When comparing ZOTAC Steam Machine SN970 vs Origin Chronos, the Slant community recommends ZOTAC Steam Machine SN970 for most people. In the question“What are the best Steam Machines?” ZOTAC Steam Machine SN970 is ranked 2nd while Origin Chronos is ranked 7th. The most important reason people chose ZOTAC Steam Machine SN970 is:
Steam has developed their own gaming controller which comes packed with this machine and is part of the price. This is convenient for those looking for an all in one solution.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Comes with new Steam controller
Steam has developed their own gaming controller which comes packed with this machine and is part of the price. This is convenient for those looking for an all in one solution.
Pro Quiet operation
For a machine that will most likely be used in the living room, fan noise is a concern. Luckily the machine is made to be silent while being used so this is not an issue here.
Pro Very nice design
The design looks like it can actually throw some people off thinking that this small form factor PC is a next gen system. It looks great underneath your TV and is about the size of a Sega Dreamcast. In other words, it just fits in perfectly.
Pro Nice design
Origin is another company that has also been able to jam capable hardware is a sleek design with the red O on the tower that it just can't help remind you of a certain super computer in an older film. Regardless, it looks really nice.
Pro Upgradable
Like many listed, this Steam Machine can be upgraded to the desired specs that you'd like to see inside during production, and what you'd like to replace inside when it's time for an upgrade.
Pro Vertical position
May seem as an odd thing to mark as a pro but if you look at this like a console, it can be placed alongside your Wii U or Xbox 360 and still have space for more systems in the future.
Cons
Con Steam OS
The machine comes pre-installed with Steam OS as the main OS, this is based off of Debian Linux and as such Linux has less games than on Windows. This means that many AAA games will not be available on the system as they tend to be Windows only.
Con GPU cannot be upgraded
Like an Alienware Steam Machine, the Zotac's GPU cannot be upgraded. It may have a decent card inside now but a few more years down the road will make that card unattractive if you wish to buy something better to keep up with future titles.
Con No GPU amplifier at this time
Unlike Alienware, Zotac has not created a GPU amplifier for their Steam Machine so that if someone were to want to upgrade externally with a desktop GPU like an RX 580, they cannot do so.
Con No SteamOS
Some people like using Linux for their gaming and other casual usage like Youtube, Google, Amazon, and others. But, this option is not available on the Chronos and thus you're stuck to choosing Windows while configuring your system. It can be installed when you get it, but it would be nice if you didn't really need to have to do that. Plus, it's a cheaper OS option to go with versus Windows.
Con Heat
There have been some tests relating to heat and it doesn't seem to be doing so well reaching some high degrees compared to the other small form factors.
Con Another expensive machine
It shouldn't be a surprise due to the company behind this product is known to having high quality products with a high quality price tag. The base model reaches to $1268 before checkout. Of course if the base model without lights inside doesn't cut it, you can always upgrade from the website adding the price higher and higher.