• artyom@piefed.social
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    2 days ago

    Every computer has sleep/resume.

    Try it on your desktop in the middle of a game and let me know how that goes.

    Background updates is a software-based idle mode.

    It’s not, it requires a special processor.

    Efficiency/noise/heat are all the same thing and has little to do with the hardware.

    Uhhh it has EVERYTHING to do with the hardware?

    The hardware they’re using isn’t any more efficient than what you can buy yourself.

    Not in this compact size.

    • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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      2 days ago

      Try it on your desktop in the middle of a game and let me know how that goes.

      Oh, you mean application sleep/resume. Yeah, that’s not standard. It’s not hardware-based though. It just needs to offload the data in cache and RAM into storage, then put it back when it’s needed. That’s handled by software, and I would wager on it being available on SteamOS at large, and probably all of Linux, once it’s published.

      It’s not, it requires a special processor.

      I have not heard about it having a “special processor”. It’s a AMD Zen 4 CPU. It doesn’t seem to have anything special there. Do you mean an additional processor? I haven’t heard any discussion of that. They’ve said they want to add it to the Deck too, so I’m pretty sure you’re incorrect.

      Uhhh it has EVERYTHING to do with the hardware?

      Their hardware isn’t special. It’s stuff you can buy off the shelf. Sure, choosing efficient hardware is important, but it isn’t exclusive to the Steam Machine/Valve. That’s what I was discussing. Anything extra they’re getting out of it is software and/or firmware.

      Not in this compact size.

      First, yes, you can, if you make it yourself. Sure, it’s hard, but not impossible.

      Second, the size has nothing to do with the efficiency! Sure, it’s nice, but it doesn’t reduce power draw. It’s got the same amount of heat generation as any other computer with the same hardware. Yes, it has a fairly large radiator/heat-sink, but you can get the same size (or larger) yourself if you want.

      • artyom@piefed.social
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        2 days ago

        I have not heard about it having a “special processor”. It’s a AMD Zen 4 CPU.

        Look closelier. It’s “semi-custom”.

        It’s stuff you can buy off the shelf.

        Which shelf is that?

        First, yes, you can, if you make it yourself.

        No.

        the size has nothing to do with the efficiency!

        It has everything to do with heat and noise.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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          2 days ago

          Look closelier. It’s “semi-custom”.

          They clarified, the silicon is off-the-shelf and the firmware is modified. It doesn’t have some “special processor” or anything.

          It has everything to do with heat and noise.

          What? It being small only means the heat has less room to be removed, so it needs a higher power fan (or thermal throttling). It does have something to do with heat and noise, in that smaller is worse for them. If it’s quite or cool, that’s despite the size, not because of it.

          I don’t care to argue about this, but you’re making unfounded claims that this device is somehow special, because it’s made by Valve I guess, and they need to be worshiped? It seems like a nice kit, but it isn’t particularly groundbreaking. It’s just a well designed and put together computer. Most of what it does is the same as any other computer, running Linux/Arch is capable of.

          • artyom@piefed.social
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            19 hours ago

            the firmware is modified. It doesn’t have some “special processor” or anything.

            The firmware is not part of the processor. Every processor has custom firmware.

            It being small only means the heat has less room to be removed

            Being custom allows it to be both small and quiet. Find me another PC in this size, with this much power, that’s as quiet. You can’t.

            because it’s made by Valve I guess, and they need to be worshiped?

            I’ve already stated why several times. Now you’re just being disingenuous.

            • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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              2 days ago

              Being custom allows it to be both small and quiet. Find me another PC in this size, with this much power, that’s as quiet. You can’t.

              We don’t know how quite this will be! Even the ones that were shown aren’t necessarily final. Again, you’re making claims without any evidence. I can’t show you something as quite as small, because we don’t know how quite it’ll be. To show you it isn’t anything crazy though, there are fanless PCs that you can get. As powerful? No. As quite? Even more. It’s a trade off. It isn’t magic. If you do something custom you could get even quieter with more power. Just connect a giant copper radiator to it without a fan.

              I see you didn’t address the other points I made. Now we’re down to just the one. Whatever. This one is pure speculation, so can’t be disproven.

              Im not arguing this will be a bad device. I expect it to be fairly good for the price. It’s just not really going to be something you can’t get elsewhere without Valve, with the exception of Bluetooth resuming.

              • artyom@piefed.social
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                2 days ago

                We don’t know how quite this will be!

                You can tell by looking at the design, and by who made it.

                there are fanless PCs that you can get. As powerful? No

                Please go back and read my first comment on this thread. I said quiet, powerful, and compact. All 3.

                I see you didn’t address the other points I made

                I did. Several times.

                • Cethin@lemmy.zip
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                  2 days ago

                  Alright, I’m done. By the “who made it” comment, I know there’s no reasoning. There’s nothing special about this device! The same amount of energy is used, which means heat, as any other device with the same hardware, and the hardware is just about off-the-shelf. Either the fans turn up, which means noise, or it thermal throttles. There’s nothing here that could change the physics. Valve does not employ wizards.

                  • artyom@piefed.social
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                    1 day ago

                    By the “who made it” comment, I know there’s no reasoning

                    LOL no you don’t.

                    The same amount of energy is used, which means heat, as any other device with the same hardware

                    There is no other device with the same hardware. You know there isn’t. I don’t understand why you’re making this up.

                    There’s nothing here that could change the physics. Valve does not employ wizards.

                    No wizards required, just some smart engineers and novel design.