[RESPONDED] 12th Gen users, how is the fan noise for you?

I intend to place an order for the 1280p version and will run Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. How is the fan noise for this one? My usage will be the occasional medium size Java project builds using Gradle. Other times it will be mostly running Intellij on about 4 projects while coding and some Chrome and Firefox tabs open. I do watch Youtube or HBO max from time to time on one monitor while coding and I have to attend video meetings using Google meet involving about 10 people.

What can I expect from fan noise for such a usage profile?

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Though my case is 11th gen, I am using Framework Laptop to build source code, watch videos, and attend video meetings. The fan noise was improved by the setting below. (my working log) Before doing the setting, the noise was not okay.

I set a low fan usage profile using GitHub - TamtamHero/fw-fanctrl: A simple systemd service to better control Framework Laptop's fan which has been working well for me. I have the i7-1280p so it runs a little hot under some load but i almost never hear the fan

I have a similar workload but im running Windows 11 on the i7-1260p. Out of the box, the fans will ramp up often for me, especially with multiple monitors and watching videos while compiling or indexing. I would say, fans are on high speeds more than they are idling and I also can hear them well. Comparable to most laptops, especially thinkpads in my opinion. But they arent whiny or noisy. It is just a low-medium loud “wind”…

I only get a little fan activity when watching video or editing video. So for me, I’m good with it. But I also like knowing my fans work. :slight_smile:

I’m running a 1240P with TLP and I can barely hear anything from the fans, only when I do very intensive things like cloning my full 1TB NVME which took around 1000s. (Crazy!)

That’ll change in the future though, as I’m getting an eGPU and convert a lot of files (raw images, video files) to more supported formats. But knowing that they don’t sound like air jets, I don’t worry about it.

Framework is known for “aggressive” fan curves to get the CPU to stay cool, rather than slowly spinning and letting things go to 100 degrees (*cough* Thinkpad *cough*)
They are not whiny, but they are also not noiseless.

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Thank you for the replies. Although it is a little disappointing that a mostly idle IDE and a video would spin up the fans.

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I get it, I do. But 12th gen does run on the toasty side and fans running are definitely preferred to sluggish performance. Some IDEs do kick the fans up, even in idle.

Honestly its quite unfair to generalize things like this.

Some IDEs are as resource hungry as modern games, especially the ones written in javascript.

Unless you can compare a non-framework and framework with similiar specs and the same IDE and config its really not frameworks fault.

A better performance and cooling ratio is only possible in ARM, but that brings other issues like compability.

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Sorry if it came off that way. But speaking specifically, it does run warm. It’s something that is fairly common.

Fair, as I can only speculate. But I have heard of some IDEs running warm on idle.

Working at another Linux vendor, we used to see a LOT of complains about 12th gen fan noise. It’s not a bad thing, it simply the nature of how things are working based on the needs to keep things cool. If something triggers the fan (temp, the fan kicks it. If the fan is broken however, running all the time for no reason, that would be a concern worth investigation for sure. :slight_smile:

Update: I got the laptop yesterday. Wow, that is one loud laptop!

I had an instance of IntelliJ IDE open and was typing some code (not even running any tests or builds) and it was audibly spinning. Running a Gradle reload or a build will make it go crazy.

In comparison, with my existing HP Elitebook 850 G7, a normal coding session never spins the fans and they laptop is completely silent. Even when I am going full speed coding, loading code completions, navigating code through to my dependencies, loading Javadocs of libraries et there is no noise.

Previously I used to be able to code during meetings with my mic open but now I will have to either stop or turn off my mic. In an office setting this will certainly annoy people.

It is certainly faster, especially the SSD but I just wished it was a bit quieter during non-intensive work. I have 29 more days to decide if I want to keep it but right now the performance to noise trade-off does not seem balanced at all to me.

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@Swaranga_Sarma You might also want to try a different distro. I’m using Fedora 37 with TLP configured and my fans rarely spinup. As always YMMV depending on load.

Definitely worth installing and configuring TLP which will likely help some with the fans. Less power, less heat, less fans.