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cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/3922769
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The original was posted on /r/linustechtips by /u/RevolutionaryAd8204 on 2024-09-14 15:50:43+00:00.
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this post was submitted on 15 Sep 2024
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Steam Deck
15070 readers
94 users here now
A place to discuss and support all things Steam Deck.
Replacement for r/steamdeck_linux.
As Lemmy doesn't have flairs yet, you can use these prefixes to indicate what type of post you have made, eg:
[Flair] My post title
The following is a list of suggested flairs:
[Discussion] - General discussion.
[Help] - A request for help or support.
[News] - News about the deck.
[PSA] - Sharing important information.
[Game] - News / info about a game on the deck.
[Update] - An update to a previous post.
[Meta] - Discussion about this community.
Some more Steam Deck specific flairs:
[Boot Screen] - Custom boot screens/videos.
[Selling] - If you are selling your deck.
These are not enforced, but they are encouraged.
Rules:
- Follow the rules of Sopuli
- Posts must be related to the Steam Deck in an obvious way.
- No piracy, there are other communities for that.
- Discussion of emulators are allowed, but no discussion on how to illegally acquire ROMs.
- This is a place of civil discussion, no trolling.
- Have fun.
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Can you actually use steamdeck as a desktop PC though? Can it drive dual external monitors? Is it a reasonable "minipc" type thing? How much power does it munch on in idle?
Can I maybe put some other linux distro on it? So many questions
I have a Steam deck, here's the answers to my knowledge:
Yes, you can connect a keyboard and mouse, and even in SteamOS they let you access KDE in a separate "Desktop mode"
Not sure about multiple monitors but you can connect at least one. There are docks made for it to do just that (the USB C cable has display port support I think)
It runs a 4 core/8 thread AMD laptop chip so assuming you get a mouse/keyboard it should work pretty well.
It has a 5W mode in the power settings in SteamOS so I'm assuming around that much at idle.
You can put other distros on it, it's completely unlocked. You could even put Windows on it if you wanted. I'm not sure how easy the install process is though since I've just left SteamOS on mine.
Now I want to get MacOS on one just to make gamers twitch
Not sure if this counts but (Reddit link warning) someone managed to do it in a VM
That's just as gross as I was imagining 😬
You can even put Windows on it if you feel like committing blasphemy
Most usb-c ports with DP alt mode support up to 1 monitor at 4k@60Hz, or 2×1080p@60Hz, and I believe 2×1440p@30Hz. It comes down to bandwidth, so I think that as long as you're fine with one monitor running at a slower refresh-rate or lower resolution, you can have your primary screen displaying in high-res.
Of course, you have to also take into consideration the GPU performance, running higher resolutions will usually degrade performance!
Probably not great for games but it could totally drive a 1440p or even 4k monitor if you're only using it for web/office/media playback. I'm curious to know if other people are using it as a general computer.
Edit: some people are totally using it as a general computer: https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2024/09/frame-of-mind-developer-ended-up-coding-the-game-on-steam-deck-for-a-year/
In short yes. I use it as a mini pc, with dual monitor set-up.
Depends on how many pixels you "need". Running high resolution monitors, even for basic stuff can get costly performance wise pretty damn quick, but in my opinion that isn't really asking the same question as whether the Steam Deck can be a good desktop.
You can absolutely use the Steam Deck as a desktop, I frequently use my Steam Deck in desktop mode... using the onboard controls. The only real limitation of the Steam Deck so long as you don't expect it to be a top of the line gaming pc, is that most people who buy it are never truly going to be able to give anything else other than a mouse and keyboard an honest go, they are too impatient and won't believe it can work but the sky is the limit for joystick+gyro input (our touchpad + gyro) for computers/gaming.
How good does it work on an external 4K monitor? Can you watch 4k video? I imagine youtube and browsing reddit or news online shouldn't be a problem.
Basically I'd like an ultra low power PC for boring desktop stuff on 4k monitor.
If that's all you need, a Raspberry Pi 5 will fit the bill nicely. It's got two 4K HDMI outputs and it's roughly on par compute-wise with a higher end Chromebook. You won't be gaming on this thing -- it can just about play a YouTube video at 4K60 -- but it'll gladly handle your desktop stuff. As a bonus it's about an eighth the price of a Steam Deck.
Honestly, with the Raspberry Pi 5 costing as much as it does, I'd definitely check out some mini PCs on Amazon as well. There are several in the $100-150 range that are pretty decent, and won't require additional purchases like a case and additional storage.
That might be a reason to maybe consider some competitors of the Steam Deck that are a bit more powerful (but have their own tradeoffs, primarily that the wholistic experience just isnt going to be as good as the steam deck is right now), I don't know the Steam Deck might run 4k fine but I'd be hesitant to recommend it, that is so many fucking pixels lol