Question about SteamOS.
Question about SteamOS.
The z97 chipset with a 4690k supports SteamOS. Gigabyte mentions Linux compatibility can vary, leaving it to the system to manage. Since SteamOS runs on Linux, your setup should work as long as it meets the requirements. If you're unsure, running it could pose risks if hardware limitations aren't met.
They mention it will work because there are many distributions and most hardware is mainly tested for Windows.
Running SteamOS on your system poses no hardware risks, and Linux typically handles drivers well, whether new or existing. It should function smoothly.
In short, running an OS on an unsupported chipset usually poses no real risk beyond possible crashes or failure to boot. The BIOS typically safeguards the hardware and powers off the system if needed. As for SteamOS, it can indeed be installed on flash drives or similar storage media, just like many other Linux distributions.
There is little to no risk of danger to your hardware with trying out linux based distros^^ Just try it and find out I've probably tried over 20 distros on my main rig so far with no problems at all
Ensure your HDD is properly formatted and backed up before installing SteamOS. Use a bootable USB or DVD to transfer the OS files, then reinstall SteamOS while keeping your existing data intact.
Not really, I've never experienced this before. If it doesn't back the hardware up, it's probably going to fail (like using a dedicated GPU without drivers installed).
Use Windows Disk Manager to reduce a partition, reserving roughly 20GB for SteamOS testing.