Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 Pro has quietly introduced a rather intriguing change to its heatsink design. It was uncovered by TronicsFix, a well-known console repair YouTube channel, that the PS5 Pro’s heatsink isn’t the typical smooth surface. Instead, it boasts a rectangular spiral pattern.
TronicsFix suggests that this deliberately machined pattern helps minimize the risk of dry spots and surface oxidation, which can occur when liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) migrates over the heatsink. He also believes this design tweak marginally increases the contact surface area, which is a thoughtful touch.
Anyone who’s worked with liquid metal knows it tends to pool and can easily stray to places it’s not supposed to, unlike traditional thermal pastes. Therefore, systems using liquid metal heatsinks often have a seal around them to prevent the conductive material from escaping and potentially damaging other components in the system.
Moreover, TronicsFix notes that the issue of liquid metal movement might be more pronounced in PlayStation systems used in a vertical orientation. Given his extensive experience in repairing and tweaking PS5s and other consoles, his insights are likely quite reflective of the real-world scenarios.
Interestingly, Sony opted for these rectangular spiral ‘grooves’ on the heatsink that interfaces with the AMD APU, which somewhat challenges traditional cooling approaches. Enthusiasts and overclockers typically strive for impeccably flat and polished processor surfaces. However, with the advent of liquid metal, the rules have changed. Sony likely conducted A/B testing between this new design and a mirror-smooth alternative and concluded that the new approach was worth adopting.
Considering the PS5 Pro’s enhanced processing capabilities, especially the more robust GPU, these heatsink grooves are likely part of the strategy to prevent thermal throttling.
The PS5 Pro was officially revealed back in early September but only hit the consumer market earlier this month. As experts and enthusiasts continue to dissect the new design, most of the technical nitty-gritty was shared by lead architect Mark Cerny during a launch live stream.
These intriguing insights into Sony’s design choices highlight their evolving approach to handling the complexities of modern gaming console hardware.
