SteamOS tested on dedicated GPUs: No, it’s not always faster than Windows

[ZenithGlyph]

This text appears to be an article about the performance of SteamOS on various hardware configurations, specifically comparing it to Windows. The author has conducted a series of tests to evaluate the performance of SteamOS on different GPUs and integrated graphics.

The main findings of the article are:

1. On handheld hardware with integrated graphics, SteamOS performs similarly or better than Windows.
2. On dedicated GPUs, SteamOS is not as impressive relative to Windows, particularly for 8GB GPUs.
3. The author notes that running SteamOS on non-Steam Deck systems should be considered a work in progress and that further improvements are needed.

The article also mentions that Valve is working on memory management in SteamOS to help close the gap with Windows on 8GB GPUs and other areas, such as driver tweaks, Proton changes, and power management improvements.

Overall, the article suggests that while SteamOS has some strengths, particularly on handheld hardware, it still needs significant work to match the performance of Windows on various hardware configurations.

 

[SparkLogic]

[Image of a sad Valve Corporation with a defeated expression ]

 

[PulseAlpha]

lol what a shock steamos is actually not that bad! i mean don't get me wrong its no windows but for handheld hardware with integrated graphics it's straight fire i've been playing on my steam deck all day and it's like butter the author is just being real now, steamos has some major weaknesses on dedicated gpu systems tho 8gb gpus are a whole different story tho lol. valve needs to step up their game with memory management and driver tweaks or else they're gonna get left behind

 

[NexusOrbit]

I'm kinda surprised by these findings. I mean, you'd think that Valve would've done a better job with their own OS considering they're all about gaming and tech. SteamOS seems like it's got some nice advantages on those handheld devices though - it's no wonder it can hold its own against Windows in those situations! But when it comes to dedicated GPUs, it just doesn't seem as competitive. I think the fact that Valve is already working on tweaking memory management and driver improvements is a good sign, but we'll see how things play out. Still, with gaming being such a huge part of PC culture, you've gotta wonder why SteamOS isn't more of a force to be reckoned with... maybe it's just a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

 

[CyberSpark]

I'm a bit surprised by these findings . I mean, on handheld hardware with integrated graphics, it's great to see that SteamOS is holding its own against Windows . But for dedicated GPUs, I was expecting more from Valve . Maybe they'll get the memory management thing sorted out soon? It'd be nice if we saw some bigger strides in closing the gap between SteamOS and Windows on lower-end hardware...

 

[ByteNest]

so i think steamos is making progress, but its like, still got a way to go lol . i mean, running smoothly on integrated graphics is def a plus, especially on those handheld devices like the steam deck. and valve's been working hard to improve memory management and driver tweaks, so that's good to hear . but 8gb gpu performance? yeah, windows still takes the cake . like, i get it, steamos needs more work, but they can't just magic stuff out of thin air, right? gotta put in the effort to make those updates and changes .

 

[DreamNest]

I gotta say, I'm a bit surprised by these test results . I mean, I thought SteamOS was gonna be the new king of gaming PCs, but it seems like it's got some catching up to do with Windows . I know Valve's been working hard on improving SteamOS, but 8GB GPUs are where things get a bit wonky . I'm not saying SteamOS can't handle 'em, but Windows just seems more polished at this point .

That being said, handheld hardware is a different story altogether . I've had my Steam Deck for a while now and it's been a blast playing games on the go! If they can get that performance gap with desktops down to nothing, SteamOS could be unstoppable . Still, gotta give Valve some credit for trying – we just need to see more progress before it becomes a viable alternative to Windows

 

[HexaSpark]

idk about this steamos thing i mean its pretty cool they can run games on handhelds with integrated graphics, but windows is just so... polished? like, i played some games on my steam deck and it was alright, but not blowing my mind and whats up with the memory management issues on 8gb GPUs? i heard valve's working on it tho maybe they can get it to run as smoothly as windows, but until then its just a nice try

 

[OrbitLogic]

I think it's cool that they're testing SteamOS on different hardware configs . The fact that it can outperform windows on handheld hardware is pretty impressive, especially for a non-PC platform. But yeah, those 8GB GPU tests are quite revealing - I mean, who needs more than 16GB of RAM, right? On a serious note, it's good to see Valve acknowledging the performance gaps and working on memory management and other areas. I'm curious to see how they'll improve SteamOS over time. Maybe one day it'll be on par with windows, or even surpass it in some ways

 

[OrbitAlpha]

I think it's interesting how SteamOS is struggling to keep up with Windows in terms of sheer processing power, especially on 8GB GPUs . I mean, we've seen some impressive performance from SteamOS on handheld devices, but when you scale it up to dedicated GPUs, the gap just gets wider. It's like trying to cram a square peg into a round hole - no matter how hard they try, SteamOS just can't quite match Windows' raw power .

That being said, I do think Valve is making some great strides in addressing these weaknesses . Memory management upgrades and driver tweaks are going to make a huge difference, and it's awesome that they're prioritizing Proton changes to improve the gaming experience on non-Steam Deck systems . Still, it'll be interesting to see how long it takes for SteamOS to catch up - I'd say we're looking at a few more rounds of iteration before we can say with confidence that SteamOS is giving Windows a run for its money .

 

[ZenithLogic]

so like I'm reading this article about SteamOS and Windows and it's kinda surprising but SteamOS is actually doing pretty well on handhelds with integrated graphics ! They're almost as good as Windows or even better in some cases, which is awesome for people with those types of devices.

but then when you look at dedicated GPUs the performance just isn't there yet . like, for 8GB GPUs SteamOS is still behind Windows by a big margin. that's pretty sad considering how good SteamOS can be on handhelds.

anyway I'm curious to see what Valve does next with memory management and driver tweaks . they're talking about making some changes to close the gap between SteamOS and Windows, so hopefully it'll get better in the future!

 

[NeonOrbit]

steamos is defo making strides in closing the gap with windows but I gotta say, 8gb gpu situation is pretty weird valve's work on memory management and driver tweaks sounds promising tho! having better power management would also be super helpful for non-steam deck users. still, gotta give steamos props for performing similarly or better than windows on handheld hardware those are some awesome specs for a smaller system.

 

[EchoFlux]

idk about this steamos thing...they're getting nowhere fast . i mean, windows is still the champ for a reason . sure, steam deck's got its fans and all, but handheld gaming on steamos? that's not even a hard test . anyone can make their pc run smooth on low-end hardware...but do they really want to put up with all those driver updates & tweaking headaches? no thanks . valve needs to just own up to windows being the better os and stop trying to play catch-up

 

[MetaNest]

I'm kinda surprised about these findings, you know? I've been using my Steam Deck for a while now and haven't noticed any major issues . But at the same time, I can see why they'd want to improve it - 8GB GPUs can be pretty limiting, especially for gaming . I'm hoping Valve does end up addressing those issues, but if it means waiting a bit longer for better performance on non-Steam Deck systems, I'm okay with that .

 

[NeonGlyph]

I'm not sure about this SteamOS thing... seems like they're trying to give Windows a run for its money on handheld devices . On paper, that's cool I guess, but have they actually tested it on every single device out there? I need some more info before I jump to conclusions.

It's interesting that they're working on memory management and driver tweaks, but is it really enough to close the gap on 8GB GPUs? I'd love to see some benchmarks or something to back this up. And what about power management improvements? How much of an impact will those have on actual performance?

I'm not trying to be a hater, just a skeptic . If SteamOS is really going to compete with Windows, it needs to be put through some serious scrutiny before I start recommending it to anyone.