My Weird yet effective Ps4 Cooling mod

[Mustiyo]

Hey dear people!!!

 

First id like to apologize for my english since its not my native language!

Ive bought my ps4 Pro on launch day which means its the first version Ps4 pro (CUH-7016 i think). And i loved my console dearly.

Yet in 2018-2019 when plalying god of war, Horizon zero dawn and other demanding titles my ps4 was just so annoying and loud it was unbearable.

So i tried something else i tore it apart and added new thermal compound (Arctic MX-4) and added some new thermal pads (some 10 dollar ones dunno the name but they werent some fancy ones. 1.00mm)

And BOOM my ps4 went quieter it wasnt something significant but noticable. It defo was quieter than before but i still didnt like it. (Im very annoyed by fan sounds. Thats why my pc is a complete silent build)

 

So after doing some research i got to know a person by the name @Serachja who showed me his build and i was in awe. Willing to mod my ps4 too

 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS MOD

 

A cpu cooler  (mine BEquite Pure rock slim)

High quality Thermal compound (Artctic mx4)

A usb fan       something like this  (https://www.amazon.com/AC-Infinity-MULTIFAN-Receiver-Playstation/dp/B00G059G86/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=Usb+fan&qid=1571527690&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRjAxUDZSQjFXUVEyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDU1NjQ2MzNJREtGMllBMzZFOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNTMyNTI2NjNCMVFMNUFXQUtYJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==)

AND GUTS!

 

 

 

First of all what i did was Cut out a Hole in the top of the case (The one you can remove to access the fan) 

 

 

After that i cut out the Plastics on the inside To match the hole i mad on top (BE CAREFUL AS YOU ARE CUTTING NEAR THE PSU AND FAN)   

 

 

screenshot from tronicsfix

 

 

 

 

 

 

After having that piece cut it looked like this. I have done a horrible job at cutting it tho cause i didnt have the right tools and used a sharp knife which i really dont recommend! If possible use a small grinder. 

Ive tested the temps several times with the cooler placement on the ps4 heatsink and ive found out putting it where the blue square is resulted in best temp reduction. I dunno why if either the GPU chip from the ps4 is at that spot or that spot just runs hotter. Anyway like i said ive tried it top middle bottom side. And the Bottom side with the blue square was the best out of all 3. 

 

Now with everything cut ive slapped on a cpu cooler and a USB controlable Fan with 3 Speeds (low medium Fast  i use it on low which is like 900rpm) 

 

 

 

 

As you can tell ive done a horrible job as im frigging bad with saws, knifes etc... Yet i still managed to do it somehow and i bet you folks that have more skill than me will do it even more precise and wont cut out that much plastic as i did. 

Im also fortunate enough to have a second ps4 on which im gonna attach a noctua cooler and ill try to do a way better job!

 

 

Here is the rest info

of course the cooler will wiggle if shaken ive secured it with Superglue which ive carefully applied around the edge of the cooler. 

The fan was also attached with superglue to the case.

You should be able to make a fitting or a jig that holds the cooler in place but i wasnt able to as i dont have access to that kind of stuff.

As you can also tell ive cut little notches on both sides of the cut so the cooler will fit in better you might have to cut yours to size aswell depending on your cooler size.

And you can tell ive done a disgusting job but i dont really care about estetics. 

 

As for noise level the ps4 pro has like 8 or 9 noise levels you can hear them change their levels like a car enginge swapping gears,.

Quiet (idle)   Normal (youtube/netflix)    medium (índie games 2d low performance ones)    High (games like Metro redux which are a little more demanding)    Higher (games like Cod bo4 Online/ rainbow six siege)  FASTEST (God of war RDR2 Open world games in general) And TURBO SUPER DUPER JET ENGINE (that only occures tho if you have dust build up and bad perfomance games)

Higher is like i would say 1600rpm if not even more which sounds little but is quiet loud on the ps4 pro.

With that said ive not noticed the ps4 changing noise levels i dont hear the internal fan ramp up its like its stuck in idle/Normal

GAMES TESTED

KINGDOM HEARTS 3 

RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 
GOD OF WAR 2018

HORIZON ZERO DAWN 

METRO EXODUS 

UNCHARTED 4 in 4k

AC ODYSSEY

APEX LEGENDS 
FORTNITE

PUBG

 

Not one of those games managed to make my ps4 louder which almost brought a tear to my eye.

 

I havent expirienced any crashes, Overheating issues or other issues!!!

 

 

Obviously this will not only void your warranty but sony prolly will punch you in the face if they see you doing something like this to their dear console.

 

If you have any questions feel free to ask. And i would like to thank @Serachja again for giving me this idea. 

 

Have a great day you all!

 

[Praesi]

Im not a Fan of Consoles whatsoever, but i like what you did here.

[DildorTheDecent]

>putting a heatsink on a heatsink

 

[JahJah192]

Mustiyo you´re a genius! Thanks a lot for this thread!! But first sorry for my (probably) broken english, i´m from Germany.  

 

i searched a lot for a nice working cooling mod, tried a few myself (like the simple "holes over fan") but this kills it in a big way. Personally this is the cooles PS4 (Pro) Mod ever! I did it myself now, works like a charm, the jet now is dead silent, my fan only spins in idle mode, everything is cool temps are great. 

 

gloued it with 2 compound epoxid, rock solid.

 

wanted to share it.

 

[Antony A]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:54 PM, JahJah192 said:

Mustiyo you´re a genius! Thanks a lot for this thread!! But first sorry for my (probably) broken english, i´m from Germany.  

 

i searched a lot for a nice working cooling mod, tried a few myself (like the simple "holes over fan") but this kills it in a big way. Personally this is the cooles PS4 (Pro) Mod ever! I did it myself now, works like a charm, the jet now is dead silent, my fan only spins in idle mode, everything is cool temps are great. 

 

gloued it with 2 compound epoxid, rock solid.

 

wanted to share it.

 

Hello, JahJah192! 

Can you explain how are you fixate coller?
Where did you take power for fan?
Did it help to shut up PS4 fan?)
 

[JahJah192]

Hi

i glued it with epoxid 

this (don´t know if you can get this exact typ outside of Germany...)

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00BTFGHVG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

 

the fan is connected to the back USB port using a 12V  3 Pin to USB Cable and a Fan speed control unit 

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00MNB40ZU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.de/Titan-TTC-SC01-Lüfter-Controller-Slotblech/dp/B000YIQ19M/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=Cpu+Fan+Speed+Controller&qid=1581977769&sr=8-15

 

Yeah my Pro now is dead silent, never get´s loud anymore, always quiet like it is after booting up. Even after hours of Spiderman or Death Stranding. Cooler perfectly takes all the heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SolarNova]

On 10/20/2019 at 1:15 AM, DildorTheDecent said:

>putting a heatsink on a heatsink

 

This

[andstorm]

Hi 

I know this i a old post I just have too thank for the post, my PS4 pro was strugling to keep the temps down when playing Snowrunner, ofthen maxed out the interneal fan and the game crashed 

 

i used the Be Quiet Shadow rock LP cooler, and noctua thermal paste, those two things made wonders, now the ps4 is just running the internal fan normal in a not annoying speed

 

to power the external fan i just used 5v from the Usb directly, to mount the extra colling fin I glued the hardware provided by Be quiet with Epoxy to the internal cooling fin,

and added some tape to keep the original airflow

 

I also change the thermal paste on the CPU

 

Thanks a bunch

 

[Grrrym]

9 hours ago, andstorm said:

Hi 

I know this i a old post I just have too thank for the post, my PS4 pro was strugling to keep the temps down when playing Snowrunner, ofthen maxed out the interneal fan and the game crashed 

 

i used the Be Quiet Shadow rock LP cooler, and noctua thermal paste, those two things made wonders, now the ps4 is just running the internal fan normal in a not annoying speed

 

to power the external fan i just used 5v from the Usb directly, to mount the extra colling fin I glued the hardware provided by Be quiet with Epoxy to the internal cooling fin,

and added some tape to keep the original airflow

 

I also change the thermal paste on the CPU

 

Thanks a bunch

 

Hey man. I was just reading this thread yesterday, and made big plans to execute this plan later next week. But, in comparisions with you, I will try to do it on the original PS4, where the original fan is on the bottom of the unit. I will need to place the PS4 vertical or upside down, then. 

 

I've decided to purchase the BeQuite Pure Rock Slim, very similiar to yours. But I don't have the required cables yet, and also I will probably need a speed controller, unless I want the fan to spin at full speed all the time. 

 

Question: is it possible to connect the BeQuite fan directly to the PS4 motherboard, using a splitter or adapter so both fans (BeQuite fan and PS4 original fan) are connected at the same time? By so the PS4 will control the speeds on both. Also, you think this is possible on the original PS4? 

 

Very cool stuff you guys shared. I appreciate it. Hope to have some answers from my post. 

[andstorm]

Hi Grrrym

 

I dont know about conneting the fan directly, the ps4 pro fan is a 3 wire and the Be quiet i a 4 wire Pwm fan, but in my case it is plenty with the 5 volt from the usb, and the fan dead quiet, i cannot hear it run

 

one more thing to consider is the current draw from both fans if you split the power from the motherboard

 

IMO Keep it simpel

 

I dont remember how the cooling fin looks in the original PS4, but the concept is realy simpel so it should be posible to do something simlair 

[Grrrym]

Hi Andstorm,

 

Thank you. So your fan practically goes spinning on one speed all the time? I will test this out, but will also try to create a fan cable for 12V power supply with a speed controller, so that I can regulate the speed on the fan. We'll see.

 

Before this, I cleaned the PS4 from dust and put on new thermal paste, and the PS4 went from worse to better. Its not a Boeing 747 anymore, but still, you can clearly hear the PS4 fan goes buzzing in the background, especially when playing Fortnite and Call of Duty Warzone. Its not bad, but its annoying.

 

Did you manage to cut this sound out completely with this BeQuite Cooling System? Im really looking forward trying this. Exciting, and this would be awesome if I managed to silent my PS4 completely. 

[Grrrym]

Is the fan cable to the BeQuiet a 4 pin male or female?

[Grrrym]

By the way, after seeing pictures from you and JahJah, I decided to cancel the Pure Rock Slim, and go for the Shadow Rock LP. Its much smaller in height, and would fit my PS4 much better than a standing model as the Pure Rock Slim is. 

 

By the way, Im looking for the counter part to connect the PWM fan cable to my USB cable or 12V Power Supply. But I need to find the male part with 4 pins. Do you have the name of the cable that Shadow Rock LP uses? There are like millions of the male PWM parts. 

[andstorm]

Hi again

 

as the other guys stated before me the noise level is down to not annoying at all time, yes my fan runs all the time when the systen is on 

you can basicly run the fan from 5v from the usb it will spin the fan about 480 rpm and is plenty for my system no controller needed i cannot hear the Be quiet fan

the internal fan is still running as normal ofcourse it says something and it always will due to design, but nothing that bothers me 

 

It is a 4 pin female 

 

Take generic USB cable cut it to desired length take the red wire +5v and the black gnd remove the isolation twist the cores press into the connector, but if you have a soldering iron add some solder before inserting, use some tabe or clue to keep it in place

 

the correct connector will be a "Fan pin header connector", but inserting the cores should work just fine

 

[Grrrym]

Thank you so much, Andstorm. I've ordered the parts - I will try this out as soon as the parts have arrived. Excited.

[Velcade]

This is great. 

[Grrrym]

Done. I did this to my PS4. 

[Grrrym]

I played for three hours, mostly UFC 3, and the PS4 was in idle mode all the time. I could not hear the fan. Then I tried Call of Duty Warzone, a game that has made my PS4 turn into a 747, and the bastard barely makes a sound. Fan goes little harder in the PS4, but nothing noticeable. I ran the BeQuiet Shadow Rock LP via USB 5v. So its not on its full power. 

 

I recommend this. Its the best solution I've tried, by far. 

[JahJah192]

NICE  so the PS4 cooler on cooler crew expands. After a few month now i can say for sure it´s the best solution, dead silent no matter what i play!

[Scarlet_tsurimu-]

Guys you seriously saved my ps4 system, yesterday i saw this and sayd "this is crazy, i need to try it" and here i am, with a literal hole over the ps4 fat fan, and beside of that, an stock coolermaster pc cooler, and it is dead silence right now, warzone, metro exodus, fornite, gta online, whatever i play, and the air coming out from behind is barely hot. God thanks to this guy who first put a pc cooler over his ps4, thank you so much for the idea.

 

(pd: y e s,  they re waifus everywhere)

[zogthegreat]

(chuckle) That's ghetto as all Hades!

 

I love it!

[Piricho]

I have to post. I've been looking at this thread for a few days and I'm not gonna lie, I thought people were exaggerating the effect of this mod. I've changed paste, bought new pads and nothing really helped. I have the first model ps4 pro, 7016b and it was loud af. So today I decided to put my old cooler master 212 to good use and went in with a dremel and soldered a Usb-A connector to my old noctua 120mm fan that was laying around. USB/fan connected to the back of the ps4 pro. Dead silent running fine at 5v.

 

Not going into details since its been covered in this thread already but Holy moley. I am so angry I didn't find this thread earlier. The internal fan is not going over lv1 or whatever idle is. I've played some tsushima, god of war and tlou2 and the fan does not change speeds at all. It's crazy. I'm gonna order a top part  replacement case/lid from aliexpress so I don't have to cut into the original. I'm in Sweden so if anybody wants to go halfsies on import tax and what not, let me know in dm's.

 

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for making this thread and for all the details put in it. Posting some pics in case somebody is interested.

 

Also one last thing. I haven't attached the cooler to anything yet. Will do it at a later stage.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Piricho
Grammar/spelling

[Ulz]

That is AWESOME! Nice job, even though I'm almost a year late lol

[IamAmused]

I'll chime in as well.  (Sorry no pics), but I did this mod about a month ago.  Been wanting a PS4 Pro for awhile, and with COVID decided it was a good time to buy.  Well so did everyone else.  Next to impossible to find one, let alone a fair or sale price.

 

Gamestop had a great memorial day sale and I snagged a recently traded, used PS4 Pro, the last one in a 50 mile radius.  I wondered why anyone would trade into Gamestop when they can be sold for almost new prices with COVID markup, but I figured I could return it if need be.

 

Of course, once I got home I got my answer.  Sounded like a 747 on any game after 5 minutes of play, and overheat shutdowns.

 

So, since there wasn't another one anywhere to be found and I REALLY wanted to play FF7... I started down the path many of you have.  Watched videos, figured out how easy it is to take apart, and started with cleaning it out, followed by thermal paste and pads.  Then one of those funky rear end coolers (complete joke, actually made it worse) and then some PS4 "feet".  In the end, the best upgrade (especially for Gen 1 PS4 PROs) is this mod.

 

I used the Shadow Rock Be Quiet! LP that JahJah192 did.  Opting to install it on top as he did as well.  I also take power from the USB port... which only spins the fan at probably 30% capacity - very quiet.

 

SOOOO much better.  Here are a few different things I did / tips.

 

1.  I didn't use epoxy like JahJah did, I found some very short screws and was able to adapt the Shadow Rock mounts (barely, between the plastic between the heat sink, and the guts of the power supply).  Made sure you pre-drill small holes if you do the same... that way you don't splinter the plastic.  With this install, it is still stable, but removable and I could return to "stock"... well with a new cover anyway.

2. I found tin snips / sheers (like the kind you would use to cut and shape dryer ducts) easier than my dremel (which was more melting the plastic than cutting it) to cut and shape the hole in the cover.

3. After a month of testing and extended game play, I decided to flip the fan.  Remember it's a Shadow Rock LP, so it's a horizonal mount, rather than vertical.  Originally it was pulling exterior air from the top, and pushing it over the heatsink on the top.  I found that pulling the hot air from inside the PS4 out, works better.  Still either way was a vast improvement... but if you study the way the PS4 is setup for cooling (which is terrible btw) is doesn't have a ton of space to pull in air, and it exhausts that air over the heat sink, and then out over the hot power supply, to the back, which traps air against the wall (even though I have the PS4 out as far as I can on the TV stand from the wall).  So I thought of flipping the fan and using the hole in the top as an additional exhaust port, rather than an additional intake, would help and it has.

 

Again, either way, no 747 ever again.  But not flipped after several hours I'd get some fan spool up, which would remain steady.  Still not bad, but there.  The back for the PS4 would be quite warm, but that big heatsink I put on the top, would still be relatively cool.  Once I flipped it, it says quieter longer, and the heatsink on top gets warm.

 

Just my two cents.  And again - THANKS!!

[FahadR8]

replaced the original fan with a noctua nff12 chromax black edition. I plugged the fan to the motherboard, the fan is a 4pin Pwm but works perfectly as a 3pin 

IMG_5126.HEIC IMG_4092.HEIC IMG_0604.HEIC