Cynagen

Created a forum account to also add my bit as one of the 300
 
My unboxing gallery: https://imgur.com/a/ybflw
 
I still have the shipping box and most everything still intact. GPU is in another system, but also in storage. Valve was indeed very hands off once we got the machines and it was the "testers" that got together to make our own Steam Group to better talk amongst ourselves. I still use the 300β tag from the 'The 300 club" group on steam all these years later lol. I do remember registering mine on Cynagen's site, but not my number since I don't recall the counting direction haha.
 
Edit: Mine was #166. Found my post on the group forum registering mine lol

Know OF you. Your site was very helpful in researching some of this stuff. 

You know me? Or know of me? LOL

You know me? Or know of me? LOL

Hey, #58 here, there was a bit wrong mentioned in the video. I still have the majority of my hardware, including my blown up GPU (I mined on it and blew the power delivery). I had a Kotaku article on my page trying to link up with all the other beta testers: kotaku.com steam-machine-beta-user-trying-to-find-all-300-of-his-l-1483650714
 
I want to see the countersunk hole on the top to ID this one myself and see if we can help connect you with it's original owner for a more detailed history on the system and how it ended up where it did. Eric above is #210 #94 for example. Truth be told, I used the Steam Machine as my daily driver for a couple months after my AMD Bulldozer died (8120 OC'd to 8350, on a cheap gaming board that blew up, noticing a pattern? LOL)

The 300 page I built has since been taken down, but I'd be willing to answer questions, and bring/send a -still working- model (sans the blown GTX780) to you to check out with beta controller if you wanted! Honestly, I want to take it and all my other discontinued/prototype Steam gear through Valve HQ to hopefully get it all signed by staff who helped develop it. Maybe someday.

Currently at work right now as I post this, so here's to hoping InfoSec wasn't watching and getting upset at me posting on forums, I'll check back in later tonight and provide some photos (when I can upload stuff without getting InfoSec's immediate attention).
 
@PixelButts, that is indeed a prototype! It is not ID'd for the Beta (which had the vent holes countersunk, that's a rare find outside Valve!)

Add't edit: Stopped the video and zoomed in for a look, the system LTT has now is either #228 or #238 looks like. Just checked my data, and 228 owner never checked in with me looks like... however 238 did.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160322031810/http://cynagen.com/steam-machines/

@Eric, I misidentified your machine! You ARE #94... I misremembered how the holes were drilled, had to archive my own page! WHOOPS!

I was in a chat group people on Steam to discuss the machines amongst ourselves, I believe we had over 120+ people confirmed with the same config: Intel Core i5 4570, 16GB of RAM, 1TB Seagate SSHD and Zotac reference GTX 780. I too remember hearing that were were supposed to be higher and lower end models, but I hadn't seen or heard about any of those from other testers. As far the CPU thermals go, they were completely fine, I don't recall specific numbers but it was well within what I would consider comfortable range for CPUs of that generation, the GPU is what struggled the most. with the plastic shroud cover on top, it would very easily idle at 60-65c with a fan speed usually in the 30-40% range and any gaming load promising it would hit 80c with a very particularly noisy fan, given that it was a blower style.

I wasn't part of that group but I was part of the people trying to get their hands on one. All machines were the same, though there was an idea that we'd get 3 ranges of spec machines in it (i3, i5, i7). Though as can be seen, only 1 config ever got made formally for testers.
 
For what it's worth, like with Stadia, I also saved a number of things for this machine in case I ever got one and I almost did too but lost it to an ebay bot. I've gone ahead and thrown some of the old installers I've saved from a while back onto archive.org in case anyone wants em. I know there's some I don't have, but I think the effort counts. I also cant guarantee it will fix the issues LMG had with theirs, since that sounds like hardware failure to me, but if they feel like giving it another swing or 5: 
 
https://archive.org/details/steamos-archive 

Edit: I'd like a backup of that recovery USB if you're up for it.
 
Some images of the white body prototypes, including the listing I almost got. You'll notice, the drilled hole is missing, which signified its 1 of 300 IDs. There were for sure more than 300 of these, but for the beta program, it was 300, which makes that ebay listing I lost all the more interesting as it looks to be a prototype top mixed with the beta's bottom.

Hey, #58 here, there was a bit wrong mentioned in the video. I still have the majority of my hardware, including my blown up GPU (I mined on it and blew the power delivery). I had a Kotaku article on my page trying to link up with all the other beta testers: kotaku.com steam-machine-beta-user-trying-to-find-all-300-of-his-l-1483650714
 
I want to see the countersunk hole on the top to ID this one myself and see if we can help connect you with it's original owner for a more detailed history on the system and how it ended up where it did. Eric above is #210 #94 for example. Truth be told, I used the Steam Machine as my daily driver for a couple months after my AMD Bulldozer died (8120 OC'd to 8350, on a cheap gaming board that blew up, noticing a pattern? LOL)

The 300 page I built has since been taken down, but I'd be willing to answer questions, and bring/send a -still working- model (sans the blown GTX780) to you to check out with beta controller if you wanted! Honestly, I want to take it and all my other discontinued/prototype Steam gear through Valve HQ to hopefully get it all signed by staff who helped develop it. Maybe someday.

Currently at work right now as I post this, so here's to hoping InfoSec wasn't watching and getting upset at me posting on forums, I'll check back in later tonight and provide some photos (when I can upload stuff without getting InfoSec's immediate attention).
 
@PixelButts, that is indeed a prototype! It is not ID'd for the Beta (which had the vent holes countersunk, that's a rare find outside Valve!)

Add't edit: Stopped the video and zoomed in for a look, the system LTT has now is either #228 or #238 looks like. Just checked my data, and 228 owner never checked in with me looks like... however 238 did.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160322031810/http://cynagen.com/steam-machines/

@Eric, I misidentified your machine! You ARE #94... I misremembered how the holes were drilled, had to archive my own page! WHOOPS!

What's happening is the DNS requests are being directed to the Pi-Hole, not the actual traffic, that's another solution entirely that requires WAY more horsepower, and you're right in that if done through a RPi would nuke speeds and pings.

There's a couple ways to go about blocking ads like they mentioned in the video, per device or across an entire network if configured correctly. There are multiple ways to block ads at the network level, this is just the fastest and easiest way to do it with the least amount of resources. Online gaming should not be affected, any visible slowdowns in behavior on apps on a phone or on the PC are going to be related to the DNS interruption when trying to request for ads and the code handling this eventuality poorly (typically the culprit is poor advertising plugin coding). It wouldn't be any different than disconnecting the ethernet or wifi or flipping the device to airplane mode in this instance.

What's happening is the DNS requests are being directed to the Pi-Hole, not the actual traffic, that's another solution entirely that requires WAY more horsepower, and you're right in that if done through a RPi would nuke speeds and pings.

There's a couple ways to go about blocking ads like they mentioned in the video, per device or across an entire network if configured correctly. There are multiple ways to block ads at the network level, this is just the fastest and easiest way to do it with the least amount of resources. Online gaming should not be affected, any visible slowdowns in behavior on apps on a phone or on the PC are going to be related to the DNS interruption when trying to request for ads and the code handling this eventuality poorly (typically the culprit is poor advertising plugin coding). It wouldn't be any different than disconnecting the ethernet or wifi or flipping the device to airplane mode in this instance.

While I would agree with you on the single build, multiple users. There are some pitfalls, any hardware maintenance required requires the loss of the entire X stations being run as the entire system will likely need to be shut down.

You should upload the floorplan with dimensions so that it can be more accurately scoped/designed. You've provided the case model so we can get dimensions from the website, combining that with any selected monitor size, you can start to figure out desk space. As for the computers, above would help minimize dust, but if you're going to have RGB, it's time to look at unconventional means of display if you're going above. I'd recommend getting solid straps to go around the case, then hang it at a 45 degree angle above the workstation position it's connected to with the tempered glass window showcasing the inside facing outward, exhaust to the side or out the top will ensure that the heat is pushed away from the gamers. Additionally, to hang these, you may have to build custom rigging, though with some solid steel piping and proper construction, you can incorporate a wooden platform to act as the desktop where the monitor keyboard and mouse will sit. If you want to up the game a little, put a T-joint in the metal about height with a player's face, and put a VESA mount on. Tons more ideas, I'll be back. Honestly, I would be happy to come over the border to help build this out.

While I would agree with you on the single build, multiple users. There are some pitfalls, any hardware maintenance required requires the loss of the entire X stations being run as the entire system will likely need to be shut down.

While I would agree with you on the single build, multiple users. There are some pitfalls, any hardware maintenance required requires the loss of the entire X stations being run as the entire system will likely need to be shut down.

Don't do it. Your laptop is old and will die soon. So look into better options if you need a nas.