The theory: If the PS5 stands upright for too long, it’s not good
First things first: Currently, the reports about problems with the installation position of the PlayStation 5 are mainly still limited to individual descriptions from repair shops and hardware experts. The website Wololo has summarized several of these reports, all of which provide a similar description: A little more than two years after the launch of the console, a particularly noticeable error should always catch the eye during repairs.
As one of the experts who runs a repair shop describes, more and more often he has to repair Sony consoles, where the liquid metal – heat conducting agent between the APU and the cooler – becomes uneven, which in turn affects the cooling. But much worse: In some cases, the coolant even “leaked”, i.e. it escaped from the area of the CPU socket and got onto the other components. His conclusion: The risk for the PS5 is high if it has been standing upright for a long time.
How widespread is the problem? Hard to say at the moment
Something must be jerking
One thing seems clear: Under normal circumstances, the structure between the cooler and the processor ensures that the liquid metal is held firmly in place in the narrow gap – this principle works on millions of vertically installed motherboards. In addition, Sony has patented a specially developed seal for the inclusion of the heat conducting agent in the PS5. And so the critical problem seems to presuppose a whole chain of unfortunate circumstances. First of all, this seal must slip or be damaged during transport of the console or through other external influences – this is exactly where the experts see a possible design error. As long as the console is then used lying down, this problem does not come into play. On the other hand, if the PS5 stands upright, there is a risk that the liquid metal will gradually sink, according to the current theory.
Sony has not yet commented on the reports, the data currently does not allow an assessment of how widespread the problem really is. Some of the experts who point out the problems have been in the console repair business for decades. The only thing that remains until further clarification is: If you want to be on the safe side, the PS5 is probably better.
See also:
