Steam Hardware Survey Shows Windows 7 and Nvidia Dominance, Quad Core Uptake and Windows XP Drop-Off

Posted 06/03/2010 at 11:51pm | by Nathan Grayson

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 You may not be able to name every bone in your own body or all 50 states, but we're willing to bet you're intimately acquainted with each and every component of your bleeding-edge rig. What about other PC gamers, though? How do their PCs stack up? Fortunately for you, Valve's decided to douse that burning question with its latest Steam hardware survey.

First off, Nvidia's still the preferred GPU manufacturer overall at 61%, but Radeon's HD 4800 has sprinted to the head of the pack as the single most popular graphics card. Previously, Nvidia's GeForce 8800 wore that crown.

Meanwhile, the number of users embracing newer tech like Quad Core continues to increase, with 25% of users rocking four CPUs. Fittingly enough, then, Windows XP – tried and true, yes, but also a bit on the old and moldy side -- is looking about ready to give up the ghost. Once the most popular OS, it now sits at a mere 33% – a sharp decline from January's 45%. Windows 7, previously in close second, now takes first with 35%.

Also of note: Mac users – who finally hopped aboard the Steam engine in March – account for 8% of overall users. Which is a great start, obviously, but we're wondering how many of them only showed up for the free cake.

And that's only the tip of the iceberg. If you're some kind of strange PC voyeur, put down those binoculars and click on that link. Valve's survey is ridiculously comprehensive, and well worth a look if you're into that sort of thing.