Overall it's a very quiet machine. Try playing a flash or even a java based online game for awhile though - it'll get those fans cranking hard and loud enough that you'll be ready to quit for long enough just to get the fans to slow down. They can definitely put out some noise in a quiet room. But, even then it's amazing how cool it stays compared to any of the other aluminum notebooks I've handled - no semi-permanent red marks on legs - yippee!