AMD engineer builds a 3D-printed Steam Machine rival with an RTX 5060

Following Valve's announcement of the  $1,049 / 1,039€ / £879 Steam Machine featuring semi-custom RDNA 3 graphics, many wondered if a superior system could be built within the same compact dimensions. AMD engineer Jacob Terkelsen investigated this possibility, confirming that it is indeed achievable.

A creator on Printables, known as 3DCatt, has designed a 3D-printable Steam Machine-inspired PC case that supports Mini-ITX motherboards and low-profile graphics cards, allowing enthusiasts to assemble their own compact gaming PC.

AMD engineer Jacob Terkelsen has already showcased one such build. Interestingly, despite working for AMD, his system uses a low-profile Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5060, rather than a Radeon GPU. The choice makes sense, as there are currently no low-profile Radeon RX 9000 series graphics cards available. However, it does come with one downside: because SteamOS doesn't officially support Nvidia GPUs, the system can't take full advantage of Valve's Linux-based operating system.

The build demonstrates that matching the Steam Machine's compact footprint with off-the-shelf components is entirely possible, although it requires some fairly niche hardware. Alongside the RTX 5060, Terkelsen's system includes an AMD Ryzen 5 5500, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD.

Performance should comfortably exceed Valve's own hardware. The Steam Machine features a semi-custom RDNA 3 GPU believed to offer performance roughly comparable to a Radeon RX 7600M, while the desktop RTX 5060 provides a noticeable step up in graphics horsepower.

Building inside the custom enclosure isn't without compromises, however. The design requires several uncommon components, including a Flex ATX power supply and a low-profile PCIe graphics card, both of which are far less common than standard desktop hardware. The showcased build also relies on a 400W Flex ATX PSU, limiting the overall power budget available for higher-end CPUs and GPUs.

Cooling could also become a limiting factor. Given the case's compact dimensions and relatively limited ventilation, fitting more power-hungry hardware may lead to higher temperatures and increased fan noise.

Even so, the project highlights the flexibility of the PC ecosystem. For enthusiasts who like Valve's compact console-inspired design but prefer choosing their own hardware, this 3D-printable case offers an intriguing alternative. As interest in the Steam Machine grows, it's likely that more custom cases and small-form-factor builds inspired by Valve's latest hardware will begin appearing in the months ahead.

As always, for the latest news on Steam hardware, Valve announcements, gaming handhelds, and developments across the PC gaming industry, be sure to follow our dedicated hardware coverage.