SteamOS vs. Windows on dedicated GPUs: It’s complicated, but Windows has an edge

In a recent exploration of gaming performance, I delved into my custom-built Steam Machine, which features an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G processor paired with a Radeon 780M integrated GPU. While I wouldn't suggest replicating this setup due to the current high prices of RAM, there are plenty of affordable mini PCs available on Amazon that utilize the same GPU. These systems are quite capable of running games that perform well on the less powerful Steam Deck. However, it's important to note that this hardware doesn't fully represent the upcoming Steam Machine that Valve is set to release next year. That device will come equipped with a dedicated GPU boasting 8GB of video memory, which brings its own set of advantages and challenges compared to systems that rely on integrated graphics. As a part of our final pre-launch analysis, we conducted tests on several popular games using both SteamOS and Windows on the same hardware. The results indicate a notable trend: Windows generally outperforms SteamOS, often by a significant margin. This performance gap is particularly pronounced when utilizing 8GB GPUs, as SteamOS tends to hit RAM limitations in more titles and at lower resolutions when compared to its Windows counterpart. In our GPU testing, we aim to have the optimal CPU, motherboard, and other components to accurately gauge the graphics card's capabilities without interference from system bottlenecks. This meticulous approach ensures that we can provide a clear picture of how these operating systems stack up against each other in real-world gaming scenarios.