ASRock BC-250 server board, created on the basis of a failed hybrid processor for PlayStation 5.
It was originally developed for mining but is now used to build homemade gaming systems on SteamOS, such as those based on the Bazzite distribution. Thanks to its low price and good performance, the board has become the basis for a budget gaming device that can be compared to low-cost PCs.
The solution is based on the AMD Ariel chip – essentially an APU for PS5, but in a stripped-down version: instead of eight Zen 2 cores, six cores are available supporting 12 threads, and the number of RDNA 2 graphics units has been reduced from 36 to 24 CUs. The board also has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, distributed between the processor and graphics components. On the secondary market, such boards can be found for up to 190 USD. Considering current component prices, this offers an attractive price/performance ratio.
Testing conducted by a famous blogger showed that after overclocking the graphics core to 2000 MHz, the system is capable of stably running modern games at Full HD resolution. Thus, Cyberpunk 2077 at medium settings demonstrates about 60 frames per second, and The Witcher 3 at maximum – about 75 FPS.
However, assembling such a system is difficult. The board has a non-standard form factor, requires modified BIOS firmware, and is equipped with only one M.2 PCIe 2.0×2 slot with limited bandwidth. However, for enthusiasts, this is one of the most affordable ways to achieve console-level performance at minimal cost.
