A new do-it-yourself Steam Machine project is drawing attention after a YouTube creator showcased how a discarded cryptocurrency mining board built around a defective PlayStation 5 chip can be repurposed into a low-cost gaming PC. The demonstration by ETA Prime uses the ASRock BC-250 mining blade, originally designed for mining operations. The hardware incorporates a B-grade PS5 system-on-chip with certain components disabled, offering six Zen 2 CPU cores with 12 threads, 24 RDNA 2 GPU compute units, and 16GB of GDDR6 memory, compared to a standard PS5 with eight Zen 2 cores and 36 GPU units. Despite reduced specifications, the board can handle modern games at 1080p with satisfactory performance after GPU overclocking.
With cryptocurrency mining no longer profitable on general-purpose hardware, BC-250 boards have started appearing on resale platforms at attractive prices. ETA Prime reported listings as low as $100 to $120, with independent checks finding typical availability closer to $150. After tuning, the board delivered solid results: Left 4 Dead 2 ran above 150 frames per second at maximum settings, Spider-Man 2 averaged around 60 frames per second at medium settings with FSR balanced, and The Witcher 3 ran approximately 75 frames per second on high settings. Forza Horizon 5 reached 80 frames per second at medium settings, while Cyberpunk 2077 ran near 60 frames per second on average. These results suggest that the BC-250 can provide a competent 1080p gaming experience at a fraction of the cost of conventional gaming PCs.
Despite its capabilities, the BC-250 comes with certain limitations due to its mining-focused design. ETA Prime had to install a custom BIOS to enable gaming functionality. Storage support is limited to a single PCIe 2.0 x2 M.2 slot, which restricts expansion and performance options. The board is also incompatible with standard PC cases and cooling solutions, requiring specialized enclosures available on secondary markets for around $50. Nevertheless, even when accounting for storage and a power supply, the total build cost falls between $200 and $300, making it one of the most affordable ways to experience PC gaming with modern titles.
One of the main advantages of this setup is the inclusion of 16GB of GDDR6 memory, avoiding the impact of current RAM price increases. While the platform requires technical effort and compromises, ETA Prime’s testing demonstrates that it can serve as a functional entry point for gamers on a budget. With the BC-250’s resale availability and creative repurposing, enthusiasts can transform surplus mining hardware into a viable Steam Machine, bridging the gap between console-inspired designs and cost-conscious PC gaming. This project highlights the growing trend of repurposing specialized hardware for unconventional but practical applications in gaming.
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