ASRock DeskMeet X300 Custom Build Puts Steam Machine To Shame As It Pushes Frame Rates Over 60 At 1440p For The Same Price

wccftech | Aug. 18, 2026, 11:42 a.m. | Original

Once again, a custom PC build beats the Steam Machine convincingly despite the rising costs.

Steam Machine itself isn't a bad product, but its high price makes it a poor value for gamers who are looking to maximize gaming performance on a budget. Since the disclosure of its official pricing, the device has been criticized and mocked, as users have come up with superior specifications for custom PC builds that can easily outperform this device.

Since then, the price of components has witnessed a drastic surge, with memory and GPUs witnessing double-digit growth. This has made building PCs unaffordable, as getting a powerful GPU for a $1000 build becomes extremely difficult. However, some barebone PCs are able to lower the overall PC build cost if you are willing to make some sacrifices.

A black, compact case form-factor PC is placed beside its packaging box, with visible HDMI, USB, and audio ports on its front panel.
ASRock DeskMeet X300 Barebone costs just $190

For $1050, a Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB might not be possible now, but you can certainly save enough to throw it in a build if you opt for the ASRock DeskMeet X300 PC. This four-year-old platform brings a custom ASRock ITX motherboard with support for 4x DDR4 modules, Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000G, and 5000 series, a 500W power supply, and a small 8-liter chassis to accommodate all the parts, including a discrete GPU.

A detailed breakdown of the DeskMeet Build Hardware + Cost [US/AUD] includes components: CASE: DeskMeet X300 - $190/$350, CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 - $140/$170, GPU: Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB - $470/$650, with a total cost of $1050/$1610.
Deskmeet X300 custom PC build boasts superior specifications

Hardware Unboxed took on the challenge to beat the Steam Machine for the same price by opting for the DeskMeet X300 and configuring it with a Ryzen 5 5600, 1x 16 GB DDR4 RAM, a 1 TB M.2 SSD, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB. This configuration costs nearly $1050, for which Valve is offering a 512 GB Steam Machine.

The image shows performance data for 'Cyberpunk 2077' at '1440p FSR Q, Ultra' settings, with a framerate of 83 FPS, and CPU and GPU temperatures of 96°C and 78°C, displayed next to a neon-lit bar scene from the game.
DeskMeet X300 delivers nearly 70-90 FPS in Triple-A titles

However, when it comes to performance, the DeskMeet X300 totally dominates the Steam Machine in gaming, putting the Zen 4 SoC to shame. In almost every triple-A title, the DeskMeet X300 PC was able to deliver over 70 FPS at 1440p with Ultra settings and FSR set to Quality. Even though the CPU and the GPU ran very hot at the stock settings, undervolting brought the temperature down drastically without affecting performance.

A comparison of 'Forza Horizon 6' performance on Windows 11 shows '1440P FSR Q, Extreme' settings with the stock configuration achieving an average of 89 FPS and a CPU temperature of 96°C, while the undervolted setup averages 88 FPS with a CPU temperature of 80°C.
Undervolting improves thermals without compromising much on the performance

With the Steam OS, the machine was able to deliver similar performance except in Forza Horizon 6 , but everything was way better than you could expect from a Steam Machine. This is a reminder that you need to shop smart, as buying individual components these days might not be a good idea. Sometimes purchasing a pre-built PC or a bundle can save you hundreds of dollars, and platforms such as ASRock DeskMeet X300 can be an excellent alternative. Not to mention, you also get superior I/O connectivity compared to consoles.

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