A Steam Machine owner’s attempt to upgrade the system’s memory has sparked discussion within the community after revealing that what seems like a simple RAM replacement requires extensive disassembly. While the upgrade to 32GB was successful, many users believe the process is far more complicated than they expected.
The discussion started after a Reddit user shared photos of a Steam Machine upgraded from 16GB to 32GB of RAM using two 16GB SO-DIMM modules. The post showed that reaching the memory slots required a nearly complete teardown, including removing the outer shell, disconnecting several internal cables, and taking out multiple circuit boards before the new RAM could be installed.
The owner said the upgrade took around 45 minutes to complete and required a Torx screwdriver along with a plastic spudger. Unlike many laptops that offer easy access to RAM through a dedicated service panel, the Steam Machine requires a much deeper teardown to perform what would otherwise be a routine upgrade.
The post quickly attracted attention from other community members, many of whom were surprised by the amount of work involved. Several users described the procedure as time-consuming and potentially risky for anyone without experience working on PC hardware, as the number of cables and components that must be removed increases the chances of accidental damage.
The discussion also focused on whether upgrading the Steam Machine from 16GB to 32GB of memory is worthwhile. Most users agreed that the extra RAM is unlikely to make a noticeable difference in gaming performance. Instead, modern games are more often limited by GPU performance and available graphics memory than by system RAM
Some users pointed out that running memory in dual-channel mode can offer a small performance boost in certain CPU-intensive games. However, they noted that these gains are generally modest and may not justify the effort required to complete the upgrade.
Upgrading the Steam Machine’s memory is still possible for users who have the right tools and are comfortable working on PC hardware. For everyone else, the teardown shows that the process is far from simple. Given the amount of work involved and the modest performance gains, many users may decide the upgrade is not worth the effort.
Source: Reddit
