Valve’s Steam Machine is pricey. I built a DIY rival for $150 less
THE SO WHAT
A $150 DIY delta on a $1,049 Steam Machine underlines how much of the premium is convenience and integration, not raw silicon. For any hardware-adjacent product, assume your enthusiast segment will benchmark you against build‑it‑yourself BOMs—your moat has to be ecosystem and support, not parts list.
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