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The 2021 PS5 CFI-1100 revision did not run uniformly hotter because its heatsink was smaller. In HardwareBusters’ comparison, the revised console’s SoC/CPU sensor reading was about 11°C lower than the launch model’s, while VRAM and VRM readings were higher. Exhaust air was also hotter in the reported comparisons. These are component-specific results from historical tests, not Sony temperature limits or a guarantee for every console.
What changed in the 2021 PS5 revision?
The revised CFI-1100 uses a lighter, smaller heatsink than the launch PS5 CFI-1000. Digital Foundry reported heatsink masses of 1,368 g for the revised unit and 1,639 g for the launch unit. The new heatsink has four heat pipes rather than six and uses less copper; the fan has more blades. Aluminium, used in the revised cooler, has about 60% of copper’s thermal conductivity.
Those design changes explain why the revised cooler drew scrutiny, but they do not, by themselves, show what temperature each component reaches. A cooler’s mass, material, and heat-pipe count are not substitutes for temperature measurements under a particular test setup.
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HardwareBusters’ first detailed comparison reported lower SoC/CPU temperature but higher VRAM and VRM temperatures for its CFI-1100B01 test unit than for the launch model. The figures below are readings from those 2021 tests, not Sony specifications. Workload, ambient temperature, test setup, and sensor placement can affect results.
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| Comparison | Launch PS5 | Revised PS5 | Reported difference and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heatsink mass | 1,639 g | 1,368 g | Revised unit’s heatsink was 271 g lighter; Digital Foundry |
| Heat pipes | Six | Four | Digital Foundry |
| SoC/CPU temperature | 51.15°C | 40.08°C | 11.07°C lower on the revised test unit; HardwareBusters figures reported by PlayStation Lifestyle |
| VRAM temperature | 40.88°C | 48.20°C | 7.32°C higher on the revised test unit; HardwareBusters figures reported by PlayStation Lifestyle |
| VRM temperature | 44.97°C | 46.32°C | 1.35°C higher on the revised test unit; HardwareBusters figures reported by PlayStation Lifestyle |
| Exhaust-air temperature | 39.85°C | 42.11°C in HotHardware’s comparison; 41.11°C in Tom’s Hardware’s expanded comparison | Both reports found warmer exhaust from the revised unit; the reported revised-unit figure differs between comparisons |
| Fan noise | Baseline for the comparison | About 1 dB louder | Tom’s Hardware comparison |
| Gaming power and behavior | Baseline for the comparison | Broadly similar | Tom’s Hardware reported no substantial change in gaming power or behavior |
The two exhaust-air figures for the revised model come from different reports, so they should not be combined into one supposedly exact result. They also do not overturn the component-sensor comparison: exhaust temperature and SoC temperature measure different things.
Why can the CPU be cooler while the VRAM and VRM are warmer?
A console’s cooling system handles heat from several components, and their temperatures need not move together when the cooling design changes. The first detailed comparison showed exactly that: a lower SoC/CPU reading alongside higher VRAM and VRM readings. It is therefore accurate to say that the revised test unit’s SoC/CPU ran cooler, but not that every component ran cooler.
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Warmer exhaust air is not proof that the processor itself is hotter. Exhaust temperature describes air leaving the console, whereas a component sensor describes a specific part. A hotter exhaust stream can be consistent with more heat being carried out of the system; by itself, it cannot establish whether the SoC temperature has risen or fallen.
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Does a cooler SoC mean the CFI-1100 is faster or safer?
No. Temperature readings alone do not establish a performance gain, a safety advantage, or how every retail unit will behave. Mark Cerny described the PS5’s frequency control in his Road to PS5 presentation: “We supply a generous amount of electrical power and then increase the frequency of GPU and CPU until they reach the capabilities of the system’s cooling solution.” He also explained that the console uses workload activity to set frequencies for a deterministic, repeatable experience, rather than simply reacting to the die’s instantaneous temperature.
In the reported comparisons, gaming power draw and behavior remained broadly similar, while Tom’s Hardware measured the revised unit at about 1 dB louder. The available evidence does not show a meaningful gaming-performance penalty from the heatsink revision. These test reports also do not establish a Sony pass/fail temperature threshold.
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What should PS5 owners and buyers take from the results?
- For the tested units, the strongest direct result is an approximately 11°C lower SoC/CPU reading on the CFI-1100B01 than on the launch model in HardwareBusters’ comparison.
- The same comparison found higher VRAM and VRM readings, so “runs cooler” applies to the SoC/CPU result, not the whole console.
- The smaller, lighter heatsink and reduced heat-pipe count do not, on their own, predict the temperature outcome; the measured component results are more informative.
- Check the console’s full CFI model suffix when identifying a revision. The comparison concerns particular test units, not every regional variant or every console in circulation.
- Nothing in these comparisons establishes that owners need a stand, dust accessory, or other cooling add-on to make a CFI-1100 safe.
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