Hi all,
I’ve owned my steam deck for a few months now and love it but also feels it’s lacking in the power department in some ways. With a big one being the ram.
With the release of both the ally and legion. I feel like valve needs to release a good power upgrade for all of us. Not a whole new device but an option power upgrade. This could also include the new OLED model too.
The idea - going on the thought of repairability and optional upgrade. Why not just replace an updated motherboard for us owners to make the swap. With an updated APU and larger amount of ram, it would extend the platform lifecycle years. Granted I’ve read and watched reviews showing there is a lot of optimization that’s can be done but that only goes so far. Making the motherboard upgrade optional allows more power hungry users the opportunity to satisfy their hunger.
Thoughts ?
Valve chose the components of the Steam Deck pretty darn carefully. I don’t expect any upgrade path, except what they have done with the OLED, because it would destroy the parity they sought. Part of the Steam Deck platform is giving the developers a set series of specs to shoot for, for portable performance. This advantage is part of how the Deck has competed with its more powerful rivals, alongside the sheer amount of software-level support Valve has offered.
No APU currently available will be more efficient than Zen2+RDNA 2 operating at 15W. An upgrade as described would significantly impact battery life, requiring you to be near a power outlet constantly. There is already a legion go and Rog ally if you want to sacrifice battery life for power.