In a story that sounds like it’s straight out of a hardware enthusiast’s dream, a resourceful modder has managed to get their hands on what is essentially the heart of a PlayStation 5 and brought it to life as a fully functional, shockingly affordable mini PC. The project demonstrates the incredible potential of repurposed silicon, blurring the lines between console and PC gaming.
The journey began when the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Budget-Builds Official took a gamble on a mysterious component from a Chinese online marketplace. For just £96 (approximately $120), they purchased an item listed as the AMD BC250—an APU widely understood to be a cut-down, decommissioned version of the custom chip that powers Sony's PlayStation 5.
Against all odds, the unit not only powered up but successfully ran demanding PC games like GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077, and *Counter-Strike 2* on the Linux operating system, offering a fascinating glimpse into a budget-friendly, PS5-grade computer.
A Working PS5-Grade Mini PC Emerges
When the package arrived, it was clear this was no ordinary graphics card. Instead, the YouTuber unboxed a compact, server-style motherboard dominated by a massive passive heatsink. Complete with power headers and I/O ports, the board's design pointed squarely to a previous life in cryptocurrency mining rigs, where efficiency and density are paramount.
At the center of it all sat the star of the show: the AMD BC250 APU. This chip is confirmed to mirror the PS5's core architecture, combining Zen 2 CPU cores with RDNA 2 graphics. The board also came equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, split evenly between system and graphics use, precisely as it is in the PlayStation 5 console itself.
Bringing the PS5 Silicon to Life on Linux
The real challenge began in the workshop. The YouTuber rigged a makeshift setup, powering the board with a 1,000-watt Corsair PSU and adding essential components like a CMOS battery, external storage, and peripherals. Booting the board into a Linux environment was the first major hurdle—but in a moment of pure excitement, it sprang to life almost immediately.
The system correctly identified itself as the AMD BC250 with 12 threads and integrated Radeon Graphics. The dream was alive, but the path wasn't entirely smooth. Initial attempts to run games and benchmarks were met with failure due to Linux driver conflicts. After some troubleshooting and help from online forums, the first major success came when the classic *Half-Life 2* ran smoothly on the system.
For a deeper dive into the entire setup and testing process, check out the full investigation from Budget-Builds Official
PS5-Class Performance on a $120 Board? The Benchmarks Are In
So, how did this $120 board actually perform? The results are impressive, especially when considering the price, though it's important to note this is a cut-down version of the full PS5 chip.
The YouTuber put the BC250 through its paces with several modern titles, yielding the following results:
- GTA V Enhanced Edition (1440p, high settings): ≈ 65 FPS without ray tracing; a playable 25–30 FPS with ray tracing enabled.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, medium/high settings): ≈ 42 FPS average.
- Counter-Strike 2 (1440p, competitive settings): ≈ 130 FPS average.
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord (1080p, very high): ≈ 79 FPS average.
- Hitman 3 (1080p, high): ≈ 47 FPS average.
In total, the chip performed like a competent budget gaming PC, drawing power similar to modern mid-range GPUs. Thermal management was a noted challenge, though this was largely attributed to the makeshift, open-air nature of the test bench.
A Cut-Down PS5 for Hobbyists and Tinkerers
A closer hardware inspection confirmed the BC250's specifications. It retains six Zen 2 CPU cores (disabled from the PS5's eight) and 24 compute units on the RDNA 2 GPU (down from the console's 36). The board lacks traditional DDR memory support and SATA ports, relying instead on M.2 storage and its onboard GDDR6 for both system and video memory—a unified memory architecture borrowed directly from its console cousin.
The project wasn't without its quirks. The modder noted frequent stability issues with RAM-heavy titles and ongoing struggles with Wi-Fi drivers on Linux. However, the fact that the BC250 handled most gaming titles with surprising ease—even supporting advanced features like ray tracing in GTA V—is a testament to the underlying power of the PlayStation 5's architecture.
This successful experiment opens up a world of possibilities for hobbyists, proving that with a little ingenuity, even components destined for crypto-mining graves can be resurrected into capable gaming machines. It stands as a thrilling example of the hidden potential within the global hardware ecosystem.
