Sony Quietly Fixes PS5 Liquid Metal Cooling On New Console Revisions

Sony has quietly rolled out another under the hood change to its PlayStation 5 family, and this time it targets one of the most controversial parts of the console design: the liquid metal thermal interface around the main system on chip. New PS5 and PS5 Slim revisions now use an application method that mirrors the PS5 Pro, with deeper grooves and a better containment layout designed to stop liquid metal leaks and keep temperatures under control for the long term.

From day one Sony chose liquid metal TIM instead of standard thermal paste on the PlayStation 5 processor.

Liquid metal, typically a gallium based alloy, conducts heat far more efficiently than regular pastes, letting the large APU transfer heat quickly into the heatsink and keeping fan speeds lower under heavy gaming loads. The trade off is that liquid metal is electrically conductive and extremely runny, so if it is not perfectly contained it can slowly seep out of the contact area and onto surrounding components.

Early PS5 and PS5 Slim units, particularly the CFI-2016 series, relied on a metal spacer ring around the die and a fairly simple flat recess in the interposer to hold the liquid metal in place. In most consoles that design works as intended, but over time enough owners reported TIM spillage, corrosion marks or cooling issues that the topic became a recurring concern in repair communities. Storing a console vertically, moving it frequently while hot or subjecting it to knocks can all make it easier for the liquid metal to creep past the spacer and pool where it should not be.

The PS5 Pro introduced a more robust version of this system. Instead of a mostly flat cavity, the area directly around the APU has machined grooves and a slightly reshaped layout that guide the liquid metal and help lock it in place. The result is better protection against leaks, a more even spread of the material across the chip surface and therefore more consistent cooling performance. Teardown reports quickly highlighted the change as a smart, relatively low cost fix for a long standing worry.

According to recent findings from console modders and repair specialists, the same PS5 Pro style liquid metal application has now appeared in standard PS5 and PS5 Slim consoles carrying the CFI-2100 and CFI-2200 designations. On these boards you can see the engraved lines in the liquid metal well rather than a smooth, featureless surface. If your console uses the older layout, the interposer around the chip will look flat and simple by comparison.

For existing owners this silent revision does not automatically mean disaster for early machines. If your launch PS5 or an older Slim model runs cool, does not constantly ramp its fan to maximum and has not suddenly started shutting down under load, there is little reason to panic. Opening the system purely out of worry is risky, because handling liquid metal without experience can make things worse and may void any remaining warranty. If you do notice obvious overheating, crashes or extreme fan noise, the sensible option is to take the console to a professional repair shop and have the liquid metal reapplied and the internals cleaned.

Those who are currently shopping for a new PlayStation 5, however, can benefit directly from the revision. Retail units labelled with model codes such as CFI-2116 B01Y are tied to the newer motherboard family that carries the improved liquid metal containment design. While you are unlikely to see dramatic frame rate gains, better thermal behaviour means more consistent boost clocks, less audible fan noise in demanding titles and a lower risk of long term reliability issues related to TIM leakage.

In practical terms this is exactly the kind of quiet mid generation refinement that tends to define long running console hardware. Sony has not changed the core specs of the PS5 or PS5 Slim here, but by aligning their cooling implementation with the PS5 Pro the company is tightening up the platform and addressing a legitimate community concern. For most players the only visible difference will be a model number printed on the box, yet inside the shell the console is now better prepared for years of use, frequent travel between rooms and endless sessions of next gen games.