You may have heard about the PlayStation 5’s special thermal paste that tech gurus and gamers have been discussing lately. But what is this stuff, and how does it work?
The PS5 uses a special metal alloy called Galinstan, composed of gallium, indium, and tin. This alloy is liquid at room temperature, which allows it to conduct heat more effectively compared to the thermal pastes that are used in most other PCs. It fills the gap between the processor and the heat sink, transferring the heat from the processor to the cooling system so it can be dissipated.
Liquid metal is a challenging substance to work with, however. It’s electrically conductive, so it can get on other components and cause them to short out or malfunction. It also shifts around easily, which can make it difficult to apply properly. Previous liquid-metal alloys haven’t been very durable, either, so they needed to be reapplied regularly.
Luckily, this issue seems to have been solved in the case of the PS5. In fact, Sony is now utilizing an insulating sheet to corral the liquid metal and keep it from shifting and doing damage. This makes sense, as it’s much easier to ship a console with this material in place than it is to ship one with liquid metal that needs to be applied and reapplied by consumers. Ps5 Thermal Paste