4 ms·

I have almost identical spec laptops from Dell and Apple (XPS 15 and 15" MacBook Pro with same CPU) and on both they ramp up to full fan speed when I do any ser

I have almost identical spec laptops from Dell and Apple (XPS 15 and 15" MacBook Pro with same CPU) and on both they ramp up to full fan speed when I do any serious work on them so it isn't limited to Apple laptops. Pretty much all 15" laptops with 45W Intel CPUs turn into jet engines when under load, at least in my experience. Also not to defend Apple but I do find the MacBook Pro cools down and gets quieter quicker than the Dell does although that could down to my personal setup (tools, configuration, etc). Could be the more powerful Nvidia dGPU on the Dell although I am talking purely CPU workload however with the shared thermal solution the Dell has it could be a bigger factor than I think?

rubber_duck 7y ago
But windows has power profiles, intel utilities to undervolt and limit boost clock
ben-schaaf 7y ago
In my experience there are 15" laptops with adequate cooling solutions for Intel's 45W parts. They just turn out to be heavier, because a proper metal heatsink is just heavy.
proverbialbunny 7y ago
>Also not to defend Apple but I do find the MacBook Pro cools down and gets quieter quicker than the Dell does although that could down to my personal setup Apple tunes itself to spin down it's fans later, which is why you're noticing this. This is because when the average user runs a cpu intensive task it is unlikely you will run another one seconds later, so the cpu can cool off without all the fan noise.
Joeri 7y ago
I have a thinkpad t460p, it has a 45w cpu and stays quiet under load, even after years of use. It is two times as thick as a macbook pro. Newer thinkpads are thinner and louder. As long as people buy for sleekness first and thermals second this is the outcome you get.
- satysin 7y ago
  Yes I wanted to go back and edit my post to clarify my "pretty much all" statement to state that I mean pretty much all the popular consumer and "stylish mobile workstation" 15" models with 45W CPUs are like this. It is possible to buy thicker/bulkier laptops that do a much better job at passive cooling and so don't get so loud. Personally I prefer the lighter/slimmer laptops for easier portability and am fine with the trade off of them being louder and thermal throttling a bit under load but I appreciate not everyone feels the same as me.

rubber_duck 7y ago

But windows has power profiles, intel utilities to undervolt and limit boost clock

ben-schaaf 7y ago

In my experience there are 15" laptops with adequate cooling solutions for Intel's 45W parts. They just turn out to be heavier, because a proper metal heatsink is just heavy.

proverbialbunny 7y ago

>Also not to defend Apple but I do find the MacBook Pro cools down and gets quieter quicker than the Dell does although that could down to my personal setup Apple tunes itself to spin down it's fans later, which is why you're noticing this. This is because when the average user runs a cpu intensive task it is unlikely you will run another one seconds later, so the cpu can cool off without all the fan noise.

Joeri 7y ago

I have a thinkpad t460p, it has a 45w cpu and stays quiet under load, even after years of use. It is two times as thick as a macbook pro. Newer thinkpads are thinner and louder. As long as people buy for sleekness first and thermals second this is the outcome you get.

satysin 7y ago
Yes I wanted to go back and edit my post to clarify my "pretty much all" statement to state that I mean pretty much all the popular consumer and "stylish mobile workstation" 15" models with 45W CPUs are like this. It is possible to buy thicker/bulkier laptops that do a much better job at passive cooling and so don't get so loud. Personally I prefer the lighter/slimmer laptops for easier portability and am fine with the trade off of them being louder and thermal throttling a bit under load but I appreciate not everyone feels the same as me.