It seems that Valve had incorrect details on the specification sheet for the Steam Deck, and as a result we now know the RAM is more impressive.
Originally (as seen on the Web Archive), Valve listed the Steam Deck as having "5500 MT/s dual-channel" which they've now adjusted to say it's actually "5500 MT/s quad 32-bit channels". Thanks to that, we know that the Steam Deck should perform even better than we originally thought it would. The speed may not have changed, but dual to quad is still a pretty nice boost.
We've known for some time now that RAM speed and bandwidth is important to Ryzen CPUs, so this is quite an important clarification to come from Valve. For such a small (relatively speaking) device, every little bit of possible performance is going to be vital, especially since likely the majority of games will end up being played using the Steam Play Proton compatibility tool.
Additionally, Valve designer Lawrence Yang has clarified that when the Steam Deck was recently shown off to IGN the games were actually being played from an SD Card:
Yep, games will load faster off internal storage, but games still play great off an SD card. When IGN came by, all the games they tried (and shot footage of) were played off a microSD card.
Yang also confirmed on Twitter that when docked you can run Steam Deck games off of an external SSD.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
TheRiddick Jul 21, 2021
You can get microSD cards up to 300MB/s but price climbs allot, and storage space can be reduced as I presume their getting better speed via dual/quad write methods.
Last edited by Eike on 21 July 2021 at 9:32 am UTC
Quoting: mahagrNow I just want to know whether the 7" screen supports variable refresh rate.. If it does, it really starts to look like a dream handheld.
I wouldn't think so. Sounds like some extra complication. (Though I do think there will be a time when we'll wonder why not everything on a computer had variable refresh rate decades earlier. :D )
You might have several SD cards holding libraries, or when docking you want to have the external storage accessible immediately to make it a smooth experience.
Gosh, I. can. not. wait. :D
TheRiddick Jul 21, 2021
Quoting: damarrinI'm guessing it means you need to open the deck up to access it and it'll void your warranty.
Invalid here in Australia, we are allowed to open electronics up. (stores will fight, then you show them the law and they shut up)
80-90MB/s is the typical MicroSD cards sold and also Nintendo ones. I bought a 512GB 180MB/s R/W one however so hopefully that will be a little bit faster. (faster ones cost more)
Last edited by TheRiddick on 21 July 2021 at 9:51 am UTC
https://twitter.com/garrynewman/status/1415741642385117189
TheRiddick Jul 21, 2021
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