Table of Contents
In this article, we’re discussing fanless laptops and silent Windows ultrabooks and Chromebooks, or in other words, laptops with passive cooling solutions, without a fan that spins and makes noise.
You’ll find quite a few different laptops without a fan available in stores, and we’ll list them all based on screen size, weight, the hardware inside, and their pricing. We’ll also cover what we consider to be the best fanless designs available at the time of this update, and explain why we made those choices based on our reviews and experience.
Now, there’s one obvious reason why you’ll want a fanless laptop: it’s going to be noiseless and completely silent, especially as the passively cooled hardware is also paired with quiet SSD storage in most units. Older fanless machines, especially among the more affordable options, used to come with spinning HDDs, but even those could be upgraded in order to deliver what the fanless consumers desire: a quiet laptop experience, similar to what you’re getting with tablets or phones.
But there are a few other reasons, such as the fact that fanless designs are normally thin and lightweight as well, thus excellent for traveling and lugging around every day to work or school, plus the fact that without any moving parts inside, you won’t have to concern yourselves with vibrations or anything that can negatively impact your daily-use experience with the device.
At the same time, it’s important to understand that the majority of fanless laptops available these days are built on lower-power hardware platforms compared to the actively-cooled designs. So while the modern options can handle everyday tasks just fine, these fanless computers are not meant for serious multitasking or the more demanding chores you might want to perform on a modern laptop (editing videos and photos, gaming, running programming software, etc.). But there are some exceptions to the rule, with the newer hardware platforms, as you’ll see in a bit.
On top of that, you’ll also have to be aware of the two major classes of fanless laptops available in stores: premium designs, such as MacBook Airs or the Surface Pro X or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold, and affordable options available in various sizes, from mini-laptops such as the Asus L210 up to 15 and 17-inch all-around models from Dell or HP. We’ll discuss them all further down.
We’ll also talk a bit more about the fanless hardware platforms available at this very moment, towards the end of the post, so you’ll understand exactly what to expect from each of them. In a few words though, if you’re reading this article in 2023 or later, Intel Celeron/Pentium specs are the ones to get if you’re shopping on a budget, with some premium fanless Intel Core models and especially a handful of newer ARM-based implementations in the higher-tier products, either Chromebooks or fully fledged laptops running macOS or Windows.
Fanless laptop designs: No fans + No spinning HDD = no noise
For now, these are the available fanless laptops and ultra-portables. Click the links on each product’s name for more details and reviews, as well as the links in the Price column for the latest offers and discounts on the ones that you’re interested in.
Going with a fanless laptop normally translates into a compromise in performance and/or thermals. These options here are, however, pretty much the best money can get you in a fanless and completely silent product.
They’re very different between the various models, and I’d suggest further research to understand which is the right choice for you. You’ll find a couple of older Core devices running either Windows or ChromeOS, a couple of premium ARM-based devices running the ARM-version of Windows and compatible apps, you’ll find the excellent MacBook Air M1 and M2 running MacOS, as well as a few Windows laptops built on powerful Intel Core U hardware, such as the Huawei Matebook X and the ThinkPad X1 Fold.
If you’re willing to spend around 700-800 USD/EUR or your local equivalent on this sort of premium fanless laptop, the excellently balanced and long-lasting Apple MacBook Air M1 built on Apple silicon is still one of the go-to options in this segment, as significantly more affordable than the newer Air 13-inch M2/M3, and more powerful than the very few available Windows options with similar capabilities, such as the portable Huawei MateBook X (reviewed here).
Other options to consider in the Windows space are the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7/7+, even if these are rather old these days. These Surface tablets are fanless in their Core i3/i5 configurations. Those are older generations Intel platforms, but should still do fine for everyday use and daily multitasking. The newer Surface models are no longer fanless in any configurations.
This aside, on the more budget-friendly side, Chuwi makes a few interesting laptops without fans, built on low-power platforms and with small batteries, but otherwise with beautiful screens and premium designs. They’re worth a look, just make sure you buy them from stores with good warranty services and return policies. Update: Make sure to double check this, as some of the more recent Chuwi updates are no longer fanless, while previous generations were. See the comments section for details.
Furthermore, the Microsoft Surface Pro X and the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s are interesting options as well, as ARM-based Windows devices, just make sure you’re OK with the strong points and the quirks associated with the still finicky ARM-Windows duo.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Price |
| Acer Swift 7 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 32 Wh | .9 kg / 2 lbs | $1599 |
| Apple MacBook Air M1 | MacOS, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS retina glossy | Apple M1, 49.9 Wh | 1.29 kg / 2.7 lbs | $899 |
| Apple MacBook Air 13 M2 | MacOS, clamshell | 13.6″ IPS retina wide-gamut | Apple M2, 52.6 Wh | 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs | $1099 |
| Apple MacBook Air 15 M2 | MacOS, clamshell | 15.3″ IPS retina wide-gamut | Apple M2, 66.5 Wh | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs | $1299 |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434 | Chromebook, convertible | 14″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.2 lbs | $479 |
| Asus NovaGo | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Qualcomm 845, 52 Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $999 |
| Chuwi MiniBook X | Windows, convertible | 10.6″ IPS FHD+ touch | Alder Lake Pentium, 29 Wh | .92 kg / 2 lbs | $399 |
| Chuwi CoreBook X | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS 3:2 2K | Alder Lake Core i5 U, 46Wh | 1.36 kg / 3 lbs | $599 |
| Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 | Windows, tablet + folio | 13″ 3.2K IPS touch | Alder Lake Core U, 49.5 Wh | .76 kg / 1.6 lbs, plus keyboard |
$999 |
| Google Pixelbook | Chromebook, convertible | 12.3″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.13 kg / 2.5 lbs | $799 |
| Google Pixelbook Go | Chromebook, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS 16:10 FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $649 |
| HP Spectre Folio | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 55 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1199 |
| Huawei MateBook X | Windows, clamshell | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Comet Lake Core U, 42 Wh | 2.2 lbs / 1 kg | $999 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Snapdragon | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ 16:10 IPS matte | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, 49 Wh | 1.06 kg / 2.35 lbs | $1099 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold | foldable laptop | 16″ OLD 2K+ touch | Intel Core U, 48+16 Wh | 3.8 lbs / 1.8 kg | $2499 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 7 , 7+ | tablet + folio | 12.3″ IPS 2.7K touch | Intel Core i3 or i5 – 11th gen, 47.4 Wh | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs (without keyboard) |
$799 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | Windows on ARM, tablet | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon SQ1 or SQ2, 34 Wh | .78 lbs / 1.7 kg | $899 |
| Porsche Design Ultra One | Windows, clamshell | 15.6″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 45 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1399 |
| Samsung Galaxy Chromebook | Chromebook, convertible | 13.3″ OLED 4K touch | Core U, 49 Wh | 1 kg / 2.2 lbs | $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy Pro S | Windows, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Lakefield Core, 42 Wh | .95 lbs / 2.1 kg | $999 |
| Samsung Galaxy Pro S ARM | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Qualcomm 8cx, 42 Wh | .95 lbs / 2.1 kg | $999 |
| Venom BlackBook Zero 14 | clamshell, clamshell | 14″ IPS FHD matte | Amber Lake Core Y, 36 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.45 kg | $999 |
Full-size fanless laptops
This section is reserved for full-size everyday machines with 14+ inch screens. Most of these are Chromebooks, and I’ve only listed the most interesting picks here, as we do cover Chromebooks in general in a separate detailed article.
There aren’t many full-size fanless Windows laptop options, though, simply because you’d normally expect more competent hardware in a larger laptop, the kind that requires a fan. The ThinkPad X1 Fold stands out as the exception, though, as a fanless multi-purpose computer with a foldable OLED display (too bad this was never actually available to buy).
There are however some inexpensive models from Asus, Dell or HP to consider, with screens going from 14 to 17 inches in size. The Asus VivoBook Go Flip (14-inch, convertible) and Vivobook Go L510 (15-inch, clamshell), and the HP Laptop 17 (17-inch, clamshell), are the most interesting Windows options in this niche, just don’t expect much in terms of power from them. On the Chromebook Side, the popular HP ChromeBook 14 in this latest fanless variants is the go-to recommendation in this size class.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Price |
| Acer Chromebook 15 | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ IPS FHD | Apollo Lake Celeron/Pentium | 3.95 lbs / 1.8 kg | $299 |
| Acer Swift 1 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD | Apollo/Gemini Lake Pentium | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $349 |
| Asus Chromebook C425 | Chromebook, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD | Amber Lake Core Y, 56 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs | $349 |
| Asus VivoBook Go Flip 14 | Windows, convertible | 14″ IPS FHD touch | Jasper Lake Celeron, 39 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.2 lbs | $349 |
| Asus VivoBook Go 14 L410 | Windows, clamshell | 14″ LED FHD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs | $279 |
| Asus VivoBook Go 15 L510 | Windows, clamshell | 15.6″ LED FHD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.63 kg / 3.6 lbs | $299 |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 | Windows, convertible | 14″ TN HD or IPS FHD touch | Apollo Lake Celeron/Pentium | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $399 |
| HP Chromebook 14 | Chromebook, clamshell | 14″ TN HD or IPS FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 47 Wh | 1.45 kg / 3.4 lbs | $399 |
| HP Chromebook 15 | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ IPS FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 60 Wh | 1.85 kg / 4 lbs | $499 |
| HP Laptop 14 | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD matte | Snapdragon 7c or Intel Jasper Lake, 32 Wh |
1.25 kg / 2.8 lbs | $249 |
| HP ProBook Fortis 14 | Windows, clamshell | 14.0″ IPS FHD matte | Intel 12th-gen Core U, 42 Wh | 1.7 kg / 3.75 lbs | $849 |
| HP Laptop 17 | Windows, clamshell | 17.3″ TN HD+ | Gemini Lake Pentium, 41 Wh | 2.4 kg / 5.3 lbs | $399 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold | foldable laptop | 16″ OLD 2K+ touch | Intel Core U, 48+16 Wh | 3.8 lbs / 1.8 kg | $2499 |
| Samsung Chromebook 4+ | Chromebook, clamshell | 15.6″ TN FHD | Gemini Lake Pentium, 39 Wh | 1.8 kg / 3.8 lbs | $399 |
I’d also recommend checking out our detailed guide on the best 14 and 15-inch portable laptops you can find right now, as a follow-up in your quest for this sort of full-size multipurpose laptop.
Fanless ultrabooks and Windows ultra-portables
This section is reserved for the portables ultrabooks and thin-and-light laptops with screen sizes between 12 and sub-14-inches.
That includes the popular 12 and 13.3-inch categories, where you’ll mostly find the best-balanced mix of ergonomics and build quality, with a comfortable keyboard, a fair selection of ports, capable hardware and a fair-sized battery.
Here’s where you’ll also find most of the premium fanless offers already mentioned earlier in the article, such as the Apple MacBook Air M1 and M2 or the Huawei MateBook X, or the Microsoft Surface Pro X, but also some excellent mid-sized ChromeBooks, such as the Google Pixelbook Go or the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 13.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Start Price |
| Acer Swift 1 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Apollo/Gemini Lake Pentium | 1.3 kg / 2.9 lbs | $349 |
| Acer Switch 7 Black Edition | detachable | 13.5″ IPS touch | Kaby Lake-R Core U | 1.13 kg / 2.5 lbs | $1699 |
| Acer Aspire Switch 12S | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD | Skylake Core M | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs (w/ dock) | $1199 |
| Acer Aspire Switch Alpha 12 | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch | Skylake Core U | 1.3 kg / 2.85 lbs (w/ folio) | $599 |
| Acer Chromebook R13 | Convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Mediatek | 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs | $329 |
| Apple MacBook 12 | MacOS, clamshell | 12.0″ IPS retina | Skylake Core M | 0.90 kg / 2.0 lbs | $1199 |
| Apple MacBook Air | MacOS, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS retina glossy | Apple M1, 49.9 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs | $899 |
| Asus Chromebook Flip | Convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Kaby Lake Core Y | 1.2 kg / 2.65 lbs | $399 |
| Asus ExpertBook B3 |
Windows, tablet w/ folio | 10.5″ IPS touch | Snapdragon 7cx, 38 Wh | – | – |
| Asus VivoBook 13 Slate OLED |
Windows, tablet w/ folio | 10.5″ OLED touch | Jasper Lake Pentium, 50 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs (w/ folio) | $499 |
| Asus Zenbook Flip UX360CA | convertible | 13.3″ IPS touch FHD and QHD+ | Skylake Core Y | 1.3 kg / 2.86 lbs | $699 |
| Dell Latitude 12 7000 Rugged Extreme | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 12″ IPS touch FHD | Alder Lake Core U, 35.6 Wh | 1.26 kg / 2.8 lbs (w/ dock) | $1999 |
| Dell Latitude 13 7370 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | SkyLake Core Y | 1.25 kg / 2.75 lbs (w/ dock) | – |
| Dell XPS 12 9250 | detachable | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD or UHD | Skylake Core Y | 1.27 kg / 2.8 lbs (w/ dock) | $999 |
| Dell XPS 13 9365 | convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD/QHD+ touch | up to Amber Lake Core Y | 1.24 kg / 2.7 lbs | $999 |
| Dell XPS 13 9315 2-in-1 | Windows, tablet + folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD/QHD+ touch | Alder Lake Core U, 49.5 Wh | 1.3 kg / 2.85 lbs (w/ keyboard) | $999 |
| Eve V | tablet | 12.3″ IPS 2k | Kaby Lake Core Y | 1.33 kg / 3 lbs (w/ keyboard) | $799 |
| Lenovo Chromebook x360 12 | Chromebook, convertible | 12″ IPS HD+ touch | Gemini Lake Celeron, 40 Wh | 1.35 kg / 3 lbs | $399 |
| HP Elite Folio | Windows on Arm, tablet w/ folio | 13.5″ IPS FHD touch | Snapdragon 8cx, 46 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1499 |
| HP Spectre Folio | Windows, tablet w/ folio | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 55 Wh | 3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg | $1199 |
| Google Pixelbook Go | Chromebook, clamshell | 13.3″ IPS 16:10 FHD touch | Amber Lake Core Y, 48 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $649 |
| Huawei MateBook X | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13″ IPS 3:2 3K touch | Comet Lake Core U, 42 Wh | 2.2 lbs / 1 kg | $999 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Flex 13 | Chromebook, convertible | 13.3″ IPS FHD touch | Intel Core U, 51 Wh | 1.35 kg / 3 lbs | $349 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet | tablet | 12.0″ IPS touch | Kaby Lake Core Y | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs | $949 |
| Lenovo Tab P12 Pro | tablet | 12.5″ OLED 2K touch | Snapdragon 8c | 1.25 kg / 2.6 lbs | $599 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 5G | tablet + folio | 13″ IPS 3K touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon, 46.5 Wh | 0.88 kg / 1.95 lbs (without keyboard) |
$999 |
| Microsoft Surface Pro X | tablet + folio | 13″ IPS FHD+ touch | Qualcomm Snapdragon | 0.77 kg / 1.7 lbs (without keyboard) |
$999 |
| Samsung Chromebook 2 13 | clamshell | 13.3″ IPS FHD | Samsung Exynos 5 Octa | 1.38 kg / 3.06 lbs | $399 |
| Samsung Galaxy Go 5G | clamshell | 14″ LED FHD | Qualcomm Snapdragon, 42 Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $799 |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S | tablet | 12.1″ IPS FHD+ | Skylake Core Y | 0.69 kg / 1.53 lbs | $999 |
| Thomson NEO Z3 | Windows on ARM, clamshell | 13″ IPS FHD | Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs (w/ dock) | – |
| Toshiba Chromebook 13 CB35 | clamshell | 13.3″ TN HD | Celeron BayTrail | 1.33 kg / 2.95 lbs | $249 |
| Toshiba Portégé Z20t | convertible | 12.5″ IPS touch FHD | Broadwell Core M | 1.59 kg / 3.5 lbs (w/ dock) | $1299 |
| Xiaomi Book S 12.4 | tablet | 12.4″ IPS touch | Snapdragon 8cx, 38 Wh | 1.05 kg / 2.3 lbs | ~650 EUR |
| Xiaomi Mi Notebook 12 | clamshell | 12.5″ IPS FHD | Skylake Core U | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $899 |
Fanless Windows-running Mini laptops
Finally, we list here the smallest options, usually built on low-power hardware and primarily meant for basic daily tasks. Most of them are designed with either budget or long battery life in mind (and many check both these boxes).
The Microsoft Surface Go (Windows tablet) and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (ChromeBook) are my primary recommendations in this class. The Duet sells for $300 and less and is excellent for casual use, while the Go is more expensive, but offers the full Windows experience in a tiny package. The Asus Laptop L210 is also an option to consider if you’re after a clamshell laptop format for under $250.
You’ll also find a wider selection of 10 and 11-inch mini-laptops and tablets in this separate dedicated article.
| Model | Type | Screen | Hardware | Weight | Start Price |
| Acer Aspire R 11 | convertible | 11.6″ TN touch HD | Celeron / Pentium Braswell | 1.58 kg / 3.50 lbs | $249 |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 311 | Chromebook, convertible | 11.6″ IPS HD | Mediatek, 40 Wh | 1.50 kg / 3.31 lbs | $199 |
| Asus VivoBook Go L210 | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 38 Wh | 0.95 kg / 2.10 lbs | $209 |
| Asus EeeBook X205 | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Atom BayTrail, 38 Wh | 0.95 kg / 2.10 lbs (w/ dock) | $199 |
| Asus Transformer Book T102HA | detachable | 10.1″ IPS HD | Atom CherryTrail | 0.79 kg / 1.74 lbs (w/ dock) | $349 |
| Dell Latitude 3120 Education | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD matte | Jasper Lake Pentium, 40Wh | 1.4 kg / 3.1 lbs | $299 |
| HP Pavilion x360 11 | convertible | 11.6″ IPS HD touch | Gemini Lake Pentium, 37 Wh | 1.38 kg / 3.06 lbs | $299 |
| HP Stream 11 Pro | clamshell | 11.6″ TN HD | Gemini Lake Celeron, 38Wh | 1.05 kg / 2.3 lbs | $249 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Duet | Chromebook, tablet | 10″ IPS touch 16:10 | Mediatek, 27 Wh | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $299 |
| Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 | Chromebook, tablet | 10.9″ IPS touch 16:10 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, 29Wh | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $499 |
| Lenovo 10w | tablet | 10.1″ IPS touch FHD | Snapdragon 7c | 1.1 kg / 2.4lbs (with keyboard) | $399 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 3 11 Chromebook | Chromebook, clamshell | 11″ TN HD matte | Gemini Lake Celeron, 42 Wh | 1.1 kg / 2.4 lbs | $199 |
| Lenovo Tab P11 | tablet | 11″ IPS 2K touch | Snapdragon 8c | 1 kg / 2 lbs (with keyboard) | $299 |
| Microsoft Surface Go | tablet | 10″ IPS touch 3:2 | Pentium Gold, several variants | 0.52 kg / 1.15 lbs (without keyboard) | $399 |
| Panasonic Let’s Note RZ4 | convertible | 10.1″ IPS touch FHD | Skylake Core Y | 1.83 kg / 4.05 lbs (w/ dock) | $1499 |
| Panasonic Let’s Note Z6 | clamshell | 10.1″ IPS FHD | Kaby Lake Core Y | 0.72 kg / 1.6 lbs (w/ dock) | $1199 |
There are a couple of other small-factor fanless tablets and mini-laptops out there, but it would be a huge chore to include them all in here. I do talk about them in my list of 10.1 inch hybrids, this selection of 11.6 inch Mini-laptops or ultrabooks, as well as this list of all the best Chromebooks available these days.
As a side note, you should know that the Price column contains the starting MSRPs for each of the products above. That means that the higher configurations are going to be more expensive, but at the same time there’s a very good chance you can find pretty much all these products discounted by the time you’re reading this post. Click on the links on each price for details and up-to-date numbers.
Also, here’s a short glossary of the terms mentioned above:
- Types:
- tablet: a standard Windows running slate;
- clamshell: classic shaped computer whose screen closes on top of the keyboard and does not flip into any sort of tablet mode;
- convertible: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen rotates and converts to a tablet mode (or similar), but cannot be detached from the base;
- detachable: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen detaches from the base. These are mostly stand-alone tablets bundled with matching docking stations that most often include docking keyboards, ports, batteries, and other features;
- slider: 2-in-1 laptop whose screen slides up and down on top of the body and usually reveals a keyboard hidden underneath.
- Resolutions: HD ( 1366 x 768 px), HD+ ( 1600 x 900 px), FHD (1920 x 1080 px), WUXGA (1920 x 1200 px) retina (2304 x 1440 px), QHD (2560 x 1440 px), WQXGA (2560 x 1600 px), QHD+ (3200 x 1800 px), UHD (3840 x 2160 px) – also see this post;
- Hardware:
- Intel Atom BayTrail – 22 nm platform (Silvermont) launched in 2013. There are different lines available for tablets (BayTrail-T), laptops (BayTrail-M) and desktops (BayTrail-D);
- Intel Atom CherryTrail – 14 nm platform (Airmont) launched in 2015;
- Intel Atom Apollo/Gemini Lake – 2nd generation 14 nm platform launched in 2017.
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Haswell – 22 nm platform based on Haswell hardware;
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Haswell – 14 nm platform based on Skylake hardware. Both can be found in low-power/affordable laptops;
- Intel Celeron/Pentium Apollo/Gemini Lake – 2nd generation 14 nm platform launched in 2017. Can be found in low-power/affordable laptops and replaces the Haswell/Braswell Pentium/Celeron lines;
- Broadwell Core M – launched in 2014 as the low-power version in Intel’s Broadwell family. Offers good balance between performance and battery life, part of the more premium fanless notebooks;
- Skylake Core M – 6th gen update, low power platform launched in 2015;
- Kaby Lake Core Y – 7th gen update, low-power platform launched in 2017;
- Amber Lake Core Y – the late-2018 8th gen update of the Core Y platform, motorizes premium devices.
OK. That’s about it for this post. I do hope you find it useful and if you’re looking for an ultrabook or any other ultraportable laptop, you should also check out the other lists on the site and my reviews.
I’m constantly working at keeping these selections and lists up-to-date, but if you spot anything that should be in here and it’s not, please leave a reply and tell me about it. In fact, feel free to get in touch in the comments sections if you have anything to add, anything to ask, or need help to choose your next fanless mini-laptop, I’m around to reply and help.
Keith White
September 17, 2021 at 7:34 pm
Please add the Asus L410 and L510. The L510 has a 16 inch screen and a number pad. Both are unusually good, though middling performance.
Andrei Girbea
September 18, 2021 at 11:10 am
thanks, updated!
cornail
September 21, 2021 at 7:42 pm
Hi Andrei, thanks for the awesome list.
Please add the Dell Latitude 7370, clamshell, 13.3″ IPS FHD and QHD+, Skylake Core M, 1.25 kg / 2.75 lbs.
Thanks!
Andrei Girbea
September 21, 2021 at 7:52 pm
OK, but that's from a couple of years ago and not something most will be able to find in stores anymore
fang
December 1, 2021 at 3:15 pm
Can you add to the list if the laptop have a backlit keyboard or not? Is great to use a fanless in bed next to a sleeping partner, in the dak, but you should be able to see the keys :D And maybe seperate the lists by operation system?
Adimetrius
June 29, 2022 at 11:49 pm
So, why is HP Laptop 17 still on the list? It seems it's not fanless any more. At least that's what HP's support told me about the AMD Ahtlon Gold 3150U configuration. This is the weakest processor it gets, others are stronger and with higher TDP.
Andrei Girbea
June 30, 2022 at 8:02 am
it was fanless in a previous generation.
Micheal
July 24, 2022 at 5:26 am
HP Pavilion 15 is missing from the list. Can you add that as well?
Brolin Empey
August 12, 2022 at 11:27 pm
Hey Andrei, thank you for your effort.
I want to replace my old fanful notebook computer that has an LCD with a newer fanless notebook computer that has an OLED display but everything I have found so far that has an OLED display has a fan or some other reason for me to reject it, such as a low-cost Asus VivoBook model that runs from an SSD soldered on the motherboard, specifically eMMC, instead of from a removable and upgradable internal drive. Even the recent fanful notebook computers I found that have an OLED display are missing an integrated analog audio connector. Do you know of a list of fanless notebook computers with OLED displays? I want fanless, not fanful with a fanless profile.
Also, notebook computers used to be fanless even up to the original Pentium era before they became fanful beginning with the Pentium II era. As specific examples that I still have, the IBM ThinkPad 755CX from 1994 with a Pentium at 75 MHz, 755CD from 1995 with an 80486DX/4 at 100 MHz, and 760C from 1996 with a Pentium at 120 MHz are all fanless and use the same model of CPU as a stationary computer.
Andrei Girbea
August 15, 2022 at 9:39 am
There are no Fanless OLED laptops at this point. The hardware available in most portable computers nowadays requires a fan.
ML
September 25, 2022 at 10:25 pm
there is another 15.6" laptop from DELL, called Dell Inspirion 3502 with N5030, also called Inspirion 3510 and in the service manual it states it has a HEAT SINK and NO FAN
T
May 25, 2023 at 8:17 pm
Basically every single laptop with a Celeron N3***/N4*** and Pentium Silver N5***/N6000 is fanless, even the ones with fan vents in the chassis, then have fan dummies on the inside.
Fanless Man
October 24, 2022 at 3:23 pm
Dell XPS 2-in-1 looks to be fanless, based on the manual.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/laptops/13-2-in-1/spd/xps-13-9315-2-in-1-laptop/x29315cto20s
This is so far the only Alder Lake powered fanless device I've seen.
Andrei Girbea
October 25, 2022 at 1:10 pm
Thank you, updated!
The Surface Pro 9 5G is also Alder Lake and fanless
Fanless Man
October 25, 2022 at 10:32 pm
Pro 9 5g runs on SQ3 (Snadragon 8cx Gen 3). The Alder Lake version I believe has fans.
Mookie
June 24, 2023 at 7:45 pm
Señor Fanless: Could you let me know where you see that in the manual for the 9315 model? I actually see a lot of complaints on sites like Quora and Reddit about fan noise, so I'm confused.
Maybe there is more than one version — some older ones for sale are detachable and the newer ones just flip. Seems odd they would have the same model number, though.
Fanless Man
June 29, 2023 at 12:48 pm
Sure, the tablet with detachable keyboard is fanless, the laptop has a fan.
AlexS
December 29, 2022 at 1:28 am
Looking for 17" 16:10 OLED 700 nits or IPS 500 nits full RGB at least. Numpad.
Guess i'll have to wait.
Fanless Man
January 11, 2023 at 3:23 pm
Just got the XPS 13 2 in 1. What a beautiful device, and so performant! Genuinely a great laptop. It shows the difference between a Hardware company's attempt at a Surface Pro device and a Software company's.
The only real disadvantage compared to Microsoft's attempts is the worse pen experience. But in every other way the XPS just runs circles around Surface Pros.
robin
January 12, 2023 at 10:22 am
But lord,the price is so high.
Fanless Man
January 27, 2023 at 3:26 pm
It is cheaper than the entire Surface Pro lineup, and better in every way. Now that I've used it a bit, I'd say even the pen experience is better.
Greg Hilton
March 27, 2023 at 12:23 pm
@fanlessman – what real world battery life are you seeing in the XPS 13 2 in 1 please? I carry around a MBA and an iPad and wondering if one windows device can replace both? but fanless and equivalent battery life to the MBA/iPAd is key!
Fanless Man
March 31, 2023 at 2:05 pm
Apple battery is peerless. I don't think a anybody is going to match their custom silicon anytime soon.
With increased battery efficiency setting and battery charge limiter set to 85%, XPS gets around 5-6 hours in mixed use. Has terrible standby time – there's no way it can replace the iPad's notification services. It needs to sleep/hibernate.
Get this if you want a performant but low-battery Windows laptop with touchscreen. Intel is still a couple of generations behind Apple for silicon.
Fanless Pursuit
July 7, 2024 at 7:16 pm
Hey I also got the XPS 13 2-in-1 (9315). But it keeps making buzzing noise even when I'm just lightly browsing the internet, nothing heavy. It seems to be having this problem when the computer is plugged in. I'm trying to determine if I have a defective unit. Have you experienced anything similar, or is it supposed to be completely silent? Thanks.
Peter
July 15, 2024 at 1:51 pm
I bought a 9315 second-hand, which was barely used. I had nothing but problems with that unit. Also a bit of noise, but also hanging up and so on. The problems seemed worse when using in tablet mode, without the keyboard attached. Luckily the seller took it back and tries to claim the warranty. I have given up finding a fanless current Win laptop and continue to use my Dell Latitude 13 7370, which is too slow to be fun to use, but is ok as a couch laptop doing some surfing and the like. I have bought a Cirrus fanless system (Nimbus) and am satisfied with that. I can recommend that company. When I need a silent more capable laptop I guess I will have to buy a Macbook Air.
Fanless Man
July 15, 2024 at 1:57 pm
No similar issue – could be power supply, speakers, who knows? Better to get a replacement if it's brand new.
Also I think as time from introduction of a product increases, your likelihood of getting somebody else's defective return sent to you increases…
Klaus
July 15, 2024 at 10:27 pm
What you describe is probably coil whine, i.e. the electric current causing electric components to vibrate.
I had this extensively with a Core i7-7700HQ notebook, and ultimately was forced to disable turbo boost entirely, and limit the CPU the 80% of the nominal speed. Before that, I've read it as a recurring issue with high-end NVidia desktop GPUs of that time.
Try searching for "coil whine" issues. If the whole series has the problem, you can forget about it, unless you can live with capping the performance intentionally. If it is a per-device issue, try to clarify this within the return policy period.
Personally, I definitely consider coil whine a defect, especially in a fanless device that has quietness as an explicit selection criterion. But you can't count on vendors considering it a matter of warranty, so refunding it might end up being the only option.
Jan Čapek
January 16, 2023 at 7:46 pm
I end up here looking for modern replacement for my good old Lenovo Yoga 710-11IKB in case it will give up someday. And found that there are too few options that on the "best lists" are even still laptops from the same era (which are not compatible by latest windows anymore)… That is certainly disappointment.
But that means, that my device should be considered to be added to the list too:
Lenovo Yoga 710-11IKB with Core i5-7Y54 (Kaby Lake) and 8GB of RAM. I have it already for more than 5 years and love it.
There are really no newer passively cooled x86 processors than Amber Lake? :-o
Andrei Girbea
January 17, 2023 at 11:22 am
None that I'm aware of, aside from the ones in the table.
However, it's worth mentioning that most modern laptops offer some sort of SIlent/Whisper profile which minimize fan noise and tend to keep the fans idle with basic use. You'll still hear them with multitasking, though, and those Silent modes have a noticeable hit on performance over the Standard/Performance profiles, but those are pretty much the current viable options in the WIndows space if you're after modern specs.
Jan Čapek
January 17, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Yep, but it is so hard to understand behaviour of low noise modes of ventilated laptops before actually using device. :) It makes good pick of new device very challenging.
It would be great if some systems have ability to limit its TDP or FAN requirement no matter performance demand – when you don't need max power. Also I assume if you limit TDP of U Core CPUs to the same level as Y runs by default, they will not be as good?
Would be interesting to see how new Core i3-N300 (Alder Lake-N) will perform.
Andrei Girbea
January 17, 2023 at 12:52 pm
that's what they do, limit TDP and fan speed. But, eventually, the fan will kick on once the system passes a certain temperature limit, and the thinner the laptop, the sooner that happens with multitasking use.
I found most of these Silent profiles to be good enough, as a noise-sensitive user myself. However, coming from a fanless laptop that's quiet all the time, you will notice even that low fan noise in silent/quiet environments.
My advice would be to get something like an AMD-based Asus ZenBook or Lenovo IdeaPad/Yoga and give it a try, see how it works for you on those Silent profiles. Or perhaps a 12th-gen Core U laptop from Dell, etc. Judging by your name, I'd reckon you're living in the EU somewhere, so you could easily just return the laptop if not suited for your needs.
T
May 25, 2023 at 8:12 pm
Tremont Jasper Lake Pentium Silver N6000 is newer than Amber Lake Core i5-8200Y and Core i7-8500Y, and more powerful as well from what i can see in benchmark comparisons, plus it makes the batteries last forever, up to 26h idle in my Swift. You can find a few interesting models available with N6000, and everything with the older Celeron N3/4*** and Silver N5*** is fanless as well, although not as fast.
My relatively slim and light(1.3kg) metal chassis keyboard backlit Acer Swift 1 SF114-34 14" with 512/2x4GB(8Gb total) has an N6000, and i find it quick enough for my silent taste. For being a budget model it feels rather exclusive with metal frame(both in- and outside) and backlit keyboard. Acer has yet to release one with 2x8GB for more pleasant 16Gb total but i hope that might come soon. From what i've read 16GB memory is maximum for the N6000.
I have also bought a now discontinued HP Laptop 14S-DQ3025 with N6000, 512/1x8GB(upgraded to 1x16Gb) and backlit keyboard, but haven't had time to test that one yet. It's not as slim/light and exclusive/metallic as the Acer, and it won't be as fast because of the single memory module(x2 is faster). Heavier 1.46kg and plastic on the outside, but the double memory size made me want to try one until something better comes along, plus silver keys on the keyboard instead of black. I will use it as my always on-laptop which i prefer not to restart more than once every six months, and i'll use the Acer for on the fly use, experimentation with more frequent restarts, and dual boot.
Jan Čapek
January 17, 2023 at 1:04 pm
Thanks your advice!
Jay Cutler
January 25, 2023 at 9:47 pm
There's a new wave of CPUs coming through, all those recently presented Intels N100, N200 and N300 (8 cores!), all with very low TDP, something like 6 or 7 W.
But they are still very new, so…
tanstaafl
January 26, 2023 at 7:09 am
Samsung Galaxy Book Go 5g is a fanless cheap Windows Arm laptop with Snapdragon processor. I have two of them.
Andrei Girbea
January 27, 2023 at 1:09 pm
added. thanks you!
Fanless Man
January 27, 2023 at 3:34 pm
I'd say after using the Intel Dell XPS 2-in-1 that the ARM experience is just not acceptable. It ultimately comes down to single core speed. A processor with top-end single core will remain performant for many more years, even if it uses more battery for multicore processing over the years.
On the other hand, while an ARM device will remain battery efficient for more years, you will relatively quickly (2 years) start to notice it chug for actual use.
This has been my experience with the HP y-series folio and the Surface Pro X, both purchased when they were released. The y series folio is simply more responsive than the SPX, even though the SPX is far newer.
Johannes
September 17, 2023 at 5:42 pm
Judging from my own experience, I can't confirm this at all.
I have a fanless Lenovo Thinkpad X13s. The 8 ARM64 Snapdragon cores are faster than the 6 Zen2 cores in my older Ryzen 4500U laptop on both single- and multicore workloads. The SQ1 processor in the Surface Pro X is the same Snapdragon design. There is no way the ARM cores could every be significantly slower than the Y-series CPUs in the HP folio series from 2018, and if it's just for the memory (DDR3 vs. DDR5).
Were you maybe using some form of x86 emulation on the Surface?
Fanless Man
September 18, 2023 at 1:07 pm
I don't know what's going on with your Ryzen processor, I've never used AMD on laptop so couldn't comment. I know that Windows laptops are crippled when off AC power.
You can view this userbenchmark comparison and see how poorly the SQ1 performs in comparison, especially considering it's a year newer. cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Microsoft-SQ1-vs-Intel-Core-i7-8500Y/m936050vsm590466
I wouldn't say the experience overall is significantly worse, but it is noticeably so, in line with the userbenchmark comparison. The issue lies in the terrible single core speed which makes the overall experience unacceptable considering the price and release date.
If you really want to see how ARM can perform, I'd suggest trying out one of the new Apple laptops. Since their release, Qualcomm has certainly gotten better – competition has worked to stir them from their slumber, similarly to how AMD kicked Intel into shape.
ramirez
January 30, 2023 at 7:06 pm
Earlier, someone mentioned the lack of OLED screens. This is unfortunately true. I have a Lenovo Ideapad 3-15 with Pentium N5000 passively cooled, together with SSD completely silent. Normal FHD screen, and I would like an OLED. Can the screens be replaced?
Kefirchik
May 17, 2023 at 3:02 am
Do you know if Acer released any upgrades to the Switch 7 Black Edition? That one seems to be from 2018 and I wonder if newer versions are available? Thanks!
Andrei Girbea
May 24, 2023 at 7:48 am
This model was discontinued
Jay Cutler
June 24, 2023 at 3:00 pm
Time to add the new MacBook Air 15 to the list.
johnny
July 13, 2023 at 11:58 am
Which of these come with at least 2.5GHz, USB 3(powered?), RJ-45?
THank you!
Cristian
July 22, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Hi, I have a Asus Zenbook Flip UX360CA that has a lose hinge. I would like to replace it with something similar: fanless (I use it placed om my stomach, in bed!), light(er?), NOT a flip, may be non touch screen, 13.5 to 14 inches, SOLID, performance/memory not important (I only scroll the web, no games). I am buying on Canadian or US market. Instead of repairing this poorly built laptop, I would rather buy new. Thank you for any advice you may give me.
Oleg
November 4, 2023 at 1:47 pm
HP ProBook Fortis G10 is a 14-inch fanless clamshell Windows laptop with a Intel 12th Generation Alder Lake (2021) CPU up to Intel Core i5-1240U (2P+8E=10 cores, 1GHz base, 4.4 GHz turbo, Intel Iris Xe Graphics).
It weights 1.66 kg/3.66 lbs.
Andrei Girbea
November 6, 2023 at 6:14 pm
Hi, thanks for the comment. Do you have a clear source on this being fanless? I can't seem to find that info on HP's website.
Oleg
November 11, 2023 at 2:31 pm
Dear Andrei,
1. Absence of any vent holes including a bottom case.
2. Maintenance and Service Guide kaas.hpcloud.hp.com/pdf-public/pdf_6039173_en-US-1.pdf , Chapter 3 Illustrated parts catalog shows an exploded view without any fans, no fans in a list of parts as well as a lot of internal drawings showing no fans.
Cristian
November 7, 2023 at 3:11 am
Hi, I already bought a Venom, Blackbook Zero and it is exactly what I wanted.
Klaus
November 19, 2023 at 6:07 pm
Out of interest, has anyone seen higher-performance fanless devices?
My target is to run Second Life reasonably well; Currently I am doing this with a Core i7-7700hq with Intel HD Graphics 630 iGPU (note: HD, not the stronger UHD series), avoiding the dedicated NVidia GTX 1050 Ti due to the fan noise, restricting its use to Games in a stricter sense.
Target performance would be Iris Xe or better. An AMD processor with Radeon 680M or 780M at lowest TDP configuration would be able to run fanless, as should a Core i6-*U with Iris Xe at the higher limit of TDP configuration. Options are very limited though, and almost only 2021 models actually come fanless.
I am considering a Macbook Air M2 (16GB+1TB) as an alternative, but I don't really like Mac, and the price point for acceptable configurations is at least 1800-2000€, before even accounting for the need for Parallels and a Windows license for my use-case.
<i>Rant part, skippable.</i>
I could still kick myself for not taking the Asus CX 5400 Chromebook Demo model they had in a local Mediamarkt for 777€ (16 GB Ram, Intel Core i5 with Iris Xe 80 EUs). The only comparable hardware *at all* on the market right now are leftover Surface Pro 7 Plus pieces, and the fanless 16 GB variants cost upwards of 1300€. Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a similar hardware platform, but clocks the iGPU at 850 MHz (Surface Pro 7 Plus: 1200 MHz, Max: 1300 MHz), which shows in graphics benchmarks.
Andrei Girbea
November 20, 2023 at 10:50 am
I'm not aware of any AMD fanless model. On Intel's side, there are a few, the Dell and Surface that you mentioned, as well as a Huawei model. But all are previous-gen platforms and low-power designs, so limit the GPU in sustained loads.
Perhaps you could find a Surface on sale or refurbished or even used? That should be your better option even at this point.
Klaus
November 20, 2023 at 2:52 pm
Tried with refurbished Surface, but the 16 GB version is hard to come by… And then it is usually quite expensive.
A General trend: Fanless Drives (including Chromrbooks) that have at least an Iris Xe Level performance are close to original price even after two years.
Mr Greg Hilton
November 20, 2023 at 3:27 pm
FWIW you can run (and I do) windows with a free version of VMware Fusion on Apple Silicon.
peter
November 20, 2023 at 11:17 am
The 2023 and up Chuwi MiniBook X, Chuwi CoreBook X, Chuwi GemiBook X Pro are not fanless anymore.
Only the new Chuwi Freebook N100 is fanless.
Andrei Girbea
November 20, 2023 at 12:18 pm
Thanks, updating
a
March 14, 2024 at 7:53 am
Chuwi Freebook N100 does have a fan, you can see it in the features: us.chuwi.com/products/chuwi-freebook
peter
March 14, 2024 at 10:54 am
In reply to:
————————————————————————————-
a
March 14, 2024 at 7:53 am
Chuwi Freebook N100 does have a fan, you can see it in the features: us.chuwi.com/products/chuwi-freebook
————————————————————————————-
Apparently there are different versions offered to different regions.
I have ordered to the netherlands. eu.chuwi.com/products/freebook-n100?#descs
The EU product page shows a fanless heat dissipation plate. with the text:
"
Quiet and Inspired
Adopting pure copper heat dissipation soaking plate module, and innovative heat dissipation technology, FreeBook runs quietly, smoothly and stably, without annoying noise, which will let you focus more on work without external interference.
"
I have ordered and received the laptop and it is truly fanless.
Fanless Man
January 7, 2025 at 4:24 am
@peter
Have you opened up your device to check?
This reddit thread discusses the subject and apparently there is a small fan that comes on, even for the EU version: https://www.reddit.com/r/Chuwi/comments/1f1k5cv/comment/lszqgnx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Please let us know!
Oleg
December 3, 2023 at 12:19 pm
No, Chuwi FreeBook N100 / I3-1215U is not fanless.
Freebook N5100 is fanless.
The FreeBook N100 / I3-1215U's new cooling system, featuring a single copper heat pipe, fins, and a fan, ensures efficient active heat dissipation and prevents overheating.
david
November 26, 2023 at 1:12 pm
Most devices on this "2023" list have been out of production for years and it's a complete waste of time for anyone coming here looking for a replacement in "2023" of a device they owned listed here years ago.
Andrei Girbea
November 26, 2023 at 2:05 pm
David, I've tried to make it clear that some of these laptops are old and might not be available, as you can tell from the hardware platforms on each option. If you have suggestions on improving the article, I'm all ears.
Klaus
November 28, 2023 at 12:18 pm
The website notebookcheck.com (German) / notebookcheck.net (English) offers a useful tool for identifying suitable devices, that have a fan but are silent.
Under "Benchmarks / Tech >> Benchmarks and Test Results" you can filter by graphics card (e.g. entering 780m) and select in "restrict benchmark list" elements associated with noise, and then sort by noise level. This results in something like this:
notebookcheck.net/Benchmarks-and-Test-Results.142793.0.html?&sort=b_loudness_loudness_load_max&search=780m+760m+680m&or=1&showBars=1&test_loudness_loudness_load_max=1&model=1&cpu_name=1&gpu_name=1&screen_size=1
Which brings up essentially only the HP EliteBook 865 G9 and G10 as performance-similar alternatives to a MacBook Air M1/M2, which costs currently EUR 1770 (EUR 999 for students) in its cheapest 780m configuration (512 GB SSD + 16 GB RAM), has rather low fan-noise levels and weight, upgradable RAM and SSD, better port selection.
Myself, I found a refurbished Surface Pro 7 Plus, since games don't play as big of a role anymore. But in the past, I would have been hard-pressed to choose between the completely fanless high performance of a MacBook Air, and an upgradable Windows alternative.
Magnus
December 1, 2023 at 12:06 pm
Acer Travelmate Spin B3 11", comes in many variants N4500, N5100, N100. My go-to fanless laptop for daily tasks!
Smithy
December 4, 2023 at 9:24 pm
According to Asus support the Asus Expertbook B1 B1402CGA with N305 processor has a passive heatsink.
Aly
December 10, 2023 at 1:00 am
Thanks for providing all of this great info! I was looking at Acer's computers on their website. They don't provide details on fanless options, so I reached out to them. The sales rep I chatted with said that they do not have any fanless laptops. You might want to update your article to remove those (unless their sales rep was misinformed).
Andrei Girbea
December 11, 2023 at 9:42 pm
Those Acer units in the tables are older models from previous years. You might still find them in some stores
Oleg
December 24, 2023 at 4:16 pm
It is reasonable to hope and wait for new models with Intel 134U and 164U CPU because there was no low-power Intel CPUs in 13th Gen, latest laptop is HP ProBook Fortis G10 on 12th Gen.
I would suggest people looking for a fanless laptops to stick to the latest CPUs due to a hardware acceleration of video decoding, otherwise a new laptop with old CPU will be slow even while watching Youtube or some webpages with built-in auto-played mini-videos. There's a lot of new progressive video-codecs that compresses video more efficiently, video-hostings are implementing them immediately because they are interested in a decrease of disk space and internet bandwidth. Our computers are unable to hardware decode such videos, instead they do this with a software codecs on a CPU – this is a CPU intensive operation eating a battery and heating the CPU.
Current Intel Meteor Lake (Intel Core Ultra) generation seem to support most relevant video codecs.
Nvidia chips are fine, but they are unable to be installed in a compact fanless laptop with a good battery performance.
Robertus
December 25, 2023 at 2:27 pm
I am subscribed to Chuwi newletter and today i got a 20% discount code that is also valid for the fantless N100 Freebook 13.5 . Code:EU-612045D-20.
It reduces the price to €311. Which is even more of a bargain. When you order make sure you did not selected the older N5100 CPU version.
Jonathan
February 8, 2024 at 12:35 am
The LG gram Style 14” OLED Laptop has a passive mode that allows it to run fanless. You might want to add it to the list?
Peter
February 14, 2024 at 8:56 pm
Some remark that the list is partly outdated. But I am thankful for your overview including old and new devices. It is the best list I could find on the internet. I bought two second hand Dell Latitude 13 7370 after I learned here that they are fanless. For the first laptop I paid 180 Euro (in 2022) and I bought another one for just 120 Euro last year. They are not superfast but for basic tasks and watching videos still fine today. Screen is great and they are lightweight as well with pretty good keyboard and even are up-to-date by using USB-C to charge!
Possible improvements of the list would be, when you could add columns for release date and another one when a product is discontinued. Finally another column with a benchmark of single core and multicore speed of the CPU (Passmark) would make the table even more easy to navigate and look for old and new options to hunt for. :-)
My next one will be the Dell 9215 2-in-1 when they get down in prices second hand. Too bad it has no kickstand altough….
Cheers, Peter
Andrei Girbea
February 15, 2024 at 10:40 pm
Peter, thank you for your feedback. Noted your suggestions for the next major revamp of the article.
Peter Karp
May 25, 2024 at 10:46 pm
I bought a Dell 9315 2-in-1 (not 9215 btw) and only had problems with it (turning off, touchscreen not working in the login screen, blue screens…), so I needed to return it. I read some customer comments and it seems that some are happy, but a significant number of people has problems. I would not recommend that laptop from my experience. Maybe that helps someone.
Although unfortunately I do not have a better recommendation. So I will continue my Latitude 7370, which is still a nice laptop, albeit slow by todays standards. No video editing or similar taks will be possible, but office tasks and basic audio recording or as a media player (up to HD) it is o.k..
Kevk
March 19, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Hi, thank you for this great job!
I own the first generation of Swift 7 and this is a perfect laptop for me. However it starts to have some issues and I'll have to replace it…
Unfortunatly, it seems difficult to find a fanless option today.
I have the feeling that I have checked hundred reviews without finding the right laptop for me.
Could you advice a laptop with a fan but that is never activated when watching a movie and using word / excel ?
Thank you for you help!
Andrei Girbea
March 19, 2024 at 9:49 pm
Yeah, that's a hard question. In theory, most modern portable designs have a Silent kind of profile. However, in practice, I've yet to find one that actually keeps the fan off on this profile. So I for one can't point you towards something that would confidently do what you want. Perhaps others can pitch on with their recommendations, though.
If you can go Mac, that's what I'd recommend, especially with the great sales available these days for the Air M1 and M2. That's what I did as of recently.
Kevk
March 31, 2024 at 5:25 pm
Hi all,
I finally decided to buy the Swift 1 to replace my 1st gen Swift 7. Usually I don't like to buy low cost items but that Swift 1 is pretty good.
The only issue I have discovered is that the sound is not very powerful.
Other than that, it seems that the N6000 is as fast as the i5 of the Swift 7.
So i can recommend that Swift 1 if you want a silent fanless laptop.
On the Acer site it now has a 150 euros discount so it costs 450 euros (version with 8Go RAM and 512Go SSD).
CB
April 6, 2024 at 9:59 am
Hi All,
I have been following these comments for a while because I was looking for a silent laptop in 2024. I have bought a Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen1 Intel Core i7 1255U 10C. Yes the laptop has fans, but they are almost never on. When they are on, it happened one time (for 30 seconds) in a whole day of use, they are almost inaudible. They sound like a silent sigh. I run Debian 12, use Libreoffice, read manga, watch a movie and browse the web. I do not game. So I don't know how the fan will react, when you game. I hope this helps someone who is looking for a laptop which is silent while working. I used Notebookcheck.com to find this (thank to @Klaus) and looked for the lowest emissions with a large screen. Again, thank you very much, @Klaus!!
CB
Kevk
April 7, 2024 at 6:38 pm
Hi,
Just in case some of you could be interested, I'm selling my Swift 7 on Ebay. I'm in France but I can ship it in Europe.
Thanks
Klaus
May 27, 2024 at 5:23 pm
Much to my disappointment, it looks like none of the announced Snapdragon X Elite devices will make it into the list. Plus, that nonsense of bragging about matching/exceeding the performance of a Macbook Air with a similarly priced device, that has a fan… But of course, they wouldn't like to compare to a Macbook Pro, since it wouldn't be favorable, if more fair…
I really hope, we'll still see fanless Snapdragon X Elite or Plus devices. And I really hope they won't all be detachables; Happy as I am with the noiseless operation of my Surface Pro 7+, in hindsight I'd rather have the same fanless hardware in a 14" clamshell or 360°-hinge convertible, given how badly Windows 11 fails as a tablet OS compared to Android or iOS, due to a lack of touch-optimized software. If the software makes touch-input an "if necessary" input method, then better to have hardware designs, that reflect that, unless the weight savings of the detachable form factor are needed.
Andrei Girbea
May 27, 2024 at 5:38 pm
I'd expect some fanless models will happen at some point. We might know more past Computex, or perhaps next year past CES. I too was expecting some fanless models at launch, but from what I can tell, OEMs rather decided on higher-power implementations, and you just can't cool 30-40W passively. Still, I'm curious about the Silent/Quiet profiles on these announced models.
Klaus
May 27, 2024 at 5:53 pm
> "Still, I'm curious about the Silent/Quiet profiles on these announced models."
Word. Personally, I'd even prefer a device that HAS a fan for when it is needed over a strictly fanless device, as long as there is a way to force fully fanless operation and the cooling system actually supports it without completely hamstringing the device.
Things I've observed:
– Power profiles allowing quiet but not silent fans, but only by downclocking the CPU and GPU permanently. Good for playing undemanding games at constant framerates, but bad for any work or browsing tasks, where performance is needed in short bursts. Also, usually no guranteed fan behavior, because the fan often can't be controlled directly on notebooks.
– Power profiles on fanless devices, that handle browsing/work tasks well, but result in stuttering from "jumpy" underclocking under sustained load.
My ideal device would have power profiles for "fanless work" and "fanless gaming", strictly enforcing the "fanless" part, while allowing to turn on the fans for more demanding tasks.
Klaus
June 16, 2024 at 10:09 am
Just came across and Android Police article (link below), where the Asus CX34 Chromebook Plus is mentioned as being fanless, while having air vents that allow better heat exchange.
Can't confirm and I also can't say if it is true for all models – force instance with my Surface Pro 7+, only the i5 and i3 models are fanless, while the i7 model has a fan. So this caveat could apply here too.
androidpolice.com/thanks-to-chromebook-plus-i-dont-need-an-ultra-premium-chromebook/
My previous comment is still awaiting moderation due to an URL. Context: A recent Android Police article mentions the CX34 as being fanless, while using air vents for decent cooling.
I was speculating whether there are higher-end CPU versions WITH fans, as it was the case with the Surface Pro 7 Plus, where i3, i5 were fanless and i7 had a fan.
This concern is out of the window, since BOTH available versions are i3 versions, just with different SSD size (128 GB vs 256 GB).
John Cutler
June 27, 2024 at 11:27 am
Someone mentioned the Asus Expertbook 15" screen series with Intel N305 cpu.
But is that info really confirmed? Because…
Thermals are going to be an issue. While the N305 has a TDP of 15W, that's when it's running at the base clock of 1GHz.
During boost under full load at 3.8GHz power consumption has been measured somewhere between 41.5 and 55 watts. That means you need either a lot of thermal mass with a lot of surface area (aka big fins everywhere) or fan cooling to soak up and dissipate those spikes, otherwise you will give up a lot of performance as thermal throttling kicks in way too quick.
What's more, the N305 sports 8 cores. So… passive cooling in such a beast? I doubt it. Maybe you meant Asus Expertbook with N100 or N200. Both have TDP of just 6W.
Piotr Kurten
June 27, 2024 at 1:41 pm
hello,
just got Asus VivoBook Go 15 from your list a.k.a. E510 or L510 with Intel N5000
hey… Guys from Asus, is it a joke?
The are NO vent holes to be found. Yes, NO holes at all and therefore the only prevention against CPU overheat is slowing the processor clock down.
The CPU clock under heavy load reaches 600 MHz (!) – yes, six hundred – and additionally the CPU usage is reduced to 75%. All the above happens when CPU temperaure goes to 90C and causes the device to just freeze.
nice boy
June 27, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Yes, they are all cutting corners everywhere.
There are no heat pipes anymore, only thin metal plates just like in smartphones and tablets – which of course is not enough for a laptop. And some manufacturers , like the above mentioned Asus, doesn't even bother to cut a few vents here and there to let the hot air out.
It's an absolute disgrace and while the idea of fanless notebook is very nice, it is often badly sorted out. Someone mentioned new Intel N100 chips… I say forget it. They can't even manage to keep the older N (N6000 and alike) generation cool enough not to mention N305 someone suggested which is 8 (!) cores.
Kevk
July 3, 2024 at 2:23 pm
Hi,
I have got a N6000 passively cooled in a Swift 1 and it works well. It just depends on your needs. A 20 years old CPU can run Microsoft Word so a N6000 can do it too, even without any fan.
But if you need to create videos with AI, yes, don't buy a passive laptop !
plush
July 5, 2024 at 3:41 pm
On December 4, 2023 at 9:24 pm
Smithy wrote:
"According to Asus support the Asus Expertbook B1 B1402CGA with N305 processor has a passive heatsink."
My question is – can anyone actually confirm this?
I asked around and some sellers / shops confirm this, while others don't.
Some say the cooling in this model is active and some say that the cooling is passive.
It seems that either they don't know what they sell or they just don't care.
Klaus
July 7, 2024 at 2:49 pm
I fear that issue is common. On geizhals.eu (aka skinflint.co.uk) searching for fanless models doesn't give fully reliable results either, though they err more on the side of not listing them.
Same as very few outlets really bother to talk about fan noise when reviewing a laptops. Notebookcheck and Notebookjournal are the only ones I know to give comparable measurements, though I haven't used the latter in a long time. And even they often fall short of investigating throttling issues properly (e.g. choppy frame-rate issues, when the average framerate is OK but the frame-to-frame time irregular under throttling, making it much less useful than the average value would imply).
Mip
September 5, 2024 at 4:18 pm
Just purchased the Chuwi GemiBook X Pro (N100) direct from Chuwi site (Amazon doesn't have them in stock any more).
It's not fanless. Please remove it from the list.
That said, it's impressive for what $225 will get you – snappy quad core, 8gb ram, 256gb ssd, 14" ips screen.
NewOption
December 5, 2024 at 7:44 pm
ASUS BR1104C / ASUS BR1104F / ASUS BR1204C / ASUS BR1204F with N100 are all fanless.
It does not mention it on their website or in their manual that they are fanless, but I asked on the Asus community. I then purchased it and can confirm, it is indeed fanless!
The lunar lake hype had me expecting dozens of fanless x86 laptops to choose from, but alas there were none, or perhaps they are still to come. Either way, with 8GB of RAM, they may be one of the fastest x86 fanless laptop at the moment. It is thick and rugged (as it marketed for kids), Win Pro 11, fast enough for work and doubles as a tablet.
Oleg
December 6, 2024 at 4:47 pm
I guess, ASUS BR with N200 and i3-N305 including 14" models may be fanless too. But TN screen with 50% of NTSC color space is garbage. 11" models with 1366 x 768 resolution may prevent to run a lot of modern software.
Seems like HP Fortis still faster.
NewOption
December 8, 2024 at 3:31 am
I searched for quite a while, and did not come across the HP Fortis range. They do have an N200 with 16GB RAM, which is what I was looking for initially given the rumours that windows 12 may require 16GB, but do you know they are fanless? The HP Fortis laptop is also more than double the price of the Asus BR, with one less USB-C port.
I avoided the Asus BR11 versions based on the resolution, and purchased a BR12F which is WUXGA 1920 x 1200. To clarify my first post, it is only the F versions that double as a tablet.
The 14 inch models are likely to also be fanless. I listed BR11 and BR12 as those were the only models that Asus confirmed to me were fanless. I assume they will be added to the list in due course..
Magnu
April 3, 2025 at 5:05 pm
These BR1204's look exactly like the Acer Spin B3. Must have been some collaboration.
Klaus
December 9, 2024 at 12:51 pm
Out of the available fanless options, which have the best graphics performance?
It is relevant to me due to occasionally hanging out in second life, while also being very sensitive to fan noise. As a result I was using the Intel Graphics HD630 rather than the GTX 1050 Ti of my former gaming notebook. Now I am using the Iris Xe of a Surface Pro 7+.
While it works, the absence of fanless options using newer hardware above the level of an N200 has me worried for a future replacement. I had hopes regarding the Snapdragon X Elite series, but so far they all use active cooling, so effectively there's not a single Windows based direct competitor (that I know of) to the MacBook Air, when considering quiet operation as a major feature.
Andrei Girbea
December 10, 2024 at 12:18 pm
there's no fanless Windows device with modern graphics as far as I can tell. Imo, as that's something that interests me as well, the best quiet gaming experience is on a full-size laptop with excellent cooling, in a mode that limits fans noise and CPU/GPU power. Most default Quiet/Silent profiles are sub 35 dBA, but at the same time the software on most laptops allows custom fan tunning, so you can realistically get sub 30 dBA as well. But that means you're paying for a high end GPU and use it at less than 50% of its potential. I personally have an i9 + 4090 laptop and game on it in this way. But I don't know if the performance compromise is acceptable for most potential buyers, given the paid price.
If a full-size laptop is not what you're after, I'd look into a modern AMD implementation (or maybe Intel Lunar Lake) and again use the low-power profile which should be around 30-35 dbA. But that will barely get you FHD gaming with low settings in recent titles. And again, I'd look into an option with the best cooling module possible to begin with (two fans, two heatsinks, two heatpipes), as that would allow a less power restrained Quiet/Silent profile. And keep in mind the software rarely offers custom tweaking options in portable laptops.
Klaus
December 10, 2024 at 3:06 pm
My last two laptops before the fanless SP7+ were
– Acer VX15 (GTX 1050 Ti)
– Thinkpad Edge (GT 640M)
Both don't qualify as lightweight. Both didn't have notable battery life, and were somewhere near 2.5 kg. Both didn't allow significant tuning options. The VX15 even had a severe coil-noise issue, that required me to set CPU max performance to 80%, which also implies disabling Turboboost.
Whether there is support for headache-friendly operating modes sadly is also really hard to find out before buying, and even when finding measurements of the fan noise, the detailed characteristics make a huge difference. Lenovo laptops infamously have an issue with oscillating fan speeds, and some devices have a very pronounced whistle (i.e. a pronounced peak in the frequency distribution of the fan noise).
Hence my interest in fanless solutions. My trust in the ability to tune anything is severely diminished, and the devices that are likely to have such features are also likely still too loud even after tuning.
Andrei Girbea
December 11, 2024 at 11:14 am
OK, but with games, the sound will cover any of that remaining fan noise, or you might even use headphones.
Those aspects that you're mentioning are annoying with daily use in a silent environment, and they are the reason I use an MBA for that purpose. But I don't think these are relevant for gaming.
Oleg's suggestion of using any of the game streaming options that might be available in your area is also worth considering. Comes with a cost, but could get you the silent gaming experience that you're after in a fanless device. Haven't personally tried it on the current hardware.
Oleg
December 10, 2024 at 6:11 pm
For the most of games you can use any fanless laptop (or a smartphone with a lapdock) no matter of its performance in case of low-latency network connection to any cloud-gaming service or even your own powerful desktop computer (for latter applications like Parsec or Moonlight may be used).
I've played from a kitchen with a wireless keyboard/mouse/gamepad connected to an Apple TV set-top box on a 4K kitchen TV screen while set-top box was running Moonlight client connected to a rented virtual dedicated server (billed per minute) with Nvidia RTX2080TI located in a liquid-cooled datacenter in a nearest city by WiFi network for $0.25 per hour.
There is no reason to spend thousands of dollars for a powerful PC for occasional gaming.
Any performance-demanding games heavier than minesweeper/solitaire are impossible to be executed on fanless laptop with adequate picture smoothness. It may be possible in future in case of huge computational performance leap caused by some scientific discoveries.
Nowadays all you can do is to move heat loses generated by a computing unit somewhere else away from you.
In theory, you may use a liquid coolant to transport the heat: there are liquid cooled laptops on the market with rather short tubing.
All you should care is a latency to a computing unit.
Andrei Girbea
December 11, 2024 at 11:09 am
For sure. Streaming is a valid option for occasional gaming as well.
Piotrek Kurten
March 9, 2025 at 7:22 pm
Klaus wrote on December 9, 2024 at 12:51 pm:
"there's not a single Windows based direct competitor (that I know of) to the MacBook Air, when considering quiet operation as a major feature."
That's just ridiculous.
What has the world come down to…?
Besides, is the MacBook Air any good? I'm used to Windows, do you think the transision to MacOS will work for me? Some say Windows is a better experience overall than MacOS.
Andrei Girbea
March 10, 2025 at 1:58 pm
it is. I ended up with an MBA as well. The OS takes time to get used to and there are some design quirks, but the overall build/performance/efficiency are no match for windows options. And you can actually find an MBA M1 or M2 for excellent prices these days, new or refurb.
James
March 12, 2025 at 3:36 pm
OK but wait a sec…
Both 13" and 15" MBA have no airvents at all.
I know there's no fan and that's OK, but not a single hole in the back or something?
What were they thinking…
Fanless Man
March 13, 2025 at 1:56 pm
You don't need airvents, the cooling is done with a huge copper element which spreads the heat over the aluminium chassis. All airvents would do is allow dust and water ingress. MBAs really are a whole new species of computer – the processor is so efficient that you throw out all the assumptions you've thought were sensible when dealing with garbage Windows laptops.