Ebay.com vs PcPartPicker.com vs Steam deck

[jhogan93]

hey guys! i was watching scrapyard wars of old and had the sad realization that with the steam deck being not only a consumer viable option but probably the best option for budget pc gaming. and now with the rog ally on the horizon, what is the better option at $400, $500, $600, $700? base "system" -> base system + 1tb "upgrade" (or equivalent upgrade in budget). and i have some interesting results. 

 

DISCLAIMER! i am in no way a tech guru of any kind. i do favor amd products, though i try to be fair and go with fps/dollar. fuck Nvidia. most of my choice are based on research (google) and i dont have any hardware to test. i will be assuming mouse, keyboard, controller, tv/monitor will already be provided in some way.

 

1. $400 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/H73G78

okay  this parts list had to be kinda cut throat. 
  cpu- AMD Ryzen 3 4100 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor

  MB- ASRock A520M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram- Samsung Green 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-2133 CL15 Memory

  storage- TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu- Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB Video Card

  case- DIYPC F2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case

  psu- Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

with this pc coming in at just under the $400 (at time of writing) im both happy and disapointed. the r3 4100 is an already aging quad-core that wont be much more than a paper weight in about a year with AAA gaming. rx6500xt looks to be a 1060 6gb equivalent (maybe? i dont have the physical cards to test), again not a stand out for coming AAA titles. the motherboard does not have wifi or bluetooth so wires tangle. i hate only having a single stick of ram, and on top of that its 8gb 2133. i could have done a single 16gb 3200 stick but that would have taken the  budget to 403.92, for this excerise i decided if i was buiding a pc at this budget that would mean i didnt have a cent too spare. now for some positives, the teamgroup ssd is a great buy that follow an upgrade path for many years to come. the case is peferctly suitable for many budgets. and the power supply has both qualites, though a 80+ bronze would have been more favorable.

conclusion? $400 is not enough with last gen consoles, current gen consoles, and other options in this post i cant see a reason to even try with this budget or parts list. do not buy.

 

2. 399.99 Steam Deck 

        https://store.steampowered.com/cart

as basic as it gets, not much to say here.
  CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
  GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
  RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM

  STORAGE: 64 GB eMMC

 

okay there is alot to unpack here. 64gb is not enough storage, you could maybe get one AAA title but it would be an older one. APU is already seeing its performance ceiling. future AAA gaming will tough unless developers make ports targeting the steam deck hardware. not impossible but not likely. there is no upgrade to the gpu, cpu, apu, however whatever. this system is as good as it gets outside of software support. now for the positives! its a fucking steam deck! the most portable pc of all time. the console to do your taxes on. this is probably the best emulation machine. steamos is a huge selling point. emudeck makes emulating almost anything! switch titles are very popular as well as gamecube, ps3, snes, n64, ps2, etc. now getting the software is not part this discussion and the rule remains; dont pirate and dont get caught. 

conclusion? $400 for the steam deck is an excellent buy but limiting. desktop mode will be a learning curve to use with built in controls. the 64gb will need additional storage via sd card and of course i would reccomend looking into a usb type-c dock. but outta the box it is a good buy.

 

3. $500 all new PC  

           https://pcpartpicker.com/list/87rQTn

this is the new starter budget, some parts remain from the $400 list but now we have a respectable pc.

  cpu- AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB- Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram- Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage- TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu- Gigabyte EAGLE Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card

  case- DIYPC F2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case

  psu- Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

with this pc coming in at just under the $500 (at time of writing) im very happy with the list. bumping the cpu 6cores 12 threads is a big upgrade. the rx6600 is great budget card at the moment. 16gb of 3200 ddr4 is again a great upgrade and as ive said before the ssd, psu, and case are the same. and now we have wifi! allowing you to set this up anyway you have signal. this setup should allow you to run almost any AAA game from the past few years with some (or alot) concessions. lowering settings, resolution, etc; but that doesnt mean it will be playable. emulation should a home run. the only thing i wish i couldve upgraded/added was more storage. 

conclusion? if you have the budget and peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor,etc) this is a good buy to get started with pc gaming.

 

4. $500 steam deck budget

            https://store.steampowered.com/cart

again i reccomend the base model with some add comforts

  Type-C Dock: https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Compatible-Ethernet-Charging-Deck-HB0603/dp/B0B7HVZNMB/ref=sr_1_22?crid=1IFASXGAVQBBN&keywords=usb+type+c+steam+deck&qid=1685568067&s=electronics&sprefix=usb+type+c+steam+deck%2Celectronics%2C170&sr=1-22

 

  MICO-SD-CARD: https://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-MicroSD-Card-P-SDUX512U3100PRO-GE/dp/B07KD4XJLX/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=micro+sd+card&qid=1685568196&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A13203835011&rnid=6518301011&s=pc&sprefix=micro%2Celectronics%2C219&sr=1-8

 

alright this a quick and easy upgrade, a type-c dock will make everything easier and allow you to use the steam deck as proper pc. and the micro sd card just opens you game library. the given examples are around $50 each but you could just buy a 1tb sd card and go from there.

conclusion? this is a much better experience, but you are still on the same hardware. you will be trading horse power for portablity compared to the $500 PC. but if you are a student or live in a small apartment the steam is still a great option that doesnt need much more than what comes stock. i have a hard time reccomending the steam deck at this price point if you want a "gaming Pc" but if you want a badass handheld with pc  games its a no brainer get this!

 

5. $600 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BzfLhk

this is such a non-upgrade it hurts.

  cpu-AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB-Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram-Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage-TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

                Seagate ST4000NM0024 4 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive

  gpu-Gigabyte EAGLE Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card

  case-

  psu-Corsair CX650M (2021) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply

 

i hate this list, the only parts i could really upgrade was extra storage and better quality power supply. the extra $100 does nothing to give a better gaming experience. okay you could upgrade the cpu to a 5600x with extra storage but the point is $600 not the sweet at the moment.

conclusion? just dont.

 

6. $600 steam deck budget

 

get base model, buy more accessories

 

7. $700 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XBqf6r

okay this a solid upgrade, $700 puts us in a better position.

  cpu-AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB-Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram-Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage-TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu-ASRock Challenger D OC Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card

  psu-Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

im happy with this, we have a great middle of the road pc. the 6700xt is a last gen card but under cuts everything in its weight class except the 7600xt. the 5600x is a work horse of a cpu. it can game well, edit video, 3d model, etc all quite well. now we are hitting the 500 watt ceiling. depending on load (cpu or gpu) this system could crash, or just out right trip the psu. of course i would like to see more storage im happy to focus on the performance now and add storage later.

conclusion? this a good buy, if you have the budget jump on it.

 

8. ROG ally $600 & $700 budget

yes the the ROGA is right around the corner. it will blow the steam deck out or the water at every turn except for base model price. its support for external gpu docking (though clunky as hell) looks to be the future. more horse power in the same form factor is amazing and we have competition for Valve to win our dollar back. BUT! dont buy day one. please at this budget ROGA is still too much of a wild card. it could (more than likely will) boom or it could flop. dont roll the dice if you are just trying to game. the previous options have way too much foundation to pass up not to mention the $700 and $500 will out perform the ROGA and SteamDeck.

conclusion? dont buy......... yet? i think in a year from now we could see a proper port of steamos for the ROGA along with a years worth accessories which would blast it to first place. but we dont have it today so dont go buying as if it is.

 

alright, hopefully this will make sense for everyone reading. i asked a question and then hyper fixated for 3-3.5 hrs to right this post. what do you guys think?

i think at

   $400 buy a steamdeck

   $500 look at the above parts list

   $700 look at the above parts list

its great that these hand helds will drive more competition with lower end pc's causing price drops for both older gen and new hardware. if the steamdeck came out when i building my first pc i would have gone all in on the steamdeck. all the accessories, sd cards, docks, emulation,etc and not regret a single purchase. i still use mine everyday for casual gaming and have my main rig just for channel stuff. it works out great. anyways guys like for the read and feed back and i cant wait to watch this thread.

[Agall]

9 minutes ago, jhogan93 said:

hey guys! i was watching scrapyard wars of old and had the sad realization that with the steam deck being not only a consumer viable option but probably the best option for budget pc gaming. and now with the rog ally on the horizon, what is the better option at $400, $500, $600, $700? base "system" -> base system + 1tb "upgrade" (or equivalent upgrade in budget). and i have some interesting results. 

 

DISCLAIMER! i am in no way a tech guru of any kind. i do favor amd products, though i try to be fair and go with fps/dollar. fuck Nvidia. most of my choice are based on research (google) and i dont have any hardware to test. i will be assuming mouse, keyboard, controller, tv/monitor will already be provided in some way.

 

1. $400 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/H73G78

okay  this parts list had to be kinda cut throat. 
  cpu- AMD Ryzen 3 4100 3.8 GHz Quad-Core Processor

  MB- ASRock A520M-HDV Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram- Samsung Green 8 GB (1 x 8 GB) DDR4-2133 CL15 Memory

  storage- TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu- Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 6500 XT 4 GB Video Card

  case- DIYPC F2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case

  psu- Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

with this pc coming in at just under the $400 (at time of writing) im both happy and disapointed. the r3 4100 is an already aging quad-core that wont be much more than a paper weight in about a year with AAA gaming. rx6500xt looks to be a 1060 6gb equivalent (maybe? i dont have the physical cards to test), again not a stand out for coming AAA titles. the motherboard does not have wifi or bluetooth so wires tangle. i hate only having a single stick of ram, and on top of that its 8gb 2133. i could have done a single 16gb 3200 stick but that would have taken the  budget to 403.92, for this excerise i decided if i was buiding a pc at this budget that would mean i didnt have a cent too spare. now for some positives, the teamgroup ssd is a great buy that follow an upgrade path for many years to come. the case is peferctly suitable for many budgets. and the power supply has both qualites, though a 80+ bronze would have been more favorable.

conclusion? $400 is not enough with last gen consoles, current gen consoles, and other options in this post i cant see a reason to even try with this budget or parts list. do not buy.

 

2. 399.99 Steam Deck 

        https://store.steampowered.com/cart

as basic as it gets, not much to say here.
  CPU: Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
  GPU: 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz (up to 1.6 TFlops FP32)
  RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM

  STORAGE: 64 GB eMMC

 

okay there is alot to unpack here. 64gb is not enough storage, you could maybe get one AAA title but it would be an older one. APU is already seeing its performance ceiling. future AAA gaming will tough unless developers make ports targeting the steam deck hardware. not impossible but not likely. there is no upgrade to the gpu, cpu, apu, however whatever. this system is as good as it gets outside of software support. now for the positives! its a fucking steam deck! the most portable pc of all time. the console to do your taxes on. this is probably the best emulation machine. steamos is a huge selling point. emudeck makes emulating almost anything! switch titles are very popular as well as gamecube, ps3, snes, n64, ps2, etc. now getting the software is not part this discussion and the rule remains; dont pirate and dont get caught. 

conclusion? $400 for the steam deck is an excellent buy but limiting. desktop mode will be a learning curve to use with built in controls. the 64gb will need additional storage via sd card and of course i would reccomend looking into a usb type-c dock. but outta the box it is a good buy.

 

3. $500 all new PC  

           https://pcpartpicker.com/list/87rQTn

this is the new starter budget, some parts remain from the $400 list but now we have a respectable pc.

  cpu- AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB- Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram- Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage- TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu- Gigabyte EAGLE Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card

  case- DIYPC F2 MicroATX Mini Tower Case

  psu- Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

with this pc coming in at just under the $500 (at time of writing) im very happy with the list. bumping the cpu 6cores 12 threads is a big upgrade. the rx6600 is great budget card at the moment. 16gb of 3200 ddr4 is again a great upgrade and as ive said before the ssd, psu, and case are the same. and now we have wifi! allowing you to set this up anyway you have signal. this setup should allow you to run almost any AAA game from the past few years with some (or alot) concessions. lowering settings, resolution, etc; but that doesnt mean it will be playable. emulation should a home run. the only thing i wish i couldve upgraded/added was more storage. 

conclusion? if you have the budget and peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor,etc) this is a good buy to get started with pc gaming.

 

4. $500 steam deck budget

            https://store.steampowered.com/cart

again i reccomend the base model with some add comforts

  Type-C Dock: https://www.amazon.com/JSAUX-Compatible-Ethernet-Charging-Deck-HB0603/dp/B0B7HVZNMB/ref=sr_1_22?crid=1IFASXGAVQBBN&keywords=usb+type+c+steam+deck&qid=1685568067&s=electronics&sprefix=usb+type+c+steam+deck%2Celectronics%2C170&sr=1-22

 

  MICO-SD-CARD: https://www.amazon.com/PNY-Elite-MicroSD-Card-P-SDUX512U3100PRO-GE/dp/B07KD4XJLX/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=micro+sd+card&qid=1685568196&refinements=p_n_feature_two_browse-bin%3A13203835011&rnid=6518301011&s=pc&sprefix=micro%2Celectronics%2C219&sr=1-8

 

alright this a quick and easy upgrade, a type-c dock will make everything easier and allow you to use the steam deck as proper pc. and the micro sd card just opens you game library. the given examples are around $50 each but you could just buy a 1tb sd card and go from there.

conclusion? this is a much better experience, but you are still on the same hardware. you will be trading horse power for portablity compared to the $500 PC. but if you are a student or live in a small apartment the steam is still a great option that doesnt need much more than what comes stock. i have a hard time reccomending the steam deck at this price point if you want a "gaming Pc" but if you want a badass handheld with pc  games its a no brainer get this!

 

5. $600 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/BzfLhk

this is such a non-upgrade it hurts.

  cpu-AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB-Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram-Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage-TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

                Seagate ST4000NM0024 4 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM Internal Hard Drive

  gpu-Gigabyte EAGLE Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card

  case-

  psu-Corsair CX650M (2021) 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply

 

i hate this list, the only parts i could really upgrade was extra storage and better quality power supply. the extra $100 does nothing to give a better gaming experience. okay you could upgrade the cpu to a 5600x with extra storage but the point is $600 not the sweet at the moment.

conclusion? just dont.

 

6. $600 steam deck budget

 

get base model, buy more accessories

 

7. $700 all new PC

          https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XBqf6r

okay this a solid upgrade, $700 puts us in a better position.

  cpu-AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 3.7 GHz 6-Core Processor

  MB-Gigabyte B450M DS3H WIFI Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard

  ram-Silicon Power SP016GBLFU320B22 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL22 Memory

  storage-TEAMGROUP AX2 512 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive

  gpu-ASRock Challenger D OC Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card

  psu-Thermaltake Smart 500 W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply

 

im happy with this, we have a great middle of the road pc. the 6700xt is a last gen card but under cuts everything in its weight class except the 7600xt. the 5600x is a work horse of a cpu. it can game well, edit video, 3d model, etc all quite well. now we are hitting the 500 watt ceiling. depending on load (cpu or gpu) this system could crash, or just out right trip the psu. of course i would like to see more storage im happy to focus on the performance now and add storage later.

conclusion? this a good buy, if you have the budget jump on it.

 

8. ROG ally $600 & $700 budget

yes the the ROGA is right around the corner. it will blow the steam deck out or the water at every turn except for base model price. its support for external gpu docking (though clunky as hell) looks to be the future. more horse power in the same form factor is amazing and we have competition for Valve to win our dollar back. BUT! dont buy day one. please at this budget ROGA is still too much of a wild card. it could (more than likely will) boom or it could flop. dont roll the dice if you are just trying to game. the previous options have way too much foundation to pass up not to mention the $700 and $500 will out perform the ROGA and SteamDeck.

conclusion? dont buy......... yet? i think in a year from now we could see a proper port of steamos for the ROGA along with a years worth accessories which would blast it to first place. but we dont have it today so dont go buying as if it is.

 

alright, hopefully this will make sense for everyone reading. i asked a question and then hyper fixated for 3-3.5 hrs to right this post. what do you guys think?

i think at

   $400 buy a steamdeck

   $500 look at the above parts list

   $700 look at the above parts list

its great that these hand helds will drive more competition with lower end pc's causing price drops for both older gen and new hardware. if the steamdeck came out when i building my first pc i would have gone all in on the steamdeck. all the accessories, sd cards, docks, emulation,etc and not regret a single purchase. i still use mine everyday for casual gaming and have my main rig just for channel stuff. it works out great. anyways guys like for the read and feed back and i cant wait to watch this thread.

Simplest way I'll put it is you still get what you pay for. Steam deck will be OS limited like a console versus a DIY desktop, which will also have an upgrade path. Thermodynamics eventually kills any battery powered device, so unless you plan to turn it into a small form factor desktop at some point, it'll be replaced not upgraded.

 

Comparably, I still have my 9 year old 4790k build that is still capable of gaming in 2023. I even made a thread about it where I threw my RTX 4090 in it to test Warframe recently and was surprised how well it did in some scenarios running 4K ultra. I also still have some portable devices from that era that are neigh unusable from years of heavy use.

[jhogan93]

2 minutes ago, Agall said:

Simplest way I'll put it is you still get what you pay for. Steam deck will be OS limited like a console versus a DIY desktop, which will also have an upgrade path. Thermodynamics eventually kills any battery powered device, so unless you plan to turn it into a small form factor desktop at some point, it'll be replaced not upgraded.

 

Comparably, I still have my 9 year old 4790k build that is still capable of gaming in 2023. I even made a thread about it where I threw my RTX 4090 in it to test Warframe recently and was surprised how well it did in some scenarios running 4K ultra. I also still have some portable devices from that era that are neigh unusable from years of heavy use.

what do you mean it will be os limited? steam os is great and in my opinion a better OS for gaming. holoiso looks to be kinda dead but i would love to see valve make steamos more like other linux distros. also the steamdeck can run windows or anyother linux distro, so again on what you mean when the steam deck is " OS limited like a console". i think what you mean is its hardware is limited like a console. also yes thermodynamics will kill any device thats how thermodynamics work. but i think you mean the battery will die which will require it to be plugged in at all times. my only answer to that is that valve has made a great strides for diy replace/repair. but even when steamos goes the way of windows 95 linux will keep steamdecks out of landfills. machines from 1995 can run linux to be atleast a basic office pc for front desks. now thats a little extreme example but the point is still made.

[OhYou_]

... https://www.logicalincrements.com/

[dizmo]

"Fuck Nvidia" is a really poor stance to take. If you think for a second that AMD wouldn't do the same thing in a similar situation, you're off your rocker.

I don't think your $400 system is accurate. You'd have another $30 or $40 to spend, since the Steamdeck is lacking storage to make it equivalent.

The entire layout of your post is pretty confusing TBH.

[SorryBella]

2 hours ago, OhYou_ said:

... https://www.logicalincrements.com/

Pretty much this post in a nutshell really. And yeah, this fails to consider

1. Storage limit as @dizmo points out
2. Software limit as @Agall points out (Remember that EAC currently still have no interest in linux support even as everyone say that it wont affect cheater count at all)
3. And as ill point out personally: The market limit.

Market changes all the time, especially used market as you suggest ebay. I still remember that Ryzen 3600 with its platforms (RAM and Motherboard) being barely cheaper than new when 5000 series came along but now you can find it at 100-150$ ready to go. Same with 5700XT, its now also 150$ same with 2070 Super that has similar performance chart. New market doesnt shift as radically as used but they still shift a lot with promos, products going EoL (Rest in Peace Fuma 2, Long live Fuma 3 Soon), and stores price battling to the MSRP.

[dizmo]

12 minutes ago, SorryClaire said:

Pretty much this post in a nutshell really. And yeah, this fails to consider

1. Storage limit as @dizmo points out
2. Software limit as @Agall points out (Remember that EAC currently still have no interest in linux support even as everyone say that it wont affect cheater count at all)
3. And as ill point out personally: The market limit.

Market changes all the time, especially used market as you suggest ebay. I still remember that Ryzen 3600 with its platforms (RAM and Motherboard) being barely cheaper than new when 5000 series came along but now you can find it at 100-150$ ready to go. Same with 5700XT, its now also 150$ same with 2070 Super that has similar performance chart. New market doesnt shift as radically as used but they still shift a lot with promos, products going EoL (Rest in Peace Fuma 2, Long live Fuma 3 Soon), and stores price battling to the MSRP.

Not to mention with some good finds on eBay, you can get a significantly better system than the Steamdeck for next to nothing.

[jhogan93]

On 5/31/2023 at 7:18 PM, dizmo said:

"Fuck Nvidia" is a really poor stance to take. If you think for a second that AMD wouldn't do the same thing in a similar situation, you're off your rocker.

I don't think your $400 system is accurate. You'd have another $30 or $40 to spend, since the Steamdeck is lacking storage to make it equivalent.

The entire layout of your post is pretty confusing TBH.

my stance with nvidia is bcuz they screwed over (Us) the consumer. 4000 series is to me a failure that ppl will still buy up bcuz its "nvidia" or some other marketing BS. rtx4000 gives us the lowest price to performance at launch in years and AMD is cutting prices to out compete. i do reconize that AMD can be/ is just as much of idiot with their costomer base, but the concept of the post was to take a snap shot of today of what i could buy brand new and at each price point and give my review/ reccomendation. yes, buying extra storage is an absolute necessity,as i said in the post, 64gb is not enough. but i still reccomend it from my hands on  experience with my steamdeck. buying a 128gb sd card would be an easy and cheap add-on/ upgrade down the road and there are plenty of great titles that would fit on the base 64gb.
(including but not limited to)
-War Thunder

-The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

-Stardew Valley

-Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time

-Brawlhalla

-Left 4 Dead 2

-VRChat

-DARK SOULS™ III

-Hades

-Portal 2

-CupHead

-Enter the Gungeon

-Half-Life 2

-SUPERHOT

-A Hat in Time

-LEGO® Star Wars™ - The Complete Saga

-Fable Anniversary

-DOOM II (classic)

-Sonic Mania

-Final Fantasy 3

all titles listed above are 30gb or less. are either cheap or perpetually on sale. and are either AAA classics or indie titles with a cult following. and thats just scratching the surface. if my original post was confusing i apologize, i will try to be more concise in the future.

[jhogan93]

On 5/31/2023 at 10:08 PM, dizmo said:

Not to mention with some good finds on eBay, you can get a significantly better system than the Steamdeck for next to nothing.

i dont disagree, but the post was meant to be a snapshot of today and what i could buy brand new. weighing the different options or building a "low-end" compared to the steamdeck or ROG Ally and giving a reveiw/ reccomendation. of course if you can find someone selling a 8th gen i7, 16gb ram, and 2060 on ebay/ craigslist/ fb/ etc then of course go for that. but if someone wants to enter pc gaming, at what budget and what partz would make sense verse the steamdeck/ ROGA? that was the point of my post.

[jhogan93]

On 5/31/2023 at 9:55 PM, SorryClaire said:

Pretty much this post in a nutshell really. And yeah, this fails to consider

1. Storage limit as @dizmo points out
2. Software limit as @Agall points out (Remember that EAC currently still have no interest in linux support even as everyone say that it wont affect cheater count at all)
3. And as ill point out personally: The market limit.

Market changes all the time, especially used market as you suggest ebay. I still remember that Ryzen 3600 with its platforms (RAM and Motherboard) being barely cheaper than new when 5000 series came along but now you can find it at 100-150$ ready to go. Same with 5700XT, its now also 150$ same with 2070 Super that has similar performance chart. New market doesnt shift as radically as used but they still shift a lot with promos, products going EoL (Rest in Peace Fuma 2, Long live Fuma 3 Soon), and stores price battling to the MSRP.

yes i recognize these parts list will be useless in about 90days with shifting prices. i just wanted to use these list as a reference to compare against the steamdeck/ ROGA. also i pointed out the storage limit steamdeck on my own post. "software limit" i assuming you mean steamdeck compatible games. yes the library is smaller than a windows pc, but emulation more than makes up for that. yes the used market is the best bang for the buck, but thats so open ended its meaningless to use those fleeting listing as any form reference. i could find a r9 3900x with 32gbs ram and a rtx 2080ti for 500 bucks at a garage sale (doubtful) but that wouldnt help anyone to make an infromed decision with their budget. my post was meant to compare what i could get/ build brand new at each price point compared to the steamdeck. if the budget is under $500 just get a base steam and use the rest of the budget to add storage. even the base 64gb can play all of these games:

-War Thunder

-The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

-Stardew Valley

-Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time

-Brawlhalla

-Left 4 Dead 2

-VRChat

-DARK SOULS™ III

-Hades

-Portal 2

-CupHead

-Enter the Gungeon

-Half-Life 2

-SUPERHOT

-A Hat in Time

-LEGO® Star Wars™ - The Complete Saga

-Fable Anniversary

-DOOM II (classic)

-Sonic Mania

-Final Fantasy 3
each title listed above is 30gb or less and are either a cult classic or past AAA title.