It is very well known that game developers create their games with console hardware in mind. This is why it’s essential to buy PC components that are almost close to current-gen consoles.
Otherwise, you might not get the optimal gaming experience since your PC hardware will be lagging behind.
Whether you are a console gamer switching to PC or simply interested in buying a new PS5 equivalent CPU, you’ve come to the right place. I have briefly discussed all the essentials that you need to know on this topic.
So stick around to find out more about the PS5 equivalent PC components & which CPU you should consider to stay neck & neck with the current-gen consoles.
Let’s dive in.
If you’re in a hurry, my recommendation is AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, which is the PS5 equivalent desktop CPU.
What CPU is Equivalent to PS5?
Spec-wise, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is the equivalent CPU to PS5. It has a similar core/thread count (8 core, 16 threads) & same architecture (Zen 2). However, the clock speed of the PS5 CPU is slightly lower than Ryzen 7 3700X.
There are two more PC CPUs that come close to PS5 in terms of specification. On paper, the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and 3800XT are very similar to PS5 CPU. Both are based on the same node & architecture (7nm Zen 2) as the PS5 CPU.
They also have the same amount of cores & threads (8 core, 16 threads), but the clock speed is much higher than the PS5’s CPU. Both have 3.9GHz base clock & 4.5GHz, 4.7GHz boost clock respectively. This is too big of a difference compared to the PS5 CPU to consider them as PS5 equivalent.
Additionally, we can inspect the PS5’s die shot to determine & verify which PC CPU is equivalent. Twitter user Fritzens Fritz delivered the first photos of the PS5 SoC using a special microscope with short wave infrared light (SWIR).
PlayStation 5 SoC die-shot, Source: Fritzchens Fritz
PlayStation 5 SoC die-shot layout, Source: Locuza
As we can see from the die-shot, the PS5 APU has 8 Zen 2 cores located on the left side. Some Fixed Function Units (FFU) and Fused Multiply-Add (FMA/FMADD) are missing from the chip. These units were likely removed as consoles have very different needs than desktops.
This is a custom APU SoC so the layout won’t match with the desktop counterpart. But we can get a general idea about the internal units of the die, which are similar to 8-core Zen 2 PC CPUs such as Ryzen 7 3700X, 3800X & 3800XT.
But since the clock speed of the PS5 CPU is 3.5GHz, which is much lower than 3800X & 3800XT, we can now conclusively say that the Ryzen 7 3700X is the equivalent CPU to PS5.
Interestingly, AMD has released the PS5 CPU for desktop; well, sort of. The AMD Ryzen 4700S is a resurrection of defective PlayStation 5 chipsets. Although this isn’t commonly available to buy, this desktop kit is indeed a throwaway PS5 SoC that probably didn’t meet certain criteria.
PlayStation 5 SoC Vs. Ryzen 4700S SoC, Source: Andreas Schilling.
The desktop kit’s performance is horrendous. As I have mentioned before, console SoCs aren’t built for desktop purposes. So even though it is literally the same die as the PS5, we can not declare the Ryzen 4700S as the PS5 equivalent CPU.
Check out our separate post on how to fix CPU fan not detected in BIOS.
What Intel CPU is Equivalent to PS5?
On the blue side, the Intel i7 10700 is the equivalent CPU to PS5. It is the closest intel CPU that is similar to PS5 in terms of core count and performance. It also has 8 core 16-threads, but the boost clock is much higher than PS5. It is based on 14nm Comet Lake architecture.
Although, the 2.9GHz base clock of this CPU is much lower than the PS5. But the sustained boost clock can reach up to 4.6GHz, which is much higher than the PS5 CPU.
What is the PS5 Equivalent CPU in Terms of Performance?
On paper, both Ryzen 7 3700X & the PS5 are AMD Zen 2 CPUs with 8-core & 16-threads. However, 3700X can boost up to 4.4 GHz, much higher than the PS5’s 3.5GHz. A similar CPU with a higher clock speed usually gives better performance.
So despite the similar cores, threads & architecture, the Ryzen 7 3700X desktop CPU should perform better than PS5.
But the performance depends on the game developer and how well games are optimized for each platform.
While the 3700x has a higher clock speed, it’s possible that a particular game runs better on the PS5 compared to a PC equipped with a 3700x & PS5 equivalent GPU. The added optimization support can push the console hardware beyond it’s paper specs.
It can also be the other way around. According to Steve Burke from Gamer’s Nexus, a low-end Zen 2 CPU like the Ryzen 3 3300X can roughly give the same performance as PS5 in Devil May Cry 5, Dirt 5, Call of Duty Black Ops 4 & Borderlands 3.
So, in theory, the Ryzen 3 3300X, which is a 4-core, 8-thread Zen 2 CPU, should be the equivalent CPU to PS5 in terms of performance, right? No, there are still many aspects you need to consider before declaring a CPU as PS5 performance equivalent.
Usually, the consoles are configured to last for about 7 years. So the console manufacturers tend to use beefy components so that the console doesn’t become outdated in a short time.
Since the consoles are still fairly new, we won’t see full utilization of it’s CPU yet. Future games that will be built around the newer current-gen consoles might suffer on low-end CPUs like 3300X.
Besides, the beefy CPU in PS5 can be utilized in other heavy workloads than gaming, such as streaming. You might experience some heavy lag, stuttering & other performance-related issues if you try to stream on a Ryzen 3 3300X PC while playing demanding games.
But a PS5 can easily stream gameplay sessions without having any performance issues. So you also have to consider other aspects like this when you are thinking about buying a PS5 performance equivalent CPU.
This is why it is hard to determine a PS5 performance equivalent CPU. Not only it varies from game to game, it is also hard to predict which upcoming game will require how much CPU power.
But to be on the safe side, we can assume that the PS5 performance equivalent AMD CPU is Ryzen 7 3700X & Intel CPU is i7 10700.
Read more on how to fix PS5 not enough space.
How to Setup PS5 Equivalent PC
Although being a custom design, the PS5 is roughly equivalent to a PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and RX 6600XT.
Keep in mind that building a PS5 equivalent PC would cost you about 2.5x more than the console, especially in the current market situation. It is also worth mentioning that building a PS5 equivalent PC won’t guarantee that you’d get a similarly smooth performance as PS5.
That being said, having a PC is much more than owning a device to play games only. So if you want to build a PC setup, you can check the recommended PC components list below.
Here’s the PS5 equivalent PC setup:
CPU: Ryzen 7 3700X / Intel i7 10700 or equivalent
Motherboard: B450M / B550 / B460M / B560M
Ram: 2x8GB DDR4
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600XT / RTX 3060
With this desktop setup, you can comfortably play all the current & next-gen games without worrying about performance or visuals.
Also related to this guide spotify on PS5 not working.
FAQs
What GPU is equivalent to PS5?
The AMD Radeon RX 6600XT is the equivalent GPU to PS5. Both are based on RDNA2 architecture & have similar gaming & ray tracing performance. PS5 has 10.3 TFlops, while RX 6600XT has 10.6 TFlops.
How much PC player base still has config below PS5?
According to Nvidia, 90% of the PC player base has desktop setups that are below PS5 specification.
Wrapping Up
It is unfair to compare the PS5 CPU to a desktop SKU, as both have different build purposes. The PS5 CPU is custom made & a desktop CPU which is equivalent to that would probably cost half the price of the entire console.
Still, if you are planning to upgrade or buy a new PC, you should choose a PS5 equivalent CPU to ensure your desktop config lasts long.
Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out which CPU is equivalent to PS5 in case you want to build or upgrade your PC setup. If you have any further questions, feel free to share them in the comment section below.
