The PlayStation 5 is back in stock, and if you’ve been eagerly waiting to jump into the next generation of gaming, it looks like now is the time to pounce. But I’m here to talk you out of the console, because you can build a PC for about the same price that puts the PS5 to shame.
Building computers is getting more expensive, but the prices of the best graphics cards are falling. With a little smart shopping and a little oiling, a gaming PC can deliver better performance and better visuals without costing much more than a Sony console. Here is the build you need.
Meet the PS5 killer
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
Okay, before I get into crafting, I need to lay some groundwork. The PS5 still has a place, and consoles still serve a function that PCs can’t. If you’ve decided to experience the latest Sony console, you should buy the PS5. Despite the ways in which it hasn’t lived up to its promises, even two years later, it’s hard to beat the value of the current-gen console. For everyone else, let me direct you to the computer.
I set a budget of $600 for several reasons. First and foremost, you can’t buy a PS5 for $500. There are PS5s readily available from online retailers, but only as a bundle for $560. It’s been like that for several months, first with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, then with Horizon: Forbidden West, and now with God of War Ragnarök. I have no doubt that will continue.
The second is that you have much more space to work with your computer. Shop for specific offers, downsize your storage space to save money, or stretch your budget a little for more power. Plus, spending a little more over the PS5 gives you a lot more performance.
Here is the build I decided on:
- AMD Ryzen 5 3600 — $95
- Gigabyte B450M DS3H Wi-Fi — $80
- G.Skill Aegis 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 — $42
- Western Digital SN250 960GB NVMe SSD — $55
- ASRock RX 6600 XT Challenger D — $275
- Thermaltake Versa H17 — $50
- Thermaltake Smart Series 500W — $40
- Total — $637
I went a little over budget, but if you shop around (especially thrift stores), you can easily knock $100 or more off the price. The main reason I switched was the RX 6600 XT. I originally planned to build with the RX 6600, which is currently about $50 cheaper. The RX 6600 XT is still significantly more powerful, so it’s worth paying more.
You’ll notice that the PC I built doesn’t look quite the same as the assembly above, and that’s mostly just due to the components I had on hand. I’m using a different case, motherboard and power supply, mainly because of the Lian Li A4-H20 PC case I’ve been using. This case, along with a properly sized power supply and motherboard, would easily add $300 to the build cost. Fortunately, they do not affect performance at all. No upgrades required.
In terms of build, I tried to match the PS5 as much as possible. The Ryzen 5 3600 has six Zen 2 cores, while the PS5 offers eight Zen 2 cores. However, you can overclock the Ryzen 5 3600 with one click, so I chose a motherboard that supports overclocking. If you choose this version, please note that the motherboard may need a BIOS update to support the CPU.
Similarly, the RX 6600 XT is a 32 compute unit (CU) RDNA 2 graphics card aimed to match the PS5’s custom 36-CU RDNA 2 GPU. That’s less power for the PC, but we have the benefit of dedicated VRAM and RAM, while the PS5 uses shared memory. Finally, I opted for a 960GB PCIe SSD, which is slightly larger than the 825GB SSD available on the PS5.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
To get the full console experience, there are a few small add-ons you should also pick up. The 8BitDo Wireless USB Adapter 2 is much better than relying on Bluetooth for your controller, and a mini Bluetooth keyboard like the Rii X8 makes using your computer on the couch a lot easier.
Before I get into performance and image quality, I want to reiterate that the PS5 is a great value, even two years after its release. You should buy one instead of building a PC if you just want a set-it-forget-it gaming box. The main advantage of building a PC is that you have access to a larger library of games, a system you can use for much more outside of gaming, and the ability to easily upgrade performance in the future.
Off the charts performance
PC performance vs $600 PS5
The PS5 is a 4K gaming console, so I ran all my tests at 4K (despite the fact that the RX 6600 XT isn’t actually a 4K GPU). But the little PC put up an impressive fight. I tested each game trying to simulate the quality and performance modes you can find in PS5 games. As for the quality, it was 4K at the highest graphics settings, no gimmicks. In terms of performance, I stuck to 4K and the highest graphics preset, but turned to dynamic upscaling tools like AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) to improve performance.
And the PS5 doesn’t look so hot in comparison. In native 4K where PS5 games run at 30 frames per second (fps), a PC can achieve between 35 fps and 50 fps. Similarly, the PC jumps forward into the 70fps to 80fps region with a bit of upscaling, while the PS5 mostly stays locked at 60.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
It is the only exception Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Dynamic resolution on the PS5 was able to maintain a smooth 60 fps, while the PC couldn’t quite hit that mark. This is likely due to the processor in the PC, which shows what a few extra cores can do in CPU-limited games.
However, these tests actually favor the PS5, especially in Performance mode. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, for example, it runs at 2169 x 1220 resolution in its Performance mode, while the PC version tries to achieve 4K with dynamic resolution. Similarly, Guardians of the GalaxyPerformance mode drops the game down to 1080p and still drops below 60fps in many scenes. I used FSR’s quality mode, which renders the game at 1440p.
As mentioned, I also ran all of my PC tests at the highest graphics settings. The PS5 usually uses custom settings to fine-tune performance, so you can get much better performance with PC if you adjust some graphics settings or lower the resolution. Due to the PS5’s frame rate limitations, you don’t have the same option to push the limits set by different graphics modes.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
The highest graphics preset has some advantages though. IN guardians of the galaxy, you can see that the PC is using much higher resolution textures compared to the PS5 quality mode (note the metal plates at the bottom). You can see something similar in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, although the difference is less obvious.
Image used with permission of the copyright holder
However, it’s not always a win for PC. Miles Morales is a great example of a game optimized natively for Sony’s console where similar PC hardware can’t match the PS5. PC shines more in multiplatform releases where the developer doesn’t target the system so directly.
Are the console killers coming back?
Jacob Roach / Digital Trends
It’s no secret that building a personal computer is getting more and more expensive. Graphics cards like the RTX 4090 are pushing flagship prices to places they’ve never been before, next-gen DDR5 memory is still much more expensive than DDR4, and the high-quality, high-capacity power supplies you need to run the latest hardware are expensive.
In 2023, a classic killer console around $400-$500 is hard to come by, but with a little frugal shopping you can get close. This will be even easier to achieve a few years down the line when the PS5 starts to show its age more. My only hope is that when the eventual PS6 arrives you can build a PC for the same price.
This article is part of ReSpec – an ongoing bi-weekly column featuring discussions, tips and in-depth reports on the technology behind PC gaming.
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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn