PS5 Overheating, Cooling and Liquid Metal Deep Cleaning

A PS5 that gets louder, hotter or less stable over time is a common reason consoles come into our Bishopbriggs workshop. This guide explains what overheating can look like, what may cause it, what you can safely check at home, and what our £80 PS5 deep clean with liquid metal service involves. It is a general workshop guide, not a promise about any individual console.

Signs a PS5 may be running too hot

• The fan is noticeably louder than it used to be, even in menus or light games.
• The console shows an overheating warning or shuts itself off during play.
• The console freezes or crashes more often than it used to.
• The console restarts at random.
• The air from the rear vents is very hot, or the case feels unusually warm.

None of these on their own prove a cooling problem. Freezes and crashes in particular are often caused by software, game, storage or power issues rather than heat, which is why we diagnose before recommending work.

Common causes

Dust build-up. Over time dust collects on the fan, the heatsink fins and in the dust catchers, which reduces airflow.

Poor ventilation. A console boxed into a TV unit, on carpet, or with vents against a wall has less air to work with.

Liquid metal coverage. The PS5 uses liquid metal, rather than conventional thermal paste, between the main processor and the heatsink. If that layer becomes uneven, heat may not transfer as well as it should.

Fan or other hardware faults. A failing fan, damaged component or board fault can also cause heat or stability problems, and cleaning alone will not fix those.

Safe checks you can do at home

• Give the console space on all sides and keep the vents clear.
• Gently remove loose dust from the outside vents with a soft brush. Avoid pushing dust further in.
• Make sure the system software is up to date.
• Note when the problem happens: which game and how long into a session.

Please do not open the console to work on the liquid metal yourself. Liquid metal conducts electricity, and stray droplets on nearby components can cause serious damage. Opening the console may also affect any manufacturer warranty you still have.

What our £80 PS5 deep clean includes

Our PS5 deep clean is a full strip down and clean of the essential cooling components, priced at £80. It includes:

• Dismantling the console and cleaning dust from the fan, heatsink, vents and dust catchers.
• Carefully removing the old liquid metal from the processor and heatsink.
• Applying fresh liquid metal, with care taken to contain it to the correct area.
• Reassembling and testing the console under load.

We confirm the exact model and symptoms before starting, and we tell you if we find anything outside the scope of the clean. Turnaround depends on the console, our workload and what we find; same-day completion is not guaranteed.

The £80 is for completing the deep clean and liquid metal service itself. It does not guarantee a cure if the console also has a separate fan, power, board or HDMI fault. If we find one, we explain it and give you a separate quote, and no extra work goes ahead without your approval.

Why liquid metal work needs care

Liquid metal transfers heat very well, but it is electrically conductive and spreads easily. Removing the old layer and applying a new one means working cleanly, using the right amount, and making sure none reaches the surrounding components. That is why we treat it as a workshop job rather than a quick home fix.

When a separate estimate is needed

The deep clean does not cover faults that need parts or board work. Examples include:

• No picture on the TV: this is often a cable, setting or HDMI port problem. See PS5 HDMI repair, from £60, and our guide to HDMI repair versus replacement.
• No power at all: see our guide to console power faults.
• A failed fan or board-level fault: we quote this separately after diagnosis, before any work goes ahead.

Diagnosis is free, and if we cannot fix a quoted fault there is no fee for that repair. Standard repairs carry a 12-month warranty, which excludes liquid damage.

Before you bring it in

• Sync your saves to the cloud where you can, as a precaution.
• Tell us your model (disc or digital, original or slim) and the symptoms you have noticed.
• You only need to bring the console itself unless we ask for cables.

Our workshop is at 18 Crowhill Road, Bishopbriggs G64 1QY. You can book a repair online, read more on our PS5 repair Glasgow and console cleaning pages, or see all console repairs.