Gaming PC vs PS5
Discussion
Hi all, could someone who understands these things help me out.
Teenage son has a PS5, and from what I can make out, only plays a handful of games (Fortnite being the favourite).
He's started to talk about a gaming PC to replace it. Again, from what I can make out, it's to get a higher FPS and to use a keyboard and mouse instead of his PS5 controller.
He's found one on ebay, and the only detail I can get out of him is that it has a 4060ti GPU, which he says can go up to 400FPS, rather than the 120 his PS5 can do.
It's not that expensive (around £300 + his PS5) so could be a xmas present.
I don't want to tip him off too much that I might be getting him it, so could anyone who understands these things more than I do, give me some advice?
Thanks all.
Teenage son has a PS5, and from what I can make out, only plays a handful of games (Fortnite being the favourite).
He's started to talk about a gaming PC to replace it. Again, from what I can make out, it's to get a higher FPS and to use a keyboard and mouse instead of his PS5 controller.
He's found one on ebay, and the only detail I can get out of him is that it has a 4060ti GPU, which he says can go up to 400FPS, rather than the 120 his PS5 can do.
It's not that expensive (around £300 + his PS5) so could be a xmas present.
I don't want to tip him off too much that I might be getting him it, so could anyone who understands these things more than I do, give me some advice?
Thanks all.
2nd hand?
A 4060ti is nearly £400 new by itself, more for the good 16gb version, which only seem to have come out 6 months ago. Reviews seem to say it's an ok midrange card for 1080p gaming, he's not going to be getting 400fps at 4k.
Without more info it sounds sketchy.
He's not going to get PS5 performance in a PC for PS5 money.
A 4060ti is nearly £400 new by itself, more for the good 16gb version, which only seem to have come out 6 months ago. Reviews seem to say it's an ok midrange card for 1080p gaming, he's not going to be getting 400fps at 4k.
Without more info it sounds sketchy.
He's not going to get PS5 performance in a PC for PS5 money.
PCs are better (IMO of course) for lots of reasons: Much cheaper games and wider choice of games, can be upgraded incrementally over time with full backward compatibility, much more flexible (you can just stream them to a TV and play on them like a console, can do wireless streaming to a VR headset, you have things like Steamdeck where you can use your games on a portable), can do stuff other than just play games and provide an opportunity to learn IT skills.
However, it's unlikely you can get something that will outright match a PS5 for gaming at the same price (console makers make their money on software sales and will sell the console at the lowest price possible, maybe even take a loss) so temper your expectations for what you will get for the money. Basically, you will spend more on PC hardware than a one-off console purchase. Be prepared to pay £600+ to get something that roughly matches the PS5 and then upgrade it over time.
However, it's unlikely you can get something that will outright match a PS5 for gaming at the same price (console makers make their money on software sales and will sell the console at the lowest price possible, maybe even take a loss) so temper your expectations for what you will get for the money. Basically, you will spend more on PC hardware than a one-off console purchase. Be prepared to pay £600+ to get something that roughly matches the PS5 and then upgrade it over time.
Thanks guys. Given a PS5 is £400 then it’s not a significant difference for something which is much more versatile.
I’m more bothered (for him) that the thing will be a worse experience than his PS5. My experience with PC games is glitchy and laggy and is a GPU more important than a CPU? Or are they both equal?
I think it all boils down to just how good or bad is a £700 pc going to be (with a 4060ti) vs his PS5 for Fortnite.
I’m more bothered (for him) that the thing will be a worse experience than his PS5. My experience with PC games is glitchy and laggy and is a GPU more important than a CPU? Or are they both equal?
I think it all boils down to just how good or bad is a £700 pc going to be (with a 4060ti) vs his PS5 for Fortnite.
I suspect the PCs he is looking at on EBay are ones that are built by small outfits out of recycled parts. They’ll have the headline graphics card but the rest of the machine will be ancient secondhand parts. The graphics card is important but it’s not all about the card.
Watch this, it’s American but equally valid in the UK
https://youtu.be/QALLc1jQrOE?si=Nl5w1cbfcvTgbQJu
I’d stick with the PS5 for the moment, but have him do some proper research into building a gaming PC, and use a website like https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ to build up a spec, check for compatibility, and find the best prices. My 14 year old has just done the latter, and after a couple of months of scouring eBay, Black Friday sales, and Christmas presents has built himself a very good gaming PC for about £800.
Watch this, it’s American but equally valid in the UK
https://youtu.be/QALLc1jQrOE?si=Nl5w1cbfcvTgbQJu
I’d stick with the PS5 for the moment, but have him do some proper research into building a gaming PC, and use a website like https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ to build up a spec, check for compatibility, and find the best prices. My 14 year old has just done the latter, and after a couple of months of scouring eBay, Black Friday sales, and Christmas presents has built himself a very good gaming PC for about £800.
CheesecakeRunner said:
I’d stick with the PS5 for the moment, but have him do some proper research into building a gaming PC, and use a website like https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ to build up a spec, check for compatibility, and find the best prices. My 14 year old has just done the latter, and after a couple of months of scouring eBay, Black Friday sales, and Christmas presents has built himself a very good gaming PC for about £800.
Now this is interesting as I used to build PCs in the early days - must of been around 1994 I worked out I could buy the parts for way cheaper than the £2k that Time/Tiny were charging. However, when Dell etc became mainstream, it wasn't worth it as you could buy a pc for less than I could buy parts for.So I'm VERY interested in helping him build one........but I'm almost 30 years out of practice lol. Is Windows easy enough to install these days (from scratch) and is the BIOS still easy enough to configure? He's doing Computer Science at GCSE so he could probably teach me!!
Seen people coming out of CS degrees and didn't even know how to plug a monitor into their PC, I'd say PC is pretty essential and learning to do some configuration is part of PC gaming (but it's nowhere near as technical as it used to in the DOS days).
Decent spec gaming PCs last ages too (and when you finally retire it it can still be a decent media or office PC and it will still be able to play all the thousands of older PC games).
For the high frame rates he is talking about you need a monitor or TV that will support them, there's not much point running higher frame rates than the monitor can handle (unless he is a pro counter strike player).
Building your own is simpler than it's ever been, would be a good starting point to learning a bit about PCs going that way, lots of tutorials on youtube. Start with a decent case and PSU if you do think it's something that will be an ongoing hobby.
GPU generally becomes the bottleneck quicker so invest in future proofing other bits more, mid range for GPU and upgrade that in a couple generations or just after next generation of consoles has pushed things forward a bit.
4060 is fine for 1080p gaming, 4070 is better bang for buck and should do 1440p fine. 4k at high frames is expensive and it's not really worth it on a budget when 1440p looks pretty sharp already. 4070 will still do 4k, but might need to turn down some settings.
Decent spec gaming PCs last ages too (and when you finally retire it it can still be a decent media or office PC and it will still be able to play all the thousands of older PC games).
For the high frame rates he is talking about you need a monitor or TV that will support them, there's not much point running higher frame rates than the monitor can handle (unless he is a pro counter strike player).
Building your own is simpler than it's ever been, would be a good starting point to learning a bit about PCs going that way, lots of tutorials on youtube. Start with a decent case and PSU if you do think it's something that will be an ongoing hobby.
GPU generally becomes the bottleneck quicker so invest in future proofing other bits more, mid range for GPU and upgrade that in a couple generations or just after next generation of consoles has pushed things forward a bit.
4060 is fine for 1080p gaming, 4070 is better bang for buck and should do 1440p fine. 4k at high frames is expensive and it's not really worth it on a budget when 1440p looks pretty sharp already. 4070 will still do 4k, but might need to turn down some settings.
Building a PC is very easy, all the components are literally plug'n'play. Watch a couple of Youtube vids for best practises. The hard part is choosing the right components that work together to maximise performance.
Building a pure gaming PC down to a price is a compromise. It's obviously attractive to prioritise the GPU and then spend the minimum amount to support it. Whilst that is great initially, you'll run into issues and added costs when the limitations of the the MB, CPU etc become apparent. Better in my view to focus on the core components of MB, CPU, Memory and cooling initially, even if it means spending a lot less on a GPU. Get the newest and best MB/CPU combination you can afford and they should last you 4-5years, maybe more. You can then simply upgrade the GPU as and when, without having to replace anything else.
All performance is limited by the weakest link in the chain. I replaced my GPU a couple of years ago and it would only run about 60% performance because the CPU was maxed out at 99% usage. I've since replaced the CPU and now the GPU runs at 99% and the CPU barely touches 20%. You want the GPU to be able to run at it's maximum but not the CPU!
Finally when considering GPUs, it's worth noting the actual games that will be played and in what resolution. For example, I have a mid range 1660-ti from 2020. I play almost exclusively online multiplayer FPS and similar. I can play pretty much everything at 60fps+ on High or Ultra @1080p with this card. If I want more FPS, I simply reduce the graphic settings slightly. Most games run @120fps+. Having the latest and greatest GPU would not greatly enhance my enjoyment. Sure I'd get ray-tracing or DLSS and other niceties but you don't have much time to look at the pretty pictures in-game. 4K would be the real improvement but then I'd need a 4K monitor and even then FPS will take a hit.
If I played a lot of single player open-world type games with amazing visuals then I'd probably look to upgrade. But I don't so I've chosen to spend the money on MB/CPU/Memory instead. The GPU that you want probably isn't the one that you need.
Building a pure gaming PC down to a price is a compromise. It's obviously attractive to prioritise the GPU and then spend the minimum amount to support it. Whilst that is great initially, you'll run into issues and added costs when the limitations of the the MB, CPU etc become apparent. Better in my view to focus on the core components of MB, CPU, Memory and cooling initially, even if it means spending a lot less on a GPU. Get the newest and best MB/CPU combination you can afford and they should last you 4-5years, maybe more. You can then simply upgrade the GPU as and when, without having to replace anything else.
All performance is limited by the weakest link in the chain. I replaced my GPU a couple of years ago and it would only run about 60% performance because the CPU was maxed out at 99% usage. I've since replaced the CPU and now the GPU runs at 99% and the CPU barely touches 20%. You want the GPU to be able to run at it's maximum but not the CPU!
Finally when considering GPUs, it's worth noting the actual games that will be played and in what resolution. For example, I have a mid range 1660-ti from 2020. I play almost exclusively online multiplayer FPS and similar. I can play pretty much everything at 60fps+ on High or Ultra @1080p with this card. If I want more FPS, I simply reduce the graphic settings slightly. Most games run @120fps+. Having the latest and greatest GPU would not greatly enhance my enjoyment. Sure I'd get ray-tracing or DLSS and other niceties but you don't have much time to look at the pretty pictures in-game. 4K would be the real improvement but then I'd need a 4K monitor and even then FPS will take a hit.
If I played a lot of single player open-world type games with amazing visuals then I'd probably look to upgrade. But I don't so I've chosen to spend the money on MB/CPU/Memory instead. The GPU that you want probably isn't the one that you need.
Edited by TEKNOPUG on Friday 15th December 13:10
Thanks guys some great advice.
This website linked above is fantastic. It pretty much tells me what every combination of CPU and GPU will give at each setting for Fortnite.
https://pc-builds.com/fps-calculator
For example. A low spec CPU i5 along with a 4060ti will give around 138 fps on ultra game settings at 1080p.
I really need to ask him what his PS5 runs at with ultra so I can compare.
This website linked above is fantastic. It pretty much tells me what every combination of CPU and GPU will give at each setting for Fortnite.
https://pc-builds.com/fps-calculator
For example. A low spec CPU i5 along with a 4060ti will give around 138 fps on ultra game settings at 1080p.
I really need to ask him what his PS5 runs at with ultra so I can compare.
audi321 said:
Thanks guys some great advice.
This website linked above is fantastic. It pretty much tells me what every combination of CPU and GPU will give at each setting for Fortnite.
https://pc-builds.com/fps-calculator
For example. A low spec CPU i5 along with a 4060ti will give around 138 fps on ultra game settings at 1080p.
I really need to ask him what his PS5 runs at with ultra so I can compare.
But a 4060ti is a best part of £500. You could use a 3060 @<£300 and an i5 12600 @ <£190 and get 120fps at Ultra settings.This website linked above is fantastic. It pretty much tells me what every combination of CPU and GPU will give at each setting for Fortnite.
https://pc-builds.com/fps-calculator
For example. A low spec CPU i5 along with a 4060ti will give around 138 fps on ultra game settings at 1080p.
I really need to ask him what his PS5 runs at with ultra so I can compare.
My 2p?
PC Gaming is a totally different beast from consoles and over the life of a console, can be a money pit in comparison if you want to have the latest and greatest each year chasing FPS to "keep up" with other online Gamers.
I started out in PC Gaming in the 1990's when getting a game to work was a 'game' in itself. I ditched PC Gaming a while ago. It's expensive for, ultimately, very little gain for the vast majority of us even though a hard-core PC Gamer will try and tell you differently.
First-person-shooter games like Fortnite, CoD where FPS is all-important to those who consider themselves "serious gamers" becomes a marginal gain obsession.
Games haven't yet taken full advantage of a PS5, graphically, let alone a high-end PC. At 14, unless you are happy to keep a PC Gaming rig up-to-date at ultimately several times the cost of a console, I'd stay with the PS5. They are good quality at bargain prices in comparison. Sure, games cost more but you can subscribe and get them cheaper if he played a lot of them. If only a few, then it's a red herring to say they are more expensive given a PC's updating expense.
Of course, you could get a new PC today and say it will suffice for a few years. Rare that this actually happens. As soon as a new graphics card comes out the next year, it's a "need" because other's will have it and be bragging about their FPS etc.
All that said, PC Gaming is great and does have its rewards if you are a "serious Gamer" who spends a whole lot of time with it. As I say, it's a different beast to consoles and you have to be aware of that in terms of what generally happens when you go down that route.
PC Gaming is a totally different beast from consoles and over the life of a console, can be a money pit in comparison if you want to have the latest and greatest each year chasing FPS to "keep up" with other online Gamers.
I started out in PC Gaming in the 1990's when getting a game to work was a 'game' in itself. I ditched PC Gaming a while ago. It's expensive for, ultimately, very little gain for the vast majority of us even though a hard-core PC Gamer will try and tell you differently.
First-person-shooter games like Fortnite, CoD where FPS is all-important to those who consider themselves "serious gamers" becomes a marginal gain obsession.
Games haven't yet taken full advantage of a PS5, graphically, let alone a high-end PC. At 14, unless you are happy to keep a PC Gaming rig up-to-date at ultimately several times the cost of a console, I'd stay with the PS5. They are good quality at bargain prices in comparison. Sure, games cost more but you can subscribe and get them cheaper if he played a lot of them. If only a few, then it's a red herring to say they are more expensive given a PC's updating expense.
Of course, you could get a new PC today and say it will suffice for a few years. Rare that this actually happens. As soon as a new graphics card comes out the next year, it's a "need" because other's will have it and be bragging about their FPS etc.
All that said, PC Gaming is great and does have its rewards if you are a "serious Gamer" who spends a whole lot of time with it. As I say, it's a different beast to consoles and you have to be aware of that in terms of what generally happens when you go down that route.
audi321 said:
Now this is interesting as I used to build PCs in the early days - must of been around 1994 I worked out I could buy the parts for way cheaper than the £2k that Time/Tiny were charging. However, when Dell etc became mainstream, it wasn't worth it as you could buy a pc for less than I could buy parts for.
[snip]
!
My first PC in 94 was from Time and I specifically chose one with Win94 and 8bg RAM, so I could play Tombraider and Mechwarrior.[snip]
!
But, the graphics card stole 1mb, so the game wouldn’t run until I bought and installed some additional RAM.
So, NOW I know who to blame………
… for making me realise early doors that I could mod every PC i bought.
Similar to hi-fi; when people are into "hifi" rather than into listening to music. People can chase FPS and benchmarks in PC games rather than simply be into playing PC games. If you already have a PC and spend a lot of time on it for work/school etc it makes sense to focus gaming to that, rather than another system. If you are only an occasional PC user and have a huge TV and comfy sofa to play console games, maybe stick to that.
audi321 said:
Digger said:
For those requirements I'd be looking at a minimum 4070 or 4070 Super (January) which means a c£1k PC.
Thanks that’s the sort of info I need. What gives that opinion though? Is the 4060ti not up to it?
Digger said:
For those requirements I'd be looking at a minimum 4070 or 4070 Super (January) which means a c£1k PC.
Sorry - meant to suggest this is more based on the "need" or "want" for 4K gaming, either on a TV or 4K monitor - otherwise 1080p would allow for a better value GPU alternative.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff