The PS5 is a giant console, the largest in modern history, and a DIY youtuber has now created a “Slim” PS5 model that is a fraction more than the thickness of the plastic boxes that house the PS5 games. . Matt Perks, known as DIY Perks on YouTube, has spent a considerable amount of time and effort creating a “Slim” PS5 that reduces the size from almost four inches to just under an inch.
The result is a slim copper console that contains the key components of the PS5 and an external power supply and a rather giant cooling solution that can be hidden. Most of the thickness of the PS5 comes from its cooling heatsink and power supply, so DIY Perks moved them to a long outdoor unit to make the actual console much more attractive on top of ‘a TV stand.
The PS5 ‘Slim’ modified in action. Image: DIY benefits (YouTube)
A custom water cooling system replaces the PS5’s existing cooling solution and makes use of copper foils to channel water over the CPU. This foil also includes several thermal bridges to help cool components such as the SSD and power circuits connected to the PS5 motherboard.
While Sony has reduced the power consumption of some previous PlayStation models to create premium versions, this is a bit out of the reach of DIY and modding. Instead, the DIY benefits followed the path of the PS2 or PS One slim models by creating an external power supply.
The slim version needs an external power supply and a giant cooling unit. Image: DIY benefits (YouTube)
This external power supply and cooling unit caused a disaster at first, frying the PS5 motherboard because the unit dropped and blocked the airflow to cool the console effectively. After changing the motherboard, the PS5 “Slim” boots and plays successfully as you would expect.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this custom cooling solution also produces some temperature improvements for the PS5. The DIY benefits measured large improvements in RAM and VRM temperatures and notes that temperatures could be further reduced with an even larger external cooling unit.
While some will call the huge power and cooling unit deceptive, the whole project is still a fascinating 30-minute journey to the trial and error of the modification consoles. The custom copper water block is stunning in terms of the simplicity of DIY, built with a common puzzle and tools. Fortunately, scalpers probably won’t put as much effort into making the PS5 “Slim” a reality on eBay anytime soon.