Reported that using your PS5 Upright might kill it

[Araujo]

 

Summary

It's being recently reported that apparently the first models of the PS5 ( both digital and disc versions ) when used in the Upright position over long periods of time, the liquid cooling solution the console has, might actually move causing major damage to the console, going from poor performance to outright killing it.

 

My thoughts

As someone that owns a Ps5 (Disc model, First version) since release date, i have not had any issues. And this is the first time i'm learning of this. Apparently there is a new revision of the PS5 ( a potential "slim" version ) set for 2023, but no information has been given if this new model is real or if it could solve this issue. This has been lowkey mentioned around the Console repair circles, but has not hit the mainstream news until now.

 

Sources

Youtube video : 

 

 

Twitter : 

 

 

 

 

 

[jaslion]

I did see a possibility like this coming as this happens in a lot lm systems that dont sit flat because of a little known force called gravity

 

Sucks tho. The ps5 has a pretty good cooling solution but liquid metal always seemed kinda iffy?

[Stahlmann]

11 minutes ago, Araujo said:

the liquid cooling solution the console has

The console doesn't have a liquid cooler. It uses liquid metal as the TIM (thermal interface material) instead of a normal thermal paste, but not as the coolant. There is a reason why liquid metal is generally a bad choice to use in a normal cooler. If it gets out, it's conductive. So can short and kill components.

[ravenshrike]

A friend has had the PS5 from soon after it came out and it's stayed in the upright position. No issues. Not to mention the idea it would outright damage the surface of the APU and not just cause heating shutdowns is very, very odd given the extensive thermal sensors distributed throughout the APU. Someone needs to get 9, 18, or 27 PS5s and run 1/3rd of them laid flat, 1/3rd upright, and 1/3rd laid flat upside down. 

[jagdtigger]

Sony didnt coat the area around the APU die? Thats odd.....

[Araujo]

9 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

The console doesn't have a liquid cooler. It uses liquid metal as the TIM (thermal interface material) instead of a normal thermal paste, but not as the coolant. There is a reason why liquid metal is generally a bad choice to use in a normal cooler. If it gets out, it's conductive. So can short and kill components.

Correct. Wrong choice of words on my end. My bad. Ment to say Liquid Metal

[NumLock21]

10 hours ago, Araujo said:

Apparently there is a new revision of the PS5 ( a potential "slim" version ) set for 2023, but no information has been given if this new model is real or if it could solve this issue.

There is a solution to solve this issue, it's called ditching liquid metal and go back to using traditional thermal paste, it's also a lot safer.

[Moonzy]

3 hours ago, ravenshrike said:

Not to mention the idea it would outright damage the surface of the APU and not just cause heating shutdowns is very, very odd given the extensive thermal sensors distributed throughout the APU.

I think DIY perks managed to kill a PS5 main board by choking his cooling system accidentally, probably causing it to overheat and die

 

Though it's a pretty big mod so the reason could be something else

[jagdtigger]

54 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

There is a solution to solve this issue, it's called ditching liquid metal and go back to using traditional thermal paste, it's also a lot safer.

Maybe its safer because its not conductive but unlike LM it will dry out pretty quickly causing the console to die from overheating.....

[NumLock21]

4 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Maybe its safer because its not conductive but unlike LM it will dry out pretty quickly causing the console to die from overheating.....

They can used that PTM7950 and problem solved.

[GhostRoadieBL]

considering Sony's marketing displays the console vertically in almost every image, this may lead to some form of recall or replacement since users are following the company's own intended orientation. I'm pretty sure the manual even has the vertical orientation as recommended (going to double check) - So... every image in the quick start guide has the console vertical other than the 2 images for horizontal.

[Brooksie359]

@GhostRoadieBL  Honestly I did not know you could have place it horizontally. Based on the way the console looks it seems like it was only meant to be placed vertically. 

[NumLock21]

38 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

@GhostRoadieBL  Honestly I did not know you could have place it horizontally. Based on the way the console looks it seems like it was only meant to be placed vertically. 

The console can be placed both ways, there is even a stand that's included in the box so that it can be place horizontally.

It shows it in their Quick Start Guide

[jagdtigger]

48 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

The console can be placed both ways, there is even a stand that's included in the box so that it can be place horizontally.

Its included because you have to use it in either orientation....

[jagdtigger]

1 hour ago, NumLock21 said:

They can used that PTM7950 and problem solved.

Dont think it would be any better in terms of longevity..... (compared to the usual liquid tim)

[NumLock21]

22 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Its included because you have to use it in either orientation....

They could include some ceiling mounts, hooks, and steel cables so it can be hanged in mid air. Would look really nice as a center show piece.

21 minutes ago, jagdtigger said:

Dont think it would be any better in terms of longevity..... (compared to the usual liquid tim)

It was said that thing was used in application like automobiles, etc, where it's not being access often.

[Stahlmann]

3 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

Maybe its safer because its not conductive but unlike LM it will dry out pretty quickly causing the console to die from overheating.....

I don't know what type of thermal paste you've been using but even if it dries you won't notice a change in temperatures a long way down the line. And then you can simply repaste. It's not like every GPU has thermal issues a few months after being made.

[Brooksie359]

4 hours ago, NumLock21 said:

The console can be placed both ways, there is even a stand that's included in the box so that it can be place horizontally.

It shows it in their Quick Start Guide

I'll looking at the guide it looks so stupid when put horizontally. It looks like the idea of being able to put it horizontally was an afterthought. It does not look like it should be put horizontal for sure. 

[Araujo]

i will say this... 

 

My PS5 was placed vertically on my table out of the box and has never moved since. Which does not mean i'm not subject to this clear oversight on Sony's part... and currently i dont have the desk space to put it on it's side, but now i plan to... 

 

But i would imagine this is more likely to happen to people who travel, move their console around, or if the console takes a bump or any impact. Which ofcourse, is never what is expected to happen to a console... but it can. I was very much planning on Buying a padded carrying case for my PS5 for travelling, but after his, i will simply never move it from it's spot. 

 

6 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

I'll looking at the guide it looks so stupid when put horizontally. It looks like the idea of being able to put it horizontally was an afterthought. It does not look like it should be put horizontal for sure. 

Yes. And i absolutely hate the Disc Orientation. It's a super minor thing... but having the Disk Bay under it, but having to put the label side of the BD upwards just feels wrong even though it looks right... the read side is pointing -away- from the console, and it just feels like poor design. A very minor Aesthetic Nitpick, but always on mind... 

[ravenshrike]

6 hours ago, Moonzy said:

I think DIY perks managed to kill a PS5 main board by choking his cooling system accidentally, probably causing it to overheat and die

 

There are multiple places more likely than the APU to die if you block the cooling system IIRC GN's testing of hotspots on the board. Again, the weird part is the visible damage to the APU since the thermal sensors, even if they don't prevent thermal damage to the APU should still shut it down long before it physically damages the surface silicon.

[Mark Kaine]

1 hour ago, Araujo said:

i will say this... 

 

My PS5 was placed vertically on my table out of the box and has never moved since. Which does not mean i'm not subject to this clear oversight on Sony's part... and currently i dont have the desk space to put it on it's side, but now i plan to... 

 

But i would imagine this is more likely to happen to people who travel, move their console around, or if the console takes a bump or any impact. Which ofcourse, is never what is expected to happen to a console... but it can. I was very much planning on Buying a padded carrying case for my PS5 for travelling, but after his, i will simply never move it from it's spot. 

 

Yes. And i absolutely hate the Disc Orientation. It's a super minor thing... but having the Disk Bay under it, but having to put the label side of the BD upwards just feels wrong even though it looks right... the read side is pointing -away- from the console, and it just feels like poor design. A very minor Aesthetic Nitpick, but always on mind... 

not sure about that theory,  it could also be that moving it around often could help preventing this.  and that you aren't affected doesn't really prove much either, could just be luck...

 

Eh, and a console very much should be designed to take a bump, unlike most pcs they aren't really built so that they don't fall over easily,  also often used by kids,  a bump hasn't hurt previous consoles much, my ps3 slim actually fell over several times, its still working fine (sure a bit of luck involved, but that's worse than a bump, consoles shouldn't break because of something minor like that - which isnt being claimed here anyways i think?

[ravenshrike]

16 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

Eh, and a console very much should be designed to take a bump

There's a difference between taking a bump, and sayyyy, being dropped on carpet vertically. In the video which was a livestream of some sort given that he communicates to some kind of chat, someone noted that the LM under the tape could have been from such a drop. He responds that there was no physical damage, but there wouldn't be unless it was dropped on a sufficiently hard surface. Especially since the side panels will pop off fully intact if given a hard smack from the bottom instead of breaking.

[jagdtigger]

18 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

I don't know what type of thermal paste you've been using but even if it dries you won't notice a change in temperatures a long way down the line.

My goto is MX4, but thats not the issue. The issue is the factory original tooth paste. For example my not-so-cheap hp gaming laptop needed a repaste after 2 or 3 years of light use.... In contrast i dont even know when i used CLU in the 4670k in my old machine but it still cools the hot headed haswell cpu pretty well.

[jagdtigger]

19 hours ago, NumLock21 said:

It was said that thing was used in application like automobiles, etc, where it's not being access often.

And doesnt have to cool high-end silicon. Microcontrollers and CPU's used in cars are quite low-power...

[PDifolco]

Gotta use it only when I'm seated then