so i got a steam deck (i wanted one for a while & the threat of them running out of DRAM because of AI demand is looming)

[r@glauca.space]

@whitequark fwiw we quite like it, but we also think the form factor is being *very* underutilized (as far as we understand it, due to limitations of the Gamer️ middleware ecosystem)

notably: trackpad ~= mouse, *not* thumbsticks! (this *used* to be a huge part of valve marketing materials, but they've been repeating it less and less)

we're also a heavy user of "flick stick + gyro", but that one might be divisive

on the "platform" level, it's a rare x86 device that supports USB DRD, if you enjoy cursedness (also top example of giving a shit: all the kernel support is enabled and shipped even though this function isn't used by the rest of the software stack)

[david_chisnall@infosec.exchange]

@whitequark I think I used the online installer.

It's a bit of a blur, I tried repeatedly to install it on a Windows machine and failed before I went to Docker on the Mac.

Their export control thing is the worst UI I have seen in a long time.

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

@david_chisnall it's quite absurdly bad, yes.

[ids1024@mathstodon.xyz]

@whitequark
@david_chisnall Which is not all that unusual a size for a game these days... I guess the Steam Deck is a suitable enough device for it.

I have my Steam Deck upgraded to 2 TB with a 1 TB SD (SanDisk now has a 1.5 TB card too). Gotta have as much space as possible to buy games on sale, install them, and not play them.

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

@ids1024 @david_chisnall i am in the UK which has real internet (1 Gbps down) so i don't worry too much about downloading every game possible

[ids1024@mathstodon.xyz]

@whitequark @david_chisnall Yeah, until the fiber company decides to grace this side street with their benevolence, I can't really start a download on a modern game and expect to be running the game on the same day.

We have stone age infrastructure here in... err... the San Francisco Bay Area. Presumably all the money is going to AI instead.

[synec@messydesk.social]

@whitequark i want the game cube orr Stanley steamer or the stem cube or whatever based solely on the strength of the steam desk

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

you think i was joking

[dysfun@social.treehouse.systems]

@whitequark amazing you can just install a unified AMD on it.

[chamlis@social.treehouse.systems]

@whitequark I don't think a single soul thought you were joking

[azonenberg@ioc.exchange]

@mei @whitequark waiting to see you post about playing doom on a Palladium

[hennichodernich@radiosocial.de]

@mei @whitequark still planning to install @gnuradio on a R36S

[implr@social.hackerspace.pl]

@whitequark "return to gaming mode" wdym gaben vivado *is* gaming

[promovicz@chaos.social]

@whitequark “certain cats do it all the time”, “it’s fine as long as you don’t vibecode”, “isn’t it export-controlled now?”

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

@promovicz it is in fact export-controlled and has been for as long as i've been using it

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

it needed some convincing but it runs!

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

now for the real test of steam deck's utility: how fast can it pnr

[glyph@mastodon.social]

@whitequark I would never

[r@glauca.space]

@whitequark according to one benchmark, it has some strange CPU memory bandwidth issues ( https://chipsandcheese.com/p/van-gogh-amds-steam-deck-apu )

but overall still performs quite well for the "ultra-mobile" (do they still use that term?) device class. doesn't throttle for no reason, for one

[whitequark@social.treehouse.systems]

despite having only 88 GB/s of memory bandwidth (https://glauca.space/@r/116126575467566538) it seems to be... okay? oddly it appears much slower to do synthesis than pnr on their or1200 demo project, which is not the way it usually goes