Steam Machine one step closer to launch as benchmarks surface online, here's how it compares to the Steam Deck

Pre-release benchmarks for the Steam Machine appear on Geekbench

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Back-to-back benchmarks of the Steam Machine (code-named Valve Fremont) have been recently uploaded to the Geekbench database, giving us an early insight into what kind of power the cubed mini PC will offer. It may also suggest that hardware reviewers now have their hands on the device ahead of launch, which Valve recently confirmed for this summer.

One of the last official things Valve put out there was the ‘Verified’ requirements for the device, along with the Steam Frame, which will also be released during the summer. An easy rule of thumb is that any Steam Deck Verified will already be Steam Machine Verified – unsurprising, since the Steam Machine is said to be 6x more powerful, as per Valve’s marketing.

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Pre-release benchmarks for the Steam Machine appear on Geekbench

The two sets of (1, 2) benchmarks were uploaded immediately after one another on June 15, running on SteamOS and using Geekbench’s latest 6.7.1 cross-platform benchmark for Linux x86. The database’s Steam Deck results are from the older Geekbench version, but we can still use them for reference when comparing the two gaming devices.

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Using the internal ‘Fremont’ codename and featuring an ‘AMD Custom CPU 1772’ processor, the Steam Machine benchmark reveals the promised 6-core, 12-thread processor, 4.8GHz clock speed, and 16GB of RAM design. Valve is using a semi-custom AMD Zen 4 CPU in the machine, along with a dedicated RDNA 3 GPU.

Do keep in mind that, since these Steam Machine results are pre-release scores, they should be taken with a grain of salt until Steam Machine reviews are actually published. There’s no official word on when that might be just yet. However, we can see that the mini PC offers a considerable uplift over the Steam Deck.

For comparison, the Steam Deck features a 4-core, 8-thread design and up to 2.8GHz clock speed. The Zen 2 chip and RDNA 2 graphics are part of a single System-on-Chip (SoC) due to the much more compact form factor of the handheld device.

Would you buy a variant of the Steam Machine with no RAM and/or no SSD and install them separately to help save on costs?

No, I want the Steam Machine to be complete

Yes, I would buy a RAM-less version

Yes, I would buy an SSD-less version

I'd buy a bare bones version with neither component

About the Author

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.