As the 300 Steam Machines have already reached some very lucky beta testers out there, some unboxing videos have already emerged. If you’re curious to see what you can expect in the future, when buying your own Steam Machine, take a look at the video below:
[embedvideo id=”xVkas2E3NAg” website=”youtube”]
Now, I have to say, the case and layout looks rather promising. Screws, plastic, everything looks solid. One particular aspect I really loved about this Steam Machine is how well the cable management has been resolved. It’s a very tidy setup indeed. What I am concerned about is heat management and cooling. The case looks somewhat crowded, and I’m not impressed with how the air-flow problem has been addressed. It’s true that the GPU for instance has a separate chamber, divided from the rest of the components, but this division might hamper the air-flow channels and could result in overheating in case users decide to overclock a bit.
Another issue that I have with the meticulously crafted case is that it doesn’t leave too much room for upgrades. As GPU’s are getting bigger and bigger every year, I highly doubt such a tailored case will be able to host some larger models in the future. There isn’t much space for mounting extra hard drives either, so that’s another concern I have with this early model. Still, for the users that choose to get a Steam Machine exactly because they can avoid the hassle of building a PC themselves, I think the Steam Machine is a solid pick. Just don’t expect to do too much tinkering and upgrading with it.