Hot RAM temperatures triggering alarm - using default timings

Framework Laptop 16 Linux
1

The underbody of my Framework 16 laptop is frequently hot to the touch, especially when I’m gaming, and the air starts to smell of hot plastic. Strangely, my spd5118 sensor shows ALARM (HIGH) temperatures, which appears to be the RAM bus. but the CPU and GPU report being much cooler.

spd5118-i2c-24-50
Adapter: SMBus PIIX4 adapter port 0 at 0b00
temp1:        +73.5°C  (low  =  +0.0°C, high = +55.0°C)  ALARM (HIGH)
                       (crit low =  +0.0°C, crit = +85.0°C)

No overclocking, no hardware modifications. I just received my laptop last month (May).

Has anyone seen similar issues?

Hardware: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU with Radeon RX 7700S dGPU. 32 GB RAM in 1 stick.
OS: Bazzite 44 Desktop Edition (kernel 7.0.9-ogc3.2.fc44.x86_64)
BIOS: 4.04

Notice how the spd5118 RAM bus and mt7921 WiFi sensors are the hottest while playing No Man’s Sky at max graphics settings:

cros_ec-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
fan1:               2391 RPM
fan2:               2368 RPM
ambient_f75303@4d:   +59.9°C  (high = +86.8°C, crit = +86.8°C)
                              (emerg = +104.8°C)
charger_f75303@4d:   +61.9°C  (high = +86.8°C, crit = +86.8°C)
                              (emerg = +104.8°C)
apu_f75303@4d:       +62.9°C  (high = +86.8°C, crit = +86.8°C)
                              (emerg = +104.8°C)
cpu@4c:              +62.9°C  (high = +104.8°C, crit = +104.8°C)
                              (emerg = +124.8°C)
gpu_amb_f75303@4d:   +64.8°C  (high = -273.1°C, crit = -273.1°C)
                              (emerg = -273.1°C)
gpu_vr_f75303@4d:    +68.8°C  (high = +70.8°C, crit = +96.8°C)
                              (emerg = +104.8°C)
gpu_vram_f75303@4d:  +62.9°C  (high = -273.1°C, crit = -273.1°C)
                              (emerg = -273.1°C)
gpu_temp@40:         +58.9°C  (high = +86.8°C, crit = +104.8°C)
                              (emerg = +107.8°C)

amdgpu-pci-0300
Adapter: PCI adapter
vddgfx:       18.00 mV 
fan1:           0 RPM  (min =    0 RPM, max = 4900 RPM)
edge:         +59.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C, hyst = -273.1°C)
                       (emerg = +105.0°C)
junction:     +59.0°C  (crit = +100.0°C, hyst = -273.1°C)
                       (emerg = +105.0°C)
mem:          +62.0°C  (crit = +105.0°C, hyst = -273.1°C)
                       (emerg = +110.0°C)
PPT:         1000.00 mW (cap = 100.00 W)

mt7921_phy0-pci-0400
Adapter: PCI adapter
temp1:        +74.0°C  

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:003-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           0.00 V  (min =  +0.00 V, max =  +0.00 V)
curr1:         0.00 A  (max =  +0.00 A)

k10temp-pci-00c3
Adapter: PCI adapter
Tctl:         +63.4°C  

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:001-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           0.00 V  (min =  +0.00 V, max =  +0.00 V)
curr1:         0.00 A  (max =  +0.00 A)

BAT1-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
in0:          16.48 V  
curr1:         0.00 A  

amdgpu-pci-c400
Adapter: PCI adapter
vddgfx:        1.29 V  
vddnb:       760.00 mV 
edge:         +58.0°C  
PPT:          33.09 W  (avg =  30.11 W)

spd5118-i2c-24-50
Adapter: SMBus PIIX4 adapter port 0 at 0b00
temp1:        +73.5°C  (low  =  +0.0°C, high = +55.0°C)  ALARM (HIGH)
                       (crit low =  +0.0°C, crit = +85.0°C)

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:004-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           5.00 V  (min =  +5.00 V, max = +20.00 V)
curr1:         5.00 A  (max =  +5.00 A)

framework_laptop-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
fan1:        2391 RPM
fan2:        2368 RPM

ucsi_source_psy_USBC000:002-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
in0:           0.00 V  (min =  +0.00 V, max =  +0.00 V)
curr1:         0.00 A  (max =  +0.00 A)

nvme-pci-0500
Adapter: PCI adapter
Composite:    +50.9°C  (low  = -40.1°C, high = +89.8°C)
                       (crit = +93.8°C)
Sensor 1:     +54.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)
Sensor 2:     +52.9°C  (low  = -273.1°C, high = +65261.8°C)

acpitz-acpi-0
Adapter: ACPI interface
temp1:        +59.8°C  
temp2:        +61.8°C  
temp3:        +62.8°C  
temp4:        +62.8°C  
temp5:        +64.8°C  
temp6:        +68.8°C  
temp7:        +62.8°C  
temp8:        +58.8°C
2

You could try installing thermal padding on the module to have it make direct contact with the chassis, dissipating heat. There is basically no airflow over the module.

I did this myself just as a precaution and I had padding laying around.

3

A few people have reported similar things, I think I’ve seen it myself as well. The underside does get quite hot, but if you’re not encountering performance issues then it’s likely just the way it is. There are things you can do to make the device cooler on the whole, but for a brand new unit the chances of any of those being necessary are rather slim. I’ve made several modifications to my FW16, but my underside still gets hot (perhaps in part due to disabling STAPM). If you’re curious to see what I’ve done personally, I documented that here:

https://community.frame.work/t/all-the-modifications-ive-made-to-my-fw-16-so-far/

All my Framework 16 Mods

4

Sort of, the RAM modules overheating is a thing, but I’m not sure that’s necessarily the problem you’re having. At any of those temperatures you should be well under plastic things melting unless there is a weird sticker on the components or piece of plastic touching something it shouldn’t. It’s a bit annoying, but if the smell is easily distinguishable, I’d just run the machine hard and then quickly disassemble it to see if you can sniff out where it’s coming from. My module sensors now hang around 70C without any issues or odors after adding thermal pads, so I’m happy to leave my altered alarm thresholds higher than 70 (somewhere between 75-85 seems reasonable).

A single RAM stick is certainly going to face more pressure on it than a dual stick configuration, so that might also explain why it’s getting hot so easily with a dGPU module, and your fans are certainly not going anywhere near their top speed for the rest of the body so that would explain why it’s feeling hot to the touch.

I would start with just using some kind of fan control like Framework Control and setting a more aggressive curve after ~60 degrees; my fans are at ~1800rpm with ~45 degree sensor readings if I’m not doing anything; Playing a game on max spec should probably come with a larger fan speed.