The Sony PS4 is powered by a custom AMD Radeon Graphics Card called Liverpool, which is based on AMD’s GCN 2.0 architecture. Despite its age, the PS4’s GPU can still handle many modern titles at 30 FPS and 1080p resolution. With 1.8 TFLOPs of raw power, 1152 shading units, and 8GB of GDDR5 memory, it delivers performance comparable to entry-level PC Video Cards from the same era.
Historically, Graphics Cards like the Nvidia GTX 750 Ti or AMD Radeon HD 7850 have been considered close to the PS4 in terms of performance. However, these cards are now outdated. Modern alternatives that provide a PS4-like gaming experience include the GTX 1050, GTX 1650, and Radeon RX 570.
These Display Adapters offer smoother performance, updated drivers, and better efficiency, making them great choices for budget-friendly 1080p gaming.
What Are the PS4 GPU Specs?
The PlayStation 4 (PS4) features a custom APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) co-developed by Sony and AMD. This APU combines an 8-core AMD Jaguar CPU with an AMD Radeon GPU, allowing for efficient processing and graphics performance within a single chip.
The PS4’s Video Card is built on AMD’s GCN (Graphics Core Next) architecture and provides 1.84 TFLOPs of computing power. With 18 compute units (CUs) and 1152 cores, it operates at 800 MHz, offering smooth 1080p gaming performance for most titles.
One of the PS4’s standout features is its 8GB of GDDR5 memory, which is shared between the CPU and Video Card via a 256-bit interface, delivering 176 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This unified memory architecture enhances performance and simplifies development, contributing to the console’s long-lasting popularity.
| Specification | PlayStation 4 |
|---|---|
| GPU Architecture | AMD Radeon GCN |
| GPU Clock Speed | 800 MHz |
| Compute Units (CUs) | 18 |
| GPU Cores | 1152 |
| TFLOPs | 1.84 TFLOPs |
| Memory | 8 GB GDDR5 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 176 GB/s |
| Features | Unified Memory, Async Compute |
What graphics cards are equivalent to PS4 GPU?
The PlayStation 4’s Display Adapter, with 1.84 TFLOPs of performance, is often compared to entry-level and mid-range desktop GPUs from the same era. While no PC Display Adapter offers a perfect 1:1 match due to console optimizations, the following graphics cards provide similar performance levels:
1. AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT offers a substantial upgrade over the PS4’s Graphics Card, delivering 5.4 TFLOPs compared to the PS4’s 1.84 TFLOPs. This modern graphics card is built on AMD’s RDNA 2 architecture, featuring support for ray tracing and higher memory speeds. While the 6500 XT is positioned as a budget card, its performance in 1080p gaming outclasses the PS4, handling higher frame rates and better visuals in most games.
- Power Requirements: 107W (Recommended 400W PSU)
- TFLOPs: 5.4
- Stream Processors: 1024 Units
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR6
- Memory Speed: 18.0 Gbps
2. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 is a budget-friendly GPU that surpasses the PS4’s graphics capabilities, providing smoother 1080p gaming at medium to high settings. While not as powerful as the RX 6500 XT, the GTX 1650 delivers 3 TFLOPs of performance, outperforming the PS4’s 1.84 TFLOPs. Its GDDR6 memory and efficient Turing architecture allow for better performance in modern titles, making it a solid choice for entry-level gaming builds.
- TFLOPs: 3.0
- CUDA Cores: 896
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR6
- Memory Clock: 12 Gbps
- Power Requirements: 75W (Recommended 300W PSU)
3. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 is an entry-level Display Adapter that slightly outperforms the PS4’s GPU in terms of raw performance and efficiency. With 2GB of GDDR5 memory and 640 CUDA cores, it delivers 1.8 TFLOPs, matching the PS4’s output but benefiting from better PC optimization and faster memory speeds. The GTX 1050 can handle 1080p gaming at medium settings, offering a more consistent frame rate than the PS4 in many titles.
- TFLOPs: 1.8
- CUDA Cores: 640
- Video Memory: 2GB GDDR5
- Memory Clock: 7 Gbps
- Power Requirements: 75W (Recommended 300W PSU)
4. AMD Radeon RX 570
The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a mid-range Video Card that substantially outperforms the PS4’s Video Card offering a generational leap in performance. With 4GB of GDDR5 memory and 2048 stream processors, the RX 570 delivers 5.1 TFLOPs of raw power—nearly three times the PS4’s 1.84 TFLOPs. This allows for 1080p gaming at high settings, often achieving 60+ FPS in most titles, making it a popular upgrade for budget PC gamers.
- TFLOPs: 5.1
- Stream Processors: 2048
- Video Memory: 4GB GDDR5 (8GB variant also available)
- Memory Speed: 7.1 Gbps
- Power Requirements: 150W TDP (Recommended 450W PSU)
