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- In addition to its $700 price, the PS5 Pro’s stand, disc drive, and shipping costs can increase it to $900.
- Building a custom PC within $900 that outperforms the PS5 Pro within similar price ranges is possible.
- Besides gaming, a personal computer is helpful for productivity tasks and has more upgradability.
Some time ago, I debated whether a $500 PC could outperform the PS5; performance-wise, the latter easily held the victory sign. Now, the PS5 Pro was announced earlier this month, and its pricing has caused waves of uproar within the community. When a console costs $700 without a stand and a disc drive, you know it’s time to look elsewhere. With the $30 vertical stand, an $80 disc drive, and around $100 for taxes and shipping costs in a few countries, you can build a custom PC for $900. So, we did just that. We built a PC that outperforms the PS5 Pro for around the same price. Don’t believe me? Keep reading ahead.
What Differentiates The PS5 Pro?
The PS5 Pro is simply a refresher version of the PS5—don’t consider it a PS6. However, we do see a few component adjustments here and there. For example, the PS5 Pro’s GPU has 60 Compute Units (CUs) and 33.5 TFLOPS power, which scales right below the RX 7800 XT. I wouldn’t advise thinking this makes the PS5 Pro’s GPU as strong as AMD’s offering because of an 8% slower bandwidth. The PS5 Pro’s GPU will give you ray tracing and AI upscaling, so that’s a good bonus.
I have created a table that showcases the PS5 Pro’s GPU’s on-paper specifications and how it compares to AMD and NVIDIA offerings.
| GPU | RX 7700 XT | PS5 Pro | RX 7800 XT | RTX 4060 Ti | RTX 4070 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture | RDNA 3 | RDNA 3 Custom | RDNA 3 | Ada Lovelace | Ada Lovelace |
| SP (Streaming Processors) | 3,456 | 3,840 | 3,840 | 4,352 | 5,888 |
| CU/SM | 54 | 60 | 60 | 34 | 46 |
| RT (Ray Tracing Cores) | 54 | 60 | 60 | 34 | 46 |
| Boost Clock | 2,544 MHz | 2,180 MHz | 2,430 MHz | 2,535 MHz | 2,475 MHz |
| FP32 | 35.2 TFLOPS | 33.5 TFLOPS | 37.3 TFLOPS | 22.1 TFLOPS | 29.1 TFLOPS |
| L2 Cache | 2 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB | 32 MB | 36 MB |
| Memory Capacity | 12 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Memory Type | GDDR6 | GDDR6 | GDDR6 | GDDR6 | GDDR6X |
| Memory Bus | 192-bit | 256-bit | 256-bit | 128-bit | 192-bit |
| Memory Speed | 18.0 Gbps | 18.0 Gbps | 19.5 Gbps | 18.0 Gbps | 21.0 Gbps |
| Bandwidth | 432.0 GB/s | 576.0 GB/s | 624.0 GB/s | 288.0 GB/s | 504.0 GB/s |
Besides that, the newer PS5 uses the same Zen 2 processor as before but with slightly higher boost clocks. The clock speed increment won’t affect gaming performance much because you’ll usually be gaming at higher resolutions, where GPU power is more important. For storage, the PS5 Pro saw a decent increase to 2TB SSD storage, so I had to keep that in mind while creating my custom PC.
Key Components Of Our Custom PC
| Components | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Ryzen 5 5600 | $76.73 |
| Motherboard | Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WIFI II | $94.22 |
| Memory | G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32GB DDR4-3600 CL16 | $77.98 |
| Storage | TEAMGROUP MP33 2TB | $96.99 |
| Video Card | ASRock Challenger OC RX 7700 XT 12GB | $389.97 |
| Power Supply | Corsair RM750e 80+ Gold | $99.99 |
| PC Case | GAMDIAS Athena M6 Lite White | $70.00 |
As I stated above, if you’re going to buy a console for ~$900, you might as well build a custom PC for the same price. To prove that a PC within $900 is comparable to the PS5 Pro, I created a build that provides outstanding gaming performance and will also be helpful for productivity tasks.
For starters, I went for the ASRock OC RX 7700 XT GPU as it’s the closest to the PS5 Pro’s equivalent. I chose the Ryzen 5 5600, a remarkable value CPU, to create a decent harmony, especially when paired with the RX 7700 XT. Although I must admit that the 5600 has two less cores than the CPU in the PS5 Pro, it easily exceeds the latter in performance. Plus, the stock cooler is enough, saving us even more money.
I paired the processor with the ASUS TUF Gaming B550 PLUS II motherboard. It’s slightly expensive but offers a better upgradability path. Similarly, the G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32GB 3600MHz DDR4 RAM goes above what the PS5 Pro offers. The 2TB NVMe storage covers much of the $900 budget, but it’s on par with the console’s memory, so it’s a decent bargain.
For the chassis, the GAMDIAS Athena M6 Lite White is a budget-friendly option. It comes with 4x pre-installed A-RGB fans, so there won’t be any additional expenses. Lastly, I completed the build with the Corsair RM750e 80+ Gold power supply to ensure no voltage issues. Honestly, it’s not the most affordable PSU, but you won’t have to buy a newer one when you decide to upgrade. Also, you won’t need a CPU cooler because the Ryzen 5 5600 has a stock cooler that does just fine. Voila! There you have it: a PC that overpowers the PS5 Pro within the same budget.
Gaming Benchmarks Of Our Custom PC
Here’s a look at the build’s performance tested at 4K resolution. As you can see, the build averages ~60 FPS in almost all games, which is also what all consoles target.
The Final Choice: Is A PC Better Than A Console?
This might sound biased, but hear me out. A PC can handle multiple tasks, unlike a console such as the PS5 Pro. For example, outside of gaming, your PC will help you with productivity tasks like graphic designing, video editing, 2D/3D animation, and CAD programming, to name a few. You don’t need two separate PCs for gaming and productivity. You can do everything in one build, like the $900 PC we built that outperforms the PS5 Pro.
Similarly, PCs have a better upgradable path, making them more future-proof. You can’t do that with a console. Once the PS6 comes out, you will have to upgrade to play exclusive games. On the other hand, you can play Xbox games, PlayStation games, Nintendo games, (add X-number of consoles here!), and PC-exclusive games on a desktop.
Sure, a console is more accessible for a plug-and-play solution, so the final choice is whatever you prefer. Do you want an easier gaming solution or greater flexibility and more games? Personally, I’d go with a personal computer because I can’t live without the flexibility it provides.
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[Comparisons Expert]
Abdemanaf is a skilled creative writer who has been honing his craft since 2011. While initially working in different fields, he found a passion for technology and has been exploring the tech world since early 2015. Over the years, he has developed an in-depth knowledge of the latest tech trends and product offerings by various companies.
Abdemanaf’s writing reflects his analytical mindset and ability to think critically. He has a knack for breaking down complex technical information into easily digestible pieces, making his articles engaging and accessible to readers from all backgrounds. In February 2022, he joined Tech4Gamers as a blog and product comparison writer, where he has been able to hone his skills further.
As a writer, Abdemanaf is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest technological advancements and trends, enabling him to provide readers with the most relevant and accurate information. He is always eager to learn more and is constantly seeking new challenges to improve his skills.
Get In Touch: manaf@tech4gamers.com
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