Please consider supporting this type of unique testing work by grabbing a toolkit, mouse mat, bar runner, or shirt from our store: store.gamersnexus.net/ - thanks to our Patreon backers (patreon.com/gamersnexus ) and store customers for making it possible to buy testing equipment like this! Watch our PlayStation 5 thermal testing from previously: ua-cam.com/video/MmggkW6usmQ/v-deo.html Xbox Series X thermals got done today and is being edited/rendered/QC'd, then will go up. Watch our original RTX 3080 FE Schlieren photography video: ua-cam.com/video/VVaGRtX80gI/v-deo.html
Microsoft had explained that the smaller vent towards the top is there in case somebody accidentally covers up the main vent (with the big fan) and blocks it.
Ps4 or pro is if know what your doing when repasteing still can't understand complaints about ps4 or pro soundding like jet engines after repasteing.ive maintained both my glacier white ps4 & pro after 3 years of usage both sounded like a jetengine when fan ramped up after carefully maintaining cleaning not rushing & cleaning chip and preparing chip to apply thermal paste both was quiet
@@jasephase2k933 If your talking about 360 xclamp you have no point...a couple generations off for comparison......The Day one oneX was loud ass hell, Yes... But every console after was super quiet... Sony had some new versions that you still felt the need to "maintain" its loudness.... Didnt have to take apart my xboxes ever hehe
During an earlier look at the hardware, an MS engineer mentioned that the hole on the side of the fan is there as an emergency exhaust escape just in case something was to be placed on top, such as a game case 👍 Awesome insight guys, thanks!
Steve, I'm pretty sure the MAP gas is not hot, it's typically colder than ambient due to state change. I'd bet the gas being visible in this use case is due to the gas itself having significantly different density than the air, thus giving you the density gradient that can be imaged.
Exactly. I'm glad someone else noticed this! You'd see the difference regardless of whether the torch had been run recently or not. Methyl acetylene and propane have significantly different density than air, at room temperature or not! (and if it is being released from a pressurised cylinder, it's gonna be lower than room temperature due to the pressure drop effect)
Ok good im not the only one. I thought he was gonna say "the gas is cold but not as strong" but then I just accepted I was wrong about how gas works lol
I remember an interview where a Microsoft engineer stated that the small vent was a sort of last resort exhaust so the system would have some cooling in case a game case or some other obstruction was placed on the main exhaust grille while the system was running.
@@Gaming-Legends007 The exhaust mini port is on the side of the console, it's impossible to cover it and the top main port with a game case at the same time .
The slot on the back of the Series X is a thermal safety measure for the possibility of someone putting something like a game case on top of the Xbox blocking the main exhaust. Microsoft detailed this during their launch campaign.
They even designed the Xbox one like this.. Thermal issues were a problem in 2006 during RROD ever since the Xbox 360S console they almost NEVER overheated.. I've left my 360 and One on for DAYS with the top vents blocked and nothing happened
@@deepergodeeper7618 you mean the ORIGINAL 360.. the one that was redesigned and then replaced because of said issues.. :) i did say the 360S. Try reading next time.
What's the other couple percent? I mostly play on PC my self but also like my Nintendo games. PC and a Switch is a good combo imo. The best of both worlds. You get the most iconic exclusives and on PC the crushing hardware.
I love the science and thermal cooling engineering that went in making the Series X into a cuboid, and I love the way it's designed to use 1 huge and powerful fan at the top instead of the bottom, giving it a better thermal exhaust design.
If the equipment didn't cost so much, I'd wager they'd have stopped doing these tests already because there are so many fucking dumbasses that can't listen to a word he's saying.
One thing regarding the Series X shutdown : I noticed that the fan on mine will continue run at a very low RPM for several minutes after shutdown, especially after longer gaming sessions. It looks to me like temp monitoring and fan control continues after shutdown, until it reaches a threshold or maybe a set temp before allowing the fan to power off. This is while using the "Power Saver" shutdown option btw, not the quick start option.
“dont block the bottom intake vents”, well, since the hdmi ports are right next to it, I can't see a case where someone will face that side of Xbox down toward the table...
The hole just below the main exhaust is to allow some airflow even if the top is covered by someone accidentally. It was mentioned in the teardown with digital foundry.
I can imagine the internal design presentation, everyone's looking at how nice the model looks, and then one of the engineers unceremoniously puts a book on top of it.
I can't imagine the tiny hole would be sufficient if a book was put on top of it. It's going to get significantly hotter in there, but because of the tiny hole, the console might still be operational, even if it's degrading more rapidly. Perhaps a better solution would be to just let the console reach its thermal shutdown limit, then give the user a warning when it turns on again, telling them to remove obstructions from the exhaust vent. Or just significantly throttle the CPU before it happened, and pop up a full-screen warning message that can't be clicked away until the temperature is back to normal.
@@stale2665 I'm pretty sure all modern consoles have some sort of thermal adjustments or shut down sequence if it gets to hot... The hole is just there so you don't reach that point as quickly I'm pretty sure
I wish I could give more likes for this video because it really demonstrates how the air flow works on these consoles and gives owners an idea of a safe way to orient them in their entertainment centers. I have my series x positioned behind my tv vertically so it has plenty of room to breathe.
@@ediodimacaroni I prefer Amazon when buying certain items (like electronics in general) only because of its return policy which is completely hassle-free if you don't consider external vendors.
The Series X really could have benefitted from an extra centimeter of height to add a removeable dust filter on the bottom. It feels like a missed opportunity given it's unique vertical design.
Well I am sure they thought of that, but when your trying to hit a certin price point you sometimes have to cut things out hat you might like to have had to get it where it needs to be:P
Fluid dynamics is what it is all about. Air is technically a fluid that can be pushed around just like water or any other fluid. You're spot on in stating the orientation only matters in as much as you don't block intake or exhaust and you have a sufficiently fast enough fan...
@@LCDqBqA fluids are any substance that can have flow. Air is made of stuff, air particles, that are loosely held together in a gas form. Although liquids are the most commonly recognized fluids, gasses are also fluids. Since air is a gas, it flows and takes the form of its container.
@@LCDqBqA -- Gassed quite literally are an example of fluids. I believe you're thinking of the definition of liquids, which are also fluid, but not all fluids are liquid... like gases.
Im an engineer so i figured i would give some input. First, i do think you did this very well and appreciate what you have done here as no other reviewer does these tests. First, that odd slot in the top you said was for acoustics. I wonder if it might be a sort of fail safe where if some genius sets a box on top of the exhaust, the console isn't completely starved. Not that it would be an efective exaust, it would still thermal throttle like crazy, but it could save it from death. That could be a different explanation. The way to test this is to simply place a box on the exhaust and see how it reacts. Im not completely sold on your explanation of the convexity of the top being the culprit for the converting exaust airflow. I have a decent amound to experience with aerodynamics and that would be acting in a way that i wouldn't expect. I suspect it could be from the rotation induced by the spinning of the fan. But this theory has holes as well. One text i would like to see if possible, is a repeat of the hot power off test that you did with the xbox on the side, but with the console standing upright. This would somewhat show the effectiveness of the updraft cooling, which could give ideas for passivly cooled systems that are better than what is currently available. Final thought, one reason i suspect the fan is so far away from the exhaust vent of the xbox is to reduce noise. When a propeller balde spins too close to something perpendicular to it, like the holes in the grill, it creats a audible pulse. This can be fixed by moving the blades farther from the grill. This isnt genneraly seen with computers and the things close to the fan are rather thin so are not all to affected by this. But the grill on the xbox, which seems to be half a inch in some places, would definitely be affected. Anyhow, thank you for making this. Without you, it just wouldn't be seen as it just takes a lot of equipment.
The gas converging is pretty easily explained like Steve did by the fact that the holes are deeper to the sides than in the middle. The outer edge guides the gas more than the inner edge of a hole. Honestly hard to explain without visualization for me but draw random lines from the fan out side the case and you will see that those that would stray further from the middle hit the edges while the ones aimed from the edge towards the middle pass. The ones that pass basically get directed by the rest of the gas going straight up/towards the middle of the flow.
If anyone is interested in experimenting with schlieren images, there is a way to do this on the cheap, requiring only some basic image processing: synthetic schlieren or BOS schlieren. Basically, you use a background with a texture and then subtract it from the frames. The only thing is that the sensitivity is lower, but still fun to do, even made a video about it using python and openCV.
Steve, the MAPP gas will show up regardless of whether the torch has been lit recently; its usefulness in imaging is not from it being hot. It's just because the gas mixture is a different density to air, simply because of its chemical composition (methyl acetylene and propane is rather different to mostly nitrogen and oxygen, after all) ! ... also, it may actually be slightly cooler than air because of the pressure drop effect, as it is being decompressed from a high pressure cylinder, cooling the gas. Both the inherent gas density difference and the lower temperature of it (producing more density difference) are the reason why it is useful in imaging for you :)
@@klugeskind90 Most of it is, yeah, although it is still possible to buy genuine methylacetylene - propane gas mixture... it's just not over the counter in semi mainstream shops anymore sadly :( (I've been able to get it from welding supply shops) Good point nonetheless. Still, as you note, propylene is still a different density to air :)
@@klugeskind90 Again your point is well made, and sparks more ideas in me: I suggest Steve just uses another kind of bottled gas for intake gas imaging... maybe something non flammable for safety's sake, so perhaps argon, which is readily available, including in disposable cylinders even. Argon would work really well actually given its high density, lots of contrast! And totally inert of course, hence its use in TIG welding for which it is typically sold (as well as a blanketing gas in oxygen-sensitive chemistry!) :)
@@mduckernz argon is exactly what i was thinking as he was running a highly flammable gas through a heated, contained area. I didn't actually think there was much of a chance for ignition, but you never know when a spark could be released if something unrelated went wrong at just the wrong time!
@@mduckernz or if they need something small and hand held, they could use canned “air” as the refrigerant used in them should provide a good temperature gradient.
that concave design on the Xbox Series X promotes exhaust "scavenging" which allows the heat to escape at a higher velocity. pretty cool. The fan being countersunk down into that venturi allows it to create a proper vacuum inside the box as well no matter how clean or dirty it is.
I mean it's going from a liquid state to a gas, so it's boiling. It's not hot nor warm in the traditional human-perception sense, but as mentioned it's mainly the differences in densities being utilized as a visual. If they wanted to use a less potentially flammable solution, I think a hot plate on low near the intakes might provide the needed heat.
@@River_Miles Glad you took a second look. Ice could introduce condensation, so my vote still goes to a heating element of some kind set relatively low. These components are better at mitigating and withstanding extremes of heat versus cold, etc.
@@Tsinij so you mention that its boiling for what? Why make that point to begin with? The point is, in the video he said he is using the hot gas of the non ignited torch, that is factually incorrect. That is what was being pointed out.
Oooh! I actually know this!! The exhaust hole in the back in for just in case the main exhaust port is blocked (I believe the example given was someone placing a book on the top of the xbox) it would still allow some airflow to avoid thermal damage. I heard this from a microsoft engineer walking through the system on a pre launch video.
Awesome job! I think a lot of people probably underestimate how useful this info actually is. It shows the ultimate truth of real estate: location location location. LOL You might think you can just plop your consumer electronic anywhere and it'll run just fine, but you really have certain areas that you need to keep clear and certain areas that just don't matter, so you can block up. One thing that surprised me ... the ridiculously unoptimized airflow, especially the intake. Common sense would have said these devices are pushing their limits harder than ever, so they'd be designed to make the absolute most out of airflow. But ... no. They actually kinda suck. Or ... don't suck. Because their intakes are blocked. WTF?! I really would have expected better. Honestly, I kind of wonder how much of that is accidental and how much of it is intentional. Is this a planned obsolescence to choke the system with dust? I sure hope not! But it does kinda make one wonder why they wouldn't have designed intake better, and with an easily removed washable filter in place. Either way, it does kind of make me wonder if at this point there isn't an emerging market for re-casing these devices. Move the hardware from the stock case to a better design. I wonder how long until we see third-party cases come out for them.
Yeah I was going to comment this. He said himself schlieren imaging can pick up density differences - MAP gas is obviously not the same density as air, nothing to do with difference in heat...
Correction - It’s not the “heat” of the MAPP gas you’re seeing. Rather, MAPP gas itself is more dense than normal air. The density difference between the two gasses is what makes the visualization possible. You can tell because ALL of the MAPP gas falls (even the gas that doesn’t go to the intake). If the visualization were due to heat, we would see it rising rather than falling.
Yes, I cringed when he said that he was just letting heat of the bottle. Releasing a pressurized gas causes the gas to drop in temperature as it expands on exit.
@@damjanszabo With propane you would need to fill the volume of the room to at least 2% with it. I'm going to say that this is quite unlikely to archive it this way. ;) (But they might get high earlier tho. haha)
Vent above the fan on the side: Possibly an emergency vent in case someone puts something on top of the thing? Kind of like those backup drain valves in sinks and such. I dont think it would save the thing for long... but... still. Better than nothing?
Yeah. I was thinking exactly that as I was seeing the exit. Otherwise the air would be 100% impeded. And there are people out there stupid enough to put a book on top of it. I think that without that exhaust basically the console would overheat immediately since there's NO airflow.
I can't wait to see what you guys will be doing with Schlieren imaging in the future. PC cases? AIOs? CPU air coolers? This is extremely fascinating to me.
Great video. Curious to see how the 3 different PS5 cooling fan variants compare in terms of airflow. Just putting it out there, in case you get a hold of PS5s with Nidec and Delta fans (the one in your video is NMB).
Sulphur hexaflouride would be a safe, dense gas for flow imaging at room temperature. Also fun for lowering your voice pitch similar to the way helium raises your voice.
You know what would be great for this? If you could super-impose a picture of the device you are imagine ontop of the "black" part of the image. This would allow us to more easily "visualise" the device in question. Obviously it doesn't make a huge difference for the xbox (which would just be a big black box in most orientations), but the playstation might be more obvious...
Yep, Xbox always ran cooler in almost all cases last gen too. PS5 is a huge improvement over the PS4 though. So far I've not been able to notice any of my consoles making noise apart from when you insert a disc into the PS5, it'll ramp up a little but then it quietens down. The series x? Dead silent. I have noctua fans in my main PC rig so switching to the consoles is a really pleasant experience.
@@therealpureessence2437 xboxs always have a more promininet hole for airflow like the xbox one s with a cutout contrary to the ps4s which try and pretty much limit the airflow lol
it's really interesting to see how effective the xbox's exhaust structure is, considering the impeded intakes. Another thing to note is the tapered plastic attached to the fan to diffuse the air away from the fan.
Thank you so much for this, i've been searching for the ps5's best orientation (not for thermal but airflow). This helped me feel at ease to leave it horizontally.
I don't know exactly how I came across this video but so glad I did. Really interesting and different from the usual UA-cam stuff I come across. Subscribed
The gas coming out of a torch is not hot, if you don't like it. It's a little cool from decompression and it naturally has a higher density than air. This is why it lingered on the bottom, if it were hot, it would have risen like a hot air balloon.
that hole on the back is there if I'm not mistaken as an emergency exhaust vent incase of the top vent getting blocked (say if someone accidentally set a textbook ontop of the console) to prevent it from having absolutely no airflow and hopefully preserve the hardware
isn't the hole in the back of the series x a failsafe incase someone places something on top of the console? it's obviously not ideal exhaust but it's enough to keep your console from completely overheating.
Good to know they thought of that, I usually put a cloth cover on top of my SX when it's not in use to prevent dust getting inside and on one occasion I forgot to remove it before starting a game session. Knowing that the back vent expelled at least some of the heat puts me a little at ease but I make sure not to repeat that mistake again.
i just bought some legos and built "feet" for each corner while series x rests horizontally that raise it an extra inch and a half off the table for passive cooling from the bottom lol
your mistaken and not understanding. Another point, The thing he was mentioning about it changing the airflows direction or path, is that its also thermal transfer happening at those times. More time along those fins, more thermal energy being taken away.
You and 30 other people have zero idea of what you're witnessing. For the air to reach the back it has to go through the heat sinks, Sony has been manufacturing electronics longer than most of you have been alive, they should know about how to vent heat waste. 🤦
They might have tuned that intake volume to keep a good velocity to get that nice cone on top. I'm not any kind of expert but i could see that as a reason, similar to a small amount of vacuum being present in a car exhaust system.
Microsoft have already stated what the small vent at the back was for before the console even came out, it’s just to allow airflow when people put things on top of the main vent.
Got to love the innovative cooling of both consoles. I especially have to applaud Microsoft for making this console so small and still silent. Probably the best design in consoles yet.
Literally the worst and most uncreative design. Basically a 2003 GameCube ripoff. Ps5 just looks so modern and exactly what you'd expect to see in 2020.
![[UA] Eternal Fire проти NAVI | EPL Season 20 Malta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/chvlsDygrZM/mqdefault.jpg)
Please consider supporting this type of unique testing work by grabbing a toolkit, mouse mat, bar runner, or shirt from our store: store.gamersnexus.net/ - thanks to our Patreon backers (patreon.com/gamersnexus ) and store customers for making it possible to buy testing equipment like this!
Watch our PlayStation 5 thermal testing from previously: ua-cam.com/video/MmggkW6usmQ/v-deo.html
Xbox Series X thermals got done today and is being edited/rendered/QC'd, then will go up.
Watch our original RTX 3080 FE Schlieren photography video: ua-cam.com/video/VVaGRtX80gI/v-deo.html
So what your telling me is drill = more fps 🤣😂
Can u link the video you talk about with how the thingy is all set up? You said you would link it in the description but its not there
If you uncompress gasses, it turns cold. How was the non-burned gasses from the torch considered hot?!? Explain this plz.
@@Jahee-Official its cold. Because its colder than room temp, there is a difference/gradient, therefore it can be seen in the camera
@@randomgamer6118 That's my whole point. GN keeps calling it hot gasses.
Microsoft had explained that the smaller vent towards the top is there in case somebody accidentally covers up the main vent (with the big fan) and blocks it.
Thanks! Can you link a source for that? It'd be helpful to see what else they said in that content.
@@GamersNexus I think I heard this on Austin Evans pre-release coverage of it.
@@mr.smooth7809 so you’re quoting stuff you’re not sure of? Welcome to 20xx where we don’t bother to check sources
@@red2432 I Didn't quote shit
@@red2432 source or not common sense would tell you that’s what it’s there for 🤷🏼♂️ literally can’t cover both without it being on purpose
Series X is the most quiet console I’ve owned, except for Nintendo’s old cartridge consoles.
Ps4 or pro is if know what your doing when repasteing still can't understand complaints about ps4 or pro soundding like jet engines after repasteing.ive maintained both my glacier white ps4 & pro after 3 years of usage both sounded like a jetengine when fan ramped up after carefully maintaining cleaning not rushing & cleaning chip and preparing chip to apply thermal paste both was quiet
@@jasephase2k933 which Manz gonna be applying thermal paste en sheet. We want silent but violent from the box.
@@jasephase2k933 The fact you have to "Maintain" a console is a joke... Bad build quality obviously on the ps4
@@abombfletcher bad build is the easyest on a repair perspective hasnt got a xclamp
@@jasephase2k933 If your talking about 360 xclamp you have no point...a couple generations off for comparison......The Day one oneX was loud ass hell, Yes... But every console after was super quiet... Sony had some new versions that you still felt the need to "maintain" its loudness.... Didnt have to take apart my xboxes ever hehe
This video looks like a lot of smoke and mirrors.
BRUH...
Lol.
I hate you and love you
...like polititions...
You win. Gamers Nexus better like your comment.
During an earlier look at the hardware, an MS engineer mentioned that the hole on the side of the fan is there as an emergency exhaust escape just in case something was to be placed on top, such as a game case 👍 Awesome insight guys, thanks!
Steve, I'm pretty sure the MAP gas is not hot, it's typically colder than ambient due to state change. I'd bet the gas being visible in this use case is due to the gas itself having significantly different density than the air, thus giving you the density gradient that can be imaged.
And of course the gas being cooler would also create a density gradient.
Exactly. I'm glad someone else noticed this!
You'd see the difference regardless of whether the torch had been run recently or not. Methyl acetylene and propane have significantly different density than air, at room temperature or not! (and if it is being released from a pressurised cylinder, it's gonna be lower than room temperature due to the pressure drop effect)
Ok good im not the only one. I thought he was gonna say "the gas is cold but not as strong" but then I just accepted I was wrong about how gas works lol
Certainly. 'Bottled' gas is pressurized and, therefore, is cold.
Anyone who does whip-its knows how cold expanding gas can get :P
I remember an interview where a Microsoft engineer stated that the small vent was a sort of last resort exhaust so the system would have some cooling in case a game case or some other obstruction was placed on the main exhaust grille while the system was running.
A game case has a larger surface area than the exhaust 👀 it will cover it all
@@Gaming-Legends007 The exhaust mini port is on the side of the console, it's impossible to cover it and the top main port with a game case at the same time .
@@Gaming-Legends007 I know you said your goof comment 6 months ago but OOF... that is all
it's basically like the mini overflow drain in your bathroom sink.
So, it's a small thermal exhaust port, just below the main port...
...is it ray-shielded? I don't have any proton torpedoes left.
The slot on the back of the Series X is a thermal safety measure for the possibility of someone putting something like a game case on top of the Xbox blocking the main exhaust. Microsoft detailed this during their launch campaign.
Yup. Good memory, too often people forget the details
They even designed the Xbox one like this.. Thermal issues were a problem in 2006 during RROD ever since the Xbox 360S console they almost NEVER overheated.. I've left my 360 and One on for DAYS with the top vents blocked and nothing happened
@@Mr.Genesis lol are you nuts lol the xbox 360 was really bad for over heating
@@deepergodeeper7618 you mean the ORIGINAL 360.. the one that was redesigned and then replaced because of said issues.. :) i did say the 360S. Try reading next time.
@@Mr.Genesis It gets confused cuz you said you left your 360 blocked and it didnt overheat.
I think the extra slot is an emergency thermal exhaust if someone puts something on the top of the case in vertical mode.
Oh man, even though I'm almost 100% a PC Gamer, I've been waiting for this video. This is super interesting!
What's the other couple percent? I mostly play on PC my self but also like my Nintendo games. PC and a Switch is a good combo imo. The best of both worlds. You get the most iconic exclusives and on PC the crushing hardware.
@@blitzwing1 I actually have a series x and I’d say it has nice raw horsepower and a super premium, microatx pc tower look
@@kaleidoskope4314 pokemon and mario needs to go
@@chriswright8074 🤦🏽
@@phantoslayer9332 raw power that still is behind the PS5 in most tests.
I love the science and thermal cooling engineering that went in making the Series X into a cuboid, and I love the way it's designed to use 1 huge and powerful fan at the top instead of the bottom, giving it a better thermal exhaust design.
MSI sent their little spy to watch Steve I see.
He's been unearthed (again)!
@@GamersNexus They know
MSI smoke and mirrors :)
@@GamersNexus So that by definition makes it a fossil of an extinct species?
They haven't sent a bike, yet.
The depth and passion in this one just too good. Good Job Steve !
Steve: "This is not a thermal test."
Internet: "Look at this thermal test!
He repeats it a bunch of time throughout the video.
@@Mr28d23 the problem isn't with Steve, it's the "internet"
If the equipment didn't cost so much, I'd wager they'd have stopped doing these tests already because there are so many fucking dumbasses that can't listen to a word he's saying.
People: waaaa poop in brain
One thing regarding the Series X shutdown : I noticed that the fan on mine will continue run at a very low RPM for several minutes after shutdown, especially after longer gaming sessions. It looks to me like temp monitoring and fan control continues after shutdown, until it reaches a threshold or maybe a set temp before allowing the fan to power off. This is while using the "Power Saver" shutdown option btw, not the quick start option.
The previous X definitely does this as well
Background subtraction and intensity normalization might give you an improved view of the density gradients.
Thanks for the idea!
pants might be blue at 5 o clock orange is eaten bus drives uphill XD
“dont block the bottom intake vents”, well, since the hdmi ports are right next to it, I can't see a case where someone will face that side of Xbox down toward the table...
Never underestimate human stupidity.
*builds custom cabinet that lets the hdmi ports in and blocks off everything else*
Remember gorilla glue...
@@cuy50 Still wouldn`t sit flush, and would hinder airflow, not block it off completely
@@stevendarkstalker that poor woman
"Something that would last us forever"
**Until the cursed MSI Dragon seeks revenge
Shhh... Don’t tell Steve nothing lasts forever.
unLucky the Dragon
Its sitting in the mirror at the start.
I wouldnt be surprised if that dragon tries to stab him one day
Thank you for reinforcing that "hot air rises" is irrelevant to a computer case with active airflow.
The hole just below the main exhaust is to allow some airflow even if the top is covered by someone accidentally. It was mentioned in the teardown with digital foundry.
You are correct!
It's similar to those holes in the sides of sink basons that prevent water overflow in the event of a drain blockage.
I can imagine the internal design presentation, everyone's looking at how nice the model looks, and then one of the engineers unceremoniously puts a book on top of it.
I can't imagine the tiny hole would be sufficient if a book was put on top of it. It's going to get significantly hotter in there, but because of the tiny hole, the console might still be operational, even if it's degrading more rapidly. Perhaps a better solution would be to just let the console reach its thermal shutdown limit, then give the user a warning when it turns on again, telling them to remove obstructions from the exhaust vent. Or just significantly throttle the CPU before it happened, and pop up a full-screen warning message that can't be clicked away until the temperature is back to normal.
@@stale2665 I'm pretty sure all modern consoles have some sort of thermal adjustments or shut down sequence if it gets to hot...
The hole is just there so you don't reach that point as quickly I'm pretty sure
I wish I could give more likes for this video because it really demonstrates how the air flow works on these consoles and gives owners an idea of a safe way to orient them in their entertainment centers. I have my series x positioned behind my tv vertically so it has plenty of room to breathe.
"A really cool video" hehe
Its got a nice flow to it
Puntastic
Steve is gonna get some real HEAT from the FANS in this one.
@@jrsomethingnumbers9704 You could say he gets the heat of the moment ;P
It's nice to see Steve excited about playing with the new toys. Especially when he doesn't have to use those toys on CPU's and GPU's 😀
Please do the original Xbox 360.
Hey I know you
Original?
@@sageen The 1st model, that was prone to the rrod.
Yeah I'd be interested in seeing that 👌🏻
@@Dripularstein you are making a mistake.
"Cheaper" and "Ebay" in the same sentence sounds like a joke, nowadays.
True
eBay is not cheaper than another websites. boom it makes sense now doesn't it???????????????????????????????????
I would much rather use ebay than amazon
@@ediodimacaroni yeah can't blame you
@@ediodimacaroni I prefer Amazon when buying certain items (like electronics in general) only because of its return policy which is completely hassle-free if you don't consider external vendors.
The Series X really could have benefitted from an extra centimeter of height to add a removeable dust filter on the bottom.
It feels like a missed opportunity given it's unique vertical design.
Well I am sure they thought of that, but when your trying to hit a certin price point you sometimes have to cut things out hat you might like to have had to get it where it needs to be:P
I don't know why manufactures do not design in built-in air filters that can be easily replaced and cleaned. It's bad engineering.
@@zeniktorres4320 they could legitimized another cash grab for that too, such a missed oppoturnity
1 cm means a lot when you are going to produce millions of them
This guy thinks he knows more than the highly educated experienced engineers that designed this with a footprint/budget in mind? crazy
This is why I love GN, such interesting content. I'm waiting on Steve's human exhaust Schlieren airflow video comparison!
So... farting on a mirror?
@@xsteveconwayx More like across the front. 😄
GN: "All this was done using..."
My Guess: "Magic"
GN: "Sorcery"
I was close. :P
first is: we used a mirror to see the air density
then: we used a ziptie to tear trough space and time
The verge: we used thermal paste to overclock our ram
Or a plastic screw :P
Fluid dynamics is what it is all about. Air is technically a fluid that can be pushed around just like water or any other fluid. You're spot on in stating the orientation only matters in as much as you don't block intake or exhaust and you have a sufficiently fast enough fan...
air isn't technically a fluid it is a fluid by definition...
@@LCDqBqA fluids are any substance that can have flow. Air is made of stuff, air particles, that are loosely held together in a gas form. Although liquids are the most commonly recognized fluids, gasses are also fluids. Since air is a gas, it flows and takes the form of its container.
@@LCDqBqA -- Gassed quite literally are an example of fluids. I believe you're thinking of the definition of liquids, which are also fluid, but not all fluids are liquid... like gases.
Im an engineer so i figured i would give some input. First, i do think you did this very well and appreciate what you have done here as no other reviewer does these tests.
First, that odd slot in the top you said was for acoustics. I wonder if it might be a sort of fail safe where if some genius sets a box on top of the exhaust, the console isn't completely starved. Not that it would be an efective exaust, it would still thermal throttle like crazy, but it could save it from death. That could be a different explanation. The way to test this is to simply place a box on the exhaust and see how it reacts.
Im not completely sold on your explanation of the convexity of the top being the culprit for the converting exaust airflow. I have a decent amound to experience with aerodynamics and that would be acting in a way that i wouldn't expect. I suspect it could be from the rotation induced by the spinning of the fan. But this theory has holes as well.
One text i would like to see if possible, is a repeat of the hot power off test that you did with the xbox on the side, but with the console standing upright. This would somewhat show the effectiveness of the updraft cooling, which could give ideas for passivly cooled systems that are better than what is currently available.
Final thought, one reason i suspect the fan is so far away from the exhaust vent of the xbox is to reduce noise. When a propeller balde spins too close to something perpendicular to it, like the holes in the grill, it creats a audible pulse. This can be fixed by moving the blades farther from the grill. This isnt genneraly seen with computers and the things close to the fan are rather thin so are not all to affected by this. But the grill on the xbox, which seems to be half a inch in some places, would definitely be affected.
Anyhow, thank you for making this. Without you, it just wouldn't be seen as it just takes a lot of equipment.
The gas converging is pretty easily explained like Steve did by the fact that the holes are deeper to the sides than in the middle. The outer edge guides the gas more than the inner edge of a hole. Honestly hard to explain without visualization for me but draw random lines from the fan out side the case and you will see that those that would stray further from the middle hit the edges while the ones aimed from the edge towards the middle pass. The ones that pass basically get directed by the rest of the gas going straight up/towards the middle of the flow.
If anyone is interested in experimenting with schlieren images, there is a way to do this on the cheap, requiring only some basic image processing: synthetic schlieren or BOS schlieren. Basically, you use a background with a texture and then subtract it from the frames. The only thing is that the sensitivity is lower, but still fun to do, even made a video about it using python and openCV.
I'm just impressed how the Xbox and ps5 didn't come alive and punch each other on his table.
I just pictured both consoles transforming into Rock'em Sock'em robots and pummeling each other thanks to YOU! 😂😂😂😂😂
That's so funny... made me laugh a lot... You definitely win the internet for today...
Aye psycho that's exactly what I was picturing too my guy haha.
@@jarodatkinson5306 and you win a lifetime of best wishes from me. Have a good day.
@@davidzrescalante503 HAHAHAHAHA
12:30 It's not that the gas is hot, it's actually denser than air of the same temp and that's why you can see it.
Steve, the MAPP gas will show up regardless of whether the torch has been lit recently; its usefulness in imaging is not from it being hot. It's just because the gas mixture is a different density to air, simply because of its chemical composition (methyl acetylene and propane is rather different to mostly nitrogen and oxygen, after all) !
... also, it may actually be slightly cooler than air because of the pressure drop effect, as it is being decompressed from a high pressure cylinder, cooling the gas.
Both the inherent gas density difference and the lower temperature of it (producing more density difference) are the reason why it is useful in imaging for you :)
Nowadays MAPP is actually just propylene. Your point is still correct of course.
@@klugeskind90 Most of it is, yeah, although it is still possible to buy genuine methylacetylene - propane gas mixture... it's just not over the counter in semi mainstream shops anymore sadly :( (I've been able to get it from welding supply shops)
Good point nonetheless. Still, as you note, propylene is still a different density to air :)
@@klugeskind90 Again your point is well made, and sparks more ideas in me: I suggest Steve just uses another kind of bottled gas for intake gas imaging... maybe something non flammable for safety's sake, so perhaps argon, which is readily available, including in disposable cylinders even. Argon would work really well actually given its high density, lots of contrast! And totally inert of course, hence its use in TIG welding for which it is typically sold (as well as a blanketing gas in oxygen-sensitive chemistry!) :)
@@mduckernz argon is exactly what i was thinking as he was running a highly flammable gas through a heated, contained area. I didn't actually think there was much of a chance for ignition, but you never know when a spark could be released if something unrelated went wrong at just the wrong time!
@@mduckernz or if they need something small and hand held, they could use canned “air” as the refrigerant used in them should provide a good temperature gradient.
that concave design on the Xbox Series X promotes exhaust "scavenging" which allows the heat to escape at a higher velocity. pretty cool. The fan being countersunk down into that venturi allows it to create a proper vacuum inside the box as well no matter how clean or dirty it is.
I never see clean vacuum before 😅
*according to a microsoft engineer the hole in the back is there to save the console if somebody blocks the top vent by placing something on top*
Is that the mouth hole out of which it screams like a scared R2D2?
I don't know how this isn't blatantly obvious.
@@nickwallette6201 it screams?? Lol that sounds super cool unfortunately my X is quieter than my heartbeat
Hats off to you guys for experimenting with this type of imaging. I love seeing this kind of stuff from youtubers.
The MAPP gas coming out of the canister is colder not hotter.
Yeah. I think we are seeing the density gradient between the gasses.
I mean it's going from a liquid state to a gas, so it's boiling.
It's not hot nor warm in the traditional human-perception sense, but as mentioned it's mainly the differences in densities being utilized as a visual.
If they wanted to use a less potentially flammable solution, I think a hot plate on low near the intakes might provide the needed heat.
@@River_Miles Did you actually read my whole comment? I never indicated it was hot.
@@River_Miles Glad you took a second look.
Ice could introduce condensation, so my vote still goes to a heating element of some kind set relatively low. These components are better at mitigating and withstanding extremes of heat versus cold, etc.
@@Tsinij so you mention that its boiling for what? Why make that point to begin with?
The point is, in the video he said he is using the hot gas of the non ignited torch, that is factually incorrect. That is what was being pointed out.
The cooling system of the series x is one of the most impressive I’ve ever seen
since the Xbox one and maybe later models of the Xbox 360 Microsoft had always done a great job with cooling. Launch Ps4 and Ps4 pro were way too loud
Killer video guys! Love this stuff. Fascinating.
The comments here are suprisingly lacking fanboys which is great.
NOOOOO, you'll summon the horde!
Oooh! I actually know this!! The exhaust hole in the back in for just in case the main exhaust port is blocked (I believe the example given was someone placing a book on the top of the xbox) it would still allow some airflow to avoid thermal damage. I heard this from a microsoft engineer walking through the system on a pre launch video.
I actually found it!! ua-cam.com/video/7Fjn4GRw8qE/v-deo.html Austin Evans was talking with xbox principal designer Chris Kujawski back in March 2020.
I was not expecting the karate chop removal of the PS5 cover :)
GN: spends $1000s on obscure testing equipment to show air moving.
Me, an intellectual: set it on fire to see smoke.
It's an Xbox Series X, not an NZXT H1. :P
Awesome job! I think a lot of people probably underestimate how useful this info actually is. It shows the ultimate truth of real estate: location location location. LOL You might think you can just plop your consumer electronic anywhere and it'll run just fine, but you really have certain areas that you need to keep clear and certain areas that just don't matter, so you can block up.
One thing that surprised me ... the ridiculously unoptimized airflow, especially the intake. Common sense would have said these devices are pushing their limits harder than ever, so they'd be designed to make the absolute most out of airflow. But ... no. They actually kinda suck. Or ... don't suck. Because their intakes are blocked. WTF?! I really would have expected better. Honestly, I kind of wonder how much of that is accidental and how much of it is intentional. Is this a planned obsolescence to choke the system with dust? I sure hope not! But it does kinda make one wonder why they wouldn't have designed intake better, and with an easily removed washable filter in place. Either way, it does kind of make me wonder if at this point there isn't an emerging market for re-casing these devices. Move the hardware from the stock case to a better design. I wonder how long until we see third-party cases come out for them.
That extra slot vent at the back of the console is for if a kid or someone runs it with the top covered.
Confirmed by Microsoft.
"Potentially a reduction in turbulent noise as a result of turbulence"
- Beve Sturke 2021
i don't think the MAP gas is showing up because it's hot, it's showing up because it's dense. where would the heat be coming from if it wasn't lit?
WAP gas is not the subject of the video
Generally decompressing a gas will release it cold since it has less energy per volume. I do believe you're correct that it's a matter of density
Yeah I was going to comment this. He said himself schlieren imaging can pick up density differences - MAP gas is obviously not the same density as air, nothing to do with difference in heat...
You are right. Thant and the decompression is cold.
I love that you guys actually use most (all?) of the services from your sponsors so the recommendation actually makes sense. No sellout bullshit.
Correction - It’s not the “heat” of the MAPP gas you’re seeing. Rather, MAPP gas itself is more dense than normal air. The density difference between the two gasses is what makes the visualization possible. You can tell because ALL of the MAPP gas falls (even the gas that doesn’t go to the intake). If the visualization were due to heat, we would see it rising rather than falling.
Yes, I cringed when he said that he was just letting heat of the bottle. Releasing a pressurized gas causes the gas to drop in temperature as it expands on exit.
If this weren't scripted we could let it go...
As soon as he said it I went straight to the comments in the hope that someone corrected him.
Would of been an interesting video if something shorted while he was passing the MAPP gas through the console.
This video is just what I was looking for
Well explained with every detail
Shoutout to smarter everyway for making it so that when I heard schlieren imaging I knew what he was talking about.
The xbox is designed like a fan coil/air handler. The only thing missing is an air filter located in the bottom. Thank God it's easy to clean.
the gas fronn an unlit torch is cold, not hot. also thegas has a different density to the air
But is it safe to fill a room with propane tho?
@@damjanszabo With propane you would need to fill the volume of the room to at least 2% with it. I'm going to say that this is quite unlikely to archive it this way. ;) (But they might get high earlier tho. haha)
Vent above the fan on the side: Possibly an emergency vent in case someone puts something on top of the thing? Kind of like those backup drain valves in sinks and such. I dont think it would save the thing for long... but... still. Better than nothing?
I thought the same thing when I seen that slit. An emergency vent in case some Neanderthal puts their iPad or something on top of the console.
Still better airflow than that MSI case.
That's the stated use of that slit as per Microsoft.
Yeah. I was thinking exactly that as I was seeing the exit. Otherwise the air would be 100% impeded. And there are people out there stupid enough to put a book on top of it.
I think that without that exhaust basically the console would overheat immediately since there's NO airflow.
It's probably just to give it enough time to shut itself down or warn you to flip it back over.
I'm not ready for a PS5 and an Xbox Series X/S yet. I currently own a PS3 Super Slim and a PS4 Pro and they work just fine.
I just came here to hear Steve say "Schlieren"
"the PlayStation 5 is doing something completely unique compared to the PlayStation 5"
now i wonder what 2 versions of it are out there
Disc and no disc ;)
I can't wait to see what you guys will be doing with Schlieren imaging in the future. PC cases? AIOs? CPU air coolers? This is extremely fascinating to me.
Can we get an infrared video of what happens when one is in stock?
I heard the bots are still too quick... :(
We don't have an IR camera that'll do 10,000 fps
Great video. Curious to see how the 3 different PS5 cooling fan variants compare in terms of airflow. Just putting it out there, in case you get a hold of PS5s with Nidec and Delta fans (the one in your video is NMB).
i see jensen couldnt resist buying an ad spot for his spatulas
this is probably the best channel for gamers who are TRUE geeks.....
CAMERA-SIDE SORCEREY🧙🏼♂️
Imagine what kind of case Formula 1 aerodynamicist would create XD
Sulphur hexaflouride would be a safe, dense gas for flow imaging at room temperature. Also fun for lowering your voice pitch similar to the way helium raises your voice.
You know what would be great for this?
If you could super-impose a picture of the device you are imagine ontop of the "black" part of the image.
This would allow us to more easily "visualise" the device in question. Obviously it doesn't make a huge difference for the xbox (which would just be a big black box in most orientations), but the playstation might be more obvious...
I see that the Killshot is still in place, even the mirror is targeting MSi lol
Thank you for taking the time to make these technical deep-dive videos!!
Can you try this on an NZXT case? I want to know just where that air is coming from.
LOL
2:52 I love how that one exhaust fan is equal to like 10 apple machines in airflow
I can't be the only one that hears Wendell's voice everytime someone says "Linode", can I?
props for the one who filmed the product shot just past 25min mark.. so well lit it. looks like a render!
So in conclusion the Series X thermal design is more efficient when it comes to airflow
Yep, Xbox always ran cooler in almost all cases last gen too. PS5 is a huge improvement over the PS4 though. So far I've not been able to notice any of my consoles making noise apart from when you insert a disc into the PS5, it'll ramp up a little but then it quietens down. The series x? Dead silent. I have noctua fans in my main PC rig so switching to the consoles is a really pleasant experience.
@@therealpureessence2437 xboxs always have a more promininet hole for airflow like the xbox one s with a cutout contrary to the ps4s which try and pretty much limit the airflow lol
Ok, that's what I wanted to know, without watching 30 min video.
Thank you sir.
Imma out.
Shortly after the making of this video, both units showed up on eBay for a $1000 each with a autographed Polaroid selfie pic.
This is brilliant work. Well done Steve to you and the team. Very useful.
it's really interesting to see how effective the xbox's exhaust structure is, considering the impeded intakes. Another thing to note is the tapered plastic attached to the fan to diffuse the air away from the fan.
Thank you so much for this, i've been searching for the ps5's best orientation (not for thermal but airflow). This helped me feel at ease to leave it horizontally.
Make sure you use the official stand for any position. Horizontal or vertical.
I don't know exactly how I came across this video but so glad I did. Really interesting and different from the usual UA-cam stuff I come across. Subscribed
This content is amazing. You guys are one of a kind. Can't wait for the series S analysis!
The gas coming out of a torch is not hot, if you don't like it. It's a little cool from decompression and it naturally has a higher density than air. This is why it lingered on the bottom, if it were hot, it would have risen like a hot air balloon.
That MSI Dragon staring at me through the whole video is going to give me nightmares... *sends therapy bill to Gamer Nexus*
that hole on the back is there if I'm not mistaken as an emergency exhaust vent incase of the top vent getting blocked (say if someone accidentally set a textbook ontop of the console) to prevent it from having absolutely no airflow and hopefully preserve the hardware
isn't the hole in the back of the series x a failsafe incase someone places something on top of the console? it's obviously not ideal exhaust but it's enough to keep your console from completely overheating.
Good to know they thought of that, I usually put a cloth cover on top of my SX when it's not in use to prevent dust getting inside and on one occasion I forgot to remove it before starting a game session. Knowing that the back vent expelled at least some of the heat puts me a little at ease but I make sure not to repeat that mistake again.
I too thought that back screw was directly in the center when I first opened mine to clean it 😂
Any plans to use this technique to look at how cases vent hot air out? maybe for sff case reviews?
i just bought some legos and built "feet" for each corner while series x rests horizontally that raise it an extra inch and a half off the table for passive cooling from the bottom lol
Clicked away from Jay's molested Kingpin for this. Schlieren is my catnip.
Haven't watched a "J2C" video in over a year and I'm fine with that =)
@@rmalmeida1976 Rule of the internet. Mention Jay and at least one person will tell you they opted out. Like Vegans 😂
NO offence meant.
@@agenericaccount3935 Hey, did ya know I'm a vegan?
@@agenericaccount3935 Hey did you know I don't see Jay ?
Who is Jay's molested Kingpin?
This video made me realize I need to change our PS5's direction...it was just blowing hot air down at my PC intake. Keep up the good work Steve!
23:35 i cant be the only one that thinks the cable(s) looks like an arm/hand sticking out lol
Looks like one of those deep sea underwater heat vents in that imaging.. Looks cool.
By the airflow it seems like a lot of air flow is wasted on the ps5. Being pulled and sentb out the back with minimal intersection with the heat sinks
your mistaken and not understanding. Another point, The thing he was mentioning about it changing the airflows direction or path, is that its also thermal transfer happening at those times. More time along those fins, more thermal energy being taken away.
You and 30 other people have zero idea of what you're witnessing. For the air to reach the back it has to go through the heat sinks, Sony has been manufacturing electronics longer than most of you have been alive, they should know about how to vent heat waste. 🤦
@@evilformerlys4704 Well, ps4 pro and its design would strongly disagree with you...
@@dgcgois My daughter has been abusing my ps4 pro since it launched. It's loud but has never overheated. Still going strong.
9:51 "from here, to the chastity fan"
Soooo should I drill holes In the bottom of my series x?
No.
I mean it's your hardware do whatever you want with it but I would say probably no.
They might have tuned that intake volume to keep a good velocity to get that nice cone on top. I'm not any kind of expert but i could see that as a reason, similar to a small amount of vacuum being present in a car exhaust system.
"Oh no, the xbox's intake is inefficient because there arent enough holes."
*CONSOLE CRAMMED TO THE BRIM WITH PARTS*
"torches hot exhaust"? It should be colder, since it changed phase from liquid to a gas inside the bottle, before being released.
Thank you for making this videos while beeing so diligent and enthusiastic with a sprincle of crazy. 10/10 love it!
don't think I'm being a twat but your voice is a fantastic cure for insomnia
Microsoft have already stated what the small vent at the back was for before the console even came out, it’s just to allow airflow when people put things on top of the main vent.
Got to love the innovative cooling of both consoles. I especially have to applaud Microsoft for making this console so small and still silent. Probably the best design in consoles yet.
It's not exactly small lol neither is the ps5 but yeah cool designs both my series X and ps5 run cool and quiet
@@malazan6004 for what it’s packing inside it’s insanely small
Literally the worst and most uncreative design. Basically a 2003 GameCube ripoff. Ps5 just looks so modern and exactly what you'd expect to see in 2020.
@@timharlet7229 uh, that looks like an alienware from 2008 fancy useless shit, fyi, xbox design are trendy same as minimalist pc builds.
@@timharlet7229 ps5 looks awful, Xbox is a box like it’s supposed to be. Xbox wins in design and everything else