Can we construct a PS5-level PC for a similar $499 value at launch?

The Sony PS5 launch date is reportedly November 20, 2020. That’s in precisely one yr’s time with a launch value of $499. Now, that’s some huge cash for a console, however not plenty of money with which to construct a gaming PC. How shut can we get to the specs of the brand new PlayStation 5 with at the moment’s PC components or the unreleased elements set to reach in our machines by this time subsequent yr?

That’s going to be a tall order, contemplating that Sony will probably be engaged on tight margins and excessive volumes with AMD when it comes to the customized CPU and GPU pairing, and it is likely to be robust to bag a set of PC silicon with the identical grunt, however we’ll see how shut we will get…

It’s additionally price mentioning that Microsoft may have its personal next-gen console out for the vacations subsequent yr, with the Xbox Scarlett (or no matter its last identify will probably be) additionally anticipated to be priced across the $500 mark too. Both consoles are powered by the identical AMD {hardware}, so will or not it’s doable to spec out a PC to tackle each of the next-gen consoles with out breaking the financial institution?

The very first thing that we have to determine is what precisely we’re when it comes to the specs of the brand new PlayStation game field. We understand it’s going to be powered by AMD customized silicon, however what is going to the equal PC {hardware} be?

What are the Sony PS5 specs?

The PS5 is ready to come back with an eight-core CPU rocking the most recent AMD Zen 2 processor structure, the identical as you’ll discover in at the moment’s Ryzen 7 3700X. Paired with that could be a GPU half that sports activities the Navi GPU structure, however I assume we’re anticipating it to be utilising the RDNA 2.Zero replace as a result of it’s graphics silicon is meant to supply ray tracing help based mostly within the {hardware}.

Well, it should be hardware-accelerate ray tracing, as a result of if Sony tries to do it in software program it’s going to finish up a scorching mess.

With that Navi-based GPU I’d anticipate to see round 8GB of GDDR6 getting used for the system reminiscence, the identical degree because the PS4 Pro, however with the brand new reminiscence structure for XTREME BANDWIDTHZ.

We don’t know what kind of spec the graphics silicon goes to have, however given the PS4 Pro’s AMD GPU runs to 4.2TFLOPS of graphical compute energy, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to anticipate round double that with the PS5. The Navi-powered RX 5700, with its 36 compute items, is available in at a shade underneath 8TFLOPS at its enhance frequency, whereas the RX 5700 XT, with 40 CUs, provides 8.2TFLOPs at its base clock velocity.

The PS5 can also be going to come back rocking an SSD for the primary time in a console, that what has led to some excitable claims about it providing “raw bandwidth higher than any SSD available for PCs.” To be honest that declare was made earlier than the Ryzen 3000 chips launched with a platform able to working PCIe 4.Zero strong state drives, so it’s possible not a declare it could possibly make anymore.

I feel it is likely to be a stretch to anticipate a 1TB PCIe 4.Zero SSD to enter the $499 PS5, however a 500GB drive is likely to be a chance.

So, how will we get near that on PC? The closest you’ll be capable to get when it comes to the straight Gonzalo system-on-a-chip (SoC) that’s going to characteristic in both the PS4 or the Xbox Scarlett would be the upcoming Zen 2-based APUs. The Ryzen 4000 collection will kick off with these APUs “coming in early 2020,” so sayeth Dr. Su.

Sadly, regardless that the Ryzen 4000-series APUs will feature more compute units of their GPU elements than in earlier generations, that’s nonetheless prone to be restricted to round 12 CUs. And that can barely internet you an identical kind of GPU efficiency because the OG PS4. There’s additionally the truth that the graphics structure is simply going to have a scant few Navi options, with the precise chip being more closely linked to Vega.

So, we will overlook that… we’re going to want each a graphics card and a processor to match the PS5. Luckily the Ryzen 7 3700X, AMD’s present eight-core, 16-thread Zen 2 chip will probably be out-dated by the brand new, supposedly severely sooner, Zen 3 design by the point the brand new PlayStation rolls round this time subsequent yr.

That ought to imply the 3000-series may have some critical reductions, so that you would possibly find yourself discovering the $330 3700X for a similar $190 the Ryzen 7 2700X is at the moment. Though that value may nonetheless drop as we edge nearer to Black Friday…

That will probably be an overkill CPU as compared with the PS5, which may have the identical important core configuration however will essentially run at a decrease clock velocity. That fats growth chassis isn’t what the eventual PlayStation 5 goes to take a seat inside, so it’s going to must be glad chilling inside extra thermally constrained environs.

The six-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 3600 would nonetheless provide you with equal gaming efficiency due to its greater clock velocity, and by subsequent yr that may very well be a $100 chip just like the 2600 is at the moment. We’re shaving some money off the construct… however not sufficient, as a result of getting a GPU that the PS5 is seemingly promising will probably be robust.

We are engaged on rumours and hypothesis right here, but when we take the RX 5700 as an equal GPU then that’s a $300 card at the moment. Come subsequent yr there’s an opportunity RDNA 2.Zero will probably be obtainable on the PC too in some kind, and hopefully the gen-on-gen efficiency uplift would have an RX 5700 equal on the brand new ray tracing-capable structure sitting decrease down the GPU value ladder.

Let’s be massively optimistic and name {that a} $200 card. Hell, if Nvidia’s Ampere comes out round Gamescom subsequent yr with stellar ray tracing and rasterising efficiency, and is a greater worth prospect than the RTX 2000-series playing cards, then AMD may need to be that aggressive on pricing.
Okay, so now we have a robust GPU and CPU combo that optimistically prices us $300.

That leaves us $200 to seize a chassis, PSU, 4K Blu-ray participant, a 500GB PCIe 4.Zero SSD, 8GB of DDR4 reminiscence, and an AM4 motherboard. We can overlook spending on a Windows license cos the PS5 runs on Linux so we will get that free of charge, all it’ll price us is our sanity as we try to handle the vagaries of the terminal and getting Proton to work okay.

Still, even saving on the OS getting all that underneath $200 is inconceivable. But, you’ll be able to overlook the 4K Blu-ray participant – ‘cos optical media is dead, man – and a PCIe 4.0 SSD is just phallus-waving stuff right now, which means you can get everything else for around the $280 mark, which ain’t unhealthy.

You can seize an Asus B450 for $80, a Corsair 100R chassis for $50, 8GB of Crucial DDR4 for $39, a 500W EVGA PSU for $47, and a 512GB PCIe 3.0 Addlink S70 SSD for just $62.

Okay, even with my tremendous optimistic future pricing calculations we’re an almost $600 PC construct, with fewer cores than the PS5 and no (pointless) optical disk drive. That does go to indicate the extent of shopping for energy Sony has with the extent of gross sales it could possibly assure with a brand new console. Sony should purchase elements for lots lower than we will… rattling these economies of scale.

The kind of PC that will provide would simply match the PS5 when it comes to straight efficiency, and smash it when it comes to tremendous versatility too, however placing collectively that construct can be much more effort than dropping some money on a next-gen console. And you wouldn’t must drive your blood strain by means of the roof making an attempt to study Linux, both.

Hmm, so principally what I’m saying is that in case you want a brand new gaming machine this time subsequent yr and solely have $500 to spend, then you definitely finest purchase a PS5. Jeez, I’m so sacked…