It has been practically three years for the reason that launch of the Sony PlayStation 5, and it nonetheless holds up as some of the highly effective gaming consoles. Among the many major promoting factors of the PS5 was its spectacular next-generation {hardware} that warranted comparisons with PC gaming. Whereas the PlayStation 5 shouldn’t be practically as highly effective and versatile as high-end PCs, Sony’s latest console packs a punch.
Naturally, its efficiency for the worth begs worth comparability with its equal on the PC gaming facet. On this article, we discover how a lot it might value you to get or construct a PC as highly effective because the PS5.
PlayStation 5 Specs
Sony PlayStation 5’s spectacular {hardware} choices are a major improve from its predecessor and completely spotlight next-generation gaming. The console’s spec sheet consists of:
- CPU – A custom-designed CPU primarily based on AMD Zen 2 structure. The 7nm System on Chip (SoC) is powered by 8 cores and 16 threads and has a variable clock velocity of as much as 3.5 GHz.
- GPU – A custom-designed GPU known as Oberon. It’s primarily based on AMD RDNA 2 graphics structure and options 36 compute items (CUs). The GPU has a variable frequency of as much as 2.23 GHz and is able to a peak theoretical efficiency output of 10.3 teraflops. The GPU’s compute items assist real-time ray tracing acceleration.
- SSD – A {custom} 825GB SSD with a 12-channel interface able to 5.5GB/s learn bandwidth.
- RAM – 16GB of GDDR6 SDRAM (256-bit) with a peak 448GB/s bandwidth.
- Energy Provide – The PS5 is powered by a 350-watt energy provide.
What Gear Do You Want?
1. CPU
With regards to uncooked processing energy, peak efficiency, and structure, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is the closest equal to the PS5’s CPU. The Ryzen 7 3700X is constructed on 7nm FinFet lithography and relies on Zen 2 structure. The CPU options 8 cores and 16 threads and has a base clock velocity of three.6 GHz, which may increase as much as 4.4 GHz.
As such, it’s barely extra highly effective than the PlayStation 5’s processor, however not by a large margin. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is designed for socket AM4 motherboards and might assist dual-channel 3200 MHz DDR4 RAM. To take full benefit of this processor, it’s recommendable to pair it with AMD x500 sequence motherboards that leverage PCIe 4.0.
Additionally, AMD Ryzen 7 3700X comes with a succesful Wraith Prism LED cooler, which saves you the price of buying a third-party CPU cooler. This processor is very environment friendly, with a Thermal Design Energy (TDP) ranking of 65W. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X at the moment retails between £150 and £170.
2. GPU
Primarily based on the PS5 GPU specs, an appropriately highly effective PC equal can be the AMD Radeon RX6600 XT graphics card. Launched in 2021, it’s a performance-segment GPU constructed on a 7nm course of and primarily based on the Navi 23 graphics processor. AMD Radeon RX6600 XT is paired with 8GB GDDR6 reminiscence linked utilizing a 128-bit reminiscence interface.
The GPU options 2048 shading items, 128 texture mapping items, and 64 ROPS, that are on par with the PlayStation 5’s Oberon GPU. It operates at a base frequency of 1968 MHz, which may increase as much as 2590 MHz. AMD Radeon RX6600 XT additionally has 32 ray tracing acceleration cores that assure assist for hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
With a peak theoretical efficiency output of 10.6 teraflops, it’s barely extra highly effective than the PlayStation 5’s GPU. As such, this GPU is able to working the most recent titles in 4K decision at 60 – 120 FPS. Show outputs embrace HDMI 2.1 and Show Port 1.4a, which facilitate excessive body fee gaming at UHD decision.
Radeon RX6600 XT is very environment friendly with a most energy draw rated at 160W. The present retail worth of this GPU is round £237. Should you select to go NVIDIA, the RTX 3060 is a viable different. It’s barely extra highly effective than the RX6600 XT, with a peak theoretical efficiency output of 13 teraflops (about 30% greater than the PlayStation 5).
3. Motherboard
As we talked about earlier when discussing processors, AMD’s 500 sequence motherboards are your finest wager to totally profit from the Ryzen 7 3700X CPU. This latest technology of motherboards provides you elevated performance and flexibility. The motherboards have assist for PCIe 4.0 and might make the most of an elevated reminiscence bus. You’re additionally extra future-proofed.
There are some essential motherboard options that affect the general efficiency of your full gaming system. These RAM and PCI assist the kind of M.2 SSD slots out there and the enter/output interface. Contemplating all these and different components, one of the best motherboard to construct upon a PS5-equivalent PC gaming system is the ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570.
With options together with Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 6, and an in-built sound card, ASUS AM4 TUF X570 has all the things it’s worthwhile to construct a system rivaling and exceeding the PS5.
The motherboard makes use of an AM4 socket, which is appropriate with the Ryzen 7 3700X processor. The X570 motherboard chipset offers you full entry to PCIe 4.0 and comes with 4 RAM slots in a dual-channel configuration. It helps as much as 128GB of DDR4 reminiscence at 5000 MHz when overclocked.
The ASUS AM4 X570 motherboard additionally options two PCI2 4.0 M.2 SSD slots, enabling you to get probably the most out of your SSDs. As well as, the motherboard consists of warmth sinks for every SSD, saving you some cash on the already expensive SSDs.
Being an ATX motherboard, it’s appropriate with mid-tower and full-tower instances and quite a lot of case fan and RGB configurations. The ASUS AM4 TUF Gaming X570 motherboard prices round £55. Various motherboard choices embrace the ASUS Prime X570-P, Gigabyte A520 Aorus Elite, and the ASUS ROG X570-E.
4. RAM
The PS5 options two swimming pools of RAM. The first RAM is 16GB GDDR6 RAM designed with 448GB/s peak RAM bandwidth for optimum gaming efficiency. The secondary RAM is 512MB DDR4 SDRAM that the console makes use of to run background duties. The configuration can clock speeds of as much as 14,000 MHz. It’s price noting that the PS5 shares this configuration between the system reminiscence and graphics reminiscence.
To match the RAM capabilities of the PS5, you want not less than 16GB of DDR4 system RAM working at speeds of not less than 3200 MHz. These specs ought to give your gaming PC adequate bandwidth overhead to deal with demanding video games and multitasking. One other essential issue to think about is CAS latency. The RAM ought to run with a really low latency – CL16/CL18 or higher.
All issues thought-about, a very good decide in your PC’s RAM can be the G.Talent Ripsaw V 16GB DDR4 RAM package. This second-generation DDR4 RAM package from G.Talent options two 8GB RAM sticks that run at speeds of as much as 3600 MHZ with a CAS Latency of 18. You possibly can anticipate wonderful efficiency from this RAM configuration, which pairs properly with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 sequence processors. Retailing at £63, the G.Talent Ripsaw V 16GB RAM package is very reasonably priced and excellent for a funds PC construct.
5. SSD
The PS5 makes use of an 825GB Gen 4 NVMe SSD drive. Sony went with this atypical drive dimension because it was optimum for the 12-channel interface in comparison with the extra widespread 512 GB and 1TB items. PS5’s SSD has a typical throughput of 8-9 GB/s.
To match the PS5’s storage, any high-speed NVME M.2 SSD would do. The majority of PS5 video games are constructed round sooner storage, and multi-platform video games are following swimsuit. It’s recommendable to spend the additional cash and go for a 1TB SSD. Fashionable video games take an enormous quantity of house, and one can find your self rapidly working out of cupboard space with a 512 GB unit.
ADATA’s 1TB XPG Atom 50 is a superb storage possibility in your PC. It’s the firm’s flagship SSD of their new line of SSDs for avid gamers and creators. It’s a PC1e 4.0 drive that gives wonderful efficiency at an inexpensive worth.
The SSD is rated for a most throughput of 5GBps learn, and 4.5GBps write, proper on par with the PlayStation 5’s SSD. It has spectacular benchmark scores for booting working techniques and loading video games. As well as, it’s appropriate with the PS5, which means you should utilize it to increase your console’s usable storage in case you so want. ADATA XPG Atom 50 is at the moment out there for £63 on Amazon.
6. Energy Provide
The ability provide (PSU) performs an important function in your gaming system’s reliability. Choosing an acceptable high-quality PSU is non-negotiable within the PC constructing world. Cheaping out in your energy provide locations all of your PC elements in danger.
Due to its {custom} elements and optimization, the PS5 makes use of much less energy than an equally highly effective gaming PC. Primarily based on the ability attracts (TDP) of the chosen elements, a PSU with an influence output of 450W is right. The only option is the Corsair CX450.
This budget-oriented PSU boasts a set of safety options, together with voltage regulation modules, LLC resonant converters, and high-quality followers. The PSU can also be a extremely environment friendly PSU with an 80 PLUS Bronze ranking. The Corsair CX450 at the moment prices £40 on Corsair’s web site.
Whole Value
Going by the present retail costs, the PlayStation 5 equal PC elements above value roughly £620. Whenever you add in a funds PC case, which prices about £50, the entire PC gaming system totals round £670.
Total, Sony’s PS5 provides a better price-to-performance worth with roughly the identical efficiency for about £430. Nonetheless, buying or constructing a gaming PC provides much more advantages. Most significantly, you’ll be able to simply improve later and entry rather more energy with out having to purchase a whole system.
Different notable advantages embrace the power to make use of your PC for extra than simply gaming, entry to a wider array of low-cost video games, extra customization choices, and extra peripheral choices.
