This PS5-based AMD BC250 board was turned into a $120 Linux gaming PC that runs GTA V at 65 FPS
A modder has managed to get their hands on what is being sold as the PlayStation 5’s graphics card, or more precisely, the AMD BC250 APU, a cut-down version of the PS5’s custom chip, from a Chinese seller for just £96, or roughly $120. Against all odds, the unit not only powered up but successfully ran multiple PC games on Linux, including GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077, and Counter-Strike 2.
A working PS5-grade mini PC
The creator behind the YouTube channel Budget-Builds Official ordered the BC250 board, which supposedly features the same AMD architecture found in Sony’s PlayStation 5. Once unpacked, it became clear this wasn’t a GPU card in the traditional sense, but rather a server-style motherboard complete with power headers, I/O ports, and a massive passive heatsink, all pointing to its original use in cryptocurrency mining rigs.
The chip at the centre, the AMD BC250, mirrors the PS5’s Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU architecture. The board includes 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, split evenly between system and graphics use, just like the console.
Bringing the PS5 silicon to life on Linux
After rigging a makeshift setup powered by a 1,000 W Corsair PSU, adding a CMOS battery, and connecting external storage along with a mouse, keyboard, and monitor, the YouTuber booted the board into a Linux environment. Surprisingly, it sprang to life almost immediately, identifying itself as the AMD BC250 with 12 threads and integrated Radeon graphics.
However, initial attempts to run Half-Life 2 and 3DMark’s Time Spy and Fire Strike benchmarks failed due to Linux driver conflicts. After consulting online forums, the YouTuber was able to run Half-Life 2 smoothly, but both 3DMark benchmarks still failed to run.
PS5-class performance on a $120 AMD BC250 compute board
And here are the benchmarks, the results show good performance, though with fewer compute units than a full PS5 APU.
- GTA V Enhanced Edition (1440p, high settings): ≈ 65 FPS without ray tracing; 25–30 FPS with ray tracing enabled.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, medium/high): ≈ 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 budget gaming PC while drawing similar power to mid-range GPUs, though thermal management was a clear problem but that was mainly because the entire setup was pretty make shift.
A cut-down PS5 for hobbyists
Hardware inspection confirmed the BC250 retains six Zen 2 cores (instead of eight in the PS5) and 24 compute units (versus 36 on the console). It lacks traditional DDR memory support and SATA ports, relying instead on M.2 storage and onboard GDDR6 for both system and VRAM functions.
The YouTuber noted frequent stability issues with RAM-heavy titles like Oblivion Remastered and ongoing Linux Wi-Fi driver quirks. Despite this, the BC250 handled most gaming titles with surprising ease, even supporting ray tracing in GTA V Enhanced edition.
You can watch the full in-depth video below for a closer look at the unique PS5-based AMD BC250 compute board.
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