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Valve has confirmed the specifications of its Steam Machine prototype boxes, which will be sent out later this year.
300 of the devices will be sent to testers in a closed hardware beta, and will include the also-announced Steam Controller.
"The prototype machine is a high-end, high-performance box, built out of off-the-shelf PC parts," said Valve in a statement.
"It is also fully upgradable, allowing any user to swap out the GPU, hard drive, CPU, even the motherboard if you really want to.”
"Apart from the custom enclosure, anyone can go and build exactly the same machine by shopping for components and assembling it themselves. And we expect that at least a few people will do just that."
All of the "high-end, high-performance" boxes will run Valve’s Linux-based SteamOS operating system, but the cases will be made by a variety of manufacturers.
Valve’s list of the internal components of the Machines is as follows:
• GPU: Some units with NVidia Titan, some GTX780, some GTX760, and some GTX660
• CPU: Some boxes with Intel i7-4770, some i5-4570, and some i3
• RAM: 16GB DDR3-1600 (CPU), 3GB DDR5 (GPU)
• Storage: 1TB/8GB Hybrid SSHD
• Power Supply: Internal 450w 80Plus Gold
• Dimensions: Approx. 12×12.4×2.9-inches high
“This design is not meant to serve the needs of all of the tens of millions of Steam users,” added Valve on the details.
"It may, however, be the kind of machine that a significant percentage of Steam users would actually want to purchase – those who want plenty of performance in a high-end living room package"
"Many others would opt for machines that have been more carefully designed to cost less, or to be tiny, or super quiet, and there will be Steam Machines that fit those descriptions."
