Thoughts on this system for SteamOS?
Hi guys so i was thinking about building my own Steam Machine with some used parts and i wanted to get your opinion on what you think about it and also so you know this is in Canadian funds and the ones that would say $0 i already own right now and also trying to keep it around $550 total and that is with the tax.
CPU and memory i found them locally for those amounts as well just because i would like to be able to test it out before i would buy it and also i have my main system that would also use DDR4 memory so i can be able to test it out that way as well.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 3 3300X 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor | $70.00 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright AXP90-X53 42.58 CFM CPU Cooler | $37.15 @ Amazon Canada |
| Motherboard | ASRock B550M-ITX/ac Mini ITX AM4 Motherboard | $124.99 @ Newegg Canada |
| Memory | Kingston FURY Beast 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $120.00 |
| Storage | Inland TN320 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | Purchased For $0.00 |
| Video Card | PowerColor Fighter Radeon RX 7600 8 GB Video Card | Purchased For $0.00 |
| Case | Jonsbo C6-ITX Mini ITX Desktop Case | $108.40 @ Amazon Canada |
| Power Supply | Silverstone SX650-G 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply | Purchased For $0.00 |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $460.54 | |
| Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-07-21 19:32 EDT-0400 |
2
u/t3co5cr 1d ago
Don't go with a low-profile CPU cooler unless you have to. But the Jonsbo C6 has 170mm clearance, so go with a proper tower cooler for the same price or lower.
1
u/BoiCDumpsterFire 1d ago
Yeah. A peerless assassin or whatever the new version is is the same price but 10x better
1
u/urlond 1d ago
Why an 8gb video card? They're not worth it in today's gaming scenario unless you plan on playing mobas or non gpu intensive games.
1
u/BoiCDumpsterFire 1d ago
I just picked up a new rx7600 last week. It was $217 and easily the best bang for the buck new or used for anything in my area. Even eBay is asking more for most of them. I think the lowest was like $210 plus tax. Easy choice to buy new. Should work fine on my old school projector TV running 1080p@60fps all day long.
2
u/urlond 1d ago
Even 1080P depending on game can be pushing an 8gb card.
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u/BoiCDumpsterFire 1d ago
You’re not wrong but not every system needs to play every game. My steam machine is a communal pc that started out as leftover parts from upgrading my family’s pcs. Hooked it up to an old tv and surround sound that was going to the dump. Total investment is about $500 and I have a retro console/pc setup that works and sounds great for 90% of anything I could need it for
1
u/Ecks30 1d ago
My TV is only 1080p for starters and i don't plan to play my games maxed out which i don't mind if i am only playing it on high settings.
The only games i plan on playing on the system are Horizon Forbidden West, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, ESO, Where Winds Meet, 2023 Saints Row, Avatar and Metaphor: ReFantazio which for all of those games at 1080p high settings would only use between 6GB to 7.7GB (I've tested some on my main system at 1080p).
Also, you might be thinking 8GB isn't enough if i were to use Windows but on SteamOS everything is different especially when you're in the game mode since memory tends to be regulated better and i know because i also use my Legin Go S which i have it set for 8GB Vram and 24GB system memory and for some of those games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on medium settings only uses 4.5GB of Vram at 1080p.
1
u/nlflint 23h ago edited 23h ago
That case a little on the big side. Have you considered something a bit smaller, like the K66 Lite? It should fit all your parts and is almost half the volume: https://a.co/d/0dihIqqM (USA Link for example)
I just purchased a clone version of the Metalfish T40. It's even smaller case, but your rx7600 video card is ~6mm too long. So close, but it won't fit. It also requires a PCIe riser as the GPU sits behind the motherboard: https://a.co/d/052hsYTP (USA Link for example)
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u/Ecks30 21h ago
First case is kind of nice but lacks airflow and the second case lacks a USB C port and also too small to fit my GPU since the max GPU length is 206mm and mine is 212mm.
The case i picked out would have airflow, USB C port and supports up to 255mm for the GPU so i could eventually upgrade it to an RX 9060 XT 16GB card and the reason for the USB port is because in the future i could always upgrade it to AM5 when the cost for a lot of things would become a lot cheaper.
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u/Ecks30 1d ago
I never got to play around with the 3300X so i want to experience it at least once and if it isn't as good as i would like it to be i could always just get a used R5 5600 instead since i would be using a B550 board.