Boombloxer
Member
No thank you.
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Alienware Steam Machines are un-upgradable, will be released annually
- Thread starter shinobi602
- Start date
Cool I'm interested in what they pull off here.
I'm guessing this will be the final specs
CPU
Something between an i5-4670R and 15-4200H
GPU
Something between a GTX 870M and GTX 855M
RAM
They'll just take the memory chips and solder it directly onto the motherboard saving minor costs by discarding the memory PCB.
8GB
PSU
Max capacity between 250W and 150W
HDD
1 TB
Controller
Valve will subsidize the cost and give Alienware 1 per box free of charge.
Final price
$450 or $460 (Black Friday Sale price $370 or $380)
Since when are CPU sockets, chipsets and ram slots modular?
I'm guessing this will be the final specs
CPU
Something between an i5-4670R and 15-4200H
GPU
Something between a GTX 870M and GTX 855M
RAM
They'll just take the memory chips and solder it directly onto the motherboard saving minor costs by discarding the memory PCB.
8GB
PSU
Max capacity between 250W and 150W
HDD
1 TB
Controller
Valve will subsidize the cost and give Alienware 1 per box free of charge.
Final price
$450 or $460 (Black Friday Sale price $370 or $380)
Since when are CPU sockets, chipsets and ram slots modular?
Point is a 770 (or a 760) is a good deal faster than the new consoles, so upgrading a Steam Machine from that starting point will only be out of preference and not necessity.
Chobel
Member
Alienware is overpriced as fuck. Only idiots buy pre-built systems from them.
Now this Alienware Steam machine -
1. Not upgradable (Best part about PC gaming taken out)? WTF?
2, Yearly release? Yeah how about I slam a mid-high range GPU into my system for sub 300$ than buying your overpriced garbage every year, Alienware?
This steam machine is going to bomb hard.
Now this Alienware Steam machine -
1. Not upgradable (Best part about PC gaming taken out)? WTF?
2, Yearly release? Yeah how about I slam a mid-high range GPU into my system for sub 300$ than buying your overpriced garbage every year, Alienware?
This steam machine is going to bomb hard.
This machine isn't coming out until later in the year. AMD's high-end Kaveri APU can already run high-end games @ 1080p 30fps.
Overall, it's true that a $500 PC won't be able to play games at the highest settings, but a $500 PC would never be targeted to do that. It's surprising to see the number of people that play PC games by just hitting the set Optimal settings button and move on.
Edit: With the subsidies that Alienware would receive on parts, the fact that they are handling the production of the cases, and their will be no disc drive, I could definitely see a modest pc being put together for $500.
I know what open platform means but I would add scalability and hardware openness to the definition. Also unless you really use not standardized components but rather custom, you are able to upgrade.
Only idiots like you don't do a price check on the X51.
Mutanthands
Member
That was absolutely uncalled for. You think this is some sort of surprise? Steam is well aware of what Alienware is planning. They called Alienware one of there principle partners at the CES presentation. They are on board with the machine.
We get it, you don't like Alienware or their consumer policies. Doesn't mean you get to ignore logic, or be flat out rude and insulting.
How about you do a price check first before calling me idiot?
1200$ with a 760ti...Yeah buy that garbage.
csquared587
Member
I.....can't understand why people think yearly refreshes=them expecting you to buy a new one every year. I'm so confused, you guys can't seriously think you have to buy the newest model every year. I didn't upgrade my ipad 2 until the air came out. I waited until I saw something on the market that was a worthy upgrade. Some people in here are blowing this yearly iteration thing into a way larger issue than it is. It's not even an issue. The Alienware is not for people that want to upgrade individual components frequently, it's for people that would rather get a new machine every few years. They already have a living room PC model that can be upgraded traditionally.
Guys/Ladies(sup?)
Isn't the intention of this to be an all-in-one-entry to PC gaming? As in, not all of us experts are the target.. but consumers who probably couldn't switch out ram/videocards/storage. And for those that have that capability, well, i can't see anyone accustomed to a decent PC rig being in the market for a pcwonderbox. Part of PC gaming is the tuning of your PC.
They'd have to be aware of the demographics. This, targeted at PC gamers, isn't really going to sell. But targeted at consoles who think they are buying a "zomg alienware steam box", I can understand. Its just not even crossing my mind that alienware would think this would go over well with PC enthusiasts.
Isn't the intention of this to be an all-in-one-entry to PC gaming? As in, not all of us experts are the target.. but consumers who probably couldn't switch out ram/videocards/storage. And for those that have that capability, well, i can't see anyone accustomed to a decent PC rig being in the market for a pcwonderbox. Part of PC gaming is the tuning of your PC.
They'd have to be aware of the demographics. This, targeted at PC gamers, isn't really going to sell. But targeted at consoles who think they are buying a "zomg alienware steam box", I can understand. Its just not even crossing my mind that alienware would think this would go over well with PC enthusiasts.
You answered your question: nobody will update yearly, but the improvements do pile up year after year until it reaches the point where it's worth doing it. Apple proved that a retrocompatible machine with yearly tiny improvement and forward compatible software is the way to go. Consoles on the other hand are stuck with the notion that a drastic renew of machines every 5 years (or more) is the way to go, and screw game libraries, screw games stuck in transitions (GT6, or TLoU), screw user settings.
The world of pc modularity is best of both but comes at the price of larger clumsier hardware and driver hell: something consoles can't afford, and Steam "consoles" neither.
I just don't think Alienware of all people can give you a box for under $500 that's good. I built my own just now using the cheapest of the cheap parts, and it's still over $500 before taxes. So I see no way in hell Alienware can do it given there history.
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($51.26 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Sentey CS1-1398 PLUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Raidmax 535W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($23.25 @ Newegg)
Total: $546.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-21 16:44 EST-0500)
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Fczf/benchmarks/
CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($119.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Memory: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($51.26 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($47.00 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card ($234.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Sentey CS1-1398 PLUS ATX Mid Tower Case ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Raidmax 535W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($23.25 @ Newegg)
Total: $546.45
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-21 16:44 EST-0500)
Melchiah
Member
Was the snide remark really necessary? Seems like the hurt feelings lie in the opposite direction. There's just no point for me to buy something that's expensive and outdated within a year or few. Hell, I usually keep the same phone for years, which is why I don't understand the current trend of getting a new phone annually. Let alone, that people seem to endorse it. I prefer the expensive purchases to be valid, able to run new software, and getting updates from the manufacturer for years. That's why I tend to prefer consoles, although I was interested in the Steam system, up until now.
megabytecr
Member
Sorry but another one who doesn´t get it.
SteamMachines won´t be part of the console war/sales bullshit. It is about expanding PC gaming (expanding Steam), having the benefits of PC gaming on an easy to set up box and selecting the price and performance level you want. Want to go cheap, ok, got you covered, want a beast machine, also got you covered.
And people do care about specs, just look at how PS4/XB1 are selling, people are hungry for powerful HW, if it is a cheap alternative even better.
Also the games will not be optimized based on the HW but on the tools and the unified OS (SteamOS), so we could see optimizations on SteamMachines.
Steam sales and pricing is just the icing on the cake!! So even if you go with a $700 SM in the end you could be spending less than with a console.
jadedm17
Member
Yea, this is my thought.
I buy a console and I know I'm good ~5 years.
I buy a phone I should be good ~2 years.
I buy an Alienware Steam Machine and I've got 12 months?
No thanks.
SmoothRunningGun
Member
So remove the biggest advantage pc has over console? Hmm...
How is that ANY different from what company's like Ibuypower and Falcon have been doing FOR YEARS? It's now supposed to be amazing because Valve slapped there sticker on it?
CerebralTiger
Member
It's probably using laptop/mobility components. Hence, non-upgradable.
I don't get the negativity, though. It's not like this will be the only Steam Machine to choose from. There are about a dozen others, out of which at least some will be upgradable. Valve's own prototype design is looking like the best one so far. I hope they do end up releasing it commercially.
I don't get the negativity, though. It's not like this will be the only Steam Machine to choose from. There are about a dozen others, out of which at least some will be upgradable. Valve's own prototype design is looking like the best one so far. I hope they do end up releasing it commercially.
But if consoles are already available for less price than these steam machines then why would a consumer go this route? how exactly are you expand the market when you price it way higher than most popular consoles. Price(upward cost) is one of the main reason why normal gamers stay away from PC gaming.
I must have missed the part where phones come out every 2 years.
Your upgrade cycle is not dictated by release cycle.
Sticker, OS, their brand.. the games. I missed where anyone said Valve was introducing something never before seen, and 100% unique and innovative. Its a value PC for people who probably aren't up to the skillset to build/swap/upgrade their computers. Valve knows, and alien ware know, that PC enthusiasts more than likely aren't going to be picking up the value boxes..
right? What are you thinking.. just asking?
I think its the same way Porsche sells all of its branded T-shirts/Hats. Its a brand they are selling, and it seems to be a form of getting them to migrate over to purchase steam content. Seems like a win win for everyone minus people who have no intention on buying this, as they have their power pcs, or know how to build one for roughly the same price.
Tell that to iPhone users.
Well, they can buy in volume, and they may be looking at it as a long term play as well. There's a lot of money to be made if they could become the defacto standard for Steam Machines that developers target. If they sell enough up front, developers could default to that and make good money down the line once they are the standard and everyone wants one because theirs is what is targeted.
Might make sense to only break even on the first generation or so in order to make that happen.
iPhones release yearly, most people update every other year. The contracts dictate that and the jump in power year to year typically isn't worth it.
I do agree that there are some idiots out there that update their iPad and iPhone yearly though
megabytecr
Member
There will be all sorts of price ranges so no.
Yep could not have said it better.
Nobody is saying it is the next coming of Christ, lol. Options Options Options Options Options
I believe SMs will not be a huge boom from the start, but they will get better with time and people will slowly start to notice. Valve is in no rush either, or this is key for them to survive.
Because that's how people are treating this, like Valve just came up with some bold new idea. They literally came up with nothing new, the OS is even free. And you're wrong about who they want, they want people who already play steam games.
http://www.gamespot.com/articles/cu...-steam-machines-target-audience/1100-6416969/
People that already play steam games would know a little about PC's I would think at that point.
ashecitism
Member
looks like this thread also needs these. From Valve themselves
Yeah, the Athlon X4 740, Radeon R7 250 GPU (1GB GDDR5) beast!
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/ibuypower-sbx/
This is what $500 will get you.
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Wow. I don't know why we need Steam Machines now then.
AHA-Lambda
Member
This is what I am wondering. If priced right and at the right spec this may not be too bad, and could last most of the gen.
FacelessSamurai
..but cry so much I wish I had some
Why do people act like the steam machine has to be replaced every 12 months? Video card manufacturers and PC companies release new models of all of their video cards or PCs every year, this is nothing new.
No one is saying that the Alienware steam machine will be obsolete after a year, in fact, it'll still play everything fine most likely. But with everything in the PC world moving so fast, you can't expect them to release 1 product and leave it on sales for the next 5 years. This isn't the same as the console space where you'll be stuck with the same specs for a while until the next-gen. In PC world, new stuff gets released all the time, and you the buyer decides when to upgrade. So the Alienware steam machine will probably be good for quite a few years, until you decide it's not enough for you anymore. You don't have to wait 5 years for the new one. Of course, if you buy it a year or 2 after, you'll get a better system. However, you will have waited for a while and thus not have enjoyed it all this time.
There is no price out yet either. Upgrading a PC can be expensive. Some people might rather put in 500-600$ on a PC that will run stuff very well for 3 years (up to 5 if you stretch it) instead of 1000$ and then have to put in another 300-500$ for a new video card 3 or more years down the line. Also, when you upgrade your PC, you are stuck with an old piece of hardware that most people don't want, and if you want to put it in another PC then you need a whole new setup for it. With the steam machine, at least you can put the old one in another room and the new one in your main room, and you still have 2 systems for use.
I am not the kind of person who will buy this product as I do prefer building PCs myself, but seeing what they have done with the X51, and how well it is selling, I am pretty sure that Alienware knows what they are doing. If they can update the X51 whenever they can and no one complains, then what is the difference with their steam machine?
No one is saying that the Alienware steam machine will be obsolete after a year, in fact, it'll still play everything fine most likely. But with everything in the PC world moving so fast, you can't expect them to release 1 product and leave it on sales for the next 5 years. This isn't the same as the console space where you'll be stuck with the same specs for a while until the next-gen. In PC world, new stuff gets released all the time, and you the buyer decides when to upgrade. So the Alienware steam machine will probably be good for quite a few years, until you decide it's not enough for you anymore. You don't have to wait 5 years for the new one. Of course, if you buy it a year or 2 after, you'll get a better system. However, you will have waited for a while and thus not have enjoyed it all this time.
There is no price out yet either. Upgrading a PC can be expensive. Some people might rather put in 500-600$ on a PC that will run stuff very well for 3 years (up to 5 if you stretch it) instead of 1000$ and then have to put in another 300-500$ for a new video card 3 or more years down the line. Also, when you upgrade your PC, you are stuck with an old piece of hardware that most people don't want, and if you want to put it in another PC then you need a whole new setup for it. With the steam machine, at least you can put the old one in another room and the new one in your main room, and you still have 2 systems for use.
I am not the kind of person who will buy this product as I do prefer building PCs myself, but seeing what they have done with the X51, and how well it is selling, I am pretty sure that Alienware knows what they are doing. If they can update the X51 whenever they can and no one complains, then what is the difference with their steam machine?
Then build your own Steam Machine.
I can't imagine that this snippet is their entire gameplan for the device. but if its been echoed time and time again, yep, its a fully stupid notion. Which is why I can't really allow myself to believe that this is their game plan, to get PC steam users to use their boxes. It makes perfect sense as a gateway drug to PC gaming, and more importantly steam. I just don't know the guy willing to spend 500 dollars on this, who isn't willing to spend 600 dollars and build a superior system. I'd say most PC enthusiasts use their super pcs for other things outside of gaming, like work/3d animation/design/etc... It just misses the mark completely.
Maybe they will be honestly surprised to see the demographics of the people that buy this. But we are all pretty smart guys here, im sure they have people that are smart in the ways of money and finance specifically, who are looking to use this as a way to get people away from the console market, and into PC's.
Thats a weird goal, and I understand where you're coming from.
Like im in the market for a videocard.. will probably spend 200-300 dollars. Never would I even consider a steambox that I cant upgrade. It just wouldn't work in my PC centric mind.
"The price will be competitive with next generation consoles. More information about pricing will be available
later this year."
"Our goal for the Alienware Steam Machine is to meet or exceed the performance and gaming experience of next generation consoles"
Awww.. its sooo small.
soo , they think it better to buy a 500$ steam machine every year then buying 500 for one console every 6 years ?
angular graphics
Banned
They haven't said anything about expecting people to buy a new one every year.
Mutanthands
Member
Just because they are releasing a new iteration every year does not mean you need to buy it every year to play next year's games. Reasonably, you should be able to play everything that comes out for at least 3 years. If you start to get unhappy with the performance, and you don't want to move up to something like an x51 or beyond, then the latest model is there for you, if you wish.
but they will release it annually
and the games will be better on the new one
This is what Ibuypowers $500 steam machine packs.
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/ibuypower-sbx/
Athlon X4 740
Radeon R7 250
4GB RAM
500GB HDD
Have fun gaming on that for 1 year, let alone 3. A R7 250 can run BF4 at 1080P on LOW at a Avg of 34 FPS.
http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...r-1gb-graphics-card-review-battlefield-4.html
WarMacheen
Member
Alienware and useless, two shitty things that go great together.
Mutanthands
Member
That's a given for the PC market. It's not like a console, where you have a set level of performance for 6-8 years. It will be different. If you want to keep up with the latest graphics every year, this is not the machine for you. For those who don't want to chase the latest performance, this would be a better choice.
It's not for me, but I can see the advantages of it.
Portugeezer
Member
So fucking stupid.
That's all I can say.
That's all I can say.
Mutanthands
Member
Being a laptop in a box, without individual components, may allow for stronger components than the IBuyPower. Dell has the muscle to manufacture such things in bulk and save.
Wont know until we they give us more info.
Laptop parts cost more then desktop parts...
Melchiah
Member
The thing is, if new and more powerful editions come available, let's say, at the turn of the year, why buy the old one when the year is on its latter half? Will that affect the system sales after the summer? After all, you get more bang for your buck by buying the newer model.
If you go for the budget or medium models, how long will it take until you have to make compromises with the visual quality? If there will be noticeable improvements annually, will the last year's buyers feel their system is outdated? It just sounds something I'd rather not want to get into; buying a system knowing it'll be surpassed in a year.