The PlayStation 5 is a future-forward gaming console from Sony that operates at 120 FPS and boasts 4K gaming. A standard computer’s GPU can’t accomplish this feat.
A GPU is basically rated on metrics like onboard processing and frame rate. But since consoles don’t use graphic cards like computers, it isn’t easy to discover an exact comparison in the Mac/PC realm.
So, what other graphic cards in the PC world match the PS5 GPU the most? How do they stack up? This guide will answer all your burning questions.
PS5 GPU Equivalent to a PC Graphics Card
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 can be considered an equivalent graphics card to the PS5. Another Oberon GPU equivalent is the AMD Radeon 5700 XT which boasts 9.8 teraflops, 14 Gbps of memory speed, and 8GB of RAM. However, this GPU does not support ray tracing. The PS5 graphics card, in comparison, supports ray tracing. Plus, the PS5 GPU comes with 16GB of RAM, 10.28 teraflops, and its memory clock is 1750 MHz.
When Sony released the PS5 in 2020, it flaunted many upgrades. Since games are becoming more centered around graphics, the manufacturer had to discover a way to keep up with the demands of gamers. And this meant amplifying the GPU inside the PS5.
Comparing the PS5’s AMD-made Oberon GPU to a PC graphic card isn’t a fair contest, but it’s the only way to decide the best one. The PS5 GPU is essentially customized for power efficiency and gaming. Developers optimize their games for consoles, which is hardly true for PCs.
This means that the overall PS5 experience is superior in some games, particularly cinematic ones. This guide will uncover GPU secrets in which the strongest rivals to the PS5 GPU will be analyzed.
As the GPU residing inside a PC isn’t only meant for gaming; a lot more can be accomplished with it, such as video editing and photo editing. Additionally, graphic designers require additional power for 3D graphic rendering.
And for people fond of machine learning, a strong GPU is critical. This is why PC graphic cards are more expensive than a console.
If you wish to replace your old graphic card, this article will help you with some critical details before you make an investment. So keep reading to find out.
What Graphic Card Does the PS5 Have?
Sony put a powerful GPU inside the PlayStation 5, allowing it to deliver the best game graphics while playing on a console. You can see the astonishing specs of the PS5 GPU in the table below:
| Attributes | Specs |
|---|---|
| Memory Type | GDDR6 |
| Graphic Processor | AMD “Oberon” SoC |
| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 |
| GPU Clock | 2233 MHz |
| Cores | 2304 |
| Computational Power | 10.28 teraflops |
| Memory | 16 GB |
| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz |
Gamers can enjoy playing different games (Destiny 2, Borderlands 3, Devil Mary Cry 5, and Call of Duty) at 120 FPS on the PS5, which is an unrivaled performance. Truth be told, the average PC’s GPU can’t even compare to this beast.
It is also worth mentioning that although the PS5 GPU undoubtedly supports 4K gaming at 120 FPS, the game developer decides how they wish to optimize the game. This means that one game might run at 1080p 120 FPS, while another may run at 4K with a max of 60 FPS.
Moreover, the settings are absolute and optimized for the PS5. Usually, you will see medium settings on consoles, whereas users have the freedom to push settings to high or ultra on the computer.
Some game developers present the choice to run the game at an increased resolution with a decreased frame rate or choose a lower resolution with an improved frame rate. Keeping this in mind, you can end up playing games at 4K 30 FPS, but the target is to hit 60 FPS to achieve a smooth gaming experience.
It’s a breeze to optimize games for the PS5 because the hardware is set, but a computer’s varying GPU and CPU combos are endless. This is one of the reasons you need higher graphics power on the computer to play games at 4K 60 FPS, as opposed to the PS5.
PS5 Graphic Card in Comparison to PC Graphic Cards
The simplest way to know how the technology of other PC graphic cards is analogous to the PS5 GPU is by considering the teraflops. A teraflop is a critical unit to measure computing power; it gives us an idea of the millions of operations the computer can perform per second.
In the early days, computers could only process a few teraflops. But times have changed; today’s powerful computers run millions of calculations each second. For example, the PS5 GPU is capable of anywhere between 9.2 to 10.28 teraflops, but the latter figure is seen consistently in real-life usage.
Keeping this in mind, the equivalent to the PS5 GPU is the RTX 2070 Super or AMD’s RX 5700 XT. But a basic PC’s graphic card cannot deliver the same performance as a PS5 GPU. Still, in the next section, we’ll discuss the top-of-the-range graphic cards available on the market today.
PS5 Graphic Card – The Competition
Several years ago, no one would dare to compare a console to an upscale PC, but things are quickly changing. Consoles are making a much-needed comeback, offering high performance at a competitive price range.
If you’re curious about how the PS5 performs against other graphic cards in the market, here’s an overview of the top-tier GPUs currently available.
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
The gaming community continually debates whether the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT wins over the PS5’s GPU. The 5700 XT is the closest in specs to the Oberon GPU. You can take a sneak peek at its specs in the following table:
| Attributes | Specs |
|---|---|
| Memory Clock | 1750 MHz |
| Computational Power | 9.8 teraflops |
| Architecture | RDNA 2.0 |
| Ray tracing | Not supported |
| Graphics RAM | 8 GB |
Although the specs are pretty decent and match up with the Oberon GPU on paper, this graphic card isn’t recommended for 4K gaming. The RX 5700 XT can run some games on 4K, but this GPU is meant for 1440p gaming on AAA titles. Not to mention that it doesn’t support hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070
Another close contender to the PS5 GPU is the RTX 2070. This powerful graphics card comes with:
- 448 GB/s memory bandwidth
- 2304 GPU cores
- 9 teraflops
Plenty of PC games can be played on the RTX 2070, and the amount of ray tracing operations it can complete is praiseworthy. In addition, the impressive 9 teraflops floating-point performance makes this a reliable choice, and it is fairly future-proof with 8GB RAM.
If you want to play games on varying resolutions, you can do that with this card. For instance, if you wish to play a competitive game on 1440p resolution but want to try a brand new title at 1080p, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 lets you do so.
Like the RX 5700 XT, the RTX 2070 can run some games on 4K at 60 FPS. However, it is intended to handle 1440p gaming at 60 FPS with ray tracing enabled or 1440p at 120 FPS with no RT.
The first-generation RT cores are powerful enough to offer a taste of ray tracing, while DLSS enables you to amplify the frame rate whenever needed.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
This is nothing short of a powerhouse as it’s capable of delivering unbelievable power. It comes with the following specs:
- 8704 CUDA cores
- 10GB of RAM
- 4K 60 FPS gaming (easily!)
The RTX 3080 can handle almost any game at 4K resolution. This best-in-class graphic card is equipped with third-generation Tensor cores and second-generation RT cores so that you can take advantage of DLSS 2.0 and ray tracing.
The base clock speed of the Founder’s Edition is calculated to be 1.44 GHz. This can be boosted to 1.71 GHz.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060
This is a budget-friendly graphic card in the 3000 Series, but it packs a heavy punch. Some of the specs to enjoy are:
- Ray tracing
- DLSS 2.0
- Perfect choice for 1080p gaming
- 12GB RAM
- 12.7 teraflops
The teraflops are somewhat higher than the PS5, and the RAM is sufficient to run games with high-res textures. So even if you prefer to play at 1440p, it’s still a good card.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super
This might be the Nvidia GPU closest in specs to the one in PS5. Despite having fewer teraflops, RTX 2060 Super matches PS5 in all games at 1080p. Plus, the ray tracing results are similar. Both of them deliver 30 to 35 FPS.
Read this article if you’d like to know how long a graphic card typically lasts!
Recommended Graphic Cards
Although the above-mentioned graphic cards are talented enough to rival the PS5, you will need better raw performance to enjoy a hassle-free gaming experience at 4K. So, we recommend the following graphic cards:
Radeon RX 6800 XT
This is a superb alternative to RTX 3080. The only downside is weaker ray-tracing, but the rasterization performance is better. The 6800 XT features these specs:
- 16GB of RAM
- Game clock speed of 2015 MHz that can be increased to 2250 MHz.
Remember that different versions exist on the market, so it’s up to you to get the best one.
GeForce RTX 3070
Are you willing to compromise on some settings due to a tight budget? Then the RTX 3070 is your best bet, which comes with these specs:
- Third-generation Tensor cores and second-generation RT cores
- DLSS 2.0 and ray tracing
- Some games can be played at 4K 60 FPS
The only downside is that the card comes with 8GB RAM, which may be perfect for 1440p gaming, but struggles with 4K.
Related Read: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT vs Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
Can RTX Gaming Laptops Beat the PS5?
Truth be told, laptops are consoles that can do a lot more than gaming. You can have your screen where a console requires an external display, and they are portable. Portability is a major factor that is increasing demand.
RTX laptops are gaining popularity, which was expected of them. By owning an RTX laptop, you will get high-end graphic performance. And RTX graphic cards are already best-in-class, with similar results to the PS5. In fact, the PS5 still has a long way to catch up. RTX laptops can easily beat it in terms of performance.
But laptop graphic cards are indeed underclocked versions of their respective original GPUs. Nevertheless, they boast sufficient juice to outshine the PS5. It is expected that the RTX 2000 series may stay in line with the PS5, specifically the RTX 2070 or 2060.
The latest generation series is a tough nut to crack. Anyone can invest in an RTX laptop rather than a PS5 — but these laptops can cost twice as much as a PS5, based on the GPU inside.
Conclusion
The story seems different — a PS5’s graphical performance can be compared to the PC GPU to confirm what you’re gaining for the price-to-performance ratio. But it’s not fair to pit a console against a custom-built PC.
The console includes manufactured components that can’t be customized. But when it comes to the PC, you can cherry-pick your favorite top-of-the-range parts and pair them in one case for beastly performance.
Were you impressed by the best-in-class graphic cards or the PS5 GPU? Will you be getting yourself one of these cards soon? Let us know in the comments below!
