PS4 Red Light, Overheating Due To Thermal Paste Lead Sabotage?

Gaming Blend "At this point, it's easy to brush off this instance as feckless forum chatter from 4Chan, however all of the above gathers immense weight when proof of faulty thermal pasting was discovered in a day-one unboxing and thermal grease replacement video from YouTube user Rick The Electronic Guy."

[allformats]

All these rumors. You had over 1 million consoles sold in 24hrs, there were going to be defect units.

The only reason this "news" is sticking around is because of social media.

Also, people rather spread bad news than good. Most people are enjoying PS4s, and never share their great experience. But let something go wrong and the whole world knows about it.

Also, some of these videos and "news" are made just for hits and clicks.

This particular video is taking it a bit far... But whatever. PS4 is a beast! The best machine Sony's ever made.

[cyguration]

dude calm down. The video doesn't take it too far, it's just a cleaning video that notes the thermal paste is already dried out before he even used the system.

it doesn't mean the PS4 is terrible or anything, it just means that there might be traceable reasons behind some of the faulty units.

[allformats]

Well if that's the case, your submission's title is sensationalist because it speaks of "sabotage", and as you've stated, the video does not point towards that.

[shoddy]

Still under warranty so exchange until you get the working one

[PoSTedUP]

the article is pretty concrete as it backs up the interns claims of using faulty thermal paste intentionally to sabotage. lead based thermal paste that corrodes quickly, depletes the silver, cutting the life of the gpu and cpu short by not letting the ps4's fans know it is getting too hot (or something like that). and the dude gets his day one ps4 with completely useless thermal paste right out of the box.

the bad part is that they have to leave it up to Chinas police to identity the intern (which posted on the college forum where they used the students).... before sony can investigate? i hope not, i hope they can get right down to the bottom of this. i hope foxxcom* dies and their workers get the treatment they deserve. im definately going to be cautious of where my ps4 comes from.

[NateCole]

Postedup

That student if found and his crime proven will most likely get the death penalty.

China takes these case extremely seriously because it will affect their manufacturing sector negatively is this is true.

I just hope this is not true not just for this kid but also for anyother potential PS4 owner getting one of these allegedly bad PS4.

[M-M]

I knew this would be one of the reasons for this, I stated it in another post 2 days ago. http://gyazo.com/9e886fb986...

[PoSTedUP]

@NateCole- eh youre prob right. then im with you 100%. more for the kids sake. it just sucks there for the most part.

[harrisk954]

@cyguration

"dude calm down."

allformats said nothing wrong and his post was not "over the top", nor did he sound like he was having a breakdown over the article. Instead, it sounds like someone is getting a bit defensive about an article they submitted.

[cyguration]

@harrisk954

I just don't see how the video takes it too far? The guy is literally just walking people through taking apart the PS4 and notes the thermal paste is already dried.

lol... am I missing something?

[bayport]

I'm not horrible surprised by the dried up paste. They did it last gen as well.

[Autodidactdystopia]

This guy going at this ps4 is like watching a baby seal trying to perform brain surgery.

:(

Probably should have practiced a bit first, he's lucky he didn't break it.

Also, The paste seen in the video is supposed to harden, Hardness has nothing to do with thermal conductivity. The way that heatsink is designed it doesn't have a .0... etc micron surface to adhere to that thermal paste is meant to bridge any gap left inbetween the processor and the heatspreader, what he did was replace that with something that is meant to be .ooetc microns in thickness to get the best heat transfer, essentially he added resistance to the heat transfer and will likely incur problems in the future, if he really wanted to replace his paste he could have used a TIM pad, whichyou can buy in many thicknesses, or even a thick paste. Arctic silver just because of the name is not the best for the job.

Maybe something from the prolimatech range.

This dude seemed to know little to nothing about what he was doing..

Please do your research before you overheat your ps4's with arctic silver.

[MIDNIGHT 21]

bubble up /well said

[hakeem0996]

So one guy is responsible for all the broken PS4's .Yeah right !!!!

[gigoran]

@NateCole

And? That worker knew the crime. That worker knew the penalty for that crime. Hence the sentence "do the crime face the time". If he didn't want the punishment he should not have done it in the first place. So, find him and give him what he has coming to him. If it's death it is his fault and his fault alone. next you're going to be telling me people shouldn't get the death penalty in Indonesia when they try to smuggle in massive amounts of drugs and ruin thousands of lives.

[abzdine]

i think it's still a good idea to change the paste from day one.
if his PS4 has dry paste out of the box then it's maybe a good idea to take action from the beginning.
i am gonna do it i already have Arctic Silver 5 at home.
The question is, why doesn't he "butter" the paste on the processor? i thought there should be a thin layer???

[DragonKnight]

The bigger issue is that people haven't commented on the fact that by opening your PS4 like that on day one, you immediately voided the warranty on the very first day. Now if there are any problems at all, you get to pay for the fix.

[SilentNegotiator]

Then why title the article that way?

Oh, it's CinemaBlend. I guess I'm not surprised.

[warczar]

@gigoran

You think it's ok for some poor bastard to get the death penalty because he may or may not have sabotaged PS4 production because he works at a forced labor camp and they treat him like shit? I hope I'm not the only person on here who thinks you are a huge fucking douche bag who deserves to be put in a Chinese forced labor camp. Just so you know, the Chinese government has total control over the internet in China so don't worry your stupid little head about it, they will find the student in question and probably kill him. hope that makes you feel better you prick.

[Dude420]

Well, the guy certainly has to pay for another PS4 if it screws up.

[krazeecain]

@Autodidactdystopia What are you talking about? All metal surfaces have some kind of micron-level roughness and inconsistency. And arctic silver is one of the best kinds of thermal paste you can buy! It's almost certainly better than the cheap OEM crap. Even if applied sloppy and thick, the mechanical retention will often squeeze the paste to an acceptable thickness. I've winced at how thick my classmates would apply thermal paste in my computer class, but they've rarely had an issue with it.

[SITH]

Lmao! one person caused all of this. Please! Sony went cheap in the wrong places. I have seen this before and so have you, in the 36o. Microsoft went cheap with the 36o to make a profit and it cost them a billion dollars. Funny it was a very similar problem. Insufficient thermal paste, over heating, warping of the cpu when it cooled resulting in failure at the solder points.

[bmx_bandit]

Okay lets have a look, its quite simple:

- Sony has financial problems. Fact.

- to get money, PS4 HAS TO BE a success.

- to make it a success, it has to be cheap->more buyers-> more success

- even if the PS4 costs billions in R&D and Sony sells the console cheaper than they could afford, it still has to be cheap…so its a risky game especially when it comes to BLOD and stuff.

[nukeitall]

I wonder if my PS4 suffered any problems?

I won\t have a chance to open it for another number of days.

[cyguration]

I'm guessing you didn't read the article.

[_QQ_]

They never do on here

[kenshiro100]

It should have been titled better.

[thekhurg]

Your flamebait title is going to cause this to happen. But you clearly wanted that because it would drive the heat up on this site. Trolling with news articles, congrats.

[ThanatosDMC]

If the title suck, a lot less people would click on it. Pretty much your fault.

[warczar]

@thekhurg

Man you have a long history of whining and complaining. Here's an idea, go to another website and end all of your misery.

[iloveallgames]

Uhmmmm... You guys do know that cyguration didn't write that title, right? That is Cinema Blend's title, he just copied and pasted it which is exactly what N4G submission rules require him to do.

[kewlkat007]

Dude the damage control is amazing..right now everyone is taking a deep look at this console because of the issues..I mean a really deep look so certain things m might be discovered.

Chill, the console is not perfect.

[Hicken]

"Chill, the console is not perfect."

That's part of the point, isn't it? That people are jumping over the few(though a lot, potentially, it's still relatively few in contrast to a million systems) incidents, seeming to HOPE that it hints at a larger problem with the PS4.

[MRMagoo123]

I really cant wait for the xbone release because its gonna get hammered by all the rampant sony fanboys on the net lol, then we will see how the xbone fanboys opinions on the subject change to suit them as they usually do.

[kewlkat007]

@MRMagoo123 - Oh yeah, xbox users are strangers to mass console defects..\s

[Hicken]

No, they're not strangers. And that's why this is silly. It's as if they've all forgotten all about the RROD(or, in the case of JasonKCK, never knew at all).

Nothing's perfect, yet Xbox fans are acting as if the PS4 shouldn't fail AT ALL(quite a few fanboys have said just that, which is laughable).

Nobody's doing damage control, unless you include those who are trying to make things seem worse than they are. Somehow, though, I get the feeling you're only referring to those ho are trying to keep the scale and scope of the problems in perspective.

[imXify]

Bad pasting can happen with any PC/Laptop/Tablet you purchase, just calm down.

[ABizzel1]

I thought my PS4 had red ringed, but then I realized it was the use the Dual Shock 4 light :D

[AndrewLB]

There isn't any lead in the thermal paste. It's just that they used a very poor quality paste like you find on budget video cards and on CPU's of PC's bought at big-box stores. Typically the stuff is dried out before they even leave the store because good thermal compound is EXPENSIVE. The good stuff costs like $20 for just 2 grams. And if you have to apply this to a million+ consoles, it really adds up. And this claim that Lead hurts thermal performance is outright BS. For YEARS, PC enthusiasts used lead based thermal paste before the move to Silver compounds about 15 years ago.

I think you guys need to sober up for a second and stop pointing fingers at the workers at Foxconn until SOLID PROOF is found that these failures are due to sabotage. Chances are that the vast majority of you spoiled little brats live in relatively free countries and have absolutely no idea about the situation in communist countries like China. These workers who may or may not have done something wrong are currently in a situation that will likely cost them their lives regardless of guilt. They don't have the presumption of innocence in China, due process, or juries of your peers. Show trials are quickly followed by a bullet to the back of the head. The Chinese Government is responsible for murdering 40,000,000 men, women, and children during the half century which makes Hitler look like a boy scout.

So as I said... THINK before you speak. Spreading all sorts of conspiracy theories without solid evidence may very well get a bunch of people killed. And I could care less if some of you disagree with me. Everything I said about China is accurate and not up for debate.

[extermin8or]

Well.... the fact that I have not seen/heard of a single person posting with a machine thats dead whose console isnt manufactured in the same factory during augisr/september.... seems too large a coincidence; especially considering what the students said. Usually sony devices have a failure rate much lower than this at launch even of this is comparitively low.

[mochachino]

@extermin8or

Every system released was made in the same factory in august/september.

[steve30x]

"And I could care less if some of you disagree with me"
You do care then?

[TRGMatt]

Many people are also looking for a reason for PS4 to fail in North America. The install base here for Xbox 360 is nearly 2 to 1 over PS3 and any little problem with the competition is going to make people feel better about sticking with MS' machine in order to keep their online friends nearby which is going to be the VAST majority of later adopters. And let's be honest, PS4 has both a lot of momentum and makes a compelling case for brand switching.

Add to that a fact that probably less than 1 in 50 adopters are buying a console this year at ALL and a week of "what do we do until the next machine comes out?" and you have a recipe for controversy seeking. If it wasn't this, it'd be something else. The calm before the storm and everyone knows the storm is coming so the tension is thick.

Curious to see how the wider internet reacts after we see how XB1's launch plays out. THAT is when comparisons will be drawn and the real meat and potatoes of these launches are divied up. All things considered, the bar was set pretty high by Sony.

[christrules0041]

It's just a way to start a flaim bait war. Get clicks and make money for the journalist.

[richie007bond]

I wonder if you'll have the same answer if xbox one has the same problems !!

[Tapewurm]

I have to agree with Allformats on this...at least from my personal experience with my system and the group of friends and family that I know have the system and are currenly playing. I personally know 8 people that have the system and none of the 8 have had any problems. Not to mention all the folks on my friends list that are on with there system playing when I am (wouldn't be playing day after day if the system was overheating or dead). Just a lot of hype for the VERY SMALL percentage that were unfortunate enough to get a bad egg.

[ZombieKiller]

Allformats: Very well said.
Tapewurm: Make that 9 people with no console problems.

On the opposite end of the spectrum:

So far I have had no problems with my PlayStation 4. I am loving every second of owning one. With a warranty and previous experience with sending stuff out to Sony for repair, I am not worried. Don't physically damage your console, keep all sides clear of anything else so the thing can breathe (I say at least 2 feet on each side to be safe)and you should be fine.
I'd rather listen to my own intuition then some random over the internet telling me not to buy. Any GAMER that ignores this console, is doing themselves a major disservice. This thing is awesome.

[r1sh12]

@allformats - im just saying imagine if this was MS.
Everyone would be seriously angry and saying the Xbone is this and that etc.
But because its Sony - its a little easier going.

Lets take perspective.
1. Sony have confirmed the issue
2. the issue has occurred in the first 28 days of console release, and can be refunded or replaced.
3. its still under 1 year warranty
4. Sony are investigating.
5. Its a limited number of consoles in comparison to all sold (so far).
6. Maybe foxcon is at fault, they cant handle the demand?

(MS did the exact same thing, then they upgraded warranty to 3 years). If this is a persistent issue Sony will do the same.

Chill people.

[Enigma_2099]

Welcome to N4G... your first time here, I take it.

[Tsar4ever01]

Why the hell did he start dismantling it from the bottom first? I thought he may have found a quicker way to the heat-sink. But he ended up turning back over and dismantling from the top too, which made the whole process take even longer than nessasary. After watching this guy, all I got from this is I wouldn't want THIS SlOPPY JOE, amateur techie messing around in my PS4. Thats for DAMN SURE!!

[BallsEye]

Sony could not make a mistake! Mark Cenry is a God! This had to be sabotage! PS4 for life long live sony!! ^^
Typical blind fanboy way of thinking.

[ziggurcat]

typical blind fanboy way of trolling.

[BallsEye]

@ziggurcat

Blind is the one that do not see the issue. Seems like you don't see one. I don't believe you'd be kissing Yoshidas feet after saving up half year for ps4 and getting a broken one out of the box. I just don't get you peolpe. I don't care about brands, I care about my money being well spent and getting what I pay for.

[ZombieKiller]

If you care about money being well spent and getting what you pay for, then why are you trolling against Sony?

[UnholyLight]

Well, for my first Sony console...it's sure blowing me away. Never been happier with the money I spent on it!! Really considering cancelling my X1 preorder..or at least waiting another year cus the PS4 is unreal!!! I've only had some wonky connection problems and a 2second freeze on the home screen but Im pretty sure it's due to the fact that my internet isn't hooked up yet and I'm using a wireless tether from my Smartphone to stay connected to the world!

PS4 = 9.99/10 in my eyes!

PS no videos on the internet that show gameplay can prepare you for how amazing the games look in person, ESPECIALLY Killzone and BF4! Simply...Wow

[ZombieKiller]

Dude I would NOT recommend that unless you have unlimited data! I work for a wireless company and I just gotta say....don't do it man.

I hope you have unlimited.

[UnholyLight]

@ZombieKiller

All good I do.

Sasktel are assholes though, they said I have unlimited data but have reduced my download/upload speed by like 7/10...and I've only used 5gb with my wireless tether. Gb Whores!!! lol

Friday I get real internet yay

[Gozer]

Its rather weird watching sony fans turn against their own fanbase because people are legitamitly having problems. I think saying sabotage is a little ridiculous. Either way its obvious there are some issues with the ps4. Its no fun getting something you have been waiting for only to have it be broken. Someone shouldn't be treated like an outcast on top of having to deal with the disappointment of a faulty product.

[xtremeimport]

this guys good at English.

[Fanboyssuck27]

lol shut up, if this was nintendo then you sony fanboys would not be saying all these crap excuses. lol
Typical Delusional Sony Fanboys.

[Godmars290]

Well there is a rumor that Foxxcon working are activity sabotaging consoles. Likely not as an act of fanboyism, but working conditions.

If such is indeed true, I can't really fault them for doing such. Regardless of the results.

[Skynetone]

this type of job is seriously not for everyone, some people like the fact that they can do there work with zero thought and little skill and don't mind the monotonous nature of this type of work, I personally would crack up

im not trying to downplay the harsh conditions they work under and the long hours they have to work and they should be treated fairly with proper pay, but I do thing this type of work is not for a lot of people

[Godmars290]

Its long hours, no pay on the scale of a 3rd world pay scale, and fully exploitative conditions. As in you sleep and work in the same building, with food and rent coming out of the slim wages you make.

[DeadMansHand]

We're not talking about a little OT on an assembly line here in the states with 2 10 minute breaks and a lunch. These people live in the building they work in and are not allowed to leave or they are canned. The food they get is like prison food and shifts are 12+ hours. No talking, no potty breaks and they receive very little income after food and board are deducted. Its like prostitution but you make machines not sex.

Sony is not the only compNy to use them. Many tech giants do. As consumers, we support this if we buy the products. Its a hard pill to swallow. I feel bad for them but also do nothing to protest. I'm very blessed to live where I do and have a good job and place to live. Its a conundrum; don't buy my favorite toys and hope it sends a message or buy my toys and try to stuff my guilt.

I'm not being snarky. I actually do have a moral dilemma with it. What can we really do? Corporate greed wins out every time.

[MRMagoo123]

maybe they should go get a new job if its that bad, china has billions of jobs im sure it wouldnt be too hard

[AndrewLB]

The workers at Foxconn get paid about $350/month, and when you factor in cost of living... it's actually not that bad of an income. I've been to china and outside of the major cities like Bejing, that monthly pay would go a long way.

Deadmanshand- This is not a result of capitalism. It's directly because of Communism and it's authoritarian nature.These people are forced by government to do a job and do not have the ability to quit and look elsewhere for work. That's far different from the unsafe working conditions and low pay seen in the United States 100 years ago. And keep in mind, in China you aren't going to do much climbing of the corporate (commie party) ladder. Capitalism with a far less authoritarian government allowed people like Rockafeller and millions of others to go from rags to riches.

[TRGMatt]

China isn't as brutal as one of the posters above made them out to be. They've come a lot further than even educated people realize and it's happened quite quickly.

While their working conditions DO suck, so did America's when we were growing into a super power. They are behind us in modern civil rights but make no mistake, they'll make strides and eventually achieve higher standards in the work place.

[irepbtown]

Their food/drink is also moderated during working hours so that they don't use the toilet unnecessarily.

@MRMagoo123 - You're wrong (I hope you were joke)

Foxconn can do this because they can easily replace workers (a lot of them come from poor background, so they can't just switch jobs). They are also China's biggest exporters and pay the most tax therefore the Chinese Gov will obviously leave Foxconn to their own devices.

The only way to stop (or change) Foxconn is for companies like Apple, Sony, HP etc to stop using them. But then there's a problem; they won't meet the demand of us, the consumer.

TRGMatt - The problem is this is 2013. It isn't the industrial revolution. If a country is becoming a super-power, they cannot follow the old ways. There's too much death and destruction. History tells us this.

[HappyWithOneBubble]

I feel bad for them. They work long hours like a dog with little pay. It's slavery. Just imagine trying to make millions of consoles with your hand. Millions pay big money for these products and don't realize how the product they bought were made and sadly some don't care. Some people got it made and still complain.

[NateCole]

We wont know anything for sure until a month or so.

[MontyQ]

cliffy b t-bags me for Heinz baked beans

[Nivalis]

stupid thing is, if a chemist comes forward, tests the paste for signs of lead, (easily done, by the way), and finds none, then the conspirators will just change their tune to "well not every console got sabotaged, only a few".

[PoSTedUP]

if they find it in some, then it was sabotage. lead hasnt been used in electronics since 2006 (or'08) for that very reason. the ones without it are obv. just faulty consoles. foxxcom only handled a # of ps4's, lets hope it was a small number if this is true.

[nevin1]

Thermal Paste was the reason why early PS3 model didn't last beyond 2 years. I 1st got PS3 in 2008, YLOD in 2010. Got $180 replacement from Sony a month later that model died 2012.

People say the thermal paste don't last long.

[HardcoreGamer]

dude you have to be unlucky, my ps3 lasted 4 years before it broke, it was launch console

my mates ps3 is still going strong, but all he does play on it is cod and uncharted and gran turismo 5 and gta games, thats it. nothing else,

still alive after almost 7 years, but at the same time, a fair of my mates ps3 have died but after 4 years, your unluck yours died in 2 years.. s

[RevXM]

Had my 60GB for about 2 years, I got only defect 60GB systems back and I were without my PS3 for like half a year. I believe it is the fault of the service where I bought it or the repair lab they sent it to. Probably were the thermal paste issue. it made funny sounds and smelled like burned silicon and noodles.

Lost MW2 during my first YLOD and Heavenly sword after having the system back for like 3 days. I sent it in like 5 times without actually getting it fixed really suspecting that they just kept it behind the desk handed it back over every few weeks for some time because they didnt know what to do.

The jerks at that store must truly hated me as I was enraged that my system didnt get fixed but in the end I got all my money back bought a slim, a 360 elite and still had money left for like 3 new games. Slim is still going strong btw.

I dont like to mess with warranty and I usually pay extra for insurance so Ill most likely wont change the paste on my ps4 anytime soon even if it turns out it is a widespread problem.

[irepbtown]

My 80gb PS3 which I also bought in 2008 is still working perfectly today.

My first few years I played daily, but the last year or so I only play a few hours a week. I do watch a lot of films and TV Shows on it though (Netflix mainly).

[steve30x]

I got a Phat PS3 six months after it was released and it lasted four and a half years of long hours of game play punishment

[ho0lee0h]

HAHA did anyone watch the video? This guy puts new thermal paste on and has trouble putting the board back into place. So the board is lifted off the heatsink. That thermal paste must have a lot of air pockets.

[Nivalis]

he doesn't even spread it evenly, he just slaps a blob on then puts it back together. a round blob quashed down does not make a square spread.

Why anyone would assume that is more effective than the default paste i do not know, and he complains that the default paste "is already hard", the paste exposed to air, i.e. the paste not on the die will get hard without it ever being used, its called oxidization, the paste on the die itself will be much thicker than standard aftermarket paste because factory installed thermal compound is naturally more dry - thats why removing the factory installed paste from a band new processor bundled heat sinc flakes off.

this whole argument its flawed as hell.

[Mister_Dawg]

I was thinking the same thing dude.
I was always told to use as little as possible and to always use a spreader to make sure every bit of the surface was covered.

He's used way too much and most likely the outermost parts of the die will not be covered. He'll probably have more problems now than if he'd just left it alone.

Ah well. Its his to break :-)

[darksky]

I would not recommend doing this to a PS4 that's under warranty. If your console is overheating, send it back...

Unless you can monitor temps like a pc there is no way to tell if the new paste is better or worse.

[RevXM]

Yeah I reacted to his way of applying paste too.
And I also noticed he didnt use a ESD wrist band or anythin. Probably there is no electrostatic discharge protection what so ever in here and that means he could have fried vital parts of the circuitboard or the CPU all together.

Crappy job at applying paste: check.
Probably fried the internals: check.

[Dude420]

@ Nivalis

You don't really need to spread the thermal paste, and it doesn't have to be square at all. The general rule of thumb is to put a pea sized paste on the chip and reinstall the heat sink. IMO, I think the guy actually put a little too much.

@ RevXM

If you're in an ideal environment, then you don't need a wrist band, although it can keep a peace of mind. What you need to do is make sure you're not stepping on carpet, make sure you're at least wearing a cotton shirt and ground yourself on something metal like a computer case. I've built and repaired computers for a few years now, never had a problem without a wrist band.

[Nivalis]

@Dude420 - I have been building PC's and high end gaming rigs for the past 15 years, applying an even, thin coating across the die is the proper way to do it, simply putting a blob in the center and slapping the cooler back on is a terrible way of doing it.

You do not see brick layers just slapping mortar down and slapping the brick on top and leaving it at that, they specifically shape it to line up with the wall and have the correct depth, put the brick down, get it level and clean off any excess, the correct way to do thermal paste application isn't far off.

That "general rule of thumb a pea sized" harks back from the days when Pentium 3's and AMD K6 processors had roughly the same die sizes, the die on the PS4 is much smaller, thus that rule of thumb no longer applies.

The whole purpose of thermal compound is to bridge the microscopic gap between cooler and die surface, NOT to have a freaking thermal compound sandwhich, that's why applying as thin an application across the entire surface of the die, evenly as possible produces the best heat transfer results.

Whoever told you slapping a pea sized blob on and then jamming on the cooler is enough, was either trolling you or not all of his dogs were barking.

[Dude420]

Yeah, whoever told me that all you need is a pea sized blob is actually correct and not a troll. I have spoken to a couple of computers techs who have been doing it for 25 years and they say a pea sized blob is still adequate.

Yes, you're correct that spreading the thermal compound produces the best results, but my point is that you don't NEED to do that. For crying out loud, I've rarely heard a case where an i7 or an AMD FX processor overheated due to their stock compound. You be best to spread it when you're doing big overclocks.

IMO, you're brick mortar analysis is way off because brick layers don't compress a brick on the mortar, which would result in inadequate adhesion. When a brick is applied on the mortar, it will spread out and all you have to do is remove it with a trowel, you can't do that with CPU coolers. The cooler works like a clamp and the compression will help spread the paste in the area. Although it'll be a circle, it's still adequate for CPU cooling.

[Testo]

@ Nivalis-
Pea vs Spread.
" a round blob quashed down does not make a square spread. "

The 4 posts tightened "in order" hold the HS to the chip help with the whole round pea vs square issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Bricklayers analogy is horrible but they also have the added benefit of scraping off of the excess mortar where you don't.

Please don't scream to the hills your way is superior. Even veteran bricklayers can learn a thing or two. =)

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Lead is no longer used in thermal paste, and I believe it's use has even been banned for quite some time.

[josephayal]

Ok MEH, PS4 Red Light is fake

[FreakyFox]

Tbh he says that the paste is dry etc etc, but does not show you, the video is cut at that point around 15 mins into it.

I have seen these people all my life, they buy something new, and take it apart and put it back together and think they have done the world great deed.

[ATiElite]

Well Faulty iPhones and Faulty PS4's will bring light to poor working conditions at foxconn.

If PS4/foxconn Gate is true then this is bad for everyone!

Fox-kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa hn!

[Ohai]

Makes me wonder if my thermal paste is already bad. But no way in hell I'm taking mine apart like that to find out.

Sounds like he's just trying to push that paste product.

[DeadMansHand]

Lol I'm with you. Now that my unit is hooked up and working in a cool and well ventilated place, there is no way in heck I'm moving it, unplugging it, touching the HDMI cable or even breathing hard in its general direction.

[iiwii]

Just spend a few bucks and extend your warranty an extra 2 years if there are concerns.

BTW, what did this student supposedly do? Did he/she sneak into a manufacturing company enough extra "lead compound" in his pockets to do a million or so PS4's?

I smell BS. But time will tell.

[0pie]

since when an unknown person with no credibility should be taken seriously when he post something on 4chan?
Did i missed something?

[Rockefellow]

Yeah, you missed how to write a coherent sentence. Proof-reading is good for us all!

[0pie]

ahummm...

[jhoward585]

Beginners should use Arctic Alumina instead of Arctic Silver.

If you mistakenly put any AS on any circuitry part of the PS4 motherboard you could end up damaging your ps4.

Arctic Silver are highly conductive b/c it has silver inside of it.

Arctic Alumina don't.

However using Arctic silver will get you 1-2 c more than Arctic Alumina.

Also Arctic Alumina are cheaper.

[TheXD305]

So I would use Arctic MX-2

[jhoward585]

I've never used Arctic MX-2 before. But I know that its a good thermal paste to use. I normally use Arctic Alumina or Arctic Silver.

Back to your questions....its states that Arctic MX-2 is highly conductive so I wouldn't use it.

I could be wrong...I have never use MX-2 before.

[drsfinest72]

Lol @ all the damage control from fanboys.. "oh we sold over 1 mil. Of course there's going to be defects"

Now if it was Xbox one " haha "

[DeadMansHand]

Some act like this, yes. Some will do the same on Friday if anyone reports a faulty xboxone. I don't prefer ms products but I would never wish or laugh at anyone who bought a new toy like this and it died on them. I understand how exciting a new consent is. I know the fever you get waiting for it then standing in line exhausted but hyper then running home and turning it on at 1am. If it foes not work I know personally from past experiences, how gut wrenching it is.

I would not wish that on anyone.

[Soldierone]

IF they really did "sabotage" the units, Sony would do a recall and Foxconn would do something about it...

The idea that people would chant for a console to be broken like this is ridiculous, and fangirls are pushing it a bit too far. IF Sony fans do that when Xbox One units fail, and they will, I say the same thing.

It's okay to have wars, but come on.....

[MrBuffalo]

People do realize that even if there is a problem their machine will be replaced right? I'd hate this to get to the stage where years down the line people claim to have bought seven machines because of the red line what ever. The only consoles I've ever had to replace myself are one's I had imported.

edit: put in perspective. Imagine we had social media when the Playstation had its lense failure? Today one mans misery becomes a huge story. I dont believe this is that bad, hell i dont even believe rrod was that bad because sure 3 years down the line my machine died but it got replaced for free.

[PsylentKiller]

I feel sorry for anyone that has a defective PS4 but mine is working really well. It is quiet and cool, while standing vertically. I didn't plan on getting a PS4 on launch day. I've been all paid up for my XB1 for a while now. But after all the great news going Sony's way, I just had to get one. The problems that people are having is minimal. I know it doesn't seem minimal to the gamer with a bricked console but shipments from Sony are more frequent than with the PS3 launch.
At GameStop today, a guy came in and exchanged his bricked PS4 for a new one. Two more guys came in while I was trading in my PS3 and they bought a PS4 without a preorder.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

All this leads to lack of QC (quality control) or Sony cutting costs on the assembling. I doubt their was sabotage here. The company provides the materials for workers to do their job.

[Hicken]

And the workers can do a crappy job, regardless of the materials given.

[FrigidDARKNESS]

Well then that goes back to QC how many were checked out of each ps4 that was assemble.

[DoesUs]

"how many were checked out of each ps4 that was assemble."

Frigid, i don't think you understand how manufacturing works.

[SoulSercher620]

So it's Sony's fault a worker decided to sabotage the PS4 units?

[FrigidDARKNESS]

Like i say i find that story hard to believe. The issues with the ps4 are enormous not narrowed down to one thing. The production of the ps4 was rushed with little Quality Control.

[neogeo]

This video apply's to everything not only Sony. Every game systems and computer use cheap thermal paste. Nintendo, MS, Sony, laptops and PC. I'm a strong believer that taking all my systems and applying some artic silver paste is a smart move if your willing to do a little work.

[mydyingparadiselost]

This was a really good read, great article with lots of sources and even some actual journalism. I'm curious to see how far these problems will go for the PS4, technical issues take time to show themselves in full force and I hope Sony winds up being able to bypass a full on RRoD fiasco like MS had.

That being said if Foxconn interns have sabotaged PS4 systems, or any other mass produced electronics they have manufactured then good on them. It sucks to get a broken console and my sympathy goes out to anyone who bought a defective unit but it's way worse for a company to pay a dollar an hour to its employees and nothing at all to its interns and force 12-16 hour shifts, living (and dying) at work and sleeping/ 'living' with 12 people in a room designed for 2 just so the company can maximize profit for itself AND the companies they produce products for.
Blame Foxconn, blame Sony, blame the interns if you want but the fault lies with you, me and anyone else who buys these electronics. We made this problem happen (IF this story is true) through ignorance and apathy towards the people making these products. Slaves will always fight back.

[PsylentKiller]

I agree completely. It's our own fault but not buying any electronic device is extremely difficult. Cordless phones, cell phones, TVs, computers, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, cars, refrigerators, medical devices, etc.; the list goes on. How can we live in today's day and age without these items.

It is on the government to provide incentives for companies to manufacture from within their own country. They are the ones that can rectify this situation. They choose not to because of money. What they don't realize is that they would stand to become wealthier buy creating jobs and manufacturing from within.

[extermin8or]

You honestly think they are going tobchange their conditions over sabotage? No they will string the people responible from the nearest lampost talk about pointless. Fact is until the chinese government changes laws etc there is very little anyone can do save not by any electronic equipment which i dont really viable. Dont forget if they did change stuff rhe price increases that would be incurred would be.... considerable. Oh and interns srent usually payed anywhere no matter the cointry or job-it is rare of you do get paid

[mydyingparadiselost]

Your right, internships usually don't get paid regardless of country. At the same time those interns are learning real world skills for their chosen professions and their performance doesn't affect the entirety of their grade point average. Also there's been alot of blow back for companies that don't pay their interns in the Americas, it is slowly becoming a frowned upon action.
As for the complaint about electronics costing more it's very possible that's true, but that's not a given. It could help to slow the mad frenzy of hundreds of devices coming out each year and make companies focus on making more flexible and better quality electronics that aren't rendered obsolete with next years iteration. Phones for example now have multiple models each year with few or relatively small upgrades. If giving up the iPhone 5 ABCDEFG and onward in exchange for one model and the living conditions of thousands of people like you or me being improved then please someone make it happen now.
The end of slavery in the US didn't kill agriculture, the end of corporate slavery in China wouldn't kill electronics but simply realign the playing field to be more advantageous to some of the hardest working and least respected people. If the tables were turned and it was your country abusing you for the good of Chinas electronics fetish you wouldn't be saying 'I would love to be treated better but then Samsung couldn't release numerous screen sizes for their next phone'

[extermin8or]

that's not what I'm saying-what I am saying among other things is yeah their conditions are bad but a) it is a process that is brought about by industrialisation-the uk went through it in the 1800's, America went through it at a similar time-europe also went through it, it's taken time to get there and the state of labour has been prolonged by their governments and the way they function. Not buying electrical goods isn't going to change that anytime soon-infact it'd probably just lead to them laying workers off then they'd have no income at all and conditions may be poor however there are plenty of worse places in the world to be working. Equally them sabotaging stuff they are manufacturing is just liable to get them punished and piss people over here that could find ways to support their cause-don't piss off the people you need to be putting pressure on the governements around the world to change. I was also just pointing out that prices would likely increase-because I bet half the people that like to bring up the workers working conditions when it comes down to it if they saw how it could effect their lifestyle etc if it were dealt with-they'd probably become alot less vocal about it... Never said I agreed with the working conditions or that they should stay as they are.

[SliceOfTruth888]

If this was the Xbox this site would have exploded

[TheXD305]

I agree. Most of the people here Mike the ps4 but don't like the X1. So if there are any bad news about X1 Sony fanboys are really happy and say that x1 is crap, but if the same shit would happen to the ps4 nobody would care. That's a sad story.

[SpinalRemains138]

Lol!

The Arctic Silver is dried.

Must be sabotage.

Must be sabotage in 9/10 electronic devices then.

Jeez ppl. Lol

[Phoenix76]

Its good to hear of a possible fault with the new PS4 has been found this early as it gives sony plenty of time to correct this issue with manufacturing. If Thermal Paste has been the issue along, then a cheap fix at their end should hopefully be resovled by the time the Xmas batches arrive. As for the claim of 'Sabotage', I think that is slightly overblown. although, possibly true given FoxConn's Rep.

[kenshiro100]

Hopefully this is something that can be fixed early. I plan on getting a PS4 soon.

[Fantangoooo]

with all this fail news about the ps4 i am abit worried.. probably will wait abit before i get one... even the xbox i will give it a few months.

[EffectO]

US school system has clearly failed.

[ALICE666]

Man i shouldn't have watched this video.

I am disappointed because I thought the inside was made of stuff of dreams, rainbows, pixie dust and my little ponies.

Damn it all. Damn it all to hell.

[zerog]

Am I the only person on here who only saw a retard void his warranty?

[hiredhelp]

He voided it to show us what may been the reason and to help anyone who feels like doing the same.

[ziggurcat]

he voided it to show people how to disassemble/assemble the console if you wanted to replace the thermal paste/clean the system... clumsily, but to be fair, it was the first time he had probably opened up the console.

[Gekko36]

@All I may be getting an Xbox One next week but I felt I had to comment on this rediculous article.

The production of PS4 will be almost identicle to X1, so to suggest that tampering or poor workmanship is the direct responsibility to Sony, is preposterous!

Sony is well known for their quality builds of hardware and the fact that they have used Foxconn for the manufacturing is not an indictment on China or Sony.

The yeild for PS4 will be well within the tolerance setout in the manufacture design and to start pulling Sony to pieces of this is absolute bollocks.

When X1 hit the stores I won't be surprised to hear about failed units and the internet will whip it up into a storm which is typical of the annonymous internet.

I just wish we could judge these next gen machines on their performance over time and of course on the games.

For those who have had faulty units, I feel for you. I don't care if it's a PS4 or an X1, to spend out £350 or £430 on a conosle and have it screw up within hours or a day of getting it is horrible. Let hope you get replacements as soon as possible so we can get back to bitching about the games.

Good Luck!

[DJ]

I specifically remember the PS3, 360 and Wii getting these exact same failure 'stories'. In fact, it happens with all electronics. Xbox One unfortunately will have the exact same horrific failure stories, despite probably having the same failure rate as PS4 (less than 0.5%).

[Nodoze]

Leave it to the Chinese to build and this is what happens. Everything they build is shit. Slave labor sucks!

[MK24ever]

This guy used enough AS5 for 5 chips, please don't do as he did if you're going to do this, that's just TO MUCH thermal paste. I'm actually impressed to see that this time (unlike what happened with PS3 sony used just enough thermal paste instead of using so much it would cover the sides of the chips to.

[esemce]

The thermal paste in this video is normal and not the cause of faults, though it probably could be better.

Some TIM drys and others are more liquid like.

The person in the video is a fool as he has voided his warranty and Arctic silver 5 needs to be used for many hours before it becomes really effective (and as above he really did use way to much for the size of the small heatspreader).

If this guy's PS4 developes any fault now withing 12 months he is screwed.

[Neonridr]

actually I replaced the thermal paste in my Xbox 360 when it RROD'd on me. If he feels more comfortable replacing the original thermal paste that is his perogative. Making fun of him because he voided his warranty is pretty childish. How do you know that he didn't actually improve the console's success rate? I guess we would have to wait to see if he ever does an update video where his PS4 failed.

[esemce]

How is it childish stating he is a fool? and How has he improved the sucess rate of a perfect working PS4?

His PS4 could develope any number of problems within the first 12 months. bluray laser/power supply or even a simple blown capacitor. He's voided his warranty for zero reason.

Also he used way to much AC5 which could be less effective that the original TIM therefore he is an idiot.

[BobBelcher]

lol, Conspiracy theory:

- China struck a deal with Microsoft to bring their console into China. Obviously, Microsoft is using China's disdain for Japan, due to past conflicts, to give them the upper hand. In turn, China is sabotaging Sony's consoles.

[Ps4Console]

In the building trade it is called cutting costs yeah .

[gamer2013]

it china console what you expect?

[RealtorMDandDC]

My Midnight launch edition still works. Minor issues, that will be fixed with a future update.

[kingPoS]

Ah! The wonders of social media; where every single event can made known to man within hours of it happening. It's a good the public hadn't been fully aware of that soft of phenomenon back in 2005.

Gateway MT6706 2008

[solidboss07]

If this was true, then what will happen? Somebody will need to pay to rectify such a scenario. We will be watching this with interest.
I really hope that this is nonsense. Sony have delivered a good console, and we don't want to be robbed of its future.

[SoulSercher620]

Isn't that a little too much thermal paste? I could've sworn it should only be a drop or two. He could be doing more harm than good in the long run.

[greenlantern2814]

no piece of tech. will ever come out with a 100% working quality units, nothing that is mass produced will, cars have recalls, food has recalls. my PS4 is working just fine and all the people on my friends list from PS3 that got one have no problems either, except BF4 which has problems on every platform it is on. this friday when XB1 launches there will be problems most likely small ones that get blown out of proportion just like the PS4 ones are now.

[MxRBrobaFett]

They're trying to control our minds man! This is seriously pathetic

[GameHead85]

I did the very same thing with my PS3 because I didn't want it to suffer the yellow light of death.

Microsoft has had this problem to with the Xbox 360 (Red Ring of Death) that infected some of there consoles shortly after they where released.

Some of you said to just take it back and exchange it, well what about if you recieve the next one and it has the same problem? I don't know about you but I'd rather voide my warranty on my 1st one and have it last 10 years then keep on exchanging them.

[AgitatedOcelot]

You know the factory paste that comes on Intel Heatsink fan combos? One time there was a system I worked on that the thermal compound had gotten so hard on that the CPU literally ripped out of the socket and remained stuck to the bottom of the heatsink.

This was an old pentium 4 back in the day. Before they had metal retention mechanisms and pins in the socket rather than on the CPU. It bent a ton of pins on the CPU when it ripped out.

I was able to heat it up with a heatgun and pull it off, and I sat there for like an hour straightening pins with a utility knife. In the end it worked fine. But yeah that factory paste was as hard as cement.

[mamotte]

Sabotage? The same people who is trying to kill the president is now damaging PS4's image?

[VTKC]

for fuck sake. Have we not learnt anything from Microsoft?That's what happens when you employ the Chinese to manufacture your shit. Cutting costs in this way will only bite you in the ass later by hurting your reputation as a company. From Sony to Fony.

[CaliCholo]

I've been playing the shit outta the PS4 and EVERYTHING IS WORKING GREAT

[Hogarth]

Lol, that's the worst application of thermal paste, I've seen in 25 years of assembling PC's/Consoles etc.

Thermal paste is designed as a heat transfer to fill in imperfections in between the CPU and the heat sink (in the PS4 case, the metal shroud). So putting a blob of Arctic Silver on and just attaching back the cover, has probably made the temps on this PS4 a whole lot worse, as he's created a huge thermal mass for the heat now to pass through.

He also used IMHO far too much paste

IMHO, do some additional research on best applying paste before attempting this total botch job as in the video

Can't wait for his next one, possibly lapping the CPU/GPU with a angle grinder?

[My_Outer_Heaven]

Considering the fact that millions of PS4's have been made in the last 3-6 months not every single console will be flawless.. There are bound to be a few broken ones at launch just depends on your luck.. Xbox One will face the exact same issues. Hardware can break even before opened, that's why we get something we like to call a warranty.

[SITH]

Amazing how no one uses a grounding wire while working on electronics. Static electricity can ruin electronics.

[cheetorb]

All these articles remind me of the Boy who cried Wolf.
Not going to believe you and not going to care.

[n1kki6]

I put squaretrade on all of my electronics just for peace of mind. It's a small price to pay to not have to worry about it. Not that it justifies bad manufacturing.

[Krosis]

So hardware defects are acceptable and "part of the industry" with Playstation but the source of endless ridicule on Xbox? lol It begs the question: what would the comments be like on N4G if this were Microsoft? I honestly come here just to see the console crowd bicker in hypocrisy.

[FanboyKilla]

Mine is DOA. It just flashes a blue light, my lights red, ive been playing for 12 hours straight and its awesome, bla bla bla. STFU! Shouldnt the real story be about the method of how they go about producing these machines? The mistreated human beings it took for you to get that machine?Slave is a pretty strong word that resonates far beyond what the eye can see. Or how about
where the hell is sony now. Last week you couldnt keep sleepy eyes from tweeting. I bet when it stops selling we'll get answers, or at the very least more bs. But i wouldnt say a damn thing either with people still gulping them up like the last drop of water on earth. It really shows who the fanboys are defending a company because ????? Uhhhh i dont know. But im 100% sure sony made that playstation for money. Not for me not for you, not for the gamer. Money money money money. Ill admit just typing the word is hot. But i dont want the money if i have to hurt you to get it. No one is defending that guy who shot that guy, for his money. Because it was wrong and we know it. And so is this but you defend them, why? For all sony knows you could be one of the people they are mistreating [if true] just to get to the ones with the money. They can give a flying f*ck. #fortheMoney