shoegaze
Member
The CPUs in the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are models of AMD's (Advanced Micro Devices) third generation of Ryzen CPUs (the 3000 Series), which feature the company's Zen 2 microarchitecture; both CPUs have eight cores and can process two threads (i.e. programmed instructions) per core, which means that both CPUs can process sixteen threads simultaneously. The CPU of the PlayStation 5 runs at a variable frequency that is capped at 3.5 GHz; and the CPU of the Xbox Series X runs at a constant 3.6 GHz when its ability to process two threads per core is activated and runs at 3.8 GHz when said ability is deactivated.
Among the 3000 series of Ryzen CPUs, which is the series to which the CPUs in the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X belong, there are two models that have eight cores and can process two threads per core; hence, it's reasonable to assume that each of the CPUs in the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X is one of these models. The models are as follows:
Based on the maximum frequencies of the CPUs in the PlayStation5 and the Xbox Series X being 3.5 GHz and 3.8 GHz, respectively, we can conclude that each of them is a customized Ryzen 7 3700x. Further proof of this is the 3700x's lower thermal design point of 65 watts relative to the 3800x's higher thermal design point of 105 watts; Sony and Microsoft would want the model with the lower TDP for their consoles since it's nearly as fast as the model with the higher TDP and would minimize the likelihood of their consoles overheating.
- Ryzen 7 3700x: 3.6 Ghz to 4.4 Ghz (the text is a hyperlink; click on it)
- Ryzen 7 3800x: 3.9 Ghz to 4.5 Ghz (the text is a hyperlink; click on it)
Hence, PC gamers are currently able to possess...
Furthermore, the Ryzen 4000 series of CPUs, which will be the successor to the Ryzen 3000 series and will feature AMD's Zen 3 microarchitecture, is expected to be released in the Fall. So, before either console is released, PC gamers will be able to possess CPUs with even newer technology and better performance than those in the consoles and others among the generation to which they belong.
- The CPU that is in both consoles (i.e. Ryzen 7 3700x)
- More powerful models of the Ryzen 3000 series (e.g. 3900x [12 cores, 2 threads per core], 3950x [16 cores, 2 threads per core], 3960x [24 cores, 48 threads], 3970x [32 cores, 2 threads per core], 3990x [64 cores, 2 threads per core])
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The GPUs in both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are also customized versions of technology designed by AMD. The GPU of each console features a customized version of AMD's RDNA 2.0 (Radeon DNA 2.0) microarchitecture, which will debut in the successor to AMD's currently-available RX 5000 series of graphics cards in late Summer or during the Fall, before the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are expected to be released.
Hence, before the consoles are released, PC gamers will be able to possess GPUs that feature...
- Variable Rate Shading
- AMD's implementation of Ray Tracing
- Sampler Feedback Streaming
- 50% more performance per watt (per level of energy or heat)
- Higher base and boost frequenicies
- Increased number of operations performed per cycle
However, in the mean time, PC gamers can possess GPUs that outmatch those of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in terms of raw rendering speed (i.e. rendering without Variable Rate Shading or Sampler Feedback Streaming) when rendering imagery that does not contain ray tracing: the RTX 2080 Super (which is more powrful than the PS5's GPU) or the RTX 2080 Ti (which is more powerful than the XSX's GPU).
As for RAM, both consoles will have 16GB of GDDR6 RAM; GDDR6 is currently available on the Nvidia GTX 1660 Super and will presumably be on the next generation of graphics cards from both AMD and Nvidia.
However, PC gamers will have to wait a while for SSDs that are as fast as the one in the PlayStation 5, which can process data at 5.5 GB/s; it's a custom SSD with 12 channels and that is compliant with PCIe 4.0 and NVMe. At the moment, the fastest SSDs available to PC gamers that are compliant with PCIe 4.0 and NVMe can process data at 3.5 GB/s. It'll probably be a year or so until SSDs as fast as the one in the PS5 become available. As for the SSD in the XSX, it processes data at 2.5 GB/s, which is a speed that currently available SSDs for PCs can attain.
So, how long do you think it will take PC to completely advance past the tech in the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X?
EDIT:
The point of this thread isn't to insult gaming consoles, because I like consoles (I have a PS4 Pro and an X1X). The point of this thread is simply to alleviate worry that the technology in the PS5 and the Xbox One X will lead gaming design in a direction that will leave PC behind, namely the super-fast SSDs in both machines (particularly that in the PS5) and the subsequent possibility of creating open-world games that are truly seamless (i.e. have no loading screens [whether hidden by forced traversal through corridors or unhidden], instant fast travel, no forced decrease in rate of movement in order to avoid outpacing the rate at which the world is rendered, etc). This is a worry expressed by the YouTuber Coreteks in this video.
Didn't read all of the op sorry, just because I'm too busy at the moment, but just wanted to mention that an absolute minority of gamers enjoy the latest and greatest hardware. Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's feasible for most.