It took a long time for the market to start to demand quiet PCs for real. Maybe in a noisy office a noisy PC is no big deal, but working from home, it makes a huge difference to me at least.
My previous computer, the Apple G5 tower model, had a very hot chip. So it had big parts of the space devoted to cooling in innovative ways, designed to reduce noise while cooling a lot. And yet it was not so quiet. I had put it inside a closet next to my desk, and yet when it became hot after some intense use, it became more noisy than I liked, and I turned it off for a while.
The present one, the Mac Pro, same design on the outside, has an Intel chip. And it was clearly a wise choice to change to that. Around the millennium, the former PowerPC chip was supposed to be destined for much better things in the power/heat area, but since then Intel overtook them by leaps and bounds. So the new computers are a bit faster, and a lot quieter. Even while having reclaimed much of the space that was used for cooling before, to make for more expansion options.In fact this big powerhouse is almost as quiet as a laptop. I have installed it in the closet like the last one, and the ambient small noises of the building and the neighborhood are actually more noticeable than the noise from the machine. I love it. It does wonders for my stress levels.
I'd like a Via Eden 1GHz fanless CPU, for most of my usage it would be fine, add to that solid state diskless HDD and I'd be very happy.
ReplyDeleteBig Apple G5 towers are notoriously noisy models, as any New-Yorker will tell you. You should try a Summer Cottage Y2K7. With a purring kitten on your lap top. I can't stress enough the value of peace and quiet.
ReplyDeleteWell, it depends on what market you are talking about. In recording studios we have demanded silent computers (note, not quiet, silent) since the 1980s, or for as long as computers have been of any use there.
ReplyDeleteComputer noise is not just about CPU power/heat generation, it's also about the noise coming from disks.
In almost all professional situations its simply easiest to install the 'puters and disk arrays in a separate room. That's what I've done since 1995. You can then select your hardware on other basis, not having to think about the noise issue.
But some are also using an Isobox succesfully. What I don't like about that is that you still get the heat (even if silently) in your working area, which, unless you have very good air conditioning, may be uncomfortable.
My computer is silent. Each and every time I use someone else's computer, even those so-called "quiet" dells and HPs, I'm impressed by my own cunning. That, and I go mad from the noise. It's just wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhich machine are you using, Anon?
ReplyDeleteAaaahhhh! PC and quiet at last. :-)
ReplyDelete