What CPU is equivalent to the PS5? Answered
What CPU is equivalent to the PS5? lets find out
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Sony released their 5th gen gaming console, the PS5, in November 2020. It’s been out for a while now, but it still offers performance comparable to high-end gaming PCs at a much lower price point. You have to wonder how consoles are so consistently able to hit the mark. Today, we’ll find out what CPU the PS5 uses to drive this performance and whether there are any comparable PC CPUs up for grabs.
In this list we’ll pull together some equivalent CPUs, as well as highlight the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, which on paper at least offers a decent upgrade to the PS5 CPU. So, let’s get started: What CPU is equivalent to the PS5?
What CPU does the PS5 use?
The PS5 uses a custom AMD CPU based on the Zen 2 architecture. The CPU features 7nm lithography. Here are some specs:
- 8 cores
- 16 threads
- 3.5GHz core clock
Cores run at a variable frequency capped at 3.5GHz. Pretty similar to the ‘boost clock’ you would see in a PC-based CPU. Overall, these specs are quite solid. Especially when compared to 4th gen consoles, which had pretty lacking CPUs. Eight cores and 16 threads is easily equivalent to or above the industry standard today, and while a 3.5GHz max clock speed is somewhat low, the processor delivers incredible performance overall.
What CPU is equivalent to the PS5’s CPU?
8 cores, 16 threads, and a 3.5GHz boost clock. You may think that this is all you’ll need to match the PS5’s CPU performance. However, that’s not the case. Specs, without context, can be a bit misleading You would likely need a processor with better specs than these to get equivalent performance. See, the console version of games is much better optimized because devs only need to optimize it for a single hardware setup. The PC version of a similar game wouldn’t be optimized as well. There are limitless setup possibilities, and optimizing a game to run efficiently on every piece of computer hardware out there is impossible.
Ryzen 7 3700X
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Speed
3.6GHz/ 4.4GHz
Core (Threads)
8/16
Socket
AM4
TDP
95W
With that in mind, we believe a CPU equivalent to the PS5’s CPU is the Ryzen 7 3700X. This Zen 2 processor features much of the same architectural properties, has an identical core/thread count, and moderately higher core clock speeds, which is precisely what we want based on the above criteria. With this PC, you’ll get similar performance to the PS5 in CPU-bound scenarios. You would need to pair it up with a PS5-equivalent GPU to create a gaming rig that performs similarly to the PS5 in all scenarios.
Alternatives
While the Ryzen 7 3700X is the most identical to the PS5’s processor, it is older Zen 2 hardware. It has limited availability. As such, you may want to get something more recent. Let’s discuss some alternatives.
Core i5-12600
Intel Core i5-12600KF
Boost clock speed (single core)
4.9 GHz
Total Cores / Threads
10/16
P-cores
6
E-cores
4
Socket
LGA 1700
Overclockable
Yes
The Alder Lake i5 has 6 cores and 12 threads but compensates for the lower core count with higher clock speeds and newer architecture. The i5-12600 features Intel’s “Performance cores.”
With a 4.8GHz boost clock, the i5 has higher single-core performance than the Ryzen 7 3700X but nearly identical multicore performance. This means you’ll get a higher framerate in CPU-bound scenarios but the same performance in most other use cases.
Ryzen 7 5700X
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Speed
3.8GHz – 4.6GHz
Core (threads)
8 (16)
Socket
AM4
Graphics
Vega 8
The Ryzen 7 5700X is a direct upgrade to the Ryzen 7 3700X. It’s based on Zen 3 architecture. The 5700X has a 200MHz higher boost clock than the Ryzen 7 3700X, offering slightly more performance in both single-thread and multi-thread heavy workloads overall. This would be a good option if you’re looking to try to create a gulf between your PS5 and gaming PC – that’s providing you have the right GPU to match. If you’re looking a CPU more powerful than the PS5, make sure to check out the best CPUs for gaming in our dedicated guide.
