"Context matters a lot": New Steam Machine CPU benchmark numbers are underwhelming, but they're far from the full picture

A Steam Machine with ports, overlaid by a graph with a downward sloping line against a beige background.

I feel like it's been years since Valve first announced its new Steam Machine; alas, it's only been about 7 months since we first saw the new gaming PC expected to take on living room consoles.

There has been plenty of discourse around the Steam Machine in that time, especially in regard to what pricing will look like, considering how expensive RAM and storage have become since Valve initially unveiled the device.