DIY PS5 Slim

[Shortbread]

I thought this was a really cool project. Internal components temperatures are nicely reduced.

Oddly enough, I'm tempted to do something similar to my PS5. The PS5 is really fucking ugly next to other entertainment system components.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Okay. can't refuse a claim to make it thinner and cooler. How's he defeated the laws of Thermodynamics that Sony couldn't do slimmer? ...




...by moving the volume out of shot. In short a lot more money for about the same volume to get lower temps.

 

[Shortbread]

No doubt about that. Outside of generating YouTube content and clicks, the project on getting the PS5 base smaller (while hiding the rest) and lowering temps was successful, after working out a few kinks. If I were to do something similar, it wouldn't be as drastic as this. But more so to give the PS5 a more attractive design (similar to a small form factor PC case) with water-cooling.

 

[cheapchips]

No doubt about that. Outside of generating YouTube content and clicks, the project on getting the PS5 base smaller (while hiding the rest) and lowering temps was successful, after working out a few kinks. If I were to do something similar, it wouldn't be as drastic as this. But more so to give the PS5 a more attractive design (similar to a small form factor PC case) with water-cooling.

Yeah. Imagine fitting something with the PS5's power into a minimalist 30x15x15cm SFF case.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

No doubt about that. Outside of generating YouTube content and clicks, the project on getting the PS5 base smaller (while hiding the rest) and lowering temps was successful...

Well, thing is this is a generic solution IMO. Basically can do the same with any design. If you're moving power and cooling to an external unit, you could create minimalist chamber of electrically inert cooling fluid and immerse the whole mobo and that'll work for every device that comes out - you can't get smaller than the bounding box of the motherboard. Conceptually, you could have a 'micro' PS5 that is the bare-bones mobo and just operate it in an industrial scale refrigerated room. Super-slim PS5!

 

[orangpelupa]

the youtuber was "cheating" but the video does contain a lot of genuine efforts and considerations and tinkering IMO. and at least the thumbnail didn't have an overly expressful face with mouth agape lol

anyway, i wonder if sony will prioritize PS5 slim than PS5 Pro. as PS5 slim will allow sony to produce / transport more PS5, simply due to its smaller packaging and less materials, probably

 

[DieH@rd]

and at least the thumbnail didn't have an overly expressful face with mouth agape lol

Actually it did just that, but the uploader changed the thumb pic.

 

[davis.anthony]

You would have to water cool with something like a slim 92.2 radiator.

And with an external power brick you could get it quite small.

 

[orangpelupa]

btw that person managed to kill their PS5 by overheating it. i wonder why his PS5 didn't automatically shuts down. it normally auto shuts off when overheat. like any console ever these last few years

 

[davis.anthony]

btw that person managed to kill their PS5 by overheating it. i wonder why his PS5 didn't automatically shuts down. it normally auto shuts off when overheat. like any console ever these last few years

He's soldered power cables directly to the PCB so could have unintentionally bypassed some of the protection circuitry?

 

[orangpelupa]

He's soldered power cables directly to the PCB so could have unintentionally bypassed some of the protection circuitry?

Isn't that was only the power button? The PSU itself still use the normal power points.

Normally before crashing, the PS5 os will show a full screen overheat warning

 

[DSoup]

Isn't that was only the power button? The PSU itself still use the normal power points.

Normally before crashing, the PS5 os will show a full screen overheat warning

Most modern 'smart' consumer electronics has two thermal failsafes. An initial thermal limit that notices the controller (OS/firmware) that temps are rising above normal, and a second which shuts-down the device as quickly as possible to prevent damage - without any niceties.

 

[davis.anthony]

Isn't that was only the power button? The PSU itself still use the normal power points.

Normally before crashing, the PS5 os will show a full screen overheat warning

But did he kill the SOC itself or was it a random component on the PCB that's been killed?

It could have been poor mounting and cooling on one of the surface mount components which has caused them to heat up and fail.

 

[Allandor]

Well he cheated a bit as there is now a really big unit and a smaller one.

His idea to use an external power supply is interesting. I have a problem with my PS4 Pro power supply that makes a clicking noise since I tweaked the cooling system. Now the cooler runs slower but the power supply no longer gets enough air-flow and the clicking noise starts after a while. If you run something system-heavy so the cooler spins faster, the clicking goes away as there is than enough air-flow.
That might get solved with a external power-supply.

Edit:
oh wait, the PS4 Pro power supply has an extra cable and not only the 2 pins ... I guess I have to somehow increase air-pressure in my console to reduce the clicking noise ... buying a PS5 can be cheaper ^^ if it would be available. But I won't buy one in that big form factor. It is just to big for my taste.

 

[Nesh]

I think it is still a very attractive solution in terms of form factor and cooling (pricing is another matter) even with that bigger unit at the back. Having that hidden/mounted at the back of the wall is very practical in most scenarios than having the big fat unit on whatever furniture you have.

 

[davis.anthony]

Watched it again last night with sound and I still can't believe he thought using 60mm fans on a water cooing radiator was a good idea

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Having that hidden/mounted at the back of the wall is very practical in most scenarios ...

Very much disagree. In all living rooms I am aware of, that long, external box and large pipes is harder to accommodate than the chunky PS5. You can fit the PS5 in an AV cabinet and it's there as part of the furniture. The external unit here won't fit in any furniture. You'd have to sit it behind the TV or behind a piece of furniture or make it an actual feature of the room!

 

[eastmen]

Very much disagree. In all living rooms I am aware of, that long, external box and large pipes is harder to accommodate than the chunky PS5. You can fit the PS5 in an AV cabinet and it's there as part of the furniture. The external unit here won't fit in any furniture. You'd have to sit it behind the TV or behind a piece of furniture or make it an actual feature of the room!

To be honest in the living rooms I see neither of these really fit in (and neither does the xbox series x) . In today's world You mostly see a large flat panel that is extremely thin and that's it. Sometimes you see a cable box which the new ones are also extremely small vs boxes even 5 years ago. If someone has a sound system its likely a sound bar mounted under the tv and then wireless back speakers and sub woofers. Even when you see someone with a fire stick or other device they are easily hidden behind the tv.

Consoles are now the exception. My series x is actually mounted behind and to the side of my tv so I can if needed put a disc in. But the majority of the time its out of sight out of mind.

I think we can all agree that when a ps5 releases that is half the size of the current one its gonig to get a lot of interest from both new and old customers. Same with the series x. Heck I am sure there will be a lot of interest in a series s that is half the size it currently is also.

 

[davis.anthony]

That box is only long like that because he used such an inefficient cooling system.

Easy to make a better design that's smaller.

 

[DSoup]

And whilst some guy is trying to make th PS5 smaller, some other guy is making the Series X bigger.