ASRock's DeskMeet with an Intel Arc A380 is an affordable Steam Machine alternative

ASRock's DeskMeet mini PCs are powerful, versatile, and configurable, and can also double as portable gaming PCs. With the launch of Valve's Steam Machine delayed until later this year, ASRock has come out to say that if you take one of its DeskMeet mini PCs, like the DeskMeet B660 that we've previously reviewed, and pair it with the Intel Arc A380 Challenger ITX 6GB OC GPU, you've got an affordable alternative.

2

Intel's first-generation Arc graphics cards have come a long way since their debut; however, the recent release of XeSS 3 has breathed new life into the Intel Arc A380. With new, updated AI-powered upscaling (Super Resolution), Frame Generation, and now Multi-Frame Generation, the Intel Arc 380 can deliver decent 1080p gaming performance that could theoretically compete with the Steam Machine.

According to ASRock, the arrival of XeSS 3 sees the Intel Arc A380 perform more in line with the Radeon RX 6600, with better image quality than AMD's FSR. Of course, as a 6GB GPU, the Intel Arc A380 Challenger ITX won't be able to render games at Ultra settings, but at a price of only $139.99 USD, it's worth considering.

In addition to being a Steam Machine-like mini PC running Windows instead of SteamOS, a DeskMeet with an Intel Arc A380 is also a capable productivity box for creators and professionals, as well as being a home-theater PC thanks to Intel's impressive AV1 encoding and decoding.

As seen on Newegg's product page for the Intel Arc A380 Challenger ITX, you can also save on ASRock DeskMeet bundles that include the barebones mini PC with the GPU for around $300 to $340. ASRock offers both Intel and AMD DeskMeet options, so it's a great deal if you're able to recycle or reuse a CPU, some DDR4 memory, and storage to create an affordable 1080p gaming PC that can sit comfortably next to or underneath a TV.

And unlike the Steam Machine, the DeskMeet is upgradeable, so you could also pair it with a more powerful GeForce RTX 5060 ITX GPU for 1080p or 1440p gaming powered by DLSS 4.