The Steam Machine is highly anticipated by YouTuber Linus Tech Tips. Since he couldn’t wait any longer, he quickly built his own version of the upcoming PC console. For the case, he chose something quite special.
What did Linus create? In his latest YouTube video from January 26, 2026, the tech enthusiast created a mini gaming PC for the living room. He used more powerful hardware than Valve’s official version and opted for an unusual case.
As a case, he does not use an off-the-shelf ITX case, but the empty prototype case from Valve’s first Steam Machine from 2013. Because over 12 years ago, the company attempted to market a PC for the living room.
His idea was to change the exterior of the case as little as possible to not alter the original aesthetics too much. However, the interior was almost completely replaced since, according to Linus’s own statements, the new hardware wouldn’t have had room otherwise.
If you prefer Valve’s official version of the Steam Machine, you can see what it offers in the following video:
More Power for More Money
What components did the YouTuber use? Alongside the 2013 Steam Machine prototype case, Linus used the following hardware for his project:
- Processor: AMD RYZEN 7 9800x3D (approx. 426 Euros via Geizhals)
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright AXP90 X47 Full Low Profile (approx. 21 Euros via Geizhals)
- Memory: G.SKILL Flare X5 Series DDR5 6000 MT/s (approx. 500 Euros via Geizhals)
- Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVME SSD: Not currently available in Germany via Geizhals. A comparable model costs around 130 Euros via Geizhals.
- Graphics Card: PowerColor Reaper AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB (approx. 697 Euros via Geizhals)
- Mainboard: Not available in Germany (via Geizhals), a comparable ITX-AM5 board costs between 145 and 250 Euros (via Geizhals).
All prices are listed in Germany as of today, January 28, 2026.
This results in an approximate total price of around 2,000 Euros without the case. This is significantly above the estimated price of the Steam Machine, which is supposed to be between 500 and 1,200 Euros. For more information about Valve’s PC, you can find it on MeinMMO.
What can this self-built creation do? A gaming test of the console was, of course, a must in the video. The YouTuber showcased what his own creation can do and relied on Valve’s own operating system, SteamOS.
Linus tested Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K resolution with upscaling (without specifying settings) and received about 40 to 50 FPS, depending on the scene.
For comparison: The Steam Machine is supposed to use an AMD RDNA 3 GPU with 8 GB VRAM, which is very close to an AMD Radeon RX 7600 with 8 GB. In Cyberpunk 2077, this graphics card achieves around 50-60 frames per second with FSR upscaling on low settings without ray tracing (via YouTube).
For the tech YouTuber, it was a fun project, but for gamers, it’s difficult to replicate such a PC, especially since the price plays a crucial role. It remains to be seen how powerful and costly Steam’s new console PC will actually be, as Valve says: The Steam Machine offers performance that matches or even exceeds most gaming PCs.
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