In short yes. I use it as a mini pc, with dual monitor set-up.
Comment on There's a reason we aren't as harsh on the Steam Deck. Actually, a couple.
OwlPaste@lemmy.world 2 months ago
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
ygurin@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
Can you actually use steamdeck as a desktop PC though?
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 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).
LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 2 months ago
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.
AVincentInSpace@pawb.social 2 months ago
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.
Fubarberry@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
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.
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
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
Zangoose@lemmy.world 2 months ago
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.
AVincentInSpace@pawb.social 2 months ago
You can even put Windows on it if you feel like committing blasphemy
mossy_@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Now I want to get MacOS on one just to make gamers twitch
Zangoose@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not sure if this counts but (Reddit link warning) (someone managed to do it in a VM)[reddit.com/…/macos_catalina_on_steam_deck_steamos…]
mossy_@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s just as gross as I was imagining 😬
yukijoou@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
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!
Zangoose@lemmy.world 2 months ago
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.