You’ve probably heard a lot about PS5’s infamous overheating issues, and the term “Liquid Metal”. But what does that actually mean? Let’s take a look at a PS5 that was brought in for our Spring Cleaning event for some preventative maintenance.
First, we need to take the system apart. The panels snap off easily enough, followed by a handful of screws to get the outer shell off, and then a LOT of screws to get to the board proper.
Dust filled areas like the shell, radiators, and fan get the blowout box treatment to really blast out the dust. All together, the disassembly for this system includes 72 screws!
Finally, we get to the main overheating culprit: The liquid metal and APU. Despite being a fairly clean system so far, you can see where the liquid metal has started to oxidize! After cleaning off the oxidization, we can respread (or top up!) the liquid metal so that it covers the entire APU. This is why we recommend keeping your system on its side, so that the cooling compound will maintain an even displacement!
Finally, it’s time to put the system (and all 72 screws) back together, give the outside a final wipedown. Ready for final testing before being sent back home.
