Steam Machine CPU Benchmark Results Trail Gaming Handhelds, But GPU Advantage May Offset Gap

Leaked Geekbench 6 scores for Valve's upcoming Steam Machine reveal that its custom AMD 1772 processor trails modern gaming handhelds in CPU performance. The benchmark results, obtained from a system running Linux (presumably Valve's SteamOS), show the processor achieved a 2,334 single-core score and 7,392 multi-core score—notably lower than competitors like the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme in the ASUS ROG Ally X, which scored 2,813 and 12,789 respectively. The same chip performed better when tested on Windows in earlier August 2025 results, indicating potential optimization differences between operating systems.

The performance gap, however, may not prove problematic for the intended use case. The Steam Machine's custom AMD chip features 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.86GHz, compared to 8-core processors in competing handhelds that operate at higher thermal design power. More significantly, the Steam Machine pairs its CPU with a dedicated RDNA 3 GPU featuring 8GB of VRAM—a substantial advantage over the integrated graphics in gaming handhelds that share system memory. This GPU architecture is expected to deliver considerably stronger graphics performance, potentially compensating for the CPU deficit.

Analysts note the CPU performance gap will likely be most noticeable in CPU-intensive scenarios such as large open-world games requiring extensive physics calculations or high frame-rate, high-resolution gameplay. For typical living room gaming on common TV resolutions and frame rates, the superior GPU performance should provide the necessary boost. Valve announced the Steam Machine will ship this summer, though pricing remains unconfirmed. The company's confidence in the device persists despite the benchmark results, with the focus remaining on delivering a competitive living room gaming experience.