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JEMC said:

So, just like we all suspected: the software side os Arc sucks, and w can only hope they manage to fix it in the future.

Now the question is: what will run out first, our hope that they'll fix it or Intel's patience with this whole GPU business?

I think Intel will stay in the game for a while because there's a lot of money to be made. Cryto has basically stopped going down so it's not dead yet and Intel seems to be on AMDs camp and not wanting to nerf the hashrate capabilities. So if they have a compelling product with a good price by the time the next crypto boom happens, then the GPUs will sell themselves. I just hope that they eventually get the kinks worked out to become competitive because Driver support for GPUs is much more essential than CPUs.

hinch said:

Captain_Yuri said:

The 6800U handhelds are starting to show up for reviews/previews

Essentially if you take the Steam Deck and crank the settings up to high or keep the same settings , up the resolution to 1080p and double the framerate, you will get the 6800U's performance at 28 watts. For some games, you can do both. And you get the benefits of running Windows with essentially universal compatibility with all your games.

But of course, the key difference is the price as most of these handhelds will cost double the 512GB version at a starting price. On top of that, you will have a hard time dealing with any Quality Control issues where as with the Steam Deck, you can just send it back. While the performance and functionality is great, it is a hard plunge to take.

For the GPD Win Max 2, they haven't given out the 6800U version yet to the reviewers but you can see the review of the Intel version

Looks great. Some exciting stuff happening with APU's and portable handhelds rn.. more companies coming to the market with their handheld devices and with the 6800U, this looks like to be the one. Hopefully with Steam Deck out people will look more into these devices and more manufacturers - particularly western ones, will be more inclined to make one. 1080P and 60fps is a huge achievement at 28W for this form factor.. And those larger high res screens looks so good. Shame they cost so much in comparison to SD.

Steam Deck, while decent for the price has its limitations. And I can't see it handle 'next gen' engines very well considering it just about makes the grade for current cross gen titles at 800P at 30-40 FPS. Saying that, with how 12 CU RDNA 2 and 8C Zen 3 on the 6800U handles, can't wait for when Valve releases a second iteration. Something like 'Little Pheonix' APU with Zen 4 and RDNA 3 would make for a potent portable. Can see a handheld like that last a whole console generation with ease with ports. Just needs better compatibility as Steam OS/Linux with Proton, while good its not all quite there yet.

About the Arc. Yeah, its a chicken and the egg situation. Intel have to start somewhere.. but when you have essentially a under-performing platform coming in so late compared to the competition its a dud. Hopefully Intel can sort it shit out but honestly Arc so far with Alchemist can probably be written off. Until Intel puts it head for for Battlemage en all and make a compelling product that people would want and not a janky mess with broken drivers.

Tbh I want some more western companies to release these handheld PCs. Someone like Asus or Alienware because while something like the GPD Win Max 2 looks very interesting, spending $1000+ on device that is very difficult to get support from if something goes wrong is very risky. Where as western companies at least have consumer protection. I wouldn't mind paying $1000+ for a companion device that I can take to work along with my Macbook Pro but idk if I'll risk it with a Chinese company. But I do like the flexibility the GPD Win 3 offers and running Windows does help with compatibility.

But at this point, I'll most likely wait for the Steam Deck 2 and see. Either that or I'll get the GPD Win Max 2 a few months after it gets released so I'll have a higher chance of not getting a dud.