How LOUD is your computer?

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Swear to god, when I use my computer just before going to bed, I'm laying in bed and my ears are ringing HARSH like. Then last night, just out of nigh-desperation, I put in some ear plugs and there's an enormous drop in sound. So how much of my hearing am I losing because I'm sitting two feet away from my tower?

― vleeetrmx21 (Leee), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 04:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of it. I bought a nice tower when I built this system (an Antec plusview) and it's very quiet. Drop US$75 on a decent case and you'll be much happier.

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 04:08 (twenty-two years ago)

A case? But isn't always a cheap fan making the noise?

― Aaron A., Wednesday, 9 June 2004 04:15 (twenty-two years ago)

depends. Antec cases come with fairly quiet case fans if you need the extra cooling, but really it's the construction of the case that makes a big difference. With heavy duty construction a lot of noise is absorbed by the case itself.

― Bryan (Bryan), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 04:18 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.laorejadigital.com/revista/noticias/a1153/powerbook_2_xx.jpg

the only sound is the DVDR drive when I've got something in it spinning around.

It gets pretty hot, though.

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 04:48 (twenty-two years ago)

what about ibooks are they louder?

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 05:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a Lian Li PC60 case (matte black aluminium) which has 4 fans and makes a surprisingly small amount of noise considering the three hard-drives and fat cpu/gpu fans inside. The case alone set me back around USD$150.

― Andrew (enneff), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 05:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I second Tombot's description of the Powerbooks. It's so strange, it sounds REALLY FREAKING LOUD when I put a CD in (the spinning around noise, not the CD volume) but then I realise that's because most of the time it's so bloody quiet. My old laptop was so noisy that sometimes I couldn't sleep when I forgot to turn it off.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 07:18 (twenty-two years ago)

My office computer is so silent I wonder whether it's on half the time. Same can't be said of the test server on the bench next to me, whcih, ehn it's on, sounds like a hoover with a sock stuck in the pipe.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 07:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I use a ThinkPad T40 at work that is vewy vewy qwiet. The tower PC I use at home is a bit louder but I could probably still sleep with it switched on.

My Mum & Dad's Packard Bell tower is a tad louder and has one of the noisiest DVDROM drives I've ever heard.

― robster (robster), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 08:06 (twenty-two years ago)

My computer at home is too loud to sleep while it's on, but I turn it off at night so no complaints really. My work computer is either silent or the desk in between us has amazing sound-absorption qualities.

I really, really hate having to use laptops.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 09:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Why the laptop hate? I hate the bulk and inconvenience of having to use desktops. I mean, who the heck has that much space? And not being able to drag it from room to room without busting your back?

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate looking down at the small screen; I hate the lack of mouse (though plugging one in's easy enough; I hate the little clicky noises; I hate the lack of more than one CD/DVD drive; I hate the keyboard (see mouse, although if you're going to be lugging aroudn all these peripherals just get a desktop and be done with it). I don't like their expense, fragility, nickability; I'm perfectly happy having a computer area without needing to move it around.

All just IMHO - I'm sure they're great for others.

― Markelby (Mark C), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm. OK, I see your point. I guess people have different associations/uses for their computers. Some people (I'm guessing you would be in this camp) see their computer as a workbench, a place you go to get things done. While others (I'm in this camp) see their computer as a portable tool that has to be able to go wherever you go.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 09:47 (twenty-two years ago)

54dB A-weighted, right at the base of the tower. Probably low-40s at my ears. 64-66dbA right at the CD-RW tray when ripping. That's pretty noisy I guess but I worked in machine room for years and I find it soothing.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

/me pushes glasses up bridge of nose.

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

I like laptops.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Just answering the question, Koogy. ;)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate listening to music on a loud pc

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

the dells here at work sound ok. and then you try and do something intensive on them and the processor gets a bit hotter and the fan speeds up to compensate until it sounds as if they are about to take off.

lots of talk about quiet pcs over on slashdot and dabs.com has it's own section for quiet things. apparently large case fans are quieter than the smaller ones because they don't need to spin as fast for the same airflow.

― koogs (koogs), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

or get a mac

― HAMBURGER NEURON GROUP (ex machina), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 11:29 (twenty-two years ago)

hmm, ever sat next to one of the 'windtunnel' G4s.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Mac Cube is the best computer ever on this front.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

agreed, I wish they still made them.

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

before i got case fans, my computer was a stealth machine. arctic copper silent 2 CPU fan and MSI5900xt gfx cards were both virtually inaudible. unfortunately, my CPU was insanely hot, so had to invest in 3 case fans before summer arrived, so now it hums a little. it's bearable though. and nowhere near as loud as my old ti4200, which made as much noise as a handheld Dustbuster vaccuum cleaner.

― g-kit (g-kit), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

the Dell Optiplex SX270 is generally a very quiet machine. Occasionally however the fan goes menko and it sounds like a hair dryer does when you make it overheat by covering up the vent with yr hand.

― MarkH (MarkH), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 12:33 (twenty-two years ago)

i dream of having the towers in another room entirely, with cat5 extenders or something bringing the video and key/mouse out to my desk. and maybe a usb cd drive so i wouldn't have to trek to load cds.

i put a zalman fan on my 2.6c, which is very quiet,especially when turned all the way down. but the PS has two fans in it and there are some case fans too, which are the source of most noise in that box. the other box is somewhat quieter but still i'd like to eliminate the sound altogether

anyone used a cat5 remote thingy?

― ron (ron), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

any computer is too loud lots of times. I always have to turn them off because of the high pitch buzz they make. I've never heard one that doesn't.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

My PC's pretty noisy cause the fans have to cool like a powerful power supply and stuff. The (probably unnecessary) fan on the northbridge was making all these "OMG I'm going to DIE!" noises so I replaced it with a big blue goofy-looking zalman heatsink.
All that noise and the damn thing still runs too hot, too!

― Dan I., Wednesday, 9 June 2004 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

And not being able to drag it from room to room without busting your back?

What?! PCs aren't heavy! Kate, I know you've carried your fair share of guitar amps, to which PCs can't even compare in the weight-stakes.

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 10 June 2004 00:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Perhaps computers are still in the tin lizzy era?

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 10 June 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

iLynott

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 10 June 2004 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

There are a lot of products on the market (cases, fans, various alternate cooling systems to replace fans) just to make machines more quiet. I've got an AMD 1600 with two really big really fast harddrives that comes in under 20db, but it was built specifically to be quiet. (It's the recording machine in a studio.)

Try lookin around here, Leee: http://www.quietpc.com/

You very well may be able to reduce the noise a decent amount on the cheap by getting lower RPM fans, bigger chip heatsinks and/or by adding some sound-absorbing padding to the inside of your case.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 10 June 2004 02:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Another titanium G4 user - silent except for the sweet music of Mya.

― AdamL :') (nordicskilla), Thursday, 10 June 2004 02:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Some of the G4s were totally messed up on this front, I have a friend who has to keep it in another room for recording, but my G5 is amazingly quiet. The new G5s are even more so, liquid cooled or some such nonsense!

However I have an external Porsche LaCie CD-r drive that sounds like a factory.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Thursday, 10 June 2004 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

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