Decide which Steam Machine you should buy with our round-up

Valve’s event has come and gone, releasing new details about the Steam Machines into the wild. While we still don’t know the exact release date, or what to expect from the look and feel of SteamOS, we do have sketchy details about the boxes that will be available at launch.

Alienware

We don’t know much about this system besides what it looks like. Even the name is undecided, so Dell refers to it only as the “Alienware Steam Machine.” Dell further announced that the Alienware X51 will also be available as a Steam Machine in 2014.

Alternate

Europe’s largest computer hardware retailer is debuting a mid-range rig with a Core i5-4570 processor, Nvidia GTX 760 graphics card, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB hybrid hard drive. The chassis appears to be an off-the-shelf enclosure from Silverstone. It will debut for $1,339.

CyberPower

This company’s Steam Machine lives up to its reputation for bargain-priced hardware. Starting at $499, it offers an AMD processor, AMD Radeon R9 270 or Nvidia GTX 760 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive.

Digital Storm

Starting at $2,584, the Bolt II has a Core i7-4770k processor, Nvidia GTX 780 Ti graphics, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and a 1TB mechanical hard drive paired with a 128GB solid state drive. The tower looks similar to the original Bolt, which we reviewed last year.

Gigabyte

The Brix Pro serves up a Core i7-4770k processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB mechanical hard drive. Strangely, the box relies on Intel Iris Pro graphics. Pricing remains unknown.

Falcon Northwest

The Tiki, which is already available as a Windows desktop, will be introduced in Steam Machine form. Specifications remain vague, as the company lists the CPU as “customizable,” RAM as between 8-16GB, and storage as up to 6TB. Nvidia’s GTX Titan will be among the graphics cards available. Pricing is expected to start at $1,799 but may shoot as high as $6,000.

iBuyPower

CyberPower’s other half has its own Steam Machine, but it’s very similar to its sibling. The processor and graphics will be provided by AMD (specific parts are not mentioned). 8GB of RAM is standard and a 500GB mechanical drive rounds out the base model. Systems begin at $499 and up.

Maingear

The tiny, orange Spark is smaller than a DVD drive. Inside it lurks an AMD A8-5557M processor with Radeon M275X graphics. The M stands for mobile, so these don’t expect top-tier performance. Pricing has not been announced.

Material.net

This powerful but affordable box features a Core i5-4430 processor, an overclocked GTX 760 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and 1TB of long-term storage. The price is listed at $1,098.

Origin PC

Origin’s previously released Chronos has been enlisted to serve as a Steam Machine. The specifications are customizable, but a high-end model could come with a Core i7-4770k processor, dual Nvidia GTX Titan graphics, and up to 32GB of RAM. Various mechanical and solid state drives will be available, making for up to 14TB of total storage. Pricing is to be announced.

The small, blocky Spa will ship with an Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia GTX 760 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. Pricing has not been revealed.

Scan

Small, slim, and silver, the NC10 looks more like an external hard drive than a PC. It offers a Core i3 mobile processor, Nvidia GTX 765M mobile graphics, 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive. You’ll have to pay $1,090 to grab one.

Webhallen

This Steam Machine places a Core i7-4771 processor, Nvidia GTX 780 graphics card and 16GB of RAM into BitFenix’s popular Prodigy enclosure. Storage is provided by a 1TB hybrid hard drive and price sits at $1,499.

Zotac

Zotac’s entry looks similar to its previous Atom desktops, but will provide much more powerful hardware. While we know the system will have an Intel Core processor and Nvidia GTX graphics, nothing else has been revealed about the specs. We do know the MSRP will be $599, however, so the hardware will likely be modest.

This is everything known about the systems revealed at CES 2014. They’re a mix of unique entries with custom enclosures and micro-tower desktops converted to Valve’s purposes by boutique manufacturers. What kind of Steam Machine will you buy – a small, affordable box, a dual GPU behemoth, or something in between?

Take a peek at the Steam Machines specs