The fact Valve actually sells replacement parts priced reasonably, for a device that is fairly easy to take apart, is HUGE for the refurbished market (and cheap people like us who want to buy refurbished Steam Decks!). Wish more companies would follow their lead! Interesting that they let the joystick ship like that though, and you would think they would re-paste every refurbished device before sale. Curious how much of a difference PTM7950 would be vs the paste you used, which looked like Noctua? Awesome video as always man!
It would be cool to test and see if it made a difference and yes, I love they went out of their way to allow users to repair the device as well as providing support to have easy access to parts and even allowing of third party replacement options.
if you ever take the back panel off the steam deck again make sure there is no micro sd card in the micro sd card reader. Those have been known to snap in half if left in while taking the back panel off.
@10:45 It's hard to tell from here, but it looks like the reason the temps haven't improved much is because the cpu is using a little more power, thanks to having more thermal headroom it just goes as hard as it can up to that temperature
I think the "stick drift" you're referring to in Ratchet & Clank & Half-Life 2 is actually the gyro support kicking in. Your analog sticks have capacitive touch domes that can enable gyro aiming on supported games, Half-Life 2 is definitely set up for that, as will be L4D2 and even TF2.
3:00 Have you noticed after taking it apart, and reassembling the Deck that the rigidity go away? 7:27 You're supposed to use the Steam Deck case, using the top lid up, to take apart the steam deck so you're not mashing the joysticks and buttons on your table.
The way I saved money on my Steam Deck was by getting the 64GB version while it was on sale and upgraded the ssd to 1TB myself. From Valve the 1TB Steam Deck is like $600, with this method it was only $400!
Did the same thing. Bought the 64gb version, then eventually installed a 2TB SSD. Got SteamOS and Windows 11 in separate partitions, and installed Clover. Been my primary gaming device, and even bought a relatively cheap stand dock and hook the baby up to my TV for couch gaming with an Xbox Controller.
Did you add how much the SSD cost to it? Cause otherwise this comparison is moot lol The 512 (or 1TB OLED) models are kind of "limited edition", they have more than just a bigger SSD, they have anti glare screens and a special carrying case, and some digital goodies. Not saying it's worth it for the premium price, but it is stuff you miss out on.
@@Dorrajif he bought the non OLED model then I don’t see the difference other than SSD size. A 1tb ssd for this should only be between $45-$60 so depending on how much the deck was, yeah it could be a very smart buy. Hell, he could probably put in a 2TB and still have it cost less than from valve tbh.
@@minecraftvsmasterz I'm just saying, you can't take a comparison, go "and I added this thing that costs money to it", and not add that to the comparison. He didn't even get the numbers right, he said he got the 64GB version, which is the LCD version, since there is no 64GB OLED version, and then compared it to the OLED 1TB version, since there is no 1TB LCD version. So the proper comparison, using current prices, is the 64GB deck, which is $350, vs the 512GB deck, which is $450. If you added a $50 SSD (which most decent branded 1TB NVMEs are more than that, but I digress) to it, then it was $400 for a 1TB LCD deck, which is great compared to $450 for half the storage! I never said it isn't worth it, I just think the comparison is moot if you don't add the price of what you added to it, and use the correct numbers.
@@Dorraj I’m unaware of what sizes are available in what options, I’ve never really looked into it tbh. But that’s what I meant is I figured it was the LCD option, just assuming an OLED isn’t that cheap. And yes I agree most high end or extremely reputable ssds are gonna cost more than $50. He should have better mentioned the numbers but I think we both understood what he was trying to get at. And like you said, the anti-glare screen is also a thing worth mentioning, because that is one thing I know about them because I remember seeing it when it launched. Kinda dumb tbh I think they should all have the same screen and you could just option the anti-glare. I do still think though that for someone who is capable and confident of taking the device apart should consider the options though.
Btw, under Settings -> System, there's a setting at the bottom called "Enable updated fan control" that's turned on by default. If you turn it off, it will make the device a lot noisier, but iirc, it can lower temps by a noticable amount. And btw, this runs Linux, your favorite OS /s.
Oddly I leave mine in the dock mostly and have it connected to a 1080p monitor and keyboard/mouse where I run games on it while waiting on stuff on my main computer. It makes a nice little second computer if you don't mind Linux and/or KDE.
If you don't use desktop mode and only play steam games, you never actually interact with Linux. But once you want to run epic or anything else, that's when the pain starts.
The temperatures don't often change that much with Steamdeck cooling upgrades, but it will drastically reduce the fan speed needed to maintain that temp and have a more liveable device.
The "setting issue" in Half life is probably gyro. When you put your finger on the stick it is capacitive like a phone screen so it activates the gyro and make the aim feel wobbly as you move around.
Got my Deck as an Xmas present in 2022 and it's been awesome. I'm going to be putting Gulikit Hall Effect sticks in it the minute they develop any drift.
So somethings to point out. Maybe some of this was lost in editing, but here is a list: 1) Do not open and remove parts of the Steam Deck (like the SSD), without letting the battery get to around 25%, and putting it in battery storage mode in the BIOS. 2) Make sure to disconnect the battery before removing parts like the SSD. 3) A few expert modders have tested thermal paste on the deck, and most conventional TIMs don't do what the stock Valve thermal paste does. The others are too liquidy and are not as effective. You need to use something more akin to Thermalright TFX. The consistency is just a little different.
@ARCx9 If I understand, it is because there is still residual power flow. What I posted is from Ifixit, and they are the official vendor of replacement parts for the Steam Deck.
@ARCx9 Because you need to make sure you have flushed all power from things like the capacitors. The points I posted above are from the instructions posted by Ifixit, the official vendor for Steam Deck replacement parts.
@ARCx9 So step one is to make sure you are less of a risk of fire if you accidentally puncture the battery. The storage mode part is an extra precaution recommended by Valve themselves. One more tip, the inside of the Steam Deck case is a great surface to lay the deck face down while working.
Yeah, crap like MX4 or the Noctua, Dawid used, pumps out way too easy The paste used by VALVE is "dry" by default and has less tendency to pump out. It takes more thermal cycles.
Might get some heat into it from the charging circuit, but the steam deck doesn't have any turbo mode that activates when it is docked or plugged in like the Ally
It makes sense there wouldn’t be much referbed ones available. Most people will either be really happy with it or are returning it for being faulty. If they arnt happy with it or came to sudden financial issues eBay or the local listings would get the cash quicker
Dude, it's called refurbished because it was a faulty unit that was "refurbished" by replacing parts to create a working deck. Refurbished doesn't mean used and returned in working order. This is a previously faulty unit that was returned, Valve fixed it and sold it. Do you not understand what refurbished means ? Possibly, because you can't spell the word, so how could you do any research on it? Jesus wept into his Christ Crispies cereal and they got all soggy. I thought I was dumb.
I dont know how mentally impaired you are not to know that refurbed is short for refurbished but there is good extra evidence to your brain damage in that you cant even read a full comment. I even say they were probably returns for being faulty. The only thing I left out is a good portion of those faulties are probably also unrepairable and get cannibalised for other repairs@@Boogie_the_cat
@@Boogie_the_cat refurbished just means "made to look new" some refurbished units are what you described, faulty units that got repaired by replacing parts. Other refurbished units are simply returned opend and used, and simply cleaned and checked for faults i would be seriously impressed if valve actually refurbish steamdecks with anything more major then a fault stick or button simply due to the cost involved of checking whats wrong, replacing whats wrong, and rechecking again and dosnt just use them as donors instead any unit that is returned, whatever you didnt like it or otherwise, and that was OPENED, is gonna end up as refurbished, because it is no longer a new unit. it has to be checked for damages, it will have scratches etc, and it has to be reset, thus its now considerd refurbished, as refurbishment was conducted
Its crazy how good the Steam Deck is but for anyone looking to buy one definitely get the OLED as its so much better in almost every way (especially the screen and battery life)
I keep wandering,if i can force myself to play some games with a steam deck - like combination of the mobile phone and a steam-deck like cover with jopads. I tried,but couldn't.
hi Dawid, sorry to bug you but I was wondering what kinda music you're using, particularly at the 1:51 mark, it's really calm and I like it, good video by the way!
Great stuff! I love the OLED version I got for my wife. She loves it too, probably more than I do. Super handy to have it on a trip. And if you play it at home you can stream a game running on your main gaming PC. Pretty solid performance too for such a dated device. The OS is just awesome.
I feel like they've replaced the left stick because it was worn but they left the right stick as is. Usually the left stick is the first to experience issues, but if you're doing professional refurb, you should never replace just one or you'll end up with different feeling sticks and the other is sure to have issues soon after.
PTM7950 works wonders on the LCD deck. Or really anything in general. But specifically my LCD deck fared very well from it. Also put it on an OLED deck. It works well there too, but the OLED doesn't need it like the LCD does. Cheers.
Honestly, the Steam Deck is what the Switch should have been. Ergonomically sound, powerful enough with enough tech behind it to allow to to play pretty much anything Only complaint is them sticking with typical drift-prone joysticks. I will never understand why every company under the sun makes them like that. Hall effect sensors are literally cents more expensive, and will last so much longer. Valve could have just made them for the deck as 3rd party companies have done already. I just don't get it.
I love my Switch, it's much cheaper, easier to use, has much longer battery runtime and a huge games library. The user base of the Switch completely dwarfs that of the steamdeck, and for good reason.
@@LauLex The Deck is plenty easy to use, almost to a fault. Like the "great on steam deck" verification is unnecessarily strict, even something like "one button might not match up" will cause it to not be properly verified. You're completely wrong about battery life btw. The Switch has a 15.95 Wh battery that gets up to 9 hours of battery life, while the Deck has a 50 Wh battery with up to 13 hours of battery life. The price is literally the same as a steam deck, with the 64GB Deck being $350, and the currently available switch being $350. Both can use an SD card as expandable storage, tho you can just easily open up the deck to slap an NVME SSD into it, which you cannot with the Switch. Also, "As of June 2024, there are 4,693 games available for the Nintendo Switch". There are over 12,000 *deck verified* games alone. And as I said before, the verification process is very strict, so the number of actually playable games on the deck is much closer to the 100K games available on Steam. Not even counting the endless emulateable games from the NES all the way up to the Switch. And the user base of the Switch is higher because 1. Nintendo is a much larger company than Valve, that has been a player in the game much longer than Valve, and is a much more known name than Valve. 2. The Switch has been out for like 5 years longer than the Deck. 3. People are scared of stuff like emulation, because of companies like nintendo which fight against people who want their games to be accessable. The Steam Deck literally plays Switch games better than the Switch does. Like cmon bro.
@@Dorraj id like to add that while i dont own a steam deck, i have the first version of the switch. and everything about it sucks. stickdrift on both sticks and 2 pro controllers happened in less than 1/2 year in, most games cost 50€+ and it creaks, like you cannot properly grip it. and i handled it very well. if i didnt have a switch already, id buy the steamdeck in a heartbeat. everything i heard about it sounds great (apart from the sticks, which will probably develop stickdrift, but it cant be worse than nintendo, sooo...) that you can buy replacement parts is really nice (and maybe the most important bit)
@@lionletsplay6283 yeah I didn't even mention that too, games go on sale for dirt cheap all the time on steam, unlike Nintendo games which seemingly never go on sale. And as you saw in the video, the joysticks are super simple to replace. Literally just 3 screws and a ribbon cable, just buy some hall effect sticks for replacement and never have drift issues again (which you can actually do with the joycon too btw, I just don't think the process is as simple)
saying the switch "should have" been anything other than what it is, presupposes that there were any greater goals than selling more copies of mario and pokemon. there were not. it was a minimum viable product to ship more copies of mario and pokemon.
I bought the oled version 3 weeks ago. Some pointers - Increase UMA from 1G to 4G. Buy an anti-glare screen protector. Swap the nvme to a 2TB drive. Install Cryo Utilities and run recommended settings(allows you to run all unsupported games). Install Decky loader. Buy a DBrand killswitch case.
@@LauLex Why? That completely removes the portability of a handheld. You can't carry a desktop around but you can carry a Steam Deck around very easily
Not a lot of refurbs get back to Valve to re-sell, because they're so easy to fix yourself. IFixit sells almost every part for the thing, and with the most common failure point being the joysticks, and the low cost and high quality of the Gulikit hall sensor replacements makes the thing pretty much unbeatable as far as user servicing goes - you don't even need to solder them anymore like you used to have to. Just slap a 2TB drive in the thing and you'll be set for handheld gaming for a long, long while.
Guilikit, (the people who make the King Kong series of controllers) make a very easy to swap in Hall Effect Joystick replacements, very much worth the cost and effort to upgrade.
now you have a steam deck in hand it would be nice to see you check out the 3rd party options for stick replacements. Also the common thing people recommend for thermals PTM7950
Still mad at Micro Center for not opening a location around here in Madison, Wisconsin. Sucks because there’s 2 in Chicago.. over 2+ hours away!! Btw you can open that Valve tag without cutting it by using a safety pin or clip
2:46 I love to see that somebody else recognized the ergonomic issues with the switch and everything that copied it. Why is the right stick so far down? Is Valve the only company which took a look on both human hands and discovered that the right thumb is not mounted to the wrist? I tried the Steam Deck myself (borrowed from a friend) but had to buy an ASUS ROG Ally in the end. Because so many of my favorite games did not run on Steam OS (Linux) properly. Most issues were caused by Anti cheat software. The Steam Deck is still the better handheld, the OS is way ahead and the ergnomics are far superior since the Ally copies the Switch-layout...
The SD has its own ergonomic issues. It's way waaaay too wide because of the inclusion of the unnecessary track pads. Creates a lot more wrist strain than a similarly weighted device.
@@EthanCarey-l4c You are right. But, in my opinion as someone who drives an ROG ALLY more or less daily, I am still prefer the superior stick placement of the wider SD. On the Ally, my right hand can't get a proper grip if I intent to use the right stick. To hold ir securely cramp the right hand and tighten the grip with the left one. Gets uncomfortable quickly. As I said, would be fine if the thumb was mounted to my wrist. But since it is not, I can only wonder if the designers ever actually used their creations for an extended amount of time... Besides Gaben, I give him and his team a pass, as mentioned before.
@@Thommygun-qv7um the rog ally x moves the stick up and slightly in if I recall correctly, so they're taking steps in the right direction to make the console feel more like an Xbox controller. I can use dual sense of the Xbox one controller (not the current gen--that one is too small and creates insta cramps for me) with no issue. Offset sticks are more popular and if done right, allow plenty of grip and don't cause strain. No current controller has the steam deck setup that I know of. The Wii u pro controller was the last and wasn't meaningfully advantaged in any way because of it
@@thetruestar6348 theres a program called emudeck. in a few clicks u have emulators for pretty much everything installed with folder structures, and buttons all mapped and there's a second app with it that can scan all your games and add them to your steam library. u just need to add bios/firmware for systems like switch/ps1. best emulation device I've ever used.
@@thetruestar6348 It is, and Emudeck is relatively simple to set up. I'd say retroarch is good enough (since it's just on steam and a very easy download away) but the retroarch on steam has outdated and nowhere near the same amount of emulators as the main version. The best way to play Switch games on the go is with Ryujinx on the Steam Deck. It literally plays Switch games better than an actual Switch. Don't tell Nintendo tho lol
@@thetruestar6348 Yeah is amazing for emulation! You can emulate everything until PS3/Xbox360 and Wii-U. Wii-U emulation is almost perfect, the Deck only struggles with PS3 and Xbox 360 what should be obvious for a handheld although some select PS3 games run absolutely great on the Deck.
I got a 64GB model refurbished back when they first introduced them. I upgraded the M.2 to a 1TB and other than that, the unit came in pretty much brand new condition. It's fun to use on the go and have a dock for my Bedroom TV and one to my Computer and have a KVM on it too. I'm actually very surprised it worked very well with the KVM Switch so I can easily switch from my computer to the deck when I want to do some testing or just play around with it.
At this point, there's basically no need to buy devices brand new any longer. Refurbishing has become so good over the years - you barely notice the difference. 👍🏼 Nice vid, keep it up.
@@turrican4d599 Clicking sticks were problem since the launch of the device even on brand new devices. Probably wasn't the reason why the device was returned so it was ignored.
Dawid, i own both an LCD and OLED steam deck. Steam Decks tend to develop creaks later in life. If you have that issue, use some plastic safe lubricant on the clipping points after taking apart the steam deck. Then its solid again!
If you're playing first person games, consider using the right track pad as a mouse instead of hammering the stick all the time. I'm scared of the inevitable stick drift too and now I find using the track pad as a mouseball (set to no momentum, little acceleration) works way better and more precise than the stick anyway.
On the fence about getting one. Want to be able to finance direct from valve. And with my luck, the second I buy one, a new version will be announced. Refurbished like new pride takes some of the sting out, and the ability to easily replace parts helps as well.
the images used for temp before and after show low load low temp on the repaste and high load high temp on the before... kinda defeats the purpose to not use similar load conditions?
This actually seems like a reasonable option provided the shipping to my country doesn't nuke whatever price decrease there is with insane fees to the point you may as well buy one new (or new-ish) from local shops.
As owner of a Asus Rog ally. Im really a fan of these devices. Its amazing what these units can do. Where i was a gamer on a big rig. Since i have the ally. Im almost not using my normal pc.
I purchased a refurb steam deck. Unfortunately the unit came with faulty touchpads. The replacement had a faulty B button. Another replacement after that had entire left hand controls unresponsive. The latest, which I decided to keep, but still ambivalent about, has wobbly trigger buttons. Yeah, so a huge YMMV on this one, there's no guarantee that you'll get a good unit, let alone a working one.
Would be interested to see you compare the lcd vs the oled. I had an LCD one I barely used and I replaced it with the OLED which I use all the time. Everything about the OLED just feels better.
Man this is unfortunate timing, the 512 GB and 64 GB just went on sale for a brand new one for cheaper than the refurbished price. They are phasing them out and essentially doing a clearance on them. But it is what it is, enjoy it brother, so excited to get mine 😊
If you did indeed drop the CPU temps by 10oC by repasting, that's a huge improvement but you were in battery mode in the after shot, so that probably explains it better.
there's an alternate fan curve in the settings that trades volume for better temperatures, but it's not even that much louder so i just use that instead
I bought a refurbished one the day they announced they went live. 256gb LCD. It was IMMACULATE in every single way. It really is a great way to save some money on one as well. I don't get why people think they might be dodgy somehow. I agree though the only issue with them is literally stock issues.
I have the OLED version of the Steam Deck. It is a nice little device. The only problem I have is with the buttons. There are so many buttons that it is hard to avoid pressing them while I am holding it. 😃
Dude, please do a video of local game streaming. I use Moonlight because the steam streaming doesn't work reliably in my case. I'm playing Elden Ring like this, anywhere at home.
I got a JSAUX fan that sucks the air from the exhaust on top and it helps me to get up to 20C lower temperatures. It's a bit loud but I've managed to get from 85C to 65C in like 1 min. Those thingies kinda work. Ahh, one more thing, the fan has its own battery and it lasts like 1 hour before you need to plug it. Kinda cool (I wish these guys sponsored me for this mini ad, LOL)
Nice! I got my Steamdeck used with all the original packaging and another 1tb sd card, usb-c hub and a ps5 controller for 200$. Then i sold the controller and modded the deck with the money i got out of it. New backplate, new thermal paste, new fan and a custom heatsink. So now i got a super silent Steamdeck with 25*C cooler temps with a clear backplate for 200$ :D i absolutely love this thing. It cant replace my PC, but for mobile gaming sessions it is absolutely great.
@@NostalgiaHDOS yessss! I thought at first I will get ripped off from the seller :D the thing is, he was completely logged into the deck, so it probably was a mad mother who sold the deck from her son
I don't know what it is but I just never use handhelds. I own many of them all the way back to the Gameboy and Atari Lynx, but I just never use them. I've literally never played anything on my Switch which I've had for three years.
I was literally talking to my coworker who brought hers to work last night about getting one. I, too, only saw one for the first time last night. Im highly debating on it as I want a PS Portal (I only have my Playstation consoles) but Id take a chance on a SteamDeck and maybe revive my old Steam account.
had my steam deck a couple weeks now and really liking it so far the only issue i have had so far is i upgraded my micro sd card from 512gb to 2tb and when i put in the new one it wouldn't stay in, the locking mechanism had broken and this seems to be a common thing with steam decks and the only way to fix it is to send it back to valve, i didnt want to do that so i have figured out a work around but still sucks that it even happened. i had a lenovo legion go for 12 days before i got my steam deck but it bricked itself and wouldnt go passed the boot screen
I got a used ROG Ally instead. Playing older games at 1080p 120hz is nice and something the steam deck can’t do. And it can easily play non steam games and you don’t need to worry about Linux compatibility. Ally X would have been better but it was more than double the price so way too expensive.
As of current posting for us stateside, looks about 359.00 (not sure if that includes shipping and etc) but hey, great video dude!! I wish I could get one and try to play some of my epic games store titles (Death Standing and Sable comes to mind)
I believe the steamdeck comes with warpinator, if you get the app for android devices you can send and recieve files using it, but you need to give it a security phrase in the settings, as devices only look for other computers using warpinator with that security phrase. windows has winpinator, which is a port of warpinator that works for file transfer between windows and android, so I assume it also works for steamdeck and windows. and of course, if you have linux on a computer somewhere you can get warpinator for it.
Love my Deck, I have the smallest SSD though and for ages games filled it up with their caches, even when uninstalled. Steam seem to have fixed it now though, when I uninstall a game the cache goes as well!
The fact Valve actually sells replacement parts priced reasonably, for a device that is fairly easy to take apart, is HUGE for the refurbished market (and cheap people like us who want to buy refurbished Steam Decks!). Wish more companies would follow their lead!
Interesting that they let the joystick ship like that though, and you would think they would re-paste every refurbished device before sale. Curious how much of a difference PTM7950 would be vs the paste you used, which looked like Noctua?
Awesome video as always man!
The greatest technician that's ever lived.
the greatest technician that`s ever lived
Something something your mom
The greatest technician thats ever lived.
It would be cool to test and see if it made a difference and yes, I love they went out of their way to allow users to repair the device as well as providing support to have easy access to parts and even allowing of third party replacement options.
When disassembling a steam deck, I highly suggest setting it face down in its case
i mean hes got it face down on a soft surface already with his mouse mat, but for other people then yeah
if you ever take the back panel off the steam deck again make sure there is no micro sd card in the micro sd card reader. Those have been known to snap in half if left in while taking the back panel off.
Ya... always double check. RIP my 512gb sd card. qwq
That’s how I broke my 256 gig sd card with a 100% just cause 3 save on it (it doesn’t support steam cloud)
@@nonox2 there's a bunch of 100% saves on nexus mods
@10:45 It's hard to tell from here, but it looks like the reason the temps haven't improved much is because the cpu is using a little more power, thanks to having more thermal headroom it just goes as hard as it can up to that temperature
Yes, it's using more power, and running higher clock speeds due to the extra thermal headroom.
I think the "stick drift" you're referring to in Ratchet & Clank & Half-Life 2 is actually the gyro support kicking in. Your analog sticks have capacitive touch domes that can enable gyro aiming on supported games, Half-Life 2 is definitely set up for that, as will be L4D2 and even TF2.
3:00 Have you noticed after taking it apart, and reassembling the Deck that the rigidity go away? 7:27 You're supposed to use the Steam Deck case, using the top lid up, to take apart the steam deck so you're not mashing the joysticks and buttons on your table.
But this is Dawid, so...
I have done it many times and rigidy is still there. Thats bs claim
You too tightly screwed the screws. Loosen them a rotation and it will be better - ideally if you rescrew the screws without overscrewing them xD
The way I saved money on my Steam Deck was by getting the 64GB version while it was on sale and upgraded the ssd to 1TB myself. From Valve the 1TB Steam Deck is like $600, with this method it was only $400!
Did the same thing. Bought the 64gb version, then eventually installed a 2TB SSD. Got SteamOS and Windows 11 in separate partitions, and installed Clover. Been my primary gaming device, and even bought a relatively cheap stand dock and hook the baby up to my TV for couch gaming with an Xbox Controller.
Did you add how much the SSD cost to it? Cause otherwise this comparison is moot lol
The 512 (or 1TB OLED) models are kind of "limited edition", they have more than just a bigger SSD, they have anti glare screens and a special carrying case, and some digital goodies. Not saying it's worth it for the premium price, but it is stuff you miss out on.
@@Dorrajif he bought the non OLED model then I don’t see the difference other than SSD size. A 1tb ssd for this should only be between $45-$60 so depending on how much the deck was, yeah it could be a very smart buy. Hell, he could probably put in a 2TB and still have it cost less than from valve tbh.
@@minecraftvsmasterz I'm just saying, you can't take a comparison, go "and I added this thing that costs money to it", and not add that to the comparison.
He didn't even get the numbers right, he said he got the 64GB version, which is the LCD version, since there is no 64GB OLED version, and then compared it to the OLED 1TB version, since there is no 1TB LCD version.
So the proper comparison, using current prices, is the 64GB deck, which is $350, vs the 512GB deck, which is $450. If you added a $50 SSD (which most decent branded 1TB NVMEs are more than that, but I digress) to it, then it was $400 for a 1TB LCD deck, which is great compared to $450 for half the storage! I never said it isn't worth it, I just think the comparison is moot if you don't add the price of what you added to it, and use the correct numbers.
@@Dorraj I’m unaware of what sizes are available in what options, I’ve never really looked into it tbh. But that’s what I meant is I figured it was the LCD option, just assuming an OLED isn’t that cheap. And yes I agree most high end or extremely reputable ssds are gonna cost more than $50. He should have better mentioned the numbers but I think we both understood what he was trying to get at. And like you said, the anti-glare screen is also a thing worth mentioning, because that is one thing I know about them because I remember seeing it when it launched. Kinda dumb tbh I think they should all have the same screen and you could just option the anti-glare. I do still think though that for someone who is capable and confident of taking the device apart should consider the options though.
Next video: trying a 360 Aio on a steam deck
airbus a380 jet engine on a steam deck*
Ls swapped*
rtx 4090 to m.2 >:)
UFD tech has done some fun mods. LTT did a fan tower cooler on... Some hand held. Forget which. Maybe steam deck
Why limit yourself with such peasant AiO? It would be better if he gone with 420mm :3
Btw, under Settings -> System, there's a setting at the bottom called "Enable updated fan control" that's turned on by default.
If you turn it off, it will make the device a lot noisier, but iirc, it can lower temps by a noticable amount.
And btw, this runs Linux, your favorite OS /s.
Disabling the updated fan control noticeably improves the temps, I can tell just by feeling mine with my hand.
Oddly I leave mine in the dock mostly and have it connected to a 1080p monitor and keyboard/mouse where I run games on it while waiting on stuff on my main computer. It makes a nice little second computer if you don't mind Linux and/or KDE.
Lie Nux, sponsored by Linoooooode
@@Saprophyte2 Add an Apple Magic Trackpad, and you've got the setup I'm typing this on right now.
If you don't use desktop mode and only play steam games, you never actually interact with Linux. But once you want to run epic or anything else, that's when the pain starts.
The temperatures don't often change that much with Steamdeck cooling upgrades, but it will drastically reduce the fan speed needed to maintain that temp and have a more liveable device.
Always wear headphones anyways, never heard my fan.
Swapped ptm to deck and temps went down 15-20c also using custom fancurve. Silent little bugger.
Of course there's stickiness on the right stick. It's a stick.
And it’s an all right stick nonetheless!
The "setting issue" in Half life is probably gyro. When you put your finger on the stick it is capacitive like a phone screen so it activates the gyro and make the aim feel wobbly as you move around.
Ifixit sells the oem parts directly!
Also can include tools for the job as a kit.
Got my Deck as an Xmas present in 2022 and it's been awesome. I'm going to be putting Gulikit Hall Effect sticks in it the minute they develop any drift.
So somethings to point out. Maybe some of this was lost in editing, but here is a list:
1) Do not open and remove parts of the Steam Deck (like the SSD), without letting the battery get to around 25%, and putting it in battery storage mode in the BIOS.
2) Make sure to disconnect the battery before removing parts like the SSD.
3) A few expert modders have tested thermal paste on the deck, and most conventional TIMs don't do what the stock Valve thermal paste does. The others are too liquidy and are not as effective. You need to use something more akin to Thermalright TFX. The consistency is just a little different.
@ARCx9 If I understand, it is because there is still residual power flow. What I posted is from Ifixit, and they are the official vendor of replacement parts for the Steam Deck.
@ARCx9 Because you need to make sure you have flushed all power from things like the capacitors. The points I posted above are from the instructions posted by Ifixit, the official vendor for Steam Deck replacement parts.
@ARCx9 So step one is to make sure you are less of a risk of fire if you accidentally puncture the battery. The storage mode part is an extra precaution recommended by Valve themselves. One more tip, the inside of the Steam Deck case is a great surface to lay the deck face down while working.
Yeah, crap like MX4 or the Noctua, Dawid used, pumps out way too easy
The paste used by VALVE is "dry" by default and has less tendency to pump out. It takes more thermal cycles.
won't you just unplug the battery?
10:45 you are in battery mode in the after shot, so it should be cooler and quieter.
Rookie mistake
Might get some heat into it from the charging circuit, but the steam deck doesn't have any turbo mode that activates when it is docked or plugged in like the Ally
It makes sense there wouldn’t be much referbed ones available. Most people will either be really happy with it or are returning it for being faulty. If they arnt happy with it or came to sudden financial issues eBay or the local listings would get the cash quicker
Dude, it's called refurbished because it was a faulty unit that was "refurbished" by replacing parts to create a working deck.
Refurbished doesn't mean used and returned in working order.
This is a previously faulty unit that was returned, Valve fixed it and sold it.
Do you not understand what refurbished means ? Possibly, because you can't spell the word, so how could you do any research on it?
Jesus wept into his Christ Crispies cereal and they got all soggy.
I thought I was dumb.
Refurbished does not mean used.
I dont know how mentally impaired you are not to know that refurbed is short for refurbished but there is good extra evidence to your brain damage in that you cant even read a full comment. I even say they were probably returns for being faulty. The only thing I left out is a good portion of those faulties are probably also unrepairable and get cannibalised for other repairs@@Boogie_the_cat
@@Boogie_the_cat refurbished just means "made to look new"
some refurbished units are what you described, faulty units that got repaired by replacing parts.
Other refurbished units are simply returned opend and used, and simply cleaned and checked for faults
i would be seriously impressed if valve actually refurbish steamdecks with anything more major then a fault stick or button simply due to the cost involved of checking whats wrong, replacing whats wrong, and rechecking again and dosnt just use them as donors instead
any unit that is returned, whatever you didnt like it or otherwise, and that was OPENED, is gonna end up as refurbished, because it is no longer a new unit. it has to be checked for damages, it will have scratches etc, and it has to be reset, thus its now considerd refurbished, as refurbishment was conducted
Its crazy how good the Steam Deck is but for anyone looking to buy one definitely get the OLED as its so much better in almost every way (especially the screen and battery life)
As I recall, the performance overlay is Mangohud.
I keep wandering,if i can force myself to play some games with a steam deck - like combination of the mobile phone and a steam-deck like cover with jopads.
I tried,but couldn't.
hi Dawid, sorry to bug you but I was wondering what kinda music you're using, particularly at the 1:51 mark, it's really calm and I like it, good video by the way!
Dawid: "It feels like you could savage someone. That's cool. I like that. "
😅😅😅😅
But Dawid! that’s illegal, don’t do that. It could prevent you from making videos. We wouldn’t want that.
Got refurbished one a few months ago. Totally worth it.
Great stuff! I love the OLED version I got for my wife. She loves it too, probably more than I do. Super handy to have it on a trip. And if you play it at home you can stream a game running on your main gaming PC. Pretty solid performance too for such a dated device. The OS is just awesome.
I feel like they've replaced the left stick because it was worn but they left the right stick as is. Usually the left stick is the first to experience issues, but if you're doing professional refurb, you should never replace just one or you'll end up with different feeling sticks and the other is sure to have issues soon after.
I would love to see a video of you going through mods on the deck Hall effect joysticks, ssd, shell swap, buttons, maybe the deck hd screen.
PTM7950 works wonders on the LCD deck. Or really anything in general. But specifically my LCD deck fared very well from it. Also put it on an OLED deck. It works well there too, but the OLED doesn't need it like the LCD does. Cheers.
Honestly, the Steam Deck is what the Switch should have been. Ergonomically sound, powerful enough with enough tech behind it to allow to to play pretty much anything
Only complaint is them sticking with typical drift-prone joysticks. I will never understand why every company under the sun makes them like that. Hall effect sensors are literally cents more expensive, and will last so much longer. Valve could have just made them for the deck as 3rd party companies have done already. I just don't get it.
I love my Switch, it's much cheaper, easier to use, has much longer battery runtime and a huge games library. The user base of the Switch completely dwarfs that of the steamdeck, and for good reason.
@@LauLex The Deck is plenty easy to use, almost to a fault. Like the "great on steam deck" verification is unnecessarily strict, even something like "one button might not match up" will cause it to not be properly verified.
You're completely wrong about battery life btw. The Switch has a 15.95 Wh battery that gets up to 9 hours of battery life, while the Deck has a 50 Wh battery with up to 13 hours of battery life.
The price is literally the same as a steam deck, with the 64GB Deck being $350, and the currently available switch being $350. Both can use an SD card as expandable storage, tho you can just easily open up the deck to slap an NVME SSD into it, which you cannot with the Switch.
Also, "As of June 2024, there are 4,693 games available for the Nintendo Switch". There are over 12,000 *deck verified* games alone. And as I said before, the verification process is very strict, so the number of actually playable games on the deck is much closer to the 100K games available on Steam. Not even counting the endless emulateable games from the NES all the way up to the Switch.
And the user base of the Switch is higher because 1. Nintendo is a much larger company than Valve, that has been a player in the game much longer than Valve, and is a much more known name than Valve. 2. The Switch has been out for like 5 years longer than the Deck. 3. People are scared of stuff like emulation, because of companies like nintendo which fight against people who want their games to be accessable.
The Steam Deck literally plays Switch games better than the Switch does. Like cmon bro.
@@Dorraj id like to add that while i dont own a steam deck, i have the first version of the switch. and everything about it sucks. stickdrift on both sticks and 2 pro controllers happened in less than 1/2 year in, most games cost 50€+ and it creaks, like you cannot properly grip it. and i handled it very well. if i didnt have a switch already, id buy the steamdeck in a heartbeat. everything i heard about it sounds great (apart from the sticks, which will probably develop stickdrift, but it cant be worse than nintendo, sooo...) that you can buy replacement parts is really nice (and maybe the most important bit)
@@lionletsplay6283 yeah I didn't even mention that too, games go on sale for dirt cheap all the time on steam, unlike Nintendo games which seemingly never go on sale.
And as you saw in the video, the joysticks are super simple to replace. Literally just 3 screws and a ribbon cable, just buy some hall effect sticks for replacement and never have drift issues again (which you can actually do with the joycon too btw, I just don't think the process is as simple)
saying the switch "should have" been anything other than what it is, presupposes that there were any greater goals than selling more copies of mario and pokemon. there were not. it was a minimum viable product to ship more copies of mario and pokemon.
I bought the oled version 3 weeks ago. Some pointers - Increase UMA from 1G to 4G. Buy an anti-glare screen protector.
Swap the nvme to a 2TB drive. Install Cryo Utilities and run recommended settings(allows you to run all unsupported games).
Install Decky loader.
Buy a DBrand killswitch case.
Or just get a powerful gaming desktop after spending all that cash on a steamdeck 😂
@@LauLex Why? That completely removes the portability of a handheld. You can't carry a desktop around but you can carry a Steam Deck around very easily
@@crestofhonor2349 Windows Handheld exist those and works the same
@@LauLex you mean gaming laptop?
I'd use a Jsaux ModCase. It's cheaper, whilst also giving similar performance.
Not a lot of refurbs get back to Valve to re-sell, because they're so easy to fix yourself. IFixit sells almost every part for the thing, and with the most common failure point being the joysticks, and the low cost and high quality of the Gulikit hall sensor replacements makes the thing pretty much unbeatable as far as user servicing goes - you don't even need to solder them anymore like you used to have to.
Just slap a 2TB drive in the thing and you'll be set for handheld gaming for a long, long while.
Guilikit, (the people who make the King Kong series of controllers) make a very easy to swap in Hall Effect Joystick replacements, very much worth the cost and effort to upgrade.
I AM SIMPLE MAN. I SEE DAWID, I CLICK DAWID, I WATCH DAWID, I PRESS LIKE FOR DAWID. I AM SIMPLE MAN.
i stroke it to dawid
@@bigbrawler7078nah
ok corn guy
I DAWID DAWID
I've never seen anyone so proud to be simple minded.
“Dawid broken in”
I would trust Dawid with any of my electronics more than any major company tbh
I can't wait for the inevitable wild upgrade video
now you have a steam deck in hand it would be nice to see you check out the 3rd party options for stick replacements. Also the common thing people recommend for thermals PTM7950
Still mad at Micro Center for not opening a location around here in Madison, Wisconsin. Sucks because there’s 2 in Chicago.. over 2+ hours away!!
Btw you can open that Valve tag without cutting it by using a safety pin or clip
2:46 I love to see that somebody else recognized the ergonomic issues with the switch and everything that copied it. Why is the right stick so far down? Is Valve the only company which took a look on both human hands and discovered that the right thumb is not mounted to the wrist? I tried the Steam Deck myself (borrowed from a friend) but had to buy an ASUS ROG Ally in the end. Because so many of my favorite games did not run on Steam OS (Linux) properly. Most issues were caused by Anti cheat software. The Steam Deck is still the better handheld, the OS is way ahead and the ergnomics are far superior since the Ally copies the Switch-layout...
The SD has its own ergonomic issues. It's way waaaay too wide because of the inclusion of the unnecessary track pads. Creates a lot more wrist strain than a similarly weighted device.
@@EthanCarey-l4c You are right. But, in my opinion as someone who drives an ROG ALLY more or less daily, I am still prefer the superior stick placement of the wider SD. On the Ally, my right hand can't get a proper grip if I intent to use the right stick. To hold ir securely cramp the right hand and tighten the grip with the left one. Gets uncomfortable quickly. As I said, would be fine if the thumb was mounted to my wrist. But since it is not, I can only wonder if the designers ever actually used their creations for an extended amount of time...
Besides Gaben, I give him and his team a pass, as mentioned before.
@@Thommygun-qv7um the rog ally x moves the stick up and slightly in if I recall correctly, so they're taking steps in the right direction to make the console feel more like an Xbox controller. I can use dual sense of the Xbox one controller (not the current gen--that one is too small and creates insta cramps for me) with no issue. Offset sticks are more popular and if done right, allow plenty of grip and don't cause strain. No current controller has the steam deck setup that I know of. The Wii u pro controller was the last and wasn't meaningfully advantaged in any way because of it
Steam Deck is amazing! I have mine for over 1 year now and it was worth every cent! If you don't own one, get one! Absolutely worth it!
I heard it’s great for emulation
@@thetruestar6348 theres a program called emudeck. in a few clicks u have emulators for pretty much everything installed with folder structures, and buttons all mapped and there's a second app with it that can scan all your games and add them to your steam library. u just need to add bios/firmware for systems like switch/ps1. best emulation device I've ever used.
I got a 1TB OLED model recently. Absolutely blown away by the things this little machine is capable of! Love it!
@@thetruestar6348 It is, and Emudeck is relatively simple to set up. I'd say retroarch is good enough (since it's just on steam and a very easy download away) but the retroarch on steam has outdated and nowhere near the same amount of emulators as the main version.
The best way to play Switch games on the go is with Ryujinx on the Steam Deck. It literally plays Switch games better than an actual Switch. Don't tell Nintendo tho lol
@@thetruestar6348 Yeah is amazing for emulation! You can emulate everything until PS3/Xbox360 and Wii-U. Wii-U emulation is almost perfect, the Deck only struggles with PS3 and Xbox 360 what should be obvious for a handheld although some select PS3 games run absolutely great on the Deck.
Noticed the temperature tests was with the charger connected before the repaste. Does not this affect the powerlimit off the APU?
I got a 64GB model refurbished back when they first introduced them. I upgraded the M.2 to a 1TB and other than that, the unit came in pretty much brand new condition.
It's fun to use on the go and have a dock for my Bedroom TV and one to my Computer and have a KVM on it too. I'm actually very surprised it worked very well with the KVM Switch so I can easily switch from my computer to the deck when I want to do some testing or just play around with it.
In the before and after from the repaste you had the steamdeck plugged in in the before but but in the after.
That might also alter the performance
It looks like the clock speed on the CPU went up after the thermal paste. I'd call that a success. Awesome video as always, Dawid!
3:10 FINALLY SOMEONE SAID THAT
Truth!
At this point, there's basically no need to buy devices brand new any longer. Refurbishing has become so good over the years - you barely notice the difference. 👍🏼
Nice vid, keep it up.
They should have refurbished the right stick better.
@@turrican4d599 Clicking sticks were problem since the launch of the device even on brand new devices. Probably wasn't the reason why the device was returned so it was ignored.
Dawid, i own both an LCD and OLED steam deck. Steam Decks tend to develop creaks later in life. If you have that issue, use some plastic safe lubricant on the clipping points after taking apart the steam deck. Then its solid again!
If you're playing first person games, consider using the right track pad as a mouse instead of hammering the stick all the time. I'm scared of the inevitable stick drift too and now I find using the track pad as a mouseball (set to no momentum, little acceleration) works way better and more precise than the stick anyway.
The dead zone for the sticks is wayy over the top, dig around in settings and reduce them.
100% gotta mess with the deadzone on the sticks.(In settings) i lowerd it a bit and it helped immensely
On the fence about getting one. Want to be able to finance direct from valve. And with my luck, the second I buy one, a new version will be announced. Refurbished like new pride takes some of the sting out, and the ability to easily replace parts helps as well.
the images used for temp before and after show low load low temp on the repaste and high load high temp on the before... kinda defeats the purpose to not use similar load conditions?
Stuff like this always seems like a prime candidate for a thermal pad instead of paste
This actually seems like a reasonable option provided the shipping to my country doesn't nuke whatever price decrease there is with insane fees to the point you may as well buy one new (or new-ish) from local shops.
As owner of a Asus Rog ally. Im really a fan of these devices. Its amazing what these units can do. Where i was a gamer on a big rig. Since i have the ally. Im almost not using my normal pc.
I purchased a refurb steam deck. Unfortunately the unit came with faulty touchpads. The replacement had a faulty B button. Another replacement after that had entire left hand controls unresponsive. The latest, which I decided to keep, but still ambivalent about, has wobbly trigger buttons. Yeah, so a huge YMMV on this one, there's no guarantee that you'll get a good unit, let alone a working one.
Try changing the deadzones in settings for the sticks to feel much more responsive.
Would be interested to see you compare the lcd vs the oled.
I had an LCD one I barely used and I replaced it with the OLED which I use all the time. Everything about the OLED just feels better.
OLED is a major upgrade - highly recommended.
Hey dawid
myself and one of my friends think valve is useing Mangohud for its overlay, valve is just applying a custom config
They are
@@elek101 yeah, it's obvious. As soon as it popped up, I went "that's Mangohud."
Man this is unfortunate timing, the 512 GB and 64 GB just went on sale for a brand new one for cheaper than the refurbished price.
They are phasing them out and essentially doing a clearance on them.
But it is what it is, enjoy it brother, so excited to get mine 😊
gulikit has hal effect thumbstick replacements for it, no more stick drift
If you take the Deck apart again, a useful trick is to rest the front in the case to avoid undue pressure on the sticks.
So was there an attempt to clean the sticky stick/did it improve?
If you did indeed drop the CPU temps by 10oC by repasting, that's a huge improvement but you were in battery mode in the after shot, so that probably explains it better.
Stickiness on my stick is not really something i can recommend
wow never realized how easy it was to do the service on the steam deck this is insane great job steam !
I legit just got a 256gb used steam deck for 200 bucks usd on ebay with case and charger barely looks used honestly
I got my steam deck like this, worked out perfectly.
Got it, put in a 1tb ssd and a 512gb micro sd too and your good to go for a long time!
If only I was north American, In the UK the refurbished 512gb is 570cad while the new one was closer to 700.
I'm guessing it's your GST?
@@yippy7951 ye it means that by default all tech is like 20% more expensive
@@oog1417 Damn that's rough. I thought our 10% was really bad 😆
There are pressure sensors in the sticks to allow for gyro controls, just an fyi if there is any drift.
Hello! You need to try it on desktop mode too. Would be interesting to see the comparison.
6:45 am just drinking tech stuff.
there's an alternate fan curve in the settings that trades volume for better temperatures, but it's not even that much louder so i just use that instead
10:44 how come after repaste the temp is much higher and clock speed is lower by 1000 MHz and framerate is drop by 10%
I bought a refurbished one the day they announced they went live. 256gb LCD. It was IMMACULATE in every single way. It really is a great way to save some money on one as well. I don't get why people think they might be dodgy somehow. I agree though the only issue with them is literally stock issues.
2:52 I'm glad someone acknowledges this
I have the OLED version of the Steam Deck. It is a nice little device. The only problem I have is with the buttons. There are so many buttons that it is hard to avoid pressing them while I am holding it. 😃
Dude, please do a video of local game streaming. I use Moonlight because the steam streaming doesn't work reliably in my case.
I'm playing Elden Ring like this, anywhere at home.
i picked up a 256 refurb a little over a year ago here in the Scotland (it shipped from the netherlands) i love it.
I got a JSAUX fan that sucks the air from the exhaust on top and it helps me to get up to 20C lower temperatures. It's a bit loud but I've managed to get from 85C to 65C in like 1 min. Those thingies kinda work.
Ahh, one more thing, the fan has its own battery and it lasts like 1 hour before you need to plug it. Kinda cool (I wish these guys sponsored me for this mini ad, LOL)
Dawid can read my mind... I was just looking in to getting one of these.
What is crazy is I live in Miami and if it wasnt for your plug, I wouldn't even know the microcenter was opening..
Can Steam Deck connect to gaming monitor for direct display?
Nice! I got my Steamdeck used with all the original packaging and another 1tb sd card, usb-c hub and a ps5 controller for 200$. Then i sold the controller and modded the deck with the money i got out of it.
New backplate, new thermal paste, new fan and a custom heatsink.
So now i got a super silent Steamdeck with 25*C cooler temps with a clear backplate for 200$ :D i absolutely love this thing.
It cant replace my PC, but for mobile gaming sessions it is absolutely great.
You got one hell of a deal
@@NostalgiaHDOS yessss! I thought at first I will get ripped off from the seller :D
the thing is, he was completely logged into the deck, so it probably was a mad mother who sold the deck from her son
Wonder if Proton Steam has the performance overlay setting as well, game doesn't launch when I use MangoHud.
Love my Oled, take it to work everyday to play during lunch.
Pickup an oled model when you can and do the cryo utilities might be video worthy
I don't know what it is but I just never use handhelds. I own many of them all the way back to the Gameboy and Atari Lynx, but I just never use them. I've literally never played anything on my Switch which I've had for three years.
@DawidDoesTechStuff next video, "Upgrading this Refurbished Steam Deck" hall effect joysticks, buttons, nvme, etc?
4:33 it actually shows each thread cause the Steam Deck only has 4 cores
I was literally talking to my coworker who brought hers to work last night about getting one. I, too, only saw one for the first time last night. Im highly debating on it as I want a PS Portal (I only have my Playstation consoles) but Id take a chance on a SteamDeck and maybe revive my old Steam account.
had my steam deck a couple weeks now and really liking it so far the only issue i have had so far is i upgraded my micro sd card from 512gb to 2tb and when i put in the new one it wouldn't stay in, the locking mechanism had broken and this seems to be a common thing with steam decks and the only way to fix it is to send it back to valve, i didnt want to do that so i have figured out a work around but still sucks that it even happened.
i had a lenovo legion go for 12 days before i got my steam deck but it bricked itself and wouldnt go passed the boot screen
MICRO CENTER!!!! My personal heaven. I'm very happy to live within 25 minutes of 2 locations between VA and MD.
Bought a 64gb steam deck a year and a half ago for $190 on ebay. Swapped the original drive to a 1tb drive and saved a boat load of money.
For those in the UK try getting a Steam deck from CEX, mine only cost me £200 for the 64gb model and I upgraded the internal SSD for £30
Also, SD card performance is really good so don't be afraid to install one!
I am a video game collector (physical) so I don't pay for games I don't actually own. Can you side load or play games from 'other sources' on this?
We love you dawid
Definitely needs a bigger audience!
That’s for sure!
I got a used ROG Ally instead. Playing older games at 1080p 120hz is nice and something the steam deck can’t do. And it can easily play non steam games and you don’t need to worry about Linux compatibility. Ally X would have been better but it was more than double the price so way too expensive.
The Steam Deck does have Heroic so you can play Epic and GOG games on it too. Although I will say the Ally X is my favorite
After a thermal pad from LTT, a new case with a thermal plate, I get mine running at 66° , never above 70 after running helldivers for an hour or two
As of current posting for us stateside, looks about 359.00 (not sure if that includes shipping and etc) but hey, great video dude!! I wish I could get one and try to play some of my epic games store titles (Death Standing and Sable comes to mind)
I believe the steamdeck comes with warpinator, if you get the app for android devices you can send and recieve files using it, but you need to give it a security phrase in the settings, as devices only look for other computers using warpinator with that security phrase. windows has winpinator, which is a port of warpinator that works for file transfer between windows and android, so I assume it also works for steamdeck and windows. and of course, if you have linux on a computer somewhere you can get warpinator for it.
Love my Deck, I have the smallest SSD though and for ages games filled it up with their caches, even when uninstalled. Steam seem to have fixed it now though, when I uninstall a game the cache goes as well!
I was going to go this route until they put the old models on a sale this last week. A new 512 is cheaper then a refurbished one right now