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Here’s how to build a PC that will blow the PS5 away

Powerful parts and basic know-how for your battlestation.

On left is a computer, on right is a playstation 5 Credit: Reviewed / Cooler Master

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The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have been out for three years and are now easy to find, but PC gaming can be just as fun as console gaming. Most of us need a PC, anyway. PC parts are plentiful on the market, and you can customize your desktop computer however you like. Want a small, powerful PC that trumps the PS5 in looks and performance? It’s easier to build than you think.

Small form factor PCs have blossomed in the past few years, giving PC enthusiasts the freedom to stuff huge graphics cards into cases like the Cooler Master NR200 or Lian Li Q58, which are barely bigger than a shoebox while still allowing for full-sized graphics cards. Most of us know when we need a PC instead of a console, but if you're debating between the two, there are pros and cons of each to take into consideration.

Console versus PC

an xbox series x in front of a television
Credit: Reviewed / Lee Neikirk

The Xbox Series X takes design cues from popular small form factor PC cases, like the NZXT H1 Mini.

Undoubtedly, a console is cheaper than a similarly powerful gaming PC. For the cost of a budget PC, you get a box that can play the latest big-budget releases guaranteed for years to come.

The PlayStation 5 has some of the best exclusive games in the industry, like Ratchet and Clank and Ghosts of Tsushima, though some titles like Persona 5, Spider-Man, and God of War have already found their way to PCs.

Consoles are also dead-simple to operate—you turn it on, you log in, and you're playing. In comparison, a PC that can play games like Resident Evil: Village at 4K and 60 frames per second can easily cost $1,000 or more.

However, the extra cash affords you a lot more freedom. You can use any controller, user interface, or storefront you want. Most PlayStation exclusives make their way to PC a few months after release, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Final Fantasy VII: Remake—if you’re okay with waiting a little longer. Otherwise, you can use Sony’s cloud gaming service, PlayStation Now on your PC.

Meanwhile, Microsoft prides itself on releasing simultaneous cross-platform games on Xbox, PC, and Game Pass. There is also a lot more you can do within gaming, such as more streaming software and hardware options, cloud gaming, modding, and even making your own games.

Of course, the biggest, the most obvious benefits are the ability to upgrade your PC parts as new hardware is released, and using your PC for work outside of gaming. If you can afford it—and especially if you have rigorous computing needs outside of gaming—it makes more sense to build a gaming PC than to settle for a console.

PS5 and Xbox Series X specs

The playstation 5 and its controller on a table
Credit: Reviewed / TJ Donegan

The Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X run on custom AMD hardware pulled straight from the PC world.

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can both play games at 4K up to 120 frames per second if your TV or monitor supports it.

While there are slight differences in their architecture, they share many similarities. Both run off custom Zen 2 AMD processors, custom RDNA 2 AMD graphics cards, 16GB of memory, 825GB (PS5) / 1TB (XSX) of custom NVMe SSD storage, and take advantage of new communication and interfacing tech.

Shopping for equivalent memory and storage, and even a case, is the easy part. But you’ll need to compare the CPU and GPU processing power from each console to figure out what desktop PC processor and graphics card you need—not to mention find the right case that fits it all. Luckily our next section will walk you through it.

Console-equivalent PC specs

A small computer and an Xbox one controller on a table
Credit: Reviewed / Adrien Ramirez

This small PC case may be the size of a shoebox, but it has enough room for an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card and a water-cooled CPU.

If you want to build a PC that matches the size and performance of the PS5 or Xbox Series X, start with the case—specifically an ITX case. Most cases come in three sizes: ATX (full tower), mATX (mid-tower), and ITX (small form factor), but an ITX case is going to be closest in size to the new consoles.

The best ITX cases have metal construction, PCIe risers, and plenty of mounts for cooling and components for the greatest flexibility. Cooler Master's NR200P is a great choice that’s easy to find, and it has a strong modding community. The SSUPD Meshlicious, Hyte Revolt 3, and Louqe Ghost S1 are also awesome if you want something less mainstream but a touch harder to build in.

ITX cases tend to have trouble fitting GPUs longer than 305mm. You might need a “mini” graphics card. They’re about half the size of a standard GPU and generally come with one or two cooling fans. If you’re looking to save the most money possible, you’re in luck. Not only do mini GPUs tend to be a little cheaper than their full-sized counterparts, but last-gen PC parts are the best equivalents to the new PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, many of the cases listed above can actually fit full-sized cards; some can even house the Nvidia RTX 4090 Founders Edition.

Along with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 processor and the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT graphics card or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card are both great options for a PS5/Xbox Series X PC-equivalent build since they both have similar performance to the console’s custom chips.

However, the RX 6650 XT’s ray-tracing capabilities—which give graphics an extra level of polish—lag behind, so you might be better off going with the newer AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. Not only can the RX 6700 XT run games with ray tracing on, but it’s also faster than the RX 6650 XT and RTX 3060.

An AMD graphics card on top of its packaging.
Credit: Reviewed / Joanna Nelius

When you decide you want to upgrade your PC's gaming capabilities, it's easy to swap out your graphics card for something beefier.

Next up is the motherboard. Your motherboard chip should support your CPU and have features such as (WiFi 6AX, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 4.0, etc.). Keep in mind that ITX motherboards are not as feature-rich as their larger mATX and ATX counterparts due to size constraints—usually, ITX boards have fewer PCIe lanes, fewer RAM channels, and fewer SATA ports. If you're looking for an AMD Ryzen-compatible ITX board, we love the Gigabyte B550I Aorus PRO AX , which strikes a good balance between value and features.

Some CPUs come with a stock cooler, but we recommend shopping for your own. There are a lot of great affordable water cooler kits and fan coolers available these days, like Cooler Master’s MASTERLIQUID ML240L and Noctua’s low-profile Noctua NH-L9x65 CPU cooler. No matter what you choose, though, make sure it fits in your case. Generally, ITX cases fit coolers shorter than 150mm and radiators shorter than 240mm.

For an ITX build, consider choosing low-profile RAM, since some cases and CPU coolers hang over the RAM ports to save space. You should be fine if your RAM is 42mm tall or less. As for the amount of RAM, most games are not RAM-intensive, so 16GB is enough for the majority of them. You also want to make sure your RAM has decent enough speeds, as that can also impact your PC's performance. The best RAM frequency for most people is 3200MHz RAM. You can find a 3600MHz RAM kit for not that much more, but most folks probably won't see many benefits from going past that speed.

When you boot your PC for the first time, make sure to enable XMP (sometimes called DOCP) to access your RAM’s full speed.

Computer memory lit up with RGB lights
Credit: G.Skill

The best part of PC building is buying parts as elegant—or ridiculously flashy—as you like. This G.Skill Trident Royal Elite RAM is perfect for those with a maximalist sense of style.

For storage, you need an NVMe SSD that's PCIe 4.0 compatible to match the Series X and PS5. Older PCIe 3.0 tops out at 3.4Gb/s, so a PCIe 4.0 storage solution is the better choice since some models have speeds that top out as high as 7.0Gb/s. Currently, only AMD Ryzen 5000 and 7000-series CPUs, 11th, 12th, and 13th-gen Intel CPUs, and compatible motherboards have full PCIe 4.0 support. However, while gaming, you likely won’t ever see the difference between a PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 drive’s speed.

Last but certainly not least is the power supply. To calculate how much power you’ll need, add the power consumption of the CPU, CPU cooler, GPU, motherboard, RAM, and storage together. (Building out your parts list in PCpartpicker will generate that number automatically.) Try to get a power supply unit (PSU) that's 150 to 250W higher than that in case of power spikes; generally going with at least 650 watts works well. As with all the other parts, make sure the PSU fits your case, and try to buy 80+ Gold certification if you can help it, as this measures how efficient the unit is.

Next-gen or last-gen?

Several desktop computer processors laying a dark surface
Credit: Reviewed / Joanna Nelius

Intel and AMD have plenty of PS5/Xbox Series X equivalent-processors to choose from.

You can save a little money by shopping for older parts as we pointed out above, but one of the benefits of going with newer hardware is PCIe 4.0 support for those faster data transfer speeds. If you want a well-rounded, mid-range gaming PC, the below build using the Cooler Master NR200P case is not only powerful but also puts the PS5 and Xbox Series X to shame. These are all current-gen parts, similar to what you’d get if you bought a prebuilt PC.

But if you want something more powerful now, you can go with a build like this:

Enjoy your ship of Theseus

a pink PC on a desk with a pink mouse
Credit: Cooler Master

The Cooler Master NR200P comes in this pretty Sakura edition, but you can always modify any case with the right tools!

If you take it step by step, building a PC isn't so hard. It's also a lot of fun and offers a much more tailored experience than what you'd get from a store-bought PC or a video game console. Outside of price to performance, there are increasingly few reasons to pick a console over a PC: Sony exclusives like The Last of Us Part 1 and Returnal are getting ported to Steam, you can multitask, you can run your own 3D programs, and so much more. If you need a new PC and a new gaming console, consider building a gaming PC.

With our tips, tricks, and lists above, you should be able to put something together in no time. Your PC should last you at least five years before getting sluggish, enough time to wait until the next console generation—but the beauty is you can upgrade your PC along the way.

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