Framework 16 gets way too hot all the time

I noticed that my Framework 16 becomes extremely hot whenever I upgrade hundreds of packages or build one from source. The fans keep spinning, and the back of the laptop becomes so hot that I could burn myself should I touch it for more than 5 seconds.

I installed lm_sensors and xsensors, an X11 frontend to the former and launched it. Below are the results in celcius. xsensors was ran after building a few packages from source than waiting about 15 minutes to cool down. CPU and Memory usage were both below 5% when xsensors was turned on.

nvme
Composite: 43.8
Sensor 1: 55.8
Sensor 2: 43.8

k10temp
Tctl: 51.0

mt7921_phy0
temp1: 46.0

amdgpu
edge: 54.0
junction: 55.0
mem: 70.0

acpitz
temp1: 47.8
temp2: 49.8
temp3: 50.8
temp4: 47.8
temp5: 54.8
temp6: 60.8
temp7: 55.8
temp8: 51.8

The temperatures are quite high, and amdgpu’s 70 degrees is especially very concerning. The laptop seldomly freezes without any reason and I believe that the high temperature is to blame. Currently my laptop is vertically positioned so both the front and the back are exposed. It is connected via HDMI to an external monitor. Is there anything that I can do to cool down the system? I am worried that exposing the laptop to harsh conditions for a prolonged period could significantly reduce its lifespan.

Below are the specs. All equipment was purchased from Framework, except the OS.

Specs
Model: Framework Laptop 16 DIY
System: Ryzen 9 7940HS
Memory: DDR5-5600 - 64GB
Primary Storage: WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe - M.2 2280 - 4TB
Secondary Storage: Western Digital SN740 NVMe - M.2 2230 - 2TB
OS: Arch Linux
Expansion Bay Module: Graphics Module(AMD Radeon RX 7700S)
Keyboard: US English
Input Module: Numpad Module
Power Adapter: 180W Power Adapter (US)

Based on computer operating temps, I see nothing out of the norm. What is the ambient temperature of the room you are in? I would be interested to know what your temps are when the machine has been idle for a while.

You say the device is vertical, does this mean that the back of the 16 is up in the air, or the front of the laptop is up in the air? For obvious reasons, you would want the back of the laptop up in the air and the front down in the stand.

3 Likes

This is not overheating, Tctl is expected to be 90~100 at full load

Where are you base your idea that 70 is too high? The AMD chips are designed to go to 100 before throttling.

Fans are easily able to overcome gravity to push air out, this does not matter. Only if it was passive cooling, which it’s not.