PS5 Cooling Fix: Sony Addresses Liquid Metal “Leakage” Problem in New Models

Sony has apparently made an important change to the cooling unit in the latest versions of the PS5. This fixes a problem that can lead to “leakage” of the liquid metal thermal conductive material on the APU.

Heat-conducting material can no longer ‘leak out’

The latest versions of the Sony PlayStation 5 also come in cheaper versions with a small but important change that can provide better cooling. Sony has quietly modified the way the liquid metal “Thermal Interface Material” (TIM) is applied to ensure, as with the PlayStation 5 Pro, that there is no “leakage” of the material. This is the manufacturer’s response to problems reported by many PS5 owners in the standard and slim versions of older hardware revisions, where it can happen that the liquid metal can leak between the die of the APU and the cooling unit.

Ultimately, this can affect the cooling of the system and shorten its lifespan. In the most recent models with model numbers in the CFI-21xx and CFI-22xx range, as with the Pro version, the surface of the die has now started to be engraved with deeper channels in order to ensure better adhesion of the TIM. The whole thing can be done if necessary – and with enough courage – according to the PS5 modder from Poland Modifier89 based on the easily recognizable patterns of the channels on the die cover.

So if you want to make sure you get a PS5 with the updated cooling design, you should look for the CFI-2116 B01Y model when purchasing. If you already own an older version of the PlayStation 5 in the “Fat” design or an older slim version, you can of course try to replace the TIM yourself if you have heat problems. However, this process is probably better left to specialists, as it is anything but easy and cannot even be completed in between.