I’ve pre-ordered the 128G version of Framework Desktop for my music studio. Will be using it for virtual instruments playing and OBS video recording (for my YouTube channel) but I’m a bit worried about the temperature and noise level. I ordered the Noctua fan version and I know that fan is good, but all of the currently available AI Max+ 395 mini PCs become very hot and loud when under heavy load. Some of them even have 3 fans inside but the Framework Desktop has only one…
Any idea?
Generally, the smaller the case the louder it will be. If you want to go for a more silent PC, you better buy the mainboard only, use a giant PC case, add a few large, silent fans, optionally add foam panels and so on for additional sound proofing.
Of course the question is why the PC would be under full load just from OBS and a bit of sound playing.
You can expect it to run rather hot under full load but mobile chips are designed for that, so I don’t think this would be an issue. Regarding noise, all other Strix Halo systems so far have been designed in a mobile cooler design layout, ie with radial fans and compact dense heat sinks. Radial fans are substantially louder than axial fans which are commonly used in desktop systems, especially if they have to run fast, they can get very loud.
The Framework Desktop has a low profile desktop style CPU cooler with axial fan. Axial fans can move considerably more air than radial fans (so one axial fan can easily do the job of two radial fans), as long as the radiator is less dense and creates less drag. To achieve that, the radiator needs to be bigger, which it is in the case of the Framework Desktop.
I think we will soon see the first reviews on the Framework Desktop, given that the test sytems have been already shipped to reviewers, last week or so. In those reviews I expect to see some information on exactly those questions, noise and temperatures, among other things.
I don’t know for sure exactly how loud it’ll be, but going from the initial previews i saw, this is likely going to be the quietest version of this chip (and the reason i pre-ordered)
When i saw the LTT vid with the fan barely even needing to spin at idle i was sold
There have been other systems with the same chip i’ve seen demo’d, none seem to prioritise being quiet…