How to build a Steam Machine-killing compact gaming PC for less

We show you how to build a Steam Machine-killing small-form-factor gaming PC for the same price (or less) than Valve’s upcoming rig.

iBuyPower’s 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off gaming PCs — here’s our top pick with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM, and an RX 9070 XT
iBuyPower’s 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off gaming PCs — here’s our top pick with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM, and an RX 9070 XT

The iBuyPower 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off prebuilt gaming PCs, so we’ve taken a look through the deals and picked out the best value option.

iBuyPower’s 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off gaming PCs — here’s our top pick with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM, and an RX 9070 XT
iBuyPower’s 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off gaming PCs — here’s our top pick with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB DDR5 6000MHz RAM, and an RX 9070 XT

The iBuyPower 4th of July sale offers up to $350 off prebuilt gaming PCs, so we’ve taken a look through the deals and picked out the best value option.

The 4th of July sales include great prices on RTX 5060, RTX 5070, and RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptops — perfect for college students
The 4th of July sales include great prices on RTX 5060, RTX 5070, and RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptops — perfect for college students

Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, and other retailers have fantastic 4th of July sales this week — perfect if you’re looking for a back-to-school laptop for college.

Control Resonant’s ray tracing is a heavy demand on the RTX 5090 — but it’s an absolute delight to the eyes
Control Resonant’s ray tracing is a heavy demand on the RTX 5090 — but it’s an absolute delight to the eyes

I played Control Resonant for two hours on an RTX 5090 with high ray tracing, and it’s easily one of 2026’s best-looking games.

New Steam Machine clone shows copycats are missing the point — the $1,299 ‘Steamroller’ may run SteamOS, but it gets 4 key aspects wrong
New Steam Machine clone shows copycats are missing the point — the $1,299 ‘Steamroller’ may run SteamOS, but it gets 4 key aspects wrong

The Steam Machine’s looks and size are key elements of its appeal — and we shouldn’t forget about thermals and noise either.

Companion Cube case for Steam Machine is canceled by Valve after Dbrand bafflingly forgot to get permission to make the thing
Companion Cube case for Steam Machine is canceled by Valve after Dbrand bafflingly forgot to get permission to make the thing

‘You had two jobs! Ask Valve, and make the thing’: The Companion Cube case for the Steam Machine is no more.

Manufacturers are killing mini PC and laptop performance with single-channel memory, and I’m sick of it
Manufacturers are killing mini PC and laptop performance with single-channel memory, and I’m sick of it

Some manufacturers are using single-channel memory to keep prices low – but it can have big repurcussions for performance.

The Steam Machine is overpriced yet it’s sold out already in Japan — but be careful about buying a cheap clone
The Steam Machine is overpriced yet it’s sold out already in Japan — but be careful about buying a cheap clone

Be careful around apparently enticing Steam Machine copies from Asia, even if the real thing is selling out at its eye-watering MSRP.