I just installed the latest UEFI firmware via fwupdmgr. During the flashing stage (i.e. after the system had rebooted once), the laptop got hot enough to turn the fan on. I expected this. However, when the fans came on, parts of the chassis were already too hot to touch, and an unpleasant smell a bit like plastic that’s gotten too hot came out very clearly with the exhaust air. This continued for perhaps 30 seconds after the end of the flashing process. This shocked and concerned me. The system still seems to work, but I don’t know if any damage has been done. (I haven’t torn the system down to look for melting, etc.) Does anyone have a perspective to share?
For additional context, I will mention that I had the laptop sitting on a pillow during the first part of the update. I knew thermals could be a concern, so I paid close attention to the laptop during the update. When I noticed how how it was getting, I held it up in midair to allow unimpeded air intake; this was about the same time that the fan came on. I know the perils of impeding air intake: as a computer repair tech in the early 2000s, I watched lots of people destroying their laptops by using them on their beds. Even so, I was surprised by how this escalated. It seems like the fan should have come on much sooner and run much faster. I don’t think it ever reached high RPM. I do not recall having this issue with previous updates, though I had the laptop on a desk for those (as I obviously should have done tonight as well).
The FW laptop has a know problem with regards to overheating when the fan air intake or outflow is blocked. It does not protect itself. This was known about since the reports on here of laptop waking up from sleep in backpacks and overheating itself.
In addition to James3 said, if you have to update BIOS on a soft surface, you can open the lid to about 60 degrees and place it on the surface face-down like a tent
I knew about those reports but didn’t know it was a thermal design issue. @James3 Thank you for the info! @Charlie_6 Good (and funny) idea. Thank you! Personally, I usually keep the laptop at a 90-degree L but with the screen flat on the surface and the body in the air, if I’m running a hot batch job like this on a soft surface. I forgot to do this last night, but I guess I’ll take this as an affirmation that I was being sensible rather than overly cautious.
FWIW I would love for the UEFI updater to set the fan to either 100% or whatever Framework feels is sufficient, since they know it’s going to be a very hot process. I have owned this laptop for about 18 months and never had this issue before, despite frequently using the laptop in this same position. I’m starting to forget, but I think my previous laptops (e.g. ThinkPad and Dell Precision) might have kicked the fans into high gear preemptively for BIOS updates.