A couple of weeks ago, I shared how I am planning to transform a Bazzite PC into a multimedia console. The goal was to use it both as a Steam-based gaming console and as an Apple TV replacement.

With the Steam Machine rumored to be coming pretty soon, I started working on this new living room PC. The goal is to build something that would make me not regret skipping the Steam Machine, which — honestly — I doubt is for me. I want a device that needs to compete (but not necessarily outperform) my main gaming rig, which runs a 9800X3D and a 4090. A Steam Machine is not that.

It is definitely smaller, and it probably has some nicer integrations, like that LED bar for downloads and the integrated Steam Controller puck. But in terms of raw performance and flexibility, it is not really what I am looking for.

And while I could just continue using that 10-meter HDMI cable which is currently connected between the Gaming PC and the TV, there are two reasons why this is not the solution I am looking for. For one, Nvidia has issues with the SteamOS-like gaming mode on Bazzite, and, as dumb as it may sound, I am planning to use an IR remote and need line of sight.

So, I decided to recycle some older parts I still had lying around and upgrade the Playnix console I have. For one, I am going to change the case and have ordered the NCase M3, which is probably the prettiest SFX case out there.

I am also going to use a 9070 XT GPU, which I got for a very good price. This is what this whole setup will be based on. AMD GPUs just play much, much nicer with Linux. And from Reddit I learned that with the right dongle, it's even possible to get HDMI-CEC to work. I ordered one and will report back.

As for a CPU, I have to pick between three different ones: a 5600, a 5600X, and a 5700X3D, which might not work anymore. I unfortunately dropped this one once, and the pins got bent. I did manage to unbend them with a lot of patience and a razor, but I have yet to test it. Since I am planning to play games on my 4K TV, the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU, but I'd still prefer using the stronger CPU.

As for memory and storage, I thankfully still have 32 GB of DDR4 RAM lying around, and two 1 TB NVMe drives. This saves me a TON of money, and makes this project financially viable in the first place.

All in all, between what I already owned and what I got for cheap, I am investing around 800€ for this project. No way the Steam Machine costs less than that. (Then again, buying new would probably be much higher.)

To recap:

• Case: NCase M3
• Motherboard: some Chinese B350-I
• GPU: Radeon 9070 XT
• CPU: Ryzen 5 5600, Ryzen 5 5600X, or Ryzen 7 5700X3D (please work)
• Memory: 32 GB DDR4
• Storage: 2 × 1 TB NVMe drives
• PSU: Corsair SF850
• Estimated cost: around 800€

I am currently torn between CachyOS and Bazzite, leaning towards the latter. Technically, there is also pure SteamOS, but I still don't really believe that distro is made for anything but a few select handhelds.

As for accessories, I also have a Steam Controller and an 8BitDo Ultimate 2. For the multimedia part, I am still waiting for my Flirc TV receiver to arrive, and have the 8BitDo Xbox Remote lying around here, not knowing whether it will even work.

So, the open questions for now are:

• CachyOS or Bazzite?
• Does the 5700X3D still work?
• Will HDMI-CEC work with that dongle?
• Will the 8BitDo Xbox Remote work the way I want it to?

I am not good at that waiting game, and now that I have ordered all the stuff, I need to wait even more.