I bought a Steam Machine for this exact use case, and it’s been pretty sweet. Especially since it can do 4k video decoding. I have it set up to start a Jellyfin server and client when I launch it through steam. Also VacuumTube has been a life saver.
If it works for you, that’s great, for me it sits exactly where it makes zero sense to get. My PC is slightly more powerful so for gaming, it would be inferior. But it’s too expensive just for a HTPC. Something either much more powerful (that could also run local LLMs), or significantly cheaper, would make more sense for me. I’m now eyeing used miniPCs, but I’ll have to see if some of the cheap ones can handle 4k decoding.
I bought a Steam Machine for this exact use case, and it’s been pretty sweet. Especially since it can do 4k video decoding. I have it set up to start a Jellyfin server and client when I launch it through steam. Also VacuumTube has been a life saver.
If it works for you, that’s great, for me it sits exactly where it makes zero sense to get. My PC is slightly more powerful so for gaming, it would be inferior. But it’s too expensive just for a HTPC. Something either much more powerful (that could also run local LLMs), or significantly cheaper, would make more sense for me. I’m now eyeing used miniPCs, but I’ll have to see if some of the cheap ones can handle 4k decoding.
Idk dude, sounds like you have unrealistic expectations for a $700 mini gaming box. (Not including RAMmageddon)