Steam Machine Performance Contrasted Between Windows 11 and SteamOS
New tests show the Steam Machine gaming console performs 22.1% better in GeekBench 6 multi-core tests on Windows 11 compared to SteamOS. Gaming performance results varied between the operating systems.
New comparative tests have revealed the performance of the Steam Machine gaming console when running Windows 11 versus its native SteamOS. The tests, conducted by YouTube channel ETA PRIME, indicate notable differences in processing and gaming capabilities.
Following Valve's release of official Windows drivers for Steam Machine devices, it is now possible to install Windows 11. In the test setup, the custom six-core Zen 4 processor was recognized as an AMD 1772 under Windows 11, with graphics reporting as an 8GB Radeon RX 7600 series. This configuration was benchmarked against its performance on SteamOS.
In synthetic benchmarks, Windows 11 demonstrated a 3.3% increase in single-core and a 22.1% increase in multi-core performance in GeekBench 6 compared to SteamOS. The processor scored 99 points in single-core and 554 points in multi-core tests within Cinebench 2024. While its single-core score slightly exceeded that of a Ryzen 5 5600X, its multi-core score fell 14.1% short.
Actual gaming performance showed mixed results across three tested titles. In Cyberpunk 2077, SteamOS offered higher frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, whereas Windows 11 took a lead at 4K. Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomber saw minimal differences across resolutions, and Horizon Zero Dawn yielded comparable performance, with SteamOS showing a slight advantage at 1440p.