5 ms·

From what I have seen in other reviews, Framework laptops seem great but the fan is a tad too noisy. Any real experience with that? AMD ThinkPads are surprisin

by nextos 3y ago

From what I have seen in other reviews, Framework laptops seem great but the fan is a tad too noisy. Any real experience with that? AMD ThinkPads are surprisingly quiet.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
jackmott42 3y ago
On the bright side as it gets old, it will be easy to clean out the fan or re-do the thermal paste on the Framework! We have the first gen framework and while we haven't noticed any fan noise issue, its used to write a novel mostly, so we wouldn't be heating it up anyway.
LatticeAnimal 3y ago
> Any real experience with that? Normally fine, but around my majority-mac coworkers, it stands out quite a bit. Silent 90% of the time though.
- jmkni 3y ago
  The Macbook Air has ruined other laptops for me, in terms of fan noise/thermals/battery life!
- wildrhythms 3y ago
  My base model Macbook Air M1 have a Twitch stream, a few dozen browser tabs, VS Code, and docker container running simultaneously with no fan (and no noise obviously), but I try the same tasks on my Framework and it's blasting the fan and the performance goes to shit as it starts thermal throttling. :/
  - darthrupert 3y ago
    Yeah. I think I'll also steer clear from non-ARM processors from now on. It's starting to feel like driving a non-EV car. I wonder if we'll ever see a good PC with an ARM chipset?
longitudinal93 3y ago
It must be possible to upgrade the fan, no?
- jackmott42 3y ago
  in principle sure, but I don't think anyone offers such a thing, and it may not be possible to improve on what is in there much. you could do things like replace the thermal paste with liquid metal etc which may help, and that is easier on a framework than other pcs.
  - andrewia 3y ago
    Don't forget PTM thermal pads! They have a respectable 8 W/m•K conductivity and don't pump themselves out or dry out like thermal paste. They've become popular with gaming laptop companies and users.
    - xxs 3y ago
      8W/m.K is pitiful as they are much 'thicker' than thermal paste; good pastes should have higher thermal conductivity to boot as well. If a solid pad is needed in place of thermal paste - carbon pads, e.g. "Carbonaut" is a lot better solution. Carbon sheets have higher base thermal conductivity than copper, of course not so high when polymerized.
- washadjeffmad 3y ago
  Or undervolt, or adjust the fan curves in BIOS?
- xxs 3y ago
  upgrade to what? larger fan that spins at lower rpm? At higher rpm the noise is pretty much given, regardless how "magical" a fan can be.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
hecanjog 3y ago
I have a 1st batch framework (the first batch of the first laptop version) which I haven't upgraded or changed at all yet. (Hinges are on the list tho!) The fan engages sometimes but it doesn't bother me in practice FWIW. I'm a computer musician who uses the framework for DSP processing, but I'm also someone who is maybe more tolerant of noise than most so YMMV.
- zmk5 3y ago
  The 12th Gen I think was worse in terms of fan noise than the 11th.
brucethemoose2 3y ago
Its kinda a compromise for the modularity. Big heatsinks in a thin chassis are inherently big, difficult to remove and cover other components up.
laserbeam 3y ago
The smallest 12th gen intel here. Yes, the fan is annoying. Reviews seem to suggest the 12th gen intel is the worst of the offerings, but overall I still like the laptop. Switching power modes (in windows, haven't ran linux on it yet) does wonders for the fan, but can also destroy certain workloads. I often run DJ software and I can't use Rekordbox in eco modes. Have to be in ballanced or performance. Note that none of this is surprising. DJ software is not lightweight. With it running fan spin is painful in performance mode, but doesn't bother me in balanced. I can't use some of the more power hungry features in Rekordbox without fan noise issues. Stem separation for example (newer features that separate vocals, drums, melody etc). I never expected to, those need beefy laptops, and I went for the weakest model (for unrelated reasons). It works in performance mode but the fan is really killing me. Yes. I know most people are unfamiliar with DJ software, but it's the best example I have. And yes, since we're talking DJ software, the music obviously overpowers the fans when there are speakers and a crowd around. I notice the fans at home when practicing. [Edit/tldr]: Battery saver / eco modes = no fan issues. Balanced mode = fan, but ok. Performance mode = fan is among the worst I've heard on a laptop. I still recommend the laptop overall.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
justin66 3y ago
> Framework laptops seem great but the fan is a tad too noisy. Half that statement is true. They're not great, for a variety of reasons, and the fan is quite noisy. The main thing I learned buying a Framework laptop and a Macbook Air M2 within a year of one another is how low I rank repairability among my priorities.
dinkleberg 3y ago
I got one recently with the 13th gen and it gets noisy when I’m compiling but otherwise is silent.
schmorptron 3y ago
https://youtu.be/uwr14Q4C9gY?feature=shared&t=292 https://youtu.be/uwr14Q4C9gY?feature=shared&t=292 This youtube reviewer suggests that while fan noise was his primary complaint with the intel model, this amd version is much improved in that regard.

by nextos 3y ago

From what I have seen in other reviews, Framework laptops seem great but the fan is a tad too noisy. Any real experience with that? AMD ThinkPads are surprisingly quiet.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

jackmott42 3y ago

On the bright side as it gets old, it will be easy to clean out the fan or re-do the thermal paste on the Framework! We have the first gen framework and while we haven't noticed any fan noise issue, its used to write a novel mostly, so we wouldn't be heating it up anyway.

LatticeAnimal 3y ago

> Any real experience with that? Normally fine, but around my majority-mac coworkers, it stands out quite a bit. Silent 90% of the time though.

jmkni 3y ago
The Macbook Air has ruined other laptops for me, in terms of fan noise/thermals/battery life!
wildrhythms 3y ago
My base model Macbook Air M1 have a Twitch stream, a few dozen browser tabs, VS Code, and docker container running simultaneously with no fan (and no noise obviously), but I try the same tasks on my Framework and it's blasting the fan and the performance goes to shit as it starts thermal throttling. :/
- darthrupert 3y ago
  Yeah. I think I'll also steer clear from non-ARM processors from now on. It's starting to feel like driving a non-EV car. I wonder if we'll ever see a good PC with an ARM chipset?

longitudinal93 3y ago

It must be possible to upgrade the fan, no?

jackmott42 3y ago
in principle sure, but I don't think anyone offers such a thing, and it may not be possible to improve on what is in there much. you could do things like replace the thermal paste with liquid metal etc which may help, and that is easier on a framework than other pcs.
- andrewia 3y ago
  Don't forget PTM thermal pads! They have a respectable 8 W/m•K conductivity and don't pump themselves out or dry out like thermal paste. They've become popular with gaming laptop companies and users.
  - xxs 3y ago
    8W/m.K is pitiful as they are much 'thicker' than thermal paste; good pastes should have higher thermal conductivity to boot as well. If a solid pad is needed in place of thermal paste - carbon pads, e.g. "Carbonaut" is a lot better solution. Carbon sheets have higher base thermal conductivity than copper, of course not so high when polymerized.
washadjeffmad 3y ago
Or undervolt, or adjust the fan curves in BIOS?
xxs 3y ago
upgrade to what? larger fan that spins at lower rpm? At higher rpm the noise is pretty much given, regardless how "magical" a fan can be.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

hecanjog 3y ago

I have a 1st batch framework (the first batch of the first laptop version) which I haven't upgraded or changed at all yet. (Hinges are on the list tho!) The fan engages sometimes but it doesn't bother me in practice FWIW. I'm a computer musician who uses the framework for DSP processing, but I'm also someone who is maybe more tolerant of noise than most so YMMV.

zmk5 3y ago
The 12th Gen I think was worse in terms of fan noise than the 11th.

brucethemoose2 3y ago

Its kinda a compromise for the modularity. Big heatsinks in a thin chassis are inherently big, difficult to remove and cover other components up.

laserbeam 3y ago

The smallest 12th gen intel here. Yes, the fan is annoying. Reviews seem to suggest the 12th gen intel is the worst of the offerings, but overall I still like the laptop. Switching power modes (in windows, haven't ran linux on it yet) does wonders for the fan, but can also destroy certain workloads. I often run DJ software and I can't use Rekordbox in eco modes. Have to be in ballanced or performance. Note that none of this is surprising. DJ software is not lightweight. With it running fan spin is painful in performance mode, but doesn't bother me in balanced. I can't use some of the more power hungry features in Rekordbox without fan noise issues. Stem separation for example (newer features that separate vocals, drums, melody etc). I never expected to, those need beefy laptops, and I went for the weakest model (for unrelated reasons). It works in performance mode but the fan is really killing me. Yes. I know most people are unfamiliar with DJ software, but it's the best example I have. And yes, since we're talking DJ software, the music obviously overpowers the fans when there are speakers and a crowd around. I notice the fans at home when practicing. [Edit/tldr]: Battery saver / eco modes = no fan issues. Balanced mode = fan, but ok. Performance mode = fan is among the worst I've heard on a laptop. I still recommend the laptop overall.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

justin66 3y ago

> Framework laptops seem great but the fan is a tad too noisy. Half that statement is true. They're not great, for a variety of reasons, and the fan is quite noisy. The main thing I learned buying a Framework laptop and a Macbook Air M2 within a year of one another is how low I rank repairability among my priorities.

dinkleberg 3y ago

I got one recently with the 13th gen and it gets noisy when I’m compiling but otherwise is silent.

schmorptron 3y ago

https://youtu.be/uwr14Q4C9gY?feature=shared&t=292 https://youtu.be/uwr14Q4C9gY?feature=shared&t=292 This youtube reviewer suggests that while fan noise was his primary complaint with the intel model, this amd version is much improved in that regard.