Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 Pro has made a subtle yet intriguing update to its heatsink design, and it’s got people talking. The team over at TronicsFix, a well-known console repair channel on YouTube, recently discovered that the new PS5 Pro isn’t sporting a perfectly smooth heatsink. Instead, it features a unique rectangular spiral pattern etched into its surface.
TronicsFix speculates that this design was intentionally crafted to minimize dry spots and surface oxidation. This is a common issue when liquid metal thermal interface material decides to wander across the heatsink. They also think it might increase the contact surface area just a touch.
If you’ve ever attempted to spread liquid metal evenly, you’re probably familiar with its tendency to form pools. Unlike traditional pastes, liquid metal has an annoying habit of migrating to places it’s not supposed to, which is why systems relying on liquid metal often incorporate a seal or barrier around the heatsink. This ensures the conductive liquid doesn’t end up damaging other components.
What’s more, TronicsFix suggests that this wandering of liquid metal is exacerbated in PS5 systems that are kept upright. Given Steve from TronicsFix’s extensive experience in repairing and handling numerous PS5s (and other consoles), his insights are likely pretty close to the real deal.
It’s fascinating to see Sony adopt these rectangular spiral ‘grooves’ where the heatsink meets the AMD APU, as it seems to defy some established cooling norms. Traditionally, extreme overclockers spend a lot of time making sure both the processor surface and heatsink are as polished and flat as possible. However, liquid metal has changed the game quite a bit. Before making such a design leap, Sony must have rigorously tested this new heatsink against a mirror-smooth one and found it beneficial.
With the PS5 Pro’s enhanced processing capabilities—especially its significantly more powerful GPU—it makes sense that these heatsink ‘grooves’ are among the changes aimed at preventing thermal throttling.
The PS5 Pro was first introduced in early September, but only recently hit the market. While enthusiasts and experts continue to dissect its design, we gained most of the technical insights from the lead architect, Mark Cerny, during a launch livestream.
