Ventilator overreacts when using Reaper (new Win 11 laptop)

[Sound_Bear]

My new laptop's fan often (not always) starts to blow at max intensity as soon as I load a Reaper project. As long as the projects sits idle while I use another app, the fan will somewhat calm down after a few seconds, but it will speed up again once I go back to Reaper and it will go to max again when I hit Play.

I can't see a fault in my PC's specs. Summing the CPU load statements from all tracks' FX windows, I rarely reach 10 % even with two dozen plugins. Task Manager echoes that. The proc is an i7-12650H 2.30 GHz Deca-Core and I have 16 GB of RAM. The fan reaction doesn't seem to correlate to any percentage threshold of RAM use. And it doesn't make a difference if I use ASIO Generic, ASIO with my UA Volt 2, or Direct Sound with what I think are pretty generous Buffer distributions (e. g. 8 x 2048 or 16 x 1024). Also, the PC was bought new from the manufacturer, so probably no dust in there.

I'd hate to simply return the laptop after installing and activating all my stuff. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if further details are needed for attempts at remote diagnosis.

[donkey tugger]

My new laptop's fan often (not always) starts to blow at max intensity as soon as I load a Reaper project. As long as the projects sits idle while I use another app, the fan will somewhat calm down after a few seconds, but it will speed up again once I go back to Reaper and it will go to max again when I hit Play.

I can't see a fault in my PC's specs. Summing the CPU load statements from all tracks' FX windows, I rarely reach 10 % even with two dozen plugins. Task Manager echoes that. The proc is an i7-12650H 2.30 GHz Deca-Core and I have 16 GB of RAM. The fan reaction doesn't seem to correlate to any percentage threshold of RAM use. And it doesn't make a difference if I use ASIO Generic, ASIO with my UA Volt 2, or Direct Sound with what I think are pretty generous Buffer distributions (e. g. 8 x 2048 or 16 x 1024). Also, the PC was bought new from the manufacturer, so probably no dust in there.

I'd hate to simply return the laptop after installing and activating all my stuff. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know if further details are needed for attempts at remote diagnosis.

You may have somehow had Reaper set up to automatically trigger the 'extreme cooling' (or whatever it is on your model) setting in the manufacturers pre-installed application.

For example, I have an MSI laptop and using the 'MSI Centre' program you can configure it so certain applications will automatically change cpu power/fan etc modes, including 'nutter gamer mode' or whatever it is where the fan is constantly on full to cool the graphics card.

Just a thought.

[Sound_Bear]

Thanks. Good reminder - I forgot to mention that I have already looked up how to keep this model (Acer Aspire 5) from *generally* cooling too much too soon, but I'll re-check this.

Another addendum: 32-bit Reaper does not trigger the fan even when the project is similarly loaded with compatible plugins.

[donkey tugger]

Another addendum: 32-bit Reaper does not trigger the fan even when the project is similarly loaded with compatible plugins.

Very weird! Had a little search, this looks promising;

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=240610

[Greenstorm33]

That’s just how REAPER fans are. Wait.

[ghettosynth]

That’s just how REAPER fans are. Wait.

Blowhards full of hot air?

[cryophonik]

Am I the only one who read the thread title and expected the OP to be a YouTube vid of some fanboy gushing over Reaper?

[seangm]

Be glad you have fans, even if they are over reacting.

[Morgaxx]

Am I the only one who read the thread title and expected the OP to be a YouTube vid of some fanboy gushing over Reaper?

Nope

[BertKoor]

Had a little search, this looks promising;

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=240610

Nice find! Straight to the fix:

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Am I the only one who read the thread title and expected the OP to be a YouTube vid of some fanboy gushing over Reaper?

Kkkkkk.....no

[Sound_Bear]

Another addendum: 32-bit Reaper does not trigger the fan even when the project is similarly loaded with compatible plugins.

Very weird! Had a little search, this looks promising;

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=240610

Setting buffer behaviour to automatic doesn't change anything. In fact the fan often briefly goes to max when I change that parameter from whichever to whatever setting.

Everyone else - I'd appreciate if this thread was kept serious. Or if you are and you actually find the term "overreacting" inadequate (I can't determine which is the case), please suggest a better one. I'm not a native English speaker and this seemed the best one-word summary of what goes on.

Back to topic - at this point I'm on the fence about asking Acer for a replacement :-/

Edit - Changed thread title.

[donkey tugger]

Another addendum: 32-bit Reaper does not trigger the fan even when the project is similarly loaded with compatible plugins.

Very weird! Had a little search, this looks promising;

https://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=240610

Setting buffer behaviour to automatic doesn't change anything. In fact the fan often briefly goes to max when I change that parameter from whichever to whatever setting.

Back to topic - at this point I'm on the fence about asking Acer for a replacement :-/

Ah, worth a try. Wondering if any of the other settings there make a difference?

It does seem weird that it's only Reaper, and the 64 bit version at that. Have you tried on their forum at all, may get more users who have had similar problems?

I'm thinking that if Reaper is the only program where there's an issue the Acer will probably turn around and blame them not the laptop!

Anyway, can't think of anything else. Good luck with it.

[Sound_Bear]

Generally, should I expect 32-bit hosts (Reaper, VAZ Modular) to use less CPU than 64-bit ones on a Windows 11 PC with up-to-date hardware - or could it be the other way round (because of something like a generational gap at this point, in laymen terms)?
(Edit: especially, but not only, 64-bit hosts that are running 32-bit bridges.)

Background: I noticed that my VAZ Modular Banks disply similar percentages of CPU use as they did on my older PC, which dates from 2014 and runs Windows 8.1. And VAZ Modular is my most used synth in Reaper - in fact Reaper's built-in 32-bit bridging is the main reason I started using it.
(Edit to avoid confusion - VAZ Modular can both be a host and a plugin)

I guess I need to check out trials of other DAWs for VAZ compatibility, CPU usage and ventilator triggering. Somewhat bummed because this situations costs me a lot of unexpected time.

[Sound_Bear]

Weird update: I just installed sonible smart:reverb, and the fan went full throttle as soon as I opened the VST3 in Reaper to activate the license, but it also goes almost quiet when I deactivate OpenGL in smart:reverb's settings. I can really "play" the fan just by toggling that one switch in the plugin, it reacts that quickly.

It seems absurd to have a modern system react like this and at this point I suspect it's the PC, not Reaper. I hope Acer can explain this and take appropriate steps.