New PlayStation 5 CFI-2100 Model Addresses Critical Liquid Metal Issue

The new PlayStation 5 CFI-2100 model released in Europe this month may have a smaller SSD, but it introduces some welcome improvements, including one for a well-known critical liquid metal cooling issue that has damaged plenty of systems already.

In a new video shared on YouTube, Austin Evans takes a good look at the new hardware revision of Sony’s current generation console, highlighting some changes over the previous models besides the inclusion of an 825 GB SSD over the 1 TB SSD of previous version of the system, which is a considerable downgrade for the Digital Edition of the system considering how much storage space games require nowadays.

The first notable change is purely aesthetic. The design of the new PlayStation 5 hardware revision remains identical to the current Slim design, but without the glossy finish. Although minimal, some may prefer this look, which is more in line with the launch models regarding the faceplates.

Every other change over the previous model is internal. Among the most notable changes are the inclusion of more NAND modules, three over the two of the earlier models, and ridges for the liquid metal cooling solution like those seen in the PlayStation 5 Pro.

This addition is extremely welcome, as without those ridges, liquid metal can drip down if the console is placed vertically, causing dry spots on the APU, which can heavily compromise its functionality. Despite having had my launch model vertically since day one, I never had any of these issues as others did, so not every older model is affected by this problem. Still, these ridges are welcome additions that should ensure these systems stay functional longer.

The above changes are only some the new PlayStation 5 hardware revision offers. You can learn more about the reduced weight of the system and its better efficiency in the full teardown below.

The new base PlayStation 5 hardware revision, whose release in the United States is still uncertain, is reportedly being followed by a PlayStation 5 Pro revision. Little is known about this new model, but changes are expected to be minimal.