A PS5 thermal paste replacement is really a liquid metal job: Sony put liquid metal, not paste, between the APU and the heatsink. Liquid metal carries heat far better than paste, but it conducts electricity and has to stay inside a foam barrier, and that changes how the job is done. The search term says paste; the console says otherwise.
Every PS5 model uses liquid metal on the APU, not thermal paste. Liquid metal doesn't dry out like paste, but it can shift over years of heat cycles and leave dry spots. Too much of it, or a damaged foam barrier, can short the board — this is the risky part of the job. A correct service: old metal off both surfaces, barrier checked, a thin fresh film, even heatsink pressure, then a long load test. Inside Sony's one-year guarantee, go to Sony first.
PS5 clean with fresh liquid metal in Helsinki from €89 — done at your home in about an hour and a half, 90-day warranty.
Book a PS5 clean →Liquid metal, not thermal paste
Sony chose liquid metal for the PS5 to pull as much heat as possible out of a small, hot chip. In Sony's own teardown video in October 2020, mechanical design head Yasuhiro Ootori showed the liquid metal layer and the foam padding placed around the chip to keep the metal from escaping. Liquid metal is an alloy of metals such as gallium and indium that stays liquid at room temperature.
It wasn't a one-off. When Sony took apart the PS5 Pro, it said liquid metal had been carried over to successive PS5 models, and that on the Pro it added fine grooves where the metal is applied 'so that the cooling effect is more stable'. The rest of the cooling is a large heatsink with heat pipes and a 120 mm centrifugal fan that draws air from both sides.
The catch is in the name. Liquid metal is liquid, and it conducts electricity. A drop that gets past the barrier onto the tiny components around the chip can short them. Makers of retail liquid metal print the warning on the product: Thermal Grizzly's Conductonaut page says 'electrically conductive' and that it must not be used with aluminium coolers.
Why liquid metal stops working well
Liquid metal doesn't dry out the way paste does. What happens instead is movement: over years of heating and cooling, the metal can shift across the chip and gather towards the edges, leaving dry spots where heat no longer has a good path into the heatsink. Sony's own Pro change — grooves to keep the cooling effect stable — shows its engineers treat the stability of that layer as a real concern.
The foam barrier ages with heat too. It is checked on every clean and replaced only if it is damaged; a healthy barrier stays where it is.
Dust makes all of this worse. A heatsink packed with lint means hotter metal, a faster fan and a console that reaches its limit sooner. Dust and the fan itself are covered in our PS5 fan noise guide; this post is about the layer under the heatsink.
Signs the heat path needs attention
You can't read the APU temperature on a retail PS5 — there is no temperature readout in its menus — so go by behaviour. The console's own signals come in order: the fan gets louder than it used to, then the message 'Your PS5 is too hot' appears, then the console shuts down. After an unplanned shutdown, the next start tells you the PS5 wasn't turned off properly.
- —The fan climbs to a roar early in a session, in games that used to be quiet
- —The 'too hot' message appears — the PS5 safety guide warns that continued use while it is shown may leave the console non-operational
- —The console switches itself off mid-game
- —The heat stays after you've vacuumed the vents and given the console room on every side
The last point matters. A PS5 in a closed cabinet or on a long-fibre rug will overheat with perfect liquid metal, so rule out placement first — Sony asks for at least 10 cm of free space around each side. If the symptoms stay, the full walk-through is in PS5 overheating and shutting down. The safety guide's advice for the heat message is plain: turn the console off, let it cool and move it somewhere well ventilated.
Mistakes that turn a clean into a repair
Most failed liquid metal jobs come down to two mistakes: too much metal, and a damaged barrier put back as it was. With too much, heatsink pressure squeezes the excess over the barrier onto the board. A torn or crushed barrier can't hold even the right amount.
Thermal paste is normally not electrically conductive: a smear on a component is messy but usually harmless. Liquid metal is a conductor. A single droplet bridging two contacts next to the APU can short the board. That is why the job needs a clean surface, a small amount and a barrier in good shape — not care for its own sake, but because the price of a slip is the board.
Other common slips: scraping old metal off with a metal tool and scratching the chip, missing the layer left on the heatsink's contact surface, and tightening the heatsink one screw at a time so it seats unevenly.
Correct liquid metal service, step by step
A correct PS5 liquid metal service removes the old metal from both surfaces, checks the barrier, applies a thin fresh film and reseats the heatsink evenly — then proves it under load. The steps:
- —Full disassembly: covers, shield, fan and heatsink off the board
- —Old liquid metal removed from the APU and from the heatsink's contact surface
- —Foam barrier checked; replaced only if it is damaged
- —Fresh liquid metal applied as a thin, even film that covers the die and nothing more
- —Heatsink seated with even pressure, screws tightened gradually and crosswise
- —Dust cleared from the heatsink fins and the fan while everything is open
- —A long load test before we hand it back: no shutdowns, and the fan stays calm
This is part of every PS5 clean we do — not an upsell. We do it at your home, at your own table, in about an hour and a half; if you prefer, you can bring the console to us instead. Both cleaning options have fixed prices on the price list, with a 90-day warranty.
The load test is what proves the job. With the heat path right, the console runs a demanding game without the heat message, and the fan settles instead of climbing. If it doesn't, the cause is somewhere else — and that is worth knowing before you spend more money on it.
FAQ
Can I replace PS5 liquid metal with regular thermal paste?+
Technically yes — the surface is there. The console will run warmer and the fan louder, because good paste moves less heat than liquid metal; that is the whole reason Sony chose metal. We re-apply liquid metal.
How do I know if the liquid metal has shifted?+
You can't see it without opening the console, and the PS5 shows no APU temperature. Go by behaviour: a fan that ramps up earlier than it used to, the 'too hot' message, shutdowns in long sessions — once dust and placement are ruled out.
Is it safe to redo PS5 liquid metal myself?+
It's doable with experience and the right materials, but it is the riskiest step of a PS5 clean: the metal conducts, and a spill can end the board. If you've never worked with liquid metal, a PS5 is not the place to learn.
Will replacing the liquid metal void my warranty?+
The PS5 safety guide says unauthorised modification voids the warranty, and opening the console is exactly that. Sony's manufacturer guarantee in Europe runs for one year from purchase — inside it, use Sony. After that, the choice is yours.
Certified laptop and console repair master. Twenty years on the bench in Helsinki — tearing down PS5s, MacBooks, and gaming PCs and writing down what we learn.
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