For what it's worth, this only occurs when connected to an external monitor -- which causes the discrete GPU to overheat, even with no apps running.
Using the built-in display (with the discrete GPU on) is fine.
My 16” i9 is MUCH quieter than my 15” 2015 Macbook pro, and it’s not like i’m browsing Facebook: i’m constantly compiling and running tests on every file save.
My macbook feels warm but not hot, even when I touch it at the fan exhausts. I do notice my battery only lasting about 2,5 hours though.
Playing games it runs great and while you can hear the fans, it’s much better compared to my 15” 2015.
Personally i’m really impressed with the cooling and performance of the 16”