PS5 suffers from severe overheating after liquid metal eats into the heatsink

Q: If liquid metal has corroded the heatsink plating and exposed copper, can cleaning and reapplying liquid metal fix cooling performance?

No. The article says heatsink corrosion from liquid metal is different from a simple dry spot and cannot be fixed by just reapplying compound. The plating damage leaves permanent scarring and a scarred contact plate may need replacing outright.

Q: What repair options do technicians recommend when the PS5 heatsink is scarred or has bare copper exposed?

Technicians say a scarred contact plate with bare copper may need the heatsink replaced outright, since corrosion cannot be fixed by merely reapplying compound. Some repair shops are also using PTM7950 thermal pads as a longer-lasting alternative on badly affected units, and techs recommend checking and removing hardened liquid metal residue before damage spreads.

Q: Why are some repair shops considering PTM7950 pads as an alternative, and in which cases are they recommended?

Some repair technicians are considering PTM7950 pads because they are seen as a longer-lasting alternative to liquid metal for cooling. They are being recommended for consoles that are badly affected by liquid metal damage, specifically units where the heatsink plating has been compromised and corrosion or scarring has occurred.

A repair tech found that liquid metal had corroded a PS5's heatsink down to bare copper, which led to severe overheating on an aging console.

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Hassam Nasir

Tech Reporter

Published Aug 13, 2026 3:35 PM CDT

2-minute read time

TL;DR: A repair tech found gallium-based liquid metal on an older PS5 had corroded the heatsink's nickel plating down to bare copper, causing severe overheating; the APU remained undamaged. Corrosion is irreversible, may require heatsink replacement, and owners with rising temperatures or shutdowns should have liquid metal inspected.

Voice: Hassam NasirSpeed

0:00 / 3:05

A repair job on an older PS5 has turned into a warning about how the console's cooling solution ages. Polish repair technician Modyfikator89 shared images of an older CFI-1116 PS5 model that came in with severe overheating, and once opened up, the liquid metal between the APU and heatsink had hardened into a crust that was causing major problems.

According to the technician, gallium from the liquid metal had eaten through the heatsink's protective plating and formed a rock-hard alloy layer over parts of the contact surface. The APU itself reportedly came out fine. Once the residue was scraped off, the die underneath looked mirror smooth and undamaged. The heatsink wasn't so lucky, however, as it was left with permanent scarring where the plating had been compromised, exposing bare copper underneath.

Sony has used liquid metal cooling since the PS5 launched in 2020, and the material is genuinely good at moving heat. Gallium, though, reacts with certain metals over time. Nickel plating on the heatsink is meant to act as a barrier against that reaction, but apparently once that layer breaks down, the gallium can start working directly on the copper beneath it. That looks like exactly what happened here after roughly five years of daily use.

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We have previously covered dry spots and shutdown issues tied to liquid metal migrating inside consoles kept in a vertical position. It's apparently common enough that repair shops treat it as a known issue of the platform rather than a rare defect. Modyfikator89 says he works on as many as 10 PS5 consoles every day at his workshop, many of which have the same issue.

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This doesn't mean every PS5 is destined to fail. Sony's own early liquid metal testing showed real benefits over standard thermal paste, and most consoles seem to run fine for years without issue. However, heatsink corrosion is a different problem than a simple dry spot, since it can't be fixed by just reapplying compound.

It's probably part of why Sony is reportedly rethinking its cooling approach for the PS5's successor, and why some repair technicians are now considering PTM7950 pads as a longer-lasting alternative for badly affected units. Sony has kept quiet on this issue so far, but that is not surprising.

PS5 suffers from severe overheating after liquid metal eats into the heatsink 1

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Question #1

What are the signs (temperatures, shutdown behavior) that my older PS5 might have liquid metal corrosion on the heatsink?

The article says signs include rising temperatures and sudden shutdowns, including dry spots and shutdown issues tied to liquid metal migrating inside vertically kept consoles. It notes severe overheating was observed on an aging unit where the liquid metal had hardened and corroded the heatsink.

Answered

Question #2

If liquid metal has corroded the heatsink plating and exposed copper, can cleaning and reapplying liquid metal fix cooling performance?

Question #3

What repair options do technicians recommend when the PS5 heatsink is scarred or has bare copper exposed?

Question #4

Why are some repair shops considering PTM7950 pads as an alternative, and in which cases are they recommended?

Have a question about this content not listed here? Ask below and TweakBot will answer it.

For now, PS5 owners with an older console who notice rising temperatures or sudden shutdowns probably shouldn't ignore it. Getting the liquid metal checked before it damages the heatsink looks like the appropriate step to take. It may be the difference between a routine cleaning and a much pricier repair, especially since a scarred contact plate may need replacing outright.