Which GPU is in the Xbox Series X and how to build an equivalent gaming PC in 2022

The Xbox Series X is a ninth-generation home video game console sold by Microsoft. The hardware running this console was designed by the American fabless semiconductor company, AMD. The company has also designed the hardware that powers the PlayStation 5.

The Xbox Series X packs an RDNA 2-based GPU, the same architecture that runs the current-gen Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards. The Xbox console is slightly faster than the PlayStation 5. Thus, it packs a beefier GPU.

Today, it is possible to build a gaming PC costing around $1,000 that matches the power of the Xbox console. As the next-gen RTX 40 series and Radeon RX 7000 series video cards hit the market, the price will come down further.

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What GPU does the Xbox Series X pack? Official hardware and desktop equivalent

The GPU inside the Xbox Series X is called Scarlett. It is based on TSMC's 7 nm process node. Scarlett is a high-end graphics processor. It comes with a large die size of 370 mm² and packs 15,300 million transistors inside.

The Xbox Series X console packs a total of 16 GB GDDR6 memory. The GPU can access a maximum of 10 GB RAM, which has a higher bandwidth of 560 GB/s. The remaining 6 GB memory is slightly slower and can be accessed by the CPU.

The Scarlett GPU has a total of 3328 shading units, 208 Texture Mapping Units (TMUs), 64 Render Output Units (ROPs), and 52 Compute Units (CUs). On paper, this makes the Series X GPU faster than Oberon, the GPU that powers the PlayStation 5.

In terms of theoretical performance, Scarlett can deliver up to 24.29 TFLOPS. In contrast, Oberon peaks at 20.58 TFLOPS.

When comparing against currently available RX 6000 series GPUs, it is hard to find a graphics card that matches the performance of the Scarlett GPU. The graphics processor is slightly faster than the RX 6700 XT but slower than the RX 6800. By far, the closest bet will be the mid-cycle refresh, RX 6750 XT.

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How to build a gaming PC that matches the performance of the Xbox Series X

Building a gaming PC that is able to match the power of the latest Xbox console will cost users a little over $1,000 today. This is because the Xbox packs a powerful GPU.

Here is the hardware required to make a PC rig that is faster than the current-gen Microsoft console:

• CPU: Intel Core i5 12400F 6C/12T ($174.99)
• CPU cooler: Deepcool AK400 ($34.99)
• Motherboard: Asus PRIME H610M-E D4 mATX ($99.99)
• Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB (2x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL 16 ($52.99)
• Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 1 TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 3 NVMe ($99.99)
• Video card: Gigabyte GAMING OC Radeon RX 6750 XT 12 GB ($464.99)
• Case: Silverstone FARA H1M mATX mini-tower ($60.64)
• Power supply: Corsair CX650M 550W 80+ Bronze certified semi-modular ($59.99)

Together, all of these parts will cost users $1,048.57. The cost can be brought down further by compromising on some of the less important components.

Users can expect the cost margin to drop by $200-$300 once next-gen hardware hits the market later this year. Both Nvidia and AMD will launch the entire RTX 40 series and RX 7000 series lineup over the next couple of quarters.