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New PlayStation 5 model sports a nerfed heatsink with apparently worse thermals, but detailed testing proves Sony actually improved AMD APU cooling to allow for higher boosts

The new Sony PS5 actually seems to have much improved thermals. (Image Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
The new Sony PS5 actually seems to have much improved thermals. (Image Source: GameSpot on YouTube)
Refuting YouTube Austin Evans's claims that the new Sony PS5 console has worse thermals, igor'sLab and Hardware Busters have concluded from detailed testing that the new, "smaller" heatsink in the PS5 revision actually helps in lower APU temperatures and allows for higher boosts, though this comes with the side effect of slightly warmer NAND.

Recently, Austin Evans published a video about a new revision of the Sony PlayStation 5 bearing model number CFI-1100B. The new PS5 revision was first spotted in regulatory filings in Japan and is about 300 grams lighter than the original model CFI-1015B. The new revision could also new a Wi-Fi chipset and different screws and is currently on sale only in Japan and Australia.

Austin found out during the teardown of the new PS5 CFI-1100B version that it had higher exhaust temperatures (about 3 °C to 5 °C warmer) and Sony has reduced the heatsink size as well, which directly contributes to the decreased weight. There are differences in the new PS5's fan blades too. While Austin thinks of this aspect as a regression in terms of thermals, igor'sLab has a different take on it and believes that Sony has actually improved on one of the most criticized aspects of the console.

Igor and his colleague Aris from Hardware Busters International feel that Austin's video is very superficial and does not present a holistic account of the changes in the new revision. The new PS5 revision's motherboard is actually a third revision. Austin criticizes the revision as a profit maximizing measure by Sony. Though Igor does not completely refute this, he believes that the company has delivered on the functionality aspect as well.

Igor actually observed lower surface temperatures and much improved power consumption. Austin initially noted a somewhat higher power consumption in his review, but Igor proves that the new PS5 actually is more efficient particularly when not gaming and just browsing the menus. Measurements while gaming in FHD with ray tracing-enabled show similar levels of efficiency as the original model but UHD gaming reveals a slightly increased power consumption probably because the APU can marginally boost higher.

Internal temperature testing reveals a few interesting developments. The new "smaller" heatsink is able to keep the APU a good 10 °C cooler, which is quite significant although the NAND is somewhat warmer but still is within the safe operating range. Overall, Sony's heatsink revision apparently seems to be allow enough headroom for the AMD APU to boost slightly here, which is likely the objective of launching the revised console in the first place.

Despite sporting a smaller heatsink, the new PS5's fan seems to be doing a pretty good job at pushing all the heat out both in idle and during gaming. The noise levels are on par across both revisions as well. 

Igor has also updated the article with new measurement points, which again serve to drive home that scientific testing is needed to derive proper conclusions about a product.

This is why NotebookCheck also performs exhaustive testing on all review units to present data that speaks for itself and not just the reviewers' subjective opinion about a device.

Check out videos from both Austin and Aris below.

Buy the Sony PlayStation 5 on Amazon

Fan differences between the old and new PS5. (Image Source: Austin Evans on YouTube)
Fan differences between the old and new PS5. (Image Source: Austin Evans on YouTube)
Heatsink difference between the old (left) and new (right) PS5. (Image Source: Austin Evans on YouTube)
Heatsink difference between the old (left) and new (right) PS5. (Image Source: Austin Evans on YouTube)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 09 > New PlayStation 5 model sports a nerfed heatsink with apparently worse thermals, but detailed testing proves Sony actually improved AMD APU cooling to allow for higher boosts
Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 2021-09-12 (Update: 2021-09-12)