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[winjer]

Its H class Zen 3 vs ULV Zen 4. They have very close benchmark scores. Much weaker? Stop consulting your anus for info plx.

PassMark benchmark is not a real worl benchmark. Not for apps, and especially not for games. That is a terrible benchmark, more akin to misinformation, than anything else.
You might want to start researching why modern apps and games are more dependent on the CPU frontend than backend. And why IPC is so important.

 

[Topher]

I actually tried something similar and posted it in the Steam Machine OT thread. I would recommend skipping the 7600 line altogether. Buy a real eGPU like what SportsFan581 posted and get something like a 9060 XT.

Anyway, this is my findings....

Not getting Steam Machine, but decided to do some experimenting with a similar setup. Going to pair my mini PC with a AMD 7600 GPU running Steam OS. Mini PC has AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS, 16 GB DDR5, 512GB SSD. Adding the 7600 via oculink connection. 7600 is slightly more powerful than the Steam Machine GPU, but oculink is PCIE x4 vs Steam Machine's PCIE x8 so that may even it out a bit.

7600 arrives tomorrow. I'll report back.

So installed Steam OS on the machine above and took some notes as I ran some benchmarks:

---

Forget about 4k unless you are fine with 30fps. This is a 1440p/60 PC. Doesn't matter what level of FSR I use, the frame rate is 30 at 4k.

Cyberpunk 2077 1440p FSR 3 Performance

FSR 4 kills performance in Cyberpunk. Stays around 30fps. FSR 3.0 is good, image quality is just ok. Low settings get 60 fps. Medium 40-50. High 30-40.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider 1440p XeSS Performance

Only TeSS performance. About the same results. High settings to low has frame rate running high 30s to 60s

Red Dead Redemption 2 1440p FSR 2 Performance

around 50-ish fps on ultra settings. Actually looked and ran pretty good.

Also ran around a bit in Trail of the Sky First chapter demo. Couldn't figure out how to turn on the frame rate counters, but at medium settings it ran very smooth. High..ok. Ultra...jittery.

Side note: Have wireless keyboard and mouse near by. The OS is great with controller. Not all the games are

I'll run some more benchmarks tomorrow

Edit: figured out how to get frame rate to show. Have to use the keyboard to get the overlay to show.

Trails of the Sky gets frames in the 50s at low, 40s at medium, 30fps at high.

Also ran Crimson Desert. 1440p. FSR 4.1. Ultra Performance. Low settings. With Frame gen off, I'm getting 30-ish fps but that's with nothing going on. With Frame gen on, I can get 60 and honestly it if very playable. Some of the effects like smoke look bad, but acceptable I'd say

Ran Black Myth Wukong benchmark

1440p FSR 3(?) Balanced. Frame gen on. 50 fps. Frame gen off. 32 fps

Think that's about done it for me. My makeshift Steam Machine hasn't really been what I expected based on Valve's promises. Hopefully the actual Steam Machine will have better results.

I'm returning the 7700. 8GB just doesn't cut it anymore

 

[Shogmaster]

What, you think there'll be no research involved in buying a miniPC/eGPU combo? Or are you suggesting everyone should just blindly trust what you put together here?

I'm not making you buy shit. Its a suggestion.

But thinking that a Mini PC with Oculink working with an Oculink eGPU being a crazy idea is.... something.

 

[Shogmaster]

PassMark benchmark is not a real worl benchmark. Not for apps, and especially not for games. That is a terrible benchmark, more akin to misinformation, than anything else.
You might want to start researching why modern apps and games are more dependent on the CPU frontend than backend. And why IPC is so important.

Broseph, I'll put my money on H class CPU from previous gen keeping up with ULV current gen CPU from same company with ssne core count ANY. DAY. OF. THE. WEEK.

 

[Shogmaster]

I actually tried something similar and posted it in the Steam Machine OT thread. I would recommend skipping the 7600 line altogether. Buy a real eGPU like what SportsFan581 posted and get something like a 9060 XT.

Anyway, this is my findings....

I was leaning that way too but those set ups get pretty bulky and more costly. I also really wanted similar foot print and come under $1050.

 

[Topher]

Dude that would make me so nervous lol

All I'd need is for my cat to get too curious and it's game over.

It'll be fine

Spoiler

 

[existensmaximum]

Buy a real graphics card like a 5070 Ti and put it in a Jonsbo or Lian Li small form factor case. Done!

You don't need it to be a tiny cube. You are sacrificing too much for form factor - just like the Steam Machine did.

So, you don't get the point of either Steam Machines nor this thread. Might want to think about answering the question someone is asking instead of something else.

 

[Guilty_AI]

I'm not making you buy shit. Its a suggestion.

But thinking that a Mini PC with Oculink working with an Oculink eGPU being a crazy idea is.... something.

Its a bad idea no matter how you look at it. You're pointlessly wasting performance, you may run into cooling issues normal builds don't experience, and its anything but a convenient, easy one-click purchase.

 

[Topher]

I was leaning that way too but those set ups get pretty bulky and more costly. I also really wanted similar foot print and come under $1050.

Using your mini PC, $375. minisforum eGPU $100. Power $60. 9060 XT $433

$968

Vet bill is extra

 

[RoboFu]

Cables gonna scare you away from saving $170 while having an eGPU you can also use with your PC handhrld to boot?

Maybe you do deserve to pay $1050 for a Steam Machine. LOL

im not putting a string of connected devices in my living room. if you are going to have all that then why not just put together an matx pc in the first place?

 

[winjer]

Broseph, I'll put my money on H class CPU from previous gen keeping up with ULV current gen CPU from same company with ssne core count ANY. DAY. OF. THE. WEEK.

That you cite something as misleading as Passmark, clearly shows you have little understanding about how a CPU works and what kind of benchmark this is.

In videogames, the 7540U will be around 15% to 25% faster than the 6650H.
The 7540U has a newer CPU arch, higher IPC, higher boost clocks, newer process node, and DDR5 which provides slightly lower latency than the LPDDR5 in the Zen3 part.

 

[bad guy]

Is it as silent as the machine?

 

[Shogmaster]

Using your mini PC, $375. minisforum eGPU $100. Power $60. 9060 XT $433

$968

Vet bill is extra

No hamster zone. Takes up so much room tho...

 

[Shogmaster]

That you cite something as misleading as Passmark, clearly shows you have little understanding about how a CPU works and what kind of benchmark this is.

In videogames, the 7540U will be around 15% to 25% faster than the 6650H.
The 7540U has a newer CPU arch, higher IPC, higher boost clocks, newer process node, and DDR5 which provides slightly lower latency than the LPDDR5 in the Zen3 part.

Benchmarks are fine comparing similar architectures.

BTW you giving gen IPC increase, boost clocks, and PROCESS NODE (?!?) priority over wattage allowence tells me when you talk, it smells like open ass.

 

[Topher]

No hamster zone. Takes up so much room tho...

Attach your hamster wheel to the gpu fan. He'll love it!

 

[jshackles]

It's interesting to me that despite everyone trying to convince me "just build your own and install SteamOS / Bazzite" cope that's been happening since the Steam Machine's price got announced, I've yet to see a comparable PC that's

Small form factor
Has as good or better gaming performance than the Steam Machine
Under $1,000

At best, I've seen mini PCs or builds that meet 2/3 of these criteria. For example, the ASUS ROG NUC is small form factor and better than SM performance, but it's $2,500

https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA%C2%AE-MobileGPU-ThunderboltTM-Triple-Fan-Lighting/dp/B0FLBYKK6Q/

Stuff like the MINISFORUM little dudes posted earlier in this thread have the form factor and price, but performance falls WAY short of the Steam Machine.

Other options like the Meta PC Steamroller has better performance (and the ease of SteamOS) but it's $1300 and BIG

STEAMROLLER v2

The META PCs STEAMROLLER v2 is a 1080p SteamOS gaming desktop powered by the AMD Radeon RX 7600 and AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, built as an upgradable alternative to the Steam Machine. It runs CS2, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3 at high frame rates, and because it uses standard desktop...

www.metapcs.com

I'm sure these will exist, eventually, if the Steam Machine proves to be popular. But for now it seems Valve has made something kind of unique, and the people saying "just build your own" are kind of missing the point of the machine entirely.

 

[simpatico]

It's interesting to me that despite everyone trying to convince me "just build your own and install SteamOS / Bazzite" cope that's been happening since the Steam Machine's price got announced, I've yet to see a comparable PC that's

Small form factor
Has as good or better gaming performance than the Steam Machine
Under $1,000

At best, I've seen mini PCs or builds that meet 2/3 of these criteria. For example, the ASUS ROG NUC is small form factor and better than SM performance, but it's $2,500

https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA%C2%AE-MobileGPU-ThunderboltTM-Triple-Fan-Lighting/dp/B0FLBYKK6Q/

Stuff like the MINISFORUM little dudes posted earlier in this thread have the form factor and price, but performance falls WAY short of the Steam Machine.

Other options like the Meta PC Steamroller has better performance (and the ease of SteamOS) but it's $1300 and BIG

STEAMROLLER v2

The META PCs STEAMROLLER v2 is a 1080p SteamOS gaming desktop powered by the AMD Radeon RX 7600 and AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, built as an upgradable alternative to the Steam Machine. It runs CS2, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3 at high frame rates, and because it uses standard desktop...

www.metapcs.com

I'm sure these will exist, eventually, if the Steam Machine proves to be popular. But for now it seems Valve has made something kind of unique, and the people saying "just build your own" are kind of missing the point of the machine entirely.

But Jshackles, I can just buy the worst case, motherboard, ram and PSU on the market and save a hundred dollars and achieve 4 more FPS.

 

[Shogmaster]

It's interesting to me that despite everyone trying to convince me "just build your own and install SteamOS / Bazzite" cope that's been happening since the Steam Machine's price got announced, I've yet to see a comparable PC that's

Small form factor
Has as good or better gaming performance than the Steam Machine
Under $1,000

At best, I've seen mini PCs or builds that meet 2/3 of these criteria. For example, the ASUS ROG NUC is small form factor and better than SM performance, but it's $2,500

https://www.amazon.com/NVIDIA%C2%AE-MobileGPU-ThunderboltTM-Triple-Fan-Lighting/dp/B0FLBYKK6Q/

Stuff like the MINISFORUM little dudes posted earlier in this thread have the form factor and price, but performance falls WAY short of the Steam Machine.

Other options like the Meta PC Steamroller has better performance (and the ease of SteamOS) but it's $1300 and BIG

STEAMROLLER v2

The META PCs STEAMROLLER v2 is a 1080p SteamOS gaming desktop powered by the AMD Radeon RX 7600 and AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, built as an upgradable alternative to the Steam Machine. It runs CS2, Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3 at high frame rates, and because it uses standard desktop...

www.metapcs.com

I'm sure these will exist, eventually, if the Steam Machine proves to be popular. But for now it seems Valve has made something kind of unique, and the people saying "just build your own" are kind of missing the point of the machine entirely.

You missed a bunch of these Mini PCs couple years ago. They were selling for arpund $800 in 2024. They had Zen 4 8 core mated to 7600M XT, all in one small box. They were better performing Steam Machine before Steam Machine. Minisforum had one under Atoman brand (with 7945HX), Aoostar had one with 7840U with 7600M XT (iirc called GODy), as with few other OEMs.

What an irony that they are EOL now...

 

[winjer]

Benchmarks are fine comparing similar architectures.

BTW you giving gen IPC increase, boost clocks, and PROCESS NODE (?!?) priority over wattage allowence tells me when you talk, it smells like open ass.

You realize that the Steam Deck CPU has a TDP of 30W, while that 6650H has a TDP of 45W.

But the 7540U is made in TSMC N4 node, while the 6650H is made in TSMC N6. The N4 node consumes roughly 35% to 40% less total power than N6, at the same clock.
So in practice, the 7540U will use less power to get to the same speed. In fact it is able to reach higher clock speeds with 30W, than the 6650H with 45w.
And then on top of that there is greater IPC and memory with lower latency.

 

[Topher]

You missed a bunch of these Mini PCs couple years ago. They were selling for arpund $800 in 2024. They had Zen 4 8 core mated to 7600M XT, all in one small box. They were better performing Steam Machine before Steam Machine. Minisforum had one under Atoman brand (with 7945HX), Aoostar had one with 7840U with 7600M XT (iirc called GODy), as with few other OEMs.

What an irony that they are EOL now...

You can still buy them. $850, barebones though. Steam Machine is a better buy and overall nicer PC

AOOSTAR GODY 7940HX Mini PC with Radeon RX 7600XT, WiFi 7 & PCIe 5.0 SSD

Experience desktop-class gaming with the AOOSTAR GODY Mini PC powered by AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and Radeon RX 7600XT graphics. Featuring DDR5 memory, dual PCIe 5.0 SSD slots, WiFi 7, dual 2.5G LAN, triple-display support, and Glacier Gaming 4.0 cooling for smooth AAA gaming and content creation.

aoostar.com

 

[Clear]

I've got a couple of these mini-PC's they are pretty great, but I would warn people that generally they get reviewed in their low-power modes and when you jack them up to the high end, noise can be an issue as the fans need to be permanently ramped... which combined with the fan-noise generated by a real GPU with no enclosure you may find off-putting,

Honestly if your goal is proper gaming, I'd wait and see what the next gen looks like both performance and price wise.

 

[Shogmaster]

You realize that the Steam MACHINE CPU has a TDP of 30W, while that 6650H has a TDP of 45W.

THATS MY POINT

But the 7540U is made in TSMC N4 node, while the 6650H is made in TSMC N6. The N4 node consumes roughly 35% to 40% less total power than N6, at the same clock
So in practice, the 7540U will use less power to get to the same speed. In fact it is able to reach higher clock speeds with 30W, than the 6650H with 45w.
And then on top of that there is greater IPC and memory with lower latency.

Those IPC gains under more efficient node brings a 30W part at par with 45W part. 30 v 45 is 50% improvement. Lines up closely with the n6 to n4 efficiency improvement with few hundred MHz increase, no?

Interesting indeed...

 

[Shogmaster]

You can still buy them. $850, barebones though. Steam Machine is a better buy and overall nicer PC

AOOSTAR GODY 7940HX Mini PC with Radeon RX 7600XT, WiFi 7 & PCIe 5.0 SSD

Experience desktop-class gaming with the AOOSTAR GODY Mini PC powered by AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and Radeon RX 7600XT graphics. Featuring DDR5 memory, dual PCIe 5.0 SSD slots, WiFi 7, dual 2.5G LAN, triple-display support, and Glacier Gaming 4.0 cooling for smooth AAA gaming and content creation.

aoostar.com

So in 2 years, we lost 32GB of DDR5 SoDiMM and 1TB SSD for same price... sadface...

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

I get that the sm has 16GB ram, but that's not something to copy.

 

[StereoVsn]

America dont do that no more.

Microcenter will do it for you, but it's going to run $200+ depending on cooling setup.

 

[winjer]

THATS MY POINT


Those IPC gains under more efficient node brings a 30W part at par with 45W part. 30 v 45 is 50% improvement. Lines up closely with the n6 to n4 efficiency improvement with few hundred MHz increase, no?

Interesting indeed...

You better start reading u on things like Power at ISO-Performance. Or clocks at ISO power.

 

[Shogmaster]

You better start reading u on things like Power at ISO-Performance. Or clocks at ISO power.

Shut yo stupid ass u lost your argument and now are changing the subject.

U. LOSE. YOU GET NOTHING. GOOD DAY SIR.

 

[winjer]

Shut yo stupid ass u lost your argument and now are changing the subject.

U. LOSE. YOU GET NOTHING. GOOD DAY SIR.

So you don't understand the most basic concepts in CPUs, then make a tantrum and insult other people. That is not very mature of you....

 

[StereoVsn]

Honestly a better bet is to just buy a mini-ATX pre-built or build it yourself and give up on the size limitations. For most folks a decent looking mATX case would work much better anyways from cooling and space perspective.

 

[Shogmaster]

So you don't understand the most basic concepts in CPUs, then make a tantrum and insult other people. That is not very mature of you....

STAHP

 

[StereoVsn]

Shut yo stupid ass u lost your argument and now are changing the subject.

U. LOSE. YOU GET NOTHING. GOOD DAY SIR.

Dude, come on, there is really no need to get personal because of an IPC and node improvement discussion.

 

[winjer]

STAHP

You have mental issues to deal with....

 

[Shogmaster]

You have mental issues to deal with....

Seriously bro. Just exit the thread . Get some fresh air. You'll feel better.

 

[Shogmaster]

Dude, come on, there is really no need to get personal because of an IPC and node improvement discussion.

I aint that serious. Im just mocking him wee bit cuz I mathed his point to oblivion.

 

[winjer]

Seriously bro. Just exit the thread . Get some fresh air. You'll feel better.

You really have issues.
This is a forum, where everyone can share ideas.
Just because someone knows a lot more than you about CPUs, doesn't mean you get to demand they stop posting.
There are several people in this forum with high levels of knowledge about tech. You would be wise to learn what you can.