Steam Machine or PC? See what you can build with the value of the Valve console
Valve officially announced, on August 3, 2026, the price of the entry-level version of its console/PC, the Steam Machine, which will be sold for US$1,128. This value, which is equivalent to R$5,739.83 in direct conversion and without the inclusion of taxes, positions the device as an alternative for those who want to play Steam titles directly on the television.
Although it promises to integrate the Steam gaming experience into the living room, the new Steam Machine tends to deliver average performance when compared to what a high-end gaming computer can offer. The product does not yet have a release date or official price for the Brazilian market.
Given the configurations and the estimated import cost, the question arises about the real viability of the Steam Machine for the Brazilian consumer. It is possible to assemble a gaming PC with parts available in Brazil that offer equivalent or superior performance to Valve’s new console, presenting a similar cost to importing.
Discover the detailed specifications of Valve’s new Steam Machine
The latest version of Valve’s console integrates a custom AMD CPU, based on the Zen 4 architecture, equipped with 6 cores and 12 threads. This processor reaches frequencies of up to 4.8 GHz and has a power consumption of 30W (TDP).
More on this story: High components make new Steam Machine cost the same as a gaming PC
For graphics processing, the Steam Machine’s GPU is also a customized solution from AMD, with RDNA 3 architecture, 28 computing cores, frequencies of up to 2.45 GHz and a TDP of 110W, in addition to 8 GB of VRAM in the GDDR6 standard. The system comes with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, with the possibility of expansion, and 512GB or 2TB SSD storage options, in addition to compatibility with micro SD cards.
Operating with Steam OS, a Valve system based on Linux, the Steam Machine stands out for its ability to run games designed for Windows, thanks to compatibility features developed in recent years. The main advantage of Steam OS on this hardware is its complete integration with internal components and features such as controlling devices connected via HDMI, something difficult to replicate on a common computer.
Settings to build a PC with similar performance
When planning to build a PC with performance comparable to the Steam Machine, it is important to consider that Steam OS has greater optimization for systems with entirely AMD hardware (CPU and GPU). A processor that aligns with this proposal is the Ryzen 5 7600, a chip with six cores and 12 threads that reaches up to 5.1 GHz, found in online retail starting at R$980.
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A motherboard compatible with the B650M chipset, such as MSI’s Pro B650M-P model, is available on the market for around R$740. For the video card, Gigabyte’s RX 7600 Gaming OC is a recommended option, with 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 128-bit interface, with prices starting at R$1,550.
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Regarding storage, an NVMe SSD such as the 500 GB Kingston NV3, which offers read rates of 5,000 MB/s and write rates of 3,000 MB/s, can be purchased for prices starting at R$730, considering the entry-level version of the Steam Machine.
The recommended power source would be 550W, the cost of which is around R$180 in e-commerce.
Finally, RAM memory, which is currently facing a market crisis, a single 16GB DDR5 module with 5,600 MHz from Kingston, can cost around R$1,599.
Learn more: Valve’s new console will cost the same as a gaming PC due to the increase in parts
The total cost to assemble this equivalent PC reaches approximately R$5,780. This value still does not include the cabinet, whose prices vary widely, from R$100 to more than R$1,000, but even the most compact models do not reach the portability of the Steam Machine.
Evaluating the best choice: Steam Machine or an assembled gaming PC?
Considering the Brazilian market scenario, an assembled gaming PC appears to be more advantageous, mainly because Valve has not yet presented a schedule or launch window for the new Steam Machine in the country. If imported, the product would easily exceed R$7,000, which would increase the margin for investing in a higher performance computer.
Furthermore, a PC with equivalent specifications generally provides superior performance, driven by greater power consumption capacity. Over time, there is the flexibility to upgrade components such as the power supply, GPU, processor, in addition to expanding storage solutions and RAM memory capacity.
Although a gaming PC does not offer the same compression as a Steam Machine, it guarantees much more performance and versatility. It allows, for example, the configuration of a dual-boot, allowing the user to operate both Windows 11 and Steam OS on the same equipment, with a more attractive cost-benefit for the local market.
