This article explores the performance differences between high-end PCs and high-end gaming consoles in late 2023. 

Our focus is on dissecting hardware and performance, highlighting the advantages of PCs in terms of power, graphics, and speed. While consoles offer standardized gaming, high-end PCs often provide significantly higher performance. 

We invite you to join us in a more detailed comparison, where we showcase the latest PC hardware against the best consoles have to offer. Whether you're a gamer or a tech enthusiast, this exploration will shed light on the strengths of high-end PCs in the gaming world.

Both consoles offer great gaming experiences, with decent processing power and good graphics capabilities. They both support high frame rates and high resolutions. The key differences lie in the processing power, where Xbox Series X has a slight edge, and in storage solutions, with the PS5’s custom SSD architecture offering potentially faster load times. Additionally, PlayStation 5’s emphasis on 3D audio technology sets it apart in terms of auditory experience.

While it's very hard to get the same level of optimization in a PC as a high-end console, these are the equivalent or similar parts:

CPU: Intel Core i5-11600K or Ryzen 7 3700X. They've got similar clock speed, number of cores, and cache size.

GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060. The same amount of VRAM and similar clock speeds. 

RAM: DDR4-3200 MHz 16 GB or DDR4-3600 MHz 32 GB. 

Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus or WD Black SN850. They've got similar read and write speeds.

Motherboard: Something that is compatible with the chosen CPU, such as the number of PCIe slots, form factor (ATX, Micro-ATX, or Mini-ITX) and USB ports.

Both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X costs about half as much as this equivalent specialized PC.

Now let's compare the two consoles with a high end PCs by taking a look at the most important part when it comes to gaming, the GPU. We use the RX 6700 XT when we compare since it's equivalent to the GPU inside the fastest console, the Xbox Series X.

The current best graphics cards, the NVIDIA RTX 4090 and the RX 7900 XTX are both significantly more powerful in general performance compared to the GPU's inside Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Let's take a closer look at the best card, The NVIDIA RTX 4090:

The NVIDIA RTX 4090 significantly outperforms the AMD RX 6700 XT in gaming performance. For 1440p gaming, the RTX 4090 averages 261.6 FPS, which is 113% faster than the RX 6700 XT's average of 122.6 FPS. Even in ultrawide 1440p, the RTX 4090 leads with 228.7 FPS compared to 103.5 FPS for the RX 6700 XT. This performance edge extends across various resolutions, with the RTX 4090 maintaining a substantial lead over the RX 6700 XT​​​​.  [source]

In terms of performance ratings using benchmarks like 3DMark 11, Fire Strike, and Time Spy, the RTX 4090 scores 33.3 points, which represents 100% of the scale used for comparison. In contrast, the RX 6700 XT scores 16.2 points, or 49% of the same scale. This indicates that the RTX 4090 is about twice as powerful in general performance compared to the RX 6700 XT​ [source]

 
More details here regarding RX 7900 XTX here: [source]

AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX:

• Architecture: RDNA 3 (more advanced than RDNA 2).

• Compute Units: 84 CUs (more than PS5).

• Clock Speed: Base clock around 1.9 GHz, boost clock over 2.5 GHz (higher peak performance).

• Performance: Significantly higher TFLOPs (exact figure varies, but substantially higher than 10.28 TFLOPs).

• 24 GB of GDDR6 VRAM

• Special Features: Advanced ray tracing capabilities, support for the latest DirectX versions, and AI-enhanced features.

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090:

• Architecture: It is indeed based on the AD102 graphics processor and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate​​.

• Cores: The actual specs are 16384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units (TMUs), 176 ROPs, 128 ray tracing acceleration cores, and 512 tensor cores​​.

• Clock Speed: The base clock is 2235 MHz, and the boost clock can go up to 2520 MHz​​.

• Performance: The theoretical performance includes 82.58 TFLOPS FP16, 82.58 TFLOPS FP32, and 1,290 GFLOPS FP64​​.

• VRAM: It has 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM​​​​.

• Special Features: It offers advanced ray tracing capabilities, support for the latest DirectX versions, and AI-enhanced features​​.

We recommend the NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU for several reasons:

Exceptional performance: The RTX 4090 is the most powerful graphics card available and offers excellent performance for gaming and content creation tasks. It outperforms its predecessors, the RTX 3090 Ti and RTX 3070, in terms of efficiency and overall performance.

Pricing: Although the RTX 4090 is expensive, it offers a unique combination of power and efficiency that makes it a viable option for those who want the best performance possible.

However, there are some drawbacks to consider:

Cost: The RTX 4090 is quite expensive, making it prohibitive for a wider audience. It is only suitable for those who prioritize performance and are willing to pay a premium for it

Availability: The RTX 4090 is only available in limited quantities, and there is a possibility that it may not be readily available for purchase due to import restrictions in certain markets

The current best and fastest gaming CPU in the world is AMD's Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Also at a relatively good price.
Let's compared it to Intel Core i5-11600K. Core i5-11600K is equivalent to the CPU inside the fastest console, the Xbox Series X.

AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D outperforms the Intel Core i5-11600K in various performance aspects, including single-core, dual-core, quad-core, and octa-core speeds, as well as in effective speed and value for money. It's 17.7% faster in effective speed. [source]

PCs outperform consoles in terms of raw power, graphical fidelity, and processing speed. PCs can deliver stunning graphics and higher performance due to their more powerful hardware, higher frame rates, and shorter load times. There are other factors, such as cooling, power supply, and case airflow, which can also affect performance.

While high-end PCs may reign supreme in terms of performance, consoles have their own advantages, such as ease of use and exclusive game titles. It's important to consider that consoles offer a more standardized and accessible gaming experience, and the choice between PC and console gaming depends on individual preferences, budget, and technical skills.