There is a type of person that abounds in the network of networks: the master of nits who knows everything and understands nothing. If we add to this that people can be easily influenced, we can find repeated wrong comments on all social networks, YouTube videos and even articles with some level of misinformation. If we add to this that the console world is distinguished by brand fanaticism and a rather typical animosity of sports clubs, then an effect occurs in which unintentionally, or not, the thing is filled with fake news.
That’s why we think we thought it was important to clarify the PS5 and liquid metal controversy in a simple and accessible way, 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 related to 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 must be ordered in advance with multi-million dollar contracts from the various suppliers, which in many cases must even prepare the factories. We are not only talking about the chips that are in the circuits, but also things like the case, the cooling elements and everything that surrounds the system.
Since consoles use custom-designed chips, these require not only a specification of their size, but also the temperature at which they should operate. That’s why the first thing that is designed is the case and the cooling system. This way the engineers know the distribution of the components and can seek the highest possible power under these conditions and 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. All our suppliers and their factories are already operational. If we want to improve the cooling capacity of the console, then we have two options:
- Rolling back the whole project, wasting money and time on launch and having our rival eat up some of our market share in the process.
- Use something that does not interrupt the launch process and allows us to fix the problem.
It is more than clear that SONY for more than logical reasons has chosen the second option, and therefore the use of liquid metal in the PS5, which consists of a gallium alloy thermal paste on the central processor. It’s an elegant solution to the problem and allowed them to not have to delay the console.
SONY, unlike Microsoft, opted for a smaller chip, which led to its console having fewer graphics cores. That’s why to compensate SONY they decided to increase the clock speed. But it is variable and it is known that the maximum point is 2.23 GHz. The idea of liquid metal in the PS5 is none other than to reduce the junction temperature and prevent the console from reaching the Hot Spot. So that it reaches its Boost speed longer.
The motive behind the use of liquid metal on PS5? Might be a last minute decision as to why it will achieve double digit TFLOPS power and not one. It is a question of perception of the data.
Dust buildup 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 newer consoles, especially the Xbox Series X and PS5, is that their vents are so large that dust gets in in droves. And what about this phenomenon? Well, the temperature inside the box increases and with it the chances of overheating increase over time. We’re also concerned that the PS5’s NVMe SSD chips are soldered to the board, as they have a fixed number of write cycles.
A PC tower is easy to clean, but opening a console immediately voids the warranty. However, in the case of the PS5, we can open it to clean the accumulated dust. This is the same process as when you need to install the external NVMe SSD. Of course, try not to move things like the heatsink or disassemble the fan, because then you’ll be out of warranty and you might not know how to put it together.
conclusion
In conclusion, let’s not forget that today’s chips have mechanisms to avoid overheating and not exceed certain temperature limits. Fixing the liquid metal issue on PS5 in SONY is as simple as a console update that lowers the max temperatures. Maybe we will lose a few tens of MHz of top 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 changing consoles.
So no don’t worry your original console is not at risk and honestly after the Xbox 360 three red light issue we don’t think any video game console company wants to lose billions dollars and prestige. . In any case, we recommend that you use your PS5 console in a well-ventilated area.
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