A head‑to‑head test reported by Notebookcheck — based on a hands‑on video from ETA Prime — finds that
SteamOS and Windows 11 can match one another at 4K Ultra in modern AAA workloads when run on a high‑end, all‑AMD desktop. The practical takeaway for 2026: Linux‑based gaming has moved from “playable” to
competitive in many single‑player scenarios, but the picture remains nuanced — title‑dependent, driver‑sensitive, and shaped by tooling choices such as compositor, shader‑cache behavior, and thermal/power tuning.
Background / Overview
SteamOS has matured rapidly since Valve’s first Deck launch, with a curated stack (Proton, Mesa, kernel patches, and performance utilities) that increasingly competes with Windows 11 on real gaming hardware. Recent community and enthusiast tests — including handheld comparisons, SteamOS‑style images like Bazzite, and desktop experiments — repeatedly show that a lean, gaming‑first Linux stack can deliver smoother frame‑time behavior or even higher averages in shader‑heavy scenes on AMD hardware. This trend is the context for ETA Prime’s desktop comparison that Notebookcheck summarized: a dual‑boot, all‑AMD rig tested on SteamOS 3.7.17 and Windows 11 Pro. The test is valuable because it uses identical hardware, identical in‑game settings, and the official stable SteamOS channel — a useful snapshot of Linux gaming in 2026 rather than an outlier experiment using obscure kernels or experimental Proton builds. But it is still a single‑creator, real‑world test: repeatability depends on driver versions, BIOS tuning, and the precise scenes chosen for measurement.
Test rig and how it was configured
The machine ETA Prime built for the comparison was deliberately an all‑AMD configuration, selected to minimize cross‑vendor driver variables and because the AMD stack (Mesa, Radeon drivers) has seen strong community and vendor support for Linux.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D — 8 cores / 16 threads, Zen 5 with 3D V‑Cache; listed by AMD with a SEP of $479 and documented specs of up to 5.2 GHz boost and a 120 W TDP.
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX — flagship RDNA3 card with 24 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 384‑bit bus; historically launched at a $999 MSRP but widely discounted at retail, with sub‑$900 listings appearing in recent deal windows.
- Memory: 32 GB DDR5, up to 7,000 MT/s (dual‑channel).
- Motherboard: ASRock B850 Challenger (AM5 platform).
- Storage: Two 1 TB NVMe SSDs — one for Windows 11 Pro, one for the official SteamOS image.
- PSU & Cooling: 850 W Gold PSU; CPU/GPU tuning via BIOS (not third‑party utilities).
Notebookcheck reported retail listing prices for CPU and GPU (Amazon prices at the time of writing), but those are
market prices and fluctuate; AMD’s own product listing and widely cited reviews remain the reliable technical reference for core specs.
Why this hardware matters
- The Ryzen 7 9800X3D brings the second‑generation 3D V‑Cache to an 8‑core Zen‑5 die, which historically produces strong gaming performance (particularly in CPU‑bound or cache‑sensitive scenes).
- The RX 7900 XTX is a 4K‑capable card with abundant VRAM for ultra presets — a sensible choice to test native 4K Ultra without mandatory upscaling.
Methodology and validation
ETA Prime ran each title on both OSes with the same graphics settings, resolutions, and (where possible) power/VRR settings. SteamOS used the official stable channel, version
3.7.17, which Valve released with various fixes and performance overlay updates in November 2025 — matching the Notebookcheck article’s claim. That SteamOS release is publicly documented in vendor and community coverage. Two important caveats about methodology:
- Single‑creator experiments are useful for directional insight but not absolute, laboratory‑grade proof. Small differences in background services, GPU driver builds, shader caches, or even the timing of scene selection can swing numbers. Community archives show repeated, directionally similar results across creators and outlets, increasing confidence — but not guaranteeing universal parity.
- Driver/version sensitivity. Both Mesa and vendor drivers (and Proton) are frequently updated; a snapshot from November 2025 or January 2026 can change with a single driver or Proton release. Tests that freeze their software stack are reproducible for that snapshot — they are not immutable truths.
The numbers: SteamOS vs Windows 11 at 4K Ultra (high‑level)
Notebookcheck relayed ETA Prime’s headline results for a handful of AAA games at 4K Ultra (no FSR unless specified). The top‑level findings:
- Cyberpunk 2077 (4K Ultra, no FSR): Windows 11 averaged 84 FPS, SteamOS 85 FPS — essentially even.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (4K Ultra, no FSR): Windows 11 averaged 96 FPS, SteamOS 88 FPS — Windows advantage.
- Forza Horizon 5 (4K Extreme, no FSR): Windows 11 191 FPS, SteamOS 157 FPS — notable Windows lead (the article suggested Microsoft ecosystem proximity may play a role).
- Marvel’s Spider‑Man 2 (4K Very High, FSR Quality): SteamOS 111 FPS, Windows 11 103 FPS — slight SteamOS lead.
- Borderlands 4 (4K Ultra, FSR Quality): Windows 74 FPS, SteamOS 69 FPS — small Windows lead.
These are
per‑title outcomes that underscore the core message:
no universal winner. Some titles favor the Windows driver stack or publisher ties to Microsoft; others see parity or a Linux edge.
Why results vary — the technical levers
Several repeatable technical explanations account for why SteamOS can tie or beat Windows 11 in specific scenes, and why Windows still leads in others.
- OS overhead and service noise. SteamOS (and gaming‑focused Linux images) boot into a lean compositor and run fewer background services than a full Windows 11 desktop installation. That reduces CPU wakeups, interrupts, and scheduler noise — all important for tightly timed frame delivery in shader‑heavy scenes.
- Shader compilation and caching differences. Modern engines generate many shader permutations. How the driver/runtime handles on‑the‑fly shader compilation and caching affects micro‑stutters. Valve’s Proton + Mesa shader caching strategy has matured and can, in some workloads, reduce blocking shader compiles that create visible hitches on Windows.
- Driver timing and frame pacing. AMD’s Linux driver stack (Mesa + RADV for Vulkan) has seen dedicated optimization work; in some traces it produces cleaner frame‑time graphs. Conversely, Windows drivers (and Microsoft‑adjacent game code paths) still optimize aggressively for Windows and may exploit vendor features not yet equally supported on Linux, producing higher peak averages in certain titles.
- Publisher/engine tuning. Titles closely tied to Microsoft technologies (e.g., Forza) often show Windows advantages because vendor testing and optimization focus on Microsoft APIs and drivers. SteamOS/Proton must use translation layers or alternate paths, which can be slightly less optimized.
Strengths — why this matters to gamers and builders
- Linux gaming is no longer just “good enough”; it’s competitive. For single‑player, offline, or shader‑heavy AAA titles, Linux/SteamOS can offer parity or better frame‑time stability on the same hardware. That is a material change from even a few years prior.
- Purpose‑built stacks reduce friction for handhelds and constrained devices. The same factors that help desktop SteamOS — lean compositor, tuned kernel, shader caching — are amplified on thermally restricted hardware, which explains many handheld tests showing Linux gains.
- Flexibility of dual‑boot. ETA Prime’s practical conclusion — running both OSes — is the pragmatic path today: use SteamOS for titles that benefit from its stack, and drop to Windows for titles requiring native Windows features or anti‑cheat.
Risks, caveats, and remaining blockers
- Anti‑cheat and multiplayer compatibility. Kernel‑level anti‑cheat and Windows‑only middleware remain the single largest blocker to a full Linux transition for many players. Competitive multiplayer and MMOs that require Windows anti‑cheat will often force users to remain on Windows or maintain a dual‑boot.
- Driver/version volatility. Small changes in Mesa, Proton, or vendor driver builds can swing outcomes. Tests that freeze stacks are reproducible only for that snapshot; real users will see variability. Plan for occasional rollbacks or driver tweaks.
- Ray tracing parity. RT paths remain uneven across OS and vendor combos. If real‑time ray tracing is central to your desired experience, Windows with Nvidia’s ecosystem still holds advantages in many titles.
- Tooling and OEM features. Utilities like vendor RGB control, some firmware updates, or OEM apps are often Windows‑first; users trading Windows for Linux may lose convenience features or require community tools.
Practical recommendations for readers and builders
- If you plan to experiment with Linux gaming, follow a measured approach:
- Identify must‑play titles. Check ProtonDB, compatibility tags, and recent community test notes to see how each title behaves.
- Try before committing. Use a bootable SteamOS image or dual‑boot; avoid wiping a Windows install until you’re confident.
- Freeze your software stack for benchmarking. Note Mesa, kernel, and Proton versions so you can reproduce or roll back.
- Keep Windows available for anti‑cheat or problematic multiplayer titles. Dual‑boot remains the pragmatic compromise for most users.
- Use vendor‑compatible hardware where possible. Valve’s and AMD’s investments have made AMD hardware particularly friendly on SteamOS images in many community tests, but results vary.
- For builders targeting 4K Ultra native play:
- Prefer GPUs with large VRAM budgets (24 GB cards or ample frame‑buffer), fast CPUs with strong single‑thread IPC, and NVMe storage for texture streaming.
- Expect to tune BIOS power curves and GPU settings for peak sustained clocks — ETA Prime’s test used BIOS tuning rather than third‑party tools to keep parity across OSes.
What to watch next (and what needs verification)
- Driver and Proton updates. Any driver or Proton release can materially affect parity — follow Mesa, AMD, and Valve channels for changes. SteamOS releases such as 3.7.17 are part of that cadence; the stable 3.7.17 release addressed overlay and update issues in November 2025.
- Pricing and component availability. Market prices for high‑end GPUs and CPUs fluctuate; Notebookcheck noted Amazon listings for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RX 7900 XTX but official AMD SEP and historical MSRP remain the authoritative spec/pricing anchors. Expect retail discounts, bundles, or temporary promos to change the out‑the‑door cost.
- Independent lab replication. Larger labs with locked driver stacks and instrumented capture (frame‑time traces, power telemetry) will help quantify how repeatable these parity results are across more boards and multiple driver snapshots. Community hands‑on tests are compelling but benefit from formal replication.
Conclusion — Linux gaming in 2026 is competitive, but context matters
ETA Prime’s dual‑boot experiment, summarized by Notebookcheck, is an instructive snapshot:
SteamOS can match Windows 11 at 4K Ultra in some of the most demanding modern AAA workloads on an all‑AMD desktop, and in other titles Windows retains measurable leads. The balancing act is not purely about raw averages;
frame‑time consistency, 1% lows, shader‑compile behavior, and system‑level tuning are just as consequential to perceived smoothness as headline FPS.
For enthusiasts and builders, the practical model for 2026 is pragmatic duality: adopt SteamOS or a SteamOS‑style image for titles that benefit from its lean stack and improved frame‑time behavior, and keep Windows available for anti‑cheat‑protected multiplayer, publisher‑optimized titles, or any case where the Windows driver path clearly outperforms Proton/mesa today. The ecosystem has reached the point where making that choice is about preferences and trade‑offs, not necessity: Linux gaming is now a
viable mainstream alternative for many use cases — provided users accept the maintenance and testing that come with a rapidly evolving open‑source stack.
Key references used to validate the technical claims include AMD’s official Ryzen 7 9800X3D specifications and product page, official and community reporting on SteamOS 3.7.17, and multiple retail and review outlets documenting the RX 7900 XTX’s specifications and evolving retail pricing, alongside the original Notebookcheck coverage summarizing ETA Prime’s video tests.
Source: Notebookcheck
Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption 2 tested at 4K Ultra on SteamOS and Windows 11, offering a snapshot of Linux gaming in 2026