PS4 (Original) Overheating Repair
PS4 Overheating Repair Guide - Noisy Fan Symptoms
Difficulty Level - Medium
PS4 Overheating problems are probably top of the list of faults that we see in the workshop.
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The Original PS4 gets very hot, drags dust into the machine, and will cause long term problems for your console if not addressed. The fan will get loud, and your console will eventually cut out.
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Fortunately, it's easy to fix, and you can sort your noisy fan out within 25 minutes. Check out the video and instructions below. You will need to buy some Thermal Paste, links to Amazon below.
Estimated repair time 25 mins
Estimated cost £10 ($15)
Overheating Symptoms
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- PS4 getting hot
- PS4 noisy fan / "hairdryer sound"
- PS4 Switches off after a few minutes
- PS4 freezing graphics
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Tools Needed
The original PS4 is blighted by overheating issues, and this is one of the most common faults we see. By the time that Sony brought out the PS4 slim model, they has pretty much resolved this fault by redesigning the console internally.
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However, if you've still got an older model PS4, you're probably already aware of the console overheating, cutting out, or the fan sounding like a hair drier after a few minutes of use.
This noisy fan problem is the most common complaint we hear about, and is caused because the motherboard is getting hot. Eventually, if not attended to, components on the motherboard will burn out and your console can pack up for good.
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Some consoles that turn off quickly and give an on - screen message about overheating, are caused because the actual internal fan unit has packed up. If you suspect that is the case, and you can either hear your fan struggling or making a rattle, or making no noise whatsoever (bearings have packed up and have crippled the fan), then see our PS4 Fan Replacement video
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The Playstation 4 sucks in a lot of dust and debris. Hell, we've even seen consoles full of dead cockroaches when we've opened them up - truly disgusting. However, even the cleanest household can still contribute towards a PS4 accumulating a whole lot of crap, so it pays to give the console a vacuum round the edges every now and again, without having to open it up.
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If your console has started to suffer from these symptoms, then it's time to make this overheating repair.
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We've seen a lot of videos on YT and websites showing you how to clean out your console, but more often than not, this is not enough!
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You need to go the 'whole hog' and completely strip it down, repaste the GPU and put back together, fully cleaned out.
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Don't just remove the cover and give it a quick clean, follow this repair, and you will solve your problem.
How to Repair Your PS4 Noisy Fan - Overheating Fix
STEP BY STEP
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You will need screwdrivers, cleaning fluid, thermal paste & a cleaning brush for this repair.
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1. Remove hard drive cover, and using a security torx screwdriver, remove all visible torx screws. Remove the hard drive screw, and pull out the hard drive.
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2. Remove the seals with a flat driver, covering the torx T8 screws from the back of the console.
Remove 3 screws across the bottom (or 1 in the middle with newer original models) and 1 holding the top cover in place.
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3. Remove the bottom cover by pulling away from the chassis at the left hand edge, and the right hand edge. pull down to remove, and put aside.
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4. Remove the screws from the Power Supply (PSU). 3 torx T8 screws, and 2 cross head screws.
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5. Remove the PSU by pulling up from the right hand side, and rock back and forth until it pops out of position.
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6. Pull up, but be aware the PSU is still connected underneath, on the left hand side.
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7. Locate the PSU connector cable, and pull the plug out of the motherboard, by pulling it upwards.
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8. Remove the cross head screw that sits next to where you've just unplugged the PSU connector, (if the screw is present in your model)
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9. Unplug the bluetooth cable connector. Using a small flat head screwdriver. Carefully get the driver underneath and gently 'flick' upwards to unclip.
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10. Now remove the 2 Blu Ray connectors. MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS IN THE RIGHT ORDER:
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Firstly, locate the flat connector on the right. press the connector clip down on top of the blu ray drive, and pull out the connector. Then locate the other end on the motherboard, press the clip, and pull the other end out. DO THIS CAREFULLY.
Secondly, pull the plug out of the board on the left.
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(NOTE - If this isn't done correctly, it is possible to blow the fuses on the blu ray circuit board. if this happens, you could end up with a dead blu ray drive. it is possible to repair the fuses on the board, but its very tricky for the amateur repairist. See our Blu Ray videos to see how.)
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11. Replace the black plastic bottom cover back onto the console temporarily, then flip the console over.
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12. Remove the remaining top cover, by pulling at the front edge of the cover, and then the back edge, to loosen its grip on the chassis.
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Get a large flat driver, and drive it in between the cover and the chassis on the right hand edge. This will help further loosen the grip of the cover. Pull the cover off, and put aside.
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13. Now locate the 2 screws in the heatsink clamp, and remove with a crosshead driver. Set aside.
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14. Remove all other visible torx T8 screws around the motherboard cover.
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15. Remove the fan connector plug, located on the bottom right hand edge of the board. get a small flat head driver underneath, and CAREFULLY, flick upwards to unclip.
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16. Remove the grey cover from the console, revealing the motherboard underneath..
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17. Pull the motherboard upwards slightly at the front, to start dislodging it from he chassis. Then pull it towards you, taking care not to damage the board, and making sure the back of the board is removed from the chassis with care.
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Once the mainboard is out, give it a clean down with a brush, on both sides, or carefully clean with a vacuum. Set aside.
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18. You are now down to the heatsink chassis. Clean the top with a brush and / or vacuum.
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19. Remove the 3 small crosshead drivers located in the lower-centre part of the chassis. Remove this aluminium chassis from the rest of the black plastic fan chassis.
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20. Take this heatsink chassis outdoors, and give it a proper clean. Look underneath, where the heatsink is. It is most likely clogged up with dust. THIS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY CLEANED DOWN, so that you can see through the fins of the heatsink.
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21. Now clean the black plastic chassis with the fan unit. Clean the fan, wipe away all remnants of dust and debris.
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22. Slot the aluminium chassis back onto the fan chassis. Put the 3 crosshead screws back into the chassis.
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22. CLEAN THE GPU. Use the Degreasing Spray to clean the thermal paste 'gunk' off the GPU chip. (If you can't get the Coldklene spray, then WD40 spray is perfect to use, despite what some people say)
This is the biggest visible chip on the motherboard. Then, you need to paste the GPU chip on the motherboard with thermal paste.
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23. Squeeze a pea-sized amount of paste out of the tube, onto the centre of the chip.
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24. Turn the board over, and slot the motherboard back onto the aluminium chassis.
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25. Plug the fan connector back into the motherboard.
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26. Put the metal motherboard cover back over the motherboard.
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27. Screw the heatsink clamp back onto the cover with the 2 cross head screws.
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28. Go around the board and put back in all the torx T8 screws.
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29. Insert the hard drive back in, and screw back in place.
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30. Put the top black right-hand cover on, and screw in place.
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31. Turn the console back over, remove the bottom cover.
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32. Put the connectors back in. Start with the blue tooth connector. Push down onto the little gold circular connector.
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33. Next, Push the Blu Ray plug into place, on the left hand side.
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34. The, put the left hand end of the flat connector back into the board, by pressing down on the metal clip, and inserting carefully.
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35. Now do the same with the other end of the connector, on top of the blu ray drive.
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36. Get your PSU, and plug the connector into the motherboard. Push the PSU back down into place.
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37. Put the screws back in to the PSU.
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38. Put the console cover back on.
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39. Turn over, and put the hard drive cover back in place.
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40. Put the torx screws back in place at the back of the console
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41. Go and test.
JOB DONE