steam deck

Furnishing my room & helping my roomies make the wifi not suck, so I can use my big tower, is on my to-do list. Until then, my steam deck has been my main PC. I don't even game on it much. If you want a versitile PC, you can't get a better value for the money than steam deck.

a good picture, but a bad use case
steam deck internals
internals
vidya games
vidya games
on the dock with ultrawide and TKL
on the dock
Dragon Age Origins title screen
DAO title screen

I anticipate that x86 platforms will be more secure, but more finicky in the coming years. The NVIDIA-powered war machine will be rallying around the ARM platform and inflating the price of x86 computers & parts. x86-64 is more grounded in older, less commercialized software development. They are more repairable, and are less likely to come assembled and glued together like a cell phone.

For all its faults, I'm probably looking to Valve to keep Linux & x86 hardware support alive vs the drive to ARM.

Steam Deck approximately as powerful as my AM4 system, that is my tower built 2018, Euripides 1.0. Here are the modifications & upgrades I've used & recommend. Some of them (like the solid state memory upgrade) are prohibitively expensive now. Last year, I kinda broke my budget to get PC parts. I knew it would happen. I'm so grateful I made it.

important accessories

  • Rii Mini Keyboard i4: a handy remote to type easily without fuss, without using the virtual keyboard. It has less input lag than the 60% compact keyboard I used. (an Anne Pro 2, do not recommend if you type more than 70WPM)
  • Internal storage: A crucial replacement for NVMe M.2 2230 SSD. Also, a lil heatsink for it.
  • micro SD card: the Samsung & Nintendo branded ones are a good value for speed & reliability.
  • JSAUX transparent back plate: There is one with an extra vent, and one without. I got the one without.
    I got this is for the aluminum plate. Newer steamdecks have aluminum inside, but mine (refurbed) did not. It is a simple thing to add, but this one facing outside is probably better than the OEM aluminum. the JSAUX plastic quality, however, is not better than OEM. worth it tho.
  • Paw print texture joystick covers: not only adorable, the paw print Just Works. Paws are like that for a reason. A graceful synthesis of cute & functional.
  • Tempered glass screen protector: So, I have an LCD, not OLED model. And this is fine. The glass is an easy upgrade. It will makes LCD look better. I hung out with a friend who was surprised it was not OLED. The glass lamination improves clarity of the image, in addition to protecting the screen.
  • Razr huntsman, tenkeyless: Unfortunately, I do like razr keyboards. The clicky (purple) light strike optical-mechanical switches (also available in linear and/or tactile variants) are my favorite. I'm not much a gamer but the lack of input lag is noticable at my high typing speed.

okayist accessories

  • Seagate dock: I have lost the door to my m2 compartment. The manufacturer has no replacement for that part. It got too hot running an SSD in there, without it. Even on my P5 with its own heatsink, because it’s not exposed to air presumably. Still glad I have a cat5 port, but m2 compartment less useful than I hoped.
  • LTT stick locks: My favorite controller is gamecube, which are old and fragile. I got locks to protect it & to travel with the steam deck. I’m clumsy as hell, and those joysticks (even without grippy covers) bump into things. Between these and the paw print covers, it’s like my deck has indoor and outdoor shoes. lol.
  • 8bitdo controller, SN30Pro: its semitransparent purple goes nicely with my back plate. Works on PC & switch. Good alternative to be more normal than gamecube + adapter or ill-fated Power A imitation. It goes nicely into a bag. No handles are less than comfortable, but the buttons feel satisfying. As good as a slab is gunna get for me.