There is a type of person that abounds in the network of networks: nit master who knows everything and understands nothing. If we add to this that people can be easily influenced, we can find repeated erroneous comments on all social networks, YouTube videos and even articles with a certain level of misinformation. If we add to this that the world of consoles stands out for brand fanaticism and an animosity rather typical of sports clubs, then an effect is produced in which involuntarily, or not, the thing is filled with news false.
That is why we believe that we have believed it important to clarify in an easy and accessible way the controversy of the PS5 and liquid metal, from a totally objective point of view. So that you can easily understand why its implementation in the console is due. At the same time we will talk about other problems associated with the Microsoft Xbox Series X. Not as a compensatory element, but to warn its users.
Why does the PS5 use liquid metal?
A video game console is something very complex, it is a product made up of hundreds of different parts, which have to be ordered in advance with multimillion-dollar contracts from the different suppliers, which in many cases even have to prepare the factories. We are not only talking about the chips that are in the circuitry, but also elements such as the case, the cooling elements and everything that surrounds the system.
Since the consoles use custom-designed chips, these not only require a specification of their size, but also the temperature at which they must operate. That is why the first thing that is designed is the casing and the cooling system. In this way the engineers know the distribution of the components and can look for the highest possible power under those conditions and that at the same time the product lasts.
A last minute improvement for better performance on PS5
Now, let’s imagine that we have decided to slightly increase the clock speed of our main console chip. We already have all our suppliers and their factories up and running. If we want to improve the cooling capacity of the console then we have two options:
- Pulling the whole project back, wasting money and time on launch and having our rival eat some of our market share in the process.
- Use an element that does not interrupt the launch process and allows us to solve the problem.
It is more than clear that SONY for more than logical reasons has chosen the second option, and hence the use of liquid metal in PS5, which consists of a gallium alloy thermal paste on the central processor. It’s an elegant solution to the problem and has allowed them to not have to delay the console.
SONY, contrary to Microsoft, opted for a smaller chip, which led to their console having fewer graphics cores. That is why to compensate from SONY they decided to pull a higher clock speed. But this is variable and we know that the maximum point is 2.23 GHz. The idea of liquid metal in PS5 is none other than to reduce the junction temperature and prevent the console from reaching the Hot Spot. In such a way that it reaches its Boost speed for a longer time.
The motive behind using liquid metal on PS5? Possibly a last minute decision as to why he’ll hit a double-digit TFLOPS power and not one. It is a matter of perception about the data.
Dust accumulation is more of a concern
There’s nothing worse than a buildup of dust on a computer, and let’s face it, a console is a highly specialized computer. The problem with new consoles, especially Xbox Series X and PS5, is that their vents are so large that dust enters in large quantities. And what about this phenomenon? Well, the temperature inside the box increases and with it the chances of overheating increase over time. We are also concerned that the NVMe SSD chips in PS5 are soldered to the board, as these have a fixed number of write cycles.
A PC tower is easy to clean, but opening a console right away voids the warranty. However, in the case of PS5 we can open it to clean the accumulated dust. This is the same process as when you have to install the external NVMe SSD. Of course, try not to move things like the heatsink or disassemble the fan, since then you will be left without a guarantee and you may not know how to assemble it.
Conclusions
In conclusion, let’s not forget that today’s chips have mechanisms to prevent overheating and not exceed certain limit temperatures. To solve the problem of liquid metal on PS5 in SONY they have it as easy as a console update that reduces maximum temperatures. Possibly, we will lose a few tens of MHz of peak speed, but in return the system will be more reliable and SONY will not have to go through all the laborious and expensive process of repairs and change of consoles.
So no, don’t worry, your original console is not in danger and honestly, after the three red lights problem on Xbox 360, we don’t think any video game console company wants to lose billions of dollars and prestige. . In any case, we recommend that you use your PS5 console in a place where it is well ventilated.
