Sony has made a subtle yet fascinating upgrade to the PlayStation 5 Pro by tweaking its heatsink design. TronicsFix, a well-regarded channel specializing in console repairs on YouTube, noticed that the PS5 Pro’s heatsink is not the typical smooth finish. Instead, it sports a unique rectangular spiral pattern.
According to TronicsFix, this specific design choice might be aimed at mitigating dry spots and surface oxidation, which can happen when liquid metal thermal interface material shifts on the heatsink. He also suggests that this change could slightly enhance the contact surface area of the heatsink.
Anyone who has used liquid metal knows how tricky it can be; it tends to pool and wander more easily than conventional thermal pastes. That’s why systems using liquid metal often include seals around the heatsink to prevent this electrically conductive liquid from spilling and potentially harming other components of the system.
TronicsFix further speculates that the movement of liquid metal appears to be more of an issue when PlayStations are used in an upright position. Given that Steve from TronicsFix has a robust history of repairing and fine-tuning numerous PS5 consoles, these insights likely reflect the reality of the situation.
What’s intriguing about Sony’s use of these spiral grooves is that they break away from traditional cooling norms. Enthusiasts who push their systems to the limit often painstakingly polish both the processor and the heatsink for optimal contact. But it seems that liquid metal has changed the playbook. Sony must have rigorously tested this heatsink against a sleeker version and concluded that this new design is worth adopting.
The PS5 Pro, especially with its enhanced GPU, demands effective cooling to avoid thermal throttling, and it looks like these grooves are part of Sony’s solution.
Seen publicly for the first time in early September, the PS5 Pro only recently reached consumers’ hands this month. Enthusiasts and experts continue to uncover its hidden details, but most of the technical specifics were shared by lead architect Mark Cerny during a live stream event at its launch.
