also dual-core, so on titles that successfully leverage multiple threads (beyond two), it may be a bit slower.
The bigger differences come on the GPU side of things. At the top of the ladder sits NVIDIA’s Titan GPUs, which is more horsepower than the vast majority of gaming PCs out there and arguably overkill. Even the GTX 780 is more than most of our readers likely have, but the GTX 760 and GTX 660 are far more reasonable. Valve also lists 3GB of VRAM for the GPUs, but Titan normally has 6GB while the other GPUs have 2GB-4GB; either Valve is getting a custom Titan, or more likely it's "3GB+" and they're going with the 3GB GTX 660/760. Assuming all cards will be at least 3GB, that's a bold move as well, as it enables developers targeting Steam Machines to plan on having more VRAM than many typical desktop cards currenlty in the wild.
It’s worth pointing out that NVIDIA gets a universal pick over AMD GPUs, at least for now, but we’ll have to see if Radeon GPUs make it into shipping Steam Machines. NVIDIA has traditionally had better binary drivers for Linux, but with Valve now pushing the OS that could change. It's a bit early to declare any winner in the GPU (or CPU) areas for the Steam Machines, as the prototype is simply one possible set of hardware.
Let’s quickly talk about pricing. Note that Valve’s statement mentions, “The hardware specs of [the retail Steam Machines] will differ, in many cases substantially, from our prototype.” There will be some Steam Machines likely priced close to $500, while others will probably cost $2000 or more. There’s a lot of wiggle room, but with a basic case and H81 motherboard the Core i3 + GTX 660 Steam Machine has a hardware cost of approximately $675 retail. Just the CPU and GPU alone at the high-end will set you back $1300+, with the total cost coming in around $1650. Ouch. And that’s not including a controller of any form.
Obviously the hardware manufacturers aren’t going to be paying retail prices for bulk orders, but even so there’s a long way to go before Valve’s Steam Machines would be even close to the pricing of the PS4 ($400) and Xbox One ($500). Okay, maybe the Xbox One is at least in reach, but only for the least expensive prototype Valve is sending out.
For what’s essentially a full-blown gaming PC, $600 is reasonable, but we have yet to see what the actual SteamOS experience will be like. There are rumors Valve will be building off Ubuntu (nothing confirmed that I know of), and just having a Linux kernel means it’s possible to run other Linux applications. Add a keyboard and mouse and if you’re willing to learn a new OS you should be able to do just about anything you need.
As noted in our original analysis, the bigger obstacle to overcome is the lack of native versions of so many games. Streaming means you would have to have a second Windows gaming PC elsewhere in the house, and if you already have that I’m not sure even a $400 Steam Machine would be all that big a draw – you could just connect your Windows PC to the HDTV at that point. Still, we haven’t been able to actually try out SteamOS yet, so we’ll withhold any judgment until it starts shipping.
Source: Steam Universe Group
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MADDER1 - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
Uhhh... I'm missing something. It sounds like it's cheaper to move my Windows PC with Steam to the living room unless:1. Is there some hardware discount buying from Steam?
2. Are there going to be local multiplayer games supported by this "console"?
3. Are there exclusive games that will only be on Linux versus Windows?
rabidkevin - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
This product is designed for a casual or non-techy gamer and not an enthusiast. This is just to put everything in a nice neat package. Grab your windows box and throw steamOS on it and then just order a steam controller. I've always preferred sitting at the PC to play a game instead of a couch but I'll throw steamOS on an older box and using it for streaming games when I feel like sitting in the living room.MADDER1 - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
Ah... So really this is more like an "Apple" move. Just wrap it up nice & shiny =P Was really hoping with Valve we would get some extra software/hardware improvements or more competition to consoles.En1gma - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
"the 4310 has HD 4400 while the other two have HD 4600, but since they use GT2 and the max clock is 1.15GHz I’m not sure why Intel uses different model numbers"HD4400 and HD4600 use GT2 both, but HD4400 has only 16 active execution units, HD4600 has full-enabled GT2 with 20 active execution units
JarredWalton - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
Where are you getting that information from? Everything I've seen says HD 4200/4400/4600 are all 20 EUs.En1gma - Sunday, October 6, 2013 - link
a little embarrassing but I'll have to send you to the search enginesfor example, there is a screenshot of gpu-z http://www.3dnews.ru/assets/external/illustrations... from russian review of new dual-core haswell
Guspaz - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
Yes, bold move choosing the only discrete GPU company with usable Linux drivers for your Linux-based platform, who also happens to have a 61% marketshare...Mantle will provide a nice small performance boost to developers implementing it, but it's not going to make a big enough difference to shift the market much.
SlyNine - Monday, October 7, 2013 - link
Can you post your sources.. or is this just your opinion?Sueff - Saturday, October 5, 2013 - link
So an average user like me will have to stream windows games from an FX-6300/HD-7850 to an i7/Titan? Well, at least we can play L4D2 on a 4k TV. ;)To be honest, I think this streaming idea is kinda nice when you build a cheap HTPC. Are there any tools that already do this and how are the required specs (rasperry pie anyone)?
Death666Angel - Sunday, October 6, 2013 - link
There already are quite a few android Apps that allow you to stream games competently from your PC to the Android device. Just google "android remote gaming" and look at the first results. :)