They did not go for an ITX build but an mTX build. Ultimately you only lost HDMI CEC and some of the gazillion antennas in the Steam Machine, but that did not seem to matter that much. It’s a cheaper build, but not one using problematically cheap parts imo.
It also wouldn’t cost much to get slightly better parts to fix the shortcomings of their version. You’d go over the budget, but end up with a pc nearly twice as powerful. That’s what I was referring to with the odd price/performance ratio the Steam Machine sits in.
If your requirements are that it has to be ITX and it has to have HDMI CEC, then the Steam Machine is likely the best option. But if you just want to couch game and don’t mind clicking a button first before you pick up a controller, it’s just a really expensive cube.
They did not go for an ITX build but an mTX build. Ultimately you only lost HDMI CEC and some of the gazillion antennas in the Steam Machine, but that did not seem to matter that much. It’s a cheaper build, but not one using problematically cheap parts imo.
It also wouldn’t cost much to get slightly better parts to fix the shortcomings of their version. You’d go over the budget, but end up with a pc nearly twice as powerful. That’s what I was referring to with the odd price/performance ratio the Steam Machine sits in.
If your requirements are that it has to be ITX and it has to have HDMI CEC, then the Steam Machine is likely the best option. But if you just want to couch game and don’t mind clicking a button first before you pick up a controller, it’s just a really expensive cube.