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The Battle of Operating Systems: Windows 11 vs SteamOS on the Steam Machine
In the world of gaming, the choice of operating system can make a significant difference in performance. Valve’s Steam Machine was initially designed to run on SteamOS, but with the recent release of Windows 11 drivers, the gaming community was eager to see how the two operating systems stacked up against each other. Tech enthusiast ETA PRIME took on the challenge of benchmarking Windows 11 against SteamOS on the Steam Machine to provide a comprehensive comparison.
Specifications of the Steam Machine:
- CPU: Semi-custom AMD Zen 4 6-core / 12-thread with up to 4.8 GHz (30W TDP)
- Memory: 16GB DDR5-5600 RAM (Upgradable)
- GPU: Semi-custom AMD RDNA 3 chip with 28 Compute Units, 2.45 GHz max core clock speed, 110W TDP, and 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
- OS: SteamOS | Windows 11
- SSD storage: 512GB or 2TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD in M.2 2230 slot
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E (2×2), Bluetooth 5.3, Gigabit Ethernet, 2× USB-A 3.2 (front), 2× USB-A 2.0 (rear), 1× USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (rear), DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.0
Synthetic Benchmark Results:
ETA PRIME conducted synthetic benchmarks on the Steam Machine running Windows 11 and SteamOS. The results were as follows:
The Geekbench 6 results indicated that Windows 11 outperformed SteamOS in multi-core performance, showcasing a nearly 20% improvement.
Gaming Performance Comparison:
ETA PRIME also tested the Steam Machine on popular games under both operating systems. Here are the gaming performance results:
Note: Both operating systems were tested at High/Ultra graphics settings at 1080p resolution. FPS numbers courtesy of ETA PRIME.
The gaming performance results showed a mixed outcome, with Windows 11 excelling in some games while SteamOS performed better in others. Despite the differences, both operating systems demonstrated competitive performance levels.
Conclusion:
Overall, the benchmark results on the Steam Machine running Windows 11 and SteamOS highlight the versatility and performance capabilities of both operating systems. With Valve’s drivers enabling Windows 11 compatibility, gamers now have the flexibility to choose their preferred OS without compromising on performance. The future looks promising for Steam Machine users with a wider range of options at their disposal.
Edited by Suraj Bhowal