We Built The Smallest Steam Deck OS Gaming PC And It Has A GPU!

in this video we build A Super Small Form factor Bazzite Linux gaming PC that plays AAA PC games at 1080P! Steam Deck interface on a big screen with even more power is awesome! A great Living room Gaming PC for sure. Powered by An i7 8700T and backed by an AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile GPU this linux powered gaming PC can get the job done!
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[@easenst1978]

Lenovo has a specific top cover if you order the device with GPU, the that top cover have ventilation hole to the fan of the GPU, you can buy that as the parts number is 02CW661 / 02CW662.

[@chaosen3]

Second that! I have a Lenovo ThinkStation P340 tiny with a GPU added the same way, it works perfectly as my vmware esxi host and I can still pass the GPU through to my Linux host

[@ecksearoh6283]

Thanks for this!

[@halfey]

Good to know!

[@sylvershadow1247]

any ideas on where I can get one for REALLY cheap?

[@奶师傅]

But his hole doesn't match the fan of the RX6400. So we still need to drill a more suitable opening manually or 3D print one.

[@iplyrunescape305]

Glorious to see more Linux PC builds become more and more common. Great work, I definitely really wondered if any of these mini form factor PCs would ever take at least one PCIe slot.

[@pianissimo7121]

@@iplyrunescape305 how are windows pc and Linux pc builds different? It's all same right? Haven't watched the video, incase there is context in it.

[@iplyrunescape305]

@@pianissimo7121 the hardware yes is the same. it's the resource management from the Operating Systems that is different. All down to the software. Linux is very very light compared to Windows 10/11

[@TheWeaponshold]

@@iplyrunescape305 Thank god or Wine probably never would have worked.

[@blue.gift7758]

Build something like this using newer M75q Gen 2

[@squoblat]

You can't, none of the M75q models have a PCIe slot.

[@colindavids77077]

I got 1 like tht ryzen5 gen 2 m75q

[@colindavids77077]

How wil tht works if i put a gpu

[@squoblat]

@ You can't fit a GPU into an M75q, they don't have a PCIe slot.

[@Nightball12]

The Lenovo Tiny PCs (and Dell + HP versions) are so awesome Perfect as a home server, NAS, router, evidently even gaming machine.

[@tomprice5496]

Most shitty low spec CPUs are still 1000x times more powerful than the original playstation. They can be great gaming machines, with the right software.

[@borisgraell]

​@@tomprice5496 i havent researched in depth into this steam os thing, does it perform better than regular windows? what are its drawbacks? i just ordered a m90q with an i7 10700, planning on buying the yeston single slot 3050, all of that just because i happened to buy gta 4 at $6

[@Simon2-jr1ug]

I am looking at those which one is better? I am also interested in moding one of those.

[@borisgraell]

@@Simon2-jr1ug check for m90q gen1 i7 10700 or m90q gen3 i5 12500t if it is under 250 it is good to go, i have a gen1 it runs at pcie gen3 x8 rtx3050

[@andrecc1996]

This is one of your best PC mod ideas I've ever seen. It's so easy to do, and inspired me to buy an M720q to do modding just like this. I bought a (interestingly branded) Lenovo RX6400 low profile from Ebay, still waiting for it to arrive. Planning to make this my very portable gaming desktop PC that I can bring around to do some mid-heavy gaming.

[@andresvaldevit3692]

Always blows my mind the mount of videos this guy puts out everyday. Good job!

[@HalfOgre0520]

This is my inspiration video. I found a Lenovo M720q barebones. I installed an i9-9900ES for 8c/16t, 64GB of RAM, and an RX 6500 low profile. The 6500 non XT version is higher clocked than the 6400 and runs cooler. I also 3D printed a taller cover for it so I can get better airflow. It is a beast!

[@Mystic-Voyager]

nice! ... did you design your own cover for 3d printing or you found an existing model?

[@HalfOgre0520]

@@Mystic-Voyager I found one on Thingverse. I printed it in PETG and PLA and I actually liked the PLA better as the print came out cleaner but then again I'm not a 3D printing wizard.

[@controllex_]

how much did you get the barebones for?

[@HalfOgre0520]

@@controllex_ Ebay for $80. Just search for M720q tiny barebone.

[@FlorenceHunt-r8o]

Boosteroid combines affordability with top-tier performance, making it perfect for anyone who loves gaming but doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of traditional setups. I’m so impressed with how well it works.

[@WMan37]

8:59 Any time something like this happens, try putting SteamDeck=0 %command% in launch options. This tricks it into thinking it's not running on a steam deck. Conversely, you can do it the opposite way for non steam deck linux.

[@farrisbuellersweekoff]

This should be pinned.

[@JoJoDramo-ih7qk]

I love those gaming Linux builds. There is so much good hardware out there just needing more love.

[@technodrone313]

linux is janky though. good luck trying to do anything not on steam.

[@zomg346]

​@@technodrone313 Besides game pass everything works I use bazzite

[@TheCommunistRabbit]

@@technodrone313 as a linux user i agree. But this is only because people dont trust linux. If people started believing in desktop linux being a thing, anticheats would work much better, many bugs would get fixed because more people would develop for it. and most importantly more software would be ported like it is for mac As of right now, desktop linux is a mess if you have old hardware + nvidia + using kde plasma which is used on steamdeck.

[@macdonaldez]

​@@technodrone313True, it can be a challenge although I've also been able to add some non-Steam windows games and then run them via Proton.

[@andresvaldevit3692]

I can't find these PCs for less than 300$. It's going to take a lot of love to justify getting one of these and mod it

[@MarbleGiant]

A matrix of smaller and equally spaced holes might also work. You might be able to attach a mesh below them on the case interior.

[@sirleeofroy4732]

I did exactly this with my old M720Q and Nvidia T1000

[@THOR47200]

i have the same setup! i think that keeping the same case without having to create one with a 3D printer, maintains the essence

[@lrpreda]

I have mine with 9900T + T1000 + 64gb ram (above the limit but fully funcional) Rock solid !!!! M930q (2 m2 slots)

[@kalebgross1310]

why do you need so much ram? Makes no sense

[@dzxtricks]

4:35 spending that time just to watch the benchmark scene again and again and again and again is dedication

[@MR-co2ti]

ETA, u ROCK!!!!! Please maintain what you do.

[@fubarru2]

i Personaly use these as a router .... a 256 gig Mvme with 16 gig of ram and a dual 10 gig Network card .... Nothing beats it and I mean Nothing its a absolute beast running Openwrt.

[@GoblinArmyInYourWalls]

What's the benefit of running your own router? I have a mesh network set up for mine, and I host a VPN so I can get access to my jellyfin anywhere without it being directly exposed to the internet. Would I be able to do this same or more with running my own hardware? Mesh network isn't a deal breaker, honestly

[@Hawk3r]

Me too, I run one with vmware, have a second Intel nic and run pfsense firewall/router. But I find this interesting, I love my steam deck lcd and can't believe how good gaming is becoming on Linux thanks to valve. Just needs the steamOS to go official so I can run it on my gaming pc

[@johnuzoka6229]

Isn't that overkill

[@GoblinArmyInYourWalls]

@@Hawk3r you can already run linux gaming distros. You can even build them yourself or just use something like Bazzite

[@Hawk3r]

@@johnuzoka6229 being able to put all your cameras and smart devices on an isolated vlan away from your computer network is the best way. Running a firewall like this is a good idea.

[@datenraffzahn6094]

I love these little Lenovo Mini PCs, you can't have enough! They do a way better job in the home lab, than any Raspberry Pi, and now gaming too? Neat!

[@Kingzgamingandrealtalk]

Brother you keep coming with these bangers! I'm gonna be broke as hell this holiday!! You're a legend

[@Stuck-on-Stuck]

Dude, I literally was going to ask you to start testing Warframe in your videos for iGPU’s and cards and here it is. Please keep this game in your rotation. Need to build a small PC for Warframe.

[@greenprotag]

Nice! A Linux box. I love these little thin clients with PCIE slots.

[@ryanbartlett672]

Thanks. Love these videos. I'm going to start building one soon. I'll probably go Batocera with Steam inside it.

[@Zymaric]

These rx6400 gpus are BADASS! AMD is killing it with their drivers!!!

[@bigno1900]

love the setup with a more powerful gpu.

[@JWSpradlin]

I got one of these free from work that wouldn't boot. I fixed it, got 32gb of RAM, and installed an Intel X540-t4 NIC, and have it as my OPNsense router. These are great little machines!

[@HoldFastFilms]

I have one of these that I used as a server for a while and just built it into retro gaming machine to play some older PC games that I missed playing. It's great for that.

[@isaacstech3629]

I ran one of these for a few months in what I called hot-rod style (no hood, right,) and it's easier said than done to cut a hole in the top. I still keep it around for travel, but I never thought about using an alternative OS! Thanks for this video. Also note: In some games I had a problem where trying to max out fps would cause GPU drops to 0% usage then right back to 95%-ish. I would undervolt this card rather than overclock, or limit your fps.

[@DragunBreath]

Hit the edges of your fan cutout with some cold blueing solution, it will blacken the raw steel and look better. If you care about that sort of thing, of course. Will help keep it from rusting as well.

[@Punk661]

Man I love your channel, everyday theres a new interesting video to watch, keep it up you are doing great.

[@kc0pter]

I would have been interested in seeing how it performs with streaming from a main PC since those SFF gaming boxes are a perfect contestant to plug into a TV and have your Steam games there.

[@megan_alnico]

Warframe hell yeah! Always great to see Warframe in these tests. I didn't even know it ran on Steam OS!

[@PIayboyNike]

Smaller desktops are the future

[@jordancox559]

Ive got one of these with an i9-9900t and a 4060LP. 32gb of corsair ddr4. Wifi and Bluetooth. I love this thing !

[@AdamHenson-e5y]

this is sick and i may have to do that sometime the only change id make is adding a 3050 low profile but this is sick

[@fullfunk]

I Would use this more for a Arcade built with batocera or emulationstation, you could have cut the fan hole bigger then add those 4 screw grills you see around for a nice finish.

[@lilman227]

Yo!! This is the idea I posted in the comments awhile back! Sweet! Edit: if you don’t mind soldering, it’s compatible with a second m.2

[@mrttype]

Really nice build here.

[@hereis_Tiff]

It's easier to purchase an M920Q with the ventilated top cover. Why waste money drilling into your top case (and making it look worse) when Lenovo already has a high quality solution?

[@MGMan37]

The only pictures of an M920Q I've seen with a vented top cover are ones that were obviously custom drilled too

[@hereis_Tiff]

@MGMan37 Try part numbers 02CW661 or -662, those are the Lenovo top cover parts for the M920Q

[@smilaise]

Wasted money? Drilling a hole cost nothing.

[@hereis_Tiff]

@@smilaise You need a drill, you need a step-bit, sanding paper (or a file) to smooth out the rough edges; these things still cost (more) money than just getting the Lenovo-made ventilated top cover 😂

[@saintjohnny45]

​@@hereis_TiffIts often the case with DYI solutions. They seem to cost less but in the end its actually more + the time you spend, but curiously most people seem to not care about their time and just waste it.

[@brittaniemccommon2482]

This is exactly the video i was looking for. I've been wanting to replace my daily driver laptop with something a little more powerful yet still compact for gaming and/or normal stuff, and I'd been looking into micro/small form factor stuff. So, thank you for a walk through of some decent budget parts.😊 I would like a walkthrough of maybe a small form factor budget build with parts you prefer?

[@Rockport1911]

Great, this is basically a Steam console, some might even say " Steam Station" or " Steam engine" :)

[@Sirpry]

Just did a quick search on the low profile GPU selection out there, practically there is no option out there for a bit more powerful GPU, most cards have two slots and the fan + heat sink will be too thick to fit into the case. If you are going to need a bit more graphic power, you are going to need to cut a good chunk out of the case, 3D print another case, or modding the GPU.

[@ben-tendo]

Would you not be able to go into the properties of a game within the SteamOS menu and force a resolution? Also, it's shows how lucky we are in 2024 to discuss the concept of Cyberpunk "'only" getting an average of 56fps! 😂

[@Zephyn]

One of these days, I am going to be able to make myself a little Steam PC. Only thing that really makes me hesitate right now is the two gacha games I play that don't co-operate with Linux.

[@BFY-yc7fw]

Eggs-cellent setup

[@HardWhereHero]

You can get a cover and riser adapter directly from HP. Given it is probably more expensive but the case even has a air duct hole for the GPU fan.

[@MrAtda]

I kind of want to print a double height cover to see what cheap double slot cards could be used. Maybe a few 2.5 bays over the cpu. Still be small but the gained robustness could be nice. Edit I didn't realize the 6400 was the best readily available amd card that's PCI powered. Maybe extra space for a sff power supply but now we're getting complicated haha

[@maksimfedoryak]

3050 with 6 gigs, but it's only windows 10 variant of gaming

[@flashedkickz1255]

bro just built a Ps5 for half the price good stuff

[@bartz0rt928]

You can buy a little converter to go from that proprietary Lenovo charger port to USB C, so you can use a smaller power supply. That converter does "tell" the computer how much power it can draw, so you do need to make sure that you get one that says the correct wattage. (as long as the computer doesn't need to draw more than what can be delivered, at least. I'm using an old laptop that came with a 45 W brick so I figured using a converter labelled for a 100W but a USB C charger of 65 W shouldn't be an issue, and it wasn't.)

[@cubeskywalker4953]

Very nice little PC!

[@Toma_]

I would absolutely love to see if this runs Rivals of Aether II at a decent and consistent 60fps on any setting. I've been looking for solid cheap options to get a handful of setups that will help locals run tournaments! This being under or around $300 each would be huge if it can consistently handle the game!

[@everneg]

thanks for doing my request man, been waiting for you to do this. you're awesome.

[@MorganEdgy]

OH MY GOD YOU'RE PLAYING WARFRAME

[@marvinlloyd8694]

Thanks for the video...please test black myth wukong ❤❤❤

[@chamucoliz]

We need a comparison of this vs a steam deck to see performance

[@Sonyboj]

These micro PCs from Lenovo, HP and Dell are now cheap using 8th/9th gen intel CPUs are perfect for an office PC.

[@alexanderziel3476]

When steam os is finalized there'll be custom PCS on Etsy with steamos I bet

[@_zttf_]

I looked for this from weeks!

[@gaming-zombie1392]

SteamOS plays better than Windows.....

[@Benanonsafety]

For most of the games yes, but some are not even playable

[@ezie-peezy9513]

@gaming-zombie1392 yeah cause it's an gaming specific optimised version of Linux with some fancy UI to make it easy to work with.

[@reluttr2]

@@Benanonsafety Usually because of kernel level DRM. Which hopefully will be going away after Microsoft blocks off access next year.

[@noodleman4555]

​@@Benanonsafety In my experience, most games including ones listed as unsupported are actually playable. A good example of one is lego lord of the rings. The game by default has rendering issues on Steam OS, but these are fixed simply by putting a DLL file in the game folder. That is the only reaspn the game is unsupported, and it's fixed with a file. This is the case for the majority of games that are supported, or a similar issue. The games I've encountered that actually will not work are using an anti-cheat or DRM that intentionally blocks Linux play. That thankfully is in fact, not most games. Most games do work on Steam OS.

[@BigTylt]

​@@reluttr2 Microsoft's not blocking kernel-level DRM. They're just making it easier for programs to operate outside of the kernel so CrowdStrike can't happen again.

[@watchersgrim]

Ive decided to work on my own using a mini-itx motherboard with a radeon rx 7600 gpu and a ryzen 5 3600.

[@modermonkula]

Im surprised Microsoft hasn't been developing a super optimized light weight version of windows specifically for gaming/handhelds

[@luwfu7467]

Really simple, but you have to buy step bit and be very very careful. Open case

[@TVCHLORD]

Always the double videos on windows + steamos for the same device

[@luisfelipegonzalez4423]

There are magnetic fan cover 4x4.

[@nonholographic]

The official release of steam OS 3 is right around the corner

[@Bums001]

I've been meaning to build something like this. A list of all thinkcentre sff with this pcie would be nice but this one should still be largely available

[@adithyanks6532]

Like the wrist band youre using❤

[@hradlo5705]

I have this with original GPU cover and with i7-9700T and it is absolutely great with RX6400

[@HarrisonBailey-y5j]

Game instantly with Boosteroid, no delays.

[@SADBOY-xu8ib]

I can't wait for valve's home console

[@riboiman4005]

To fix the Spiderman issue I found out that you need to always have the Anisotropic Filtering set to 2x or higher on a Linux machine, never using the trilinear setting. I found this out when playing on a 3050 Ti laptop running Manjaro Linux. You will need to tweak that one setting if you want to use the low or very low presets but you will be good to go after that!

[@kobs9636]

pls include DotA2 on your benchmark tests. theres really not enough benchmark about it. and i really want to see how well it plays on max settings.

[@JocileiBazo]

Really interested to see your review of the MANBA ONE V2. Looks like a great controller. Will you review this controller?

[@Stoney3K]

That "proprietary" connection looks like a regular laptop PCI-e slot.

[@northernlandsgaming3268]

I think it'd be cool if ETA added War Thunder to his game benchmark list.

[@gonzales2011]

Cool little box! But I wonder if at that performance level a 8700g would not be the better option offering similar GPU speed with integrated graphics...

[@jackamick]

Would love to see Flight Sim 2020 or 2024 on this.

[@edgarrg1899]

Try turning off enhanced shaders on Warframe, also drop oclusion (SSO? Cant remember right now) and Volumetric Fog. Your performance will increase and the blurred edges of reflective elements will dissappear.

[@jazzawazza2033]

Valves watching right now

[@abrahamacosta1056]

WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW HELLDIVERS 2 RUNS ON THIS BUILD!

[@fishthefirst]

The RX 6400 is very underpowered. You can expect 40-60 fps at 1080p low settings.

[@abrahamacosta1056]

@fishthefirst gotcha, my daily drive is powerful enough to play on high but I do love that my steam deck can play it on low settings at 30 fps 😂 which I'm new to PCs but I had a lot of fun building my PC and I actually used one of my favorite KZbinrs "oztalkshw" $500 builds. I switch to PC when the ps5 came out and I couldn't get one because of the scalpers re selling them for double the price SMH. I really love seeing what people can do with low low end PC builds.

[@Brand0n555]

To get the fallout 4 geaphics options on steam deck (or bazzite, holo iso what have you) go to the games properties, launch options then type SteamDeck=0 %command%

[@elmarvo7505]

1:33 Excuse me Sir, what do you mean by "HP version"? You mean a graphics card by the manufacturer HP or does "HP" stand for high profile?

[@Hmm..........1.]

He means high profile

[@frankfortfcgoc]

Cool little set up but here in Ireland to build this even with buying parts from ebay costs 350 euro at least

[@Benanonsafety]

Still cheaper than an steam deck

[@johnuzoka6229]

Look for an m720q it's cheaper also the wx4100 is a decent GPU for this. I got this combo for $230 CAD including the riser

[@faystoface3134]

hi, is there a pcie port in the m720q version to integrate a new graphics card? I inquired and was told no... your feedback on my question would be appreciated and I thank you in advance. ​@@johnuzoka6229

[@johnuzoka6229]

​@@faystoface3134yes there is a PCIe slot on m720q

[@faystoface3134]

@@johnuzoka6229 hi would an amd graphics card be compatible with the lenovo m720q m920q?

[@ruslanmalakhovskiy]

Aayyy, warframe is my favourite game

[@screem_mix]

you play Warframe 😮 awesome!

[@dilonkao]

Just did a setup with a m720q and got a subpar result. Major issue being thermal throttling on both CPU and GPU. Did okay on retro 3A games/60fps but not so well on recent ones/below 30fps.

[@WoobiewookieBlogspot]

Hey - really enjoy your videos - I have to say that i like the idea of re-using thin clients for consoles/stb's. Are there any Ryzen versions of the ThinkCenter tinys that have the PCIE slot? The only 920q's I could find were Intel. I haven't been able to see images of the motherboards, to confirm PCIE availability, either.

[@greendro6410]

Very nice alright 😁

[@forgottenalex]

So you made a Steam Machine is what you're saying

[@daverhodus]

Come on, Strix Halo.

[@rastamouse7861]

Yeah man, i wanna do it.

[@SamusKitsune]

Warframe my beloved!

[@bricewillis6577]

Will you please do a video on the DFR 1091 sdc no one has any videos on this sbc and it has a base clock of 4.6ghz GPU and mabey some overclocking if possible LOL thanks ur videos are awesome by the way thanks for all the entertainment.

[@MayankJairaj]

The p330/m920x have a perforated top cover no need to drill

[@MountKash1]

Yup ! Correct

[@JorgeC-uk6wk]

Do they have 2 m.2 usable slots, and can add GPU?

[@MayankJairaj]

@@JorgeC-uk6wk yes obviously

[@JorgeC-uk6wk]

​@@MayankJairaj Ok because the 920q only has one m.2 usable slot

[@MayankJairaj]

@@JorgeC-uk6wk 2 SSD slots 2 ram slots and one GPU slot, I just checked mine again

[@charlesburris6314]

Cool little retro/emu gamer if it's cheap enough. I'd probably look for 11th gen base though.

[@Benanonsafety]

Nice Project, how are the benchmarks vs the ones from the steam deck (which has an cpu developed for the steam deck software)

[@Dracorientalis]

Fallout4 just use the exact same sound of the minigun from OG Unreal Tournament?!

[@ABOhiccups]

Can you make a video about a Single Slot NVIDIA RTX A4000 from Amazon? Well this Low Profile Graphics Card works with Minisforum MS-01 without an external power supply?

[@evokur]

You should play Warframe until you unlock the Duviri Paradox, it's an open world which will be a bit more intensive for testing than just running the first mission and it's unlocked very early into the game despite being released last year. Also you should just play the game because it's good

[@縣]

would an intel 380 low profile fit inside of this?

[@toddhowarddd]

this is cool but you can just get a ryzen pro apu model with if i remember right about steam deck profomance.

[@ykwai79mytuber]

if you can find the yeston rtx 3050 on the market you can get a big performance