After all this time, is this still the best we can get?

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:33 pm

The ongoing quest continues...

There are many (many!) favorable aspects for both the P180/182 and the Scythe Ninja.

Frequent users here, may also have seen some downsides to these products (hooks breaking off, door not too solid / fitting to Intel processors).

There are alternatives, but they seem to be very scarce.

I've opted for a Thermalright 120 Extreme instead of the Ninja.

As far as cases are concerned, I find the P182 very affordable but it has some flaws as well.

Are there *any* cases that come close to soundproofing your system (the P180/182 comes with 3 sided panels, the front is sealed with a door etc). And the cabling system seems pretty nice as well.

I heard, 2 mm aluminium will be able to soundproof the system enough to prevent resonation.

There are a few other cases that look pretty good:

I just love the front of Silverstone TJ-09:

I am leaning towards function before style, but this is simply the most elegant front I've ever seen (in comparison, the Antec does look a bit bland).
If only the P182 didn't have some issues, I would go for that.

It's not all bliss though, the TJ-09 has some downsides as well: the hard drive compartment is "sealed off" from the rest of the case (some mesh on either side that doesn't come into contact with the rest of the case), the hard drive compartment needs additional cooling (very low RPM fan I guess - some reviews say no active cooling is needed) but it also has no soundproofing, seperating it from the outside [hard drives, however quiet, do still need some soundproofing in order to get a quiet PC].
And it has a (what seems like a) very restrictive intake [left and right] for the rest of the case.
On the up-side: the front has 5 mm aluminium, the side panels are 1.5/2 mm aluminium. It's all brushed as well, so looks very good.

Personally, I don't like the mesh of Lian Li with all the little holes.
There are some nice choices for Lian Li though (PC-V2000, PC-A16A). Some other Lian Li cases have a very complex airflow system (PC-S80A)...

Apart from these three, which all seem quality case brands (although with pain in my heart, I wouldn't cross my fingers for Antec) are there any other quality cases a quiet PC user may look at?

Somehow, I think most would still advice the P180/182 but that would seem like "settling for".
I've read most recent threads here, and both the Scythe Ninja and the Antec P180/182 seem like the best options, while taking into account some drawbacks.

What if you have money to spend? (both the Silverstone and Lian Li cases are way more expensive, but even without money taking into account, are they still the best?).

What are our alternatives?
Are they still unquestionably the best, after all these years, no other options?

[I've seen similar behaviour in other forums, where established setups keep on being advised after years, no questions asked - I'm not saying this is what happens here, but what are the alternatives?]

ryboto · Post by **ryboto** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:02 pm

that tj-09 does have a very nice simplistic, yet refined finish. Reminds me of the A05 by lian li. They don't really have a taller version, that I know of. But it's the only case with a simple and finished face that I'm aware of.

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:28 pm

I just ordered the P182 and promised myself to be very, very careful with the side panels.

After reading a lot of reviews, and some user opinions on newegg, I found the TJ-09 can't be properly silenced, the TJ-07 is too open, and Lian Li's are either too expensive or don't have the same sound dampening the Antec has.
I found no case with the same cable management the P182 has, either.

I just find it a pity, that people who take quietening their PC seriously have such slim options in doing so.

Both the Antec P180/182 and the Scythe Ninja have some very good points. People willing to "take a chance" and opting for a Thermalright 120 ultra/extreme with a slow fan seem to be scarce, even if they have an Intel setup (which I don't).
People who are looking for a nice looking alternative (or even an alternative, period) are kind of left in the dark. I found no confident alternative for the P182.
This is sad

P.S. I just went for another case because my cats seem to have found special interest in the ghetto duct at the rear of my case. They are starting to gnaw at the tape and/or the elastic cord in there. Or they find the resonation interesting and come to check out what causes it.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:14 am

I noticed the same thing.

Initially it seemed like the world was filled with cases, and choosing the best would be an arduous task... but after a while you had ruled out the overpriced, underfeatured and middle-of-the-road -- leaving just the Antec Performance One and Lifestyle series to choose from. They had an established reputation, reliable vendors and the price and features were just right. They mostly looked nice too.

So I chose the Sonata, and when the next upgrade came, the Sonata II was the best option. Again, I should say, as this is the I with most of the flaws fixed. Everything else was and is just the same old clunky, basic crap in the most bare ATX form allowed; Antec at least went for something new and innovative in the reasonable direction.

I don't want all-aluminium cases that cost a fortune. I certainly don't want a thousand vents and ducts in my side panels. And I don't need an integrated LCD display, light show and fans -- I'll pick my own, thanks. All I want is something in the 100â‚¬ range that looks good, has good features(cable management, trays, 270' hinges, rails), is easy to use, has a quality feel to it, and finally takes my components, keeping them cool and quiet. And that something has been, so far, Antec. Nexus Breeze was louder, and Cooler Master cases just didn't float my boat. Silverstone wasn't established or available to me at the time.

It's a really small world in my eyes too, but at least it keeps the choice simple!

As for coolers, I am and have always been a Zalman man. While not the most silent, they've been great at what they do, and I simply love the flower design. It's a break from the dull, straight-edge design that is the PC world, more of that!

Fayd · Post by **Fayd** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:02 pm

to be honest, compared to the op's embedded image, i vastly prefer the look of the black P180.

it just looks so..........awesome.

Jeff Cutsinger · Post by **Jeff Cutsinger** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:59 am

I think the p150 is more attractive than the tj-09.

Felger Carbon · Post by **Felger Carbon** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:13 am

Once styling becomes a decision factor, one is not only guaranteed that no case will satisfy everyone, but no case will satisfy a double-digit percentage of buyers. Look at all the cars on the road - an astonishing number are all alike except the styling!

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:44 am

As long as the functionality is there, the looks will be the only difference. As intelligent beings, we can appreciate abstract things, such as beauty.

I bet there are only a few ways you can build a working <insert object> up to modern standards, so no surprise if everything feels like it came out of the same mold. Also, as you pointed out, capitalism and profits dictate all must sell what the bulk of buyers buy in order stay in the black.

Exceptional items make an exception to this of course, but even in Lamborghini dealerships I bet the profit comes from a lot of something, and not a little bit of everything.

And I'd say most people are not daring, imaginative or stupid enough to demand their items in a unique style. That's what fashion victims do. Styling's probably the last deciding factor, if the product isn't absolutely hideous, does what it's supposed to and has some solid evidence or reputation behind it, but it can certainly be a tie-breaker.

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:46 pm

Felger, it was my point that most of the people here don't even have that "choice".

Up and foremost is silence, then comes style and personal preference.

I made a list, beginning with silence, and came up with this:

1. Antec P182
2. -
3. -

Then I read some more reviews here and there, saw some pretty cases but they didn't come close to 1. (or at least, judging from the review, and looking at the build, I couldn't convince myself that it would perform likewise). After asking for alternatives... (the thread replies look rather slim), this is still the list.

So, if you have this priority, you don't even have the luxury of picking a style, this is all there is.

It was some kind of reality check for me (is it still..?), and to get best results I might have overstated some things in my 1st post, but the reality is that I didn't have a choice, with silence being a priority...

WR304 · Post by **WR304** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:11 pm

spookmineer wrote:Up and foremost is silence, then comes style and personal preference.

I made a list, beginning with silence, and came up with this:

1. Antec P182
2. -
3. -

You can't expect a stock Antec P182 or Antec Solo/ P150 to be "silent" or even "quiet" straight out of the box.

Any Antec case needs the tricool fans replacing and the fan grilles removing straight away before you'd even describe it as "quiet".

Any sound dampening that comes with them is nothing special either. Whichever Antec case you choose you'll need to look at adding some sort of custom damping.

Any case is only as good as the bits you put in it too of course.

If you're looking at cases there are quite a few cases which are going to be at least as good or better than the Antec P182 from a noise perspective.

I made a quick list of non-Antec cases I'd consider for a "quiet" PC (not necessarily in noise order as I've never tried any of them).

They each have their own downsides of course but are valid alternatives to the Antec P182 or Antec Solo/P150 so many people use.

Zalman TNN500AF
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/vie ... 1&code=020

Advantages:
Passive cooling and high mass case for damping mean it's going to be very quiet
It's got wheels so you can push it round like a server!

Disadvantages:
Expensive
No option to upgrade power supply from proprietary Zalman unit
Can't handle newer graphics card heat outputs

PaQ 4U-550
http://www.paqt.co.uk/products.html

Advantages:
Innovative internal design looks like it has good potential for low noise: all fans spin at <600rpm
Foam hard drive mounts and PSU built inside unit to reduce any noise

Disadvantages:
Expensive
4U rackmount size limits choice of CPU cooler
Not many reviews as it's still new

Lian-Li PC-S80
http://www.lian-li.com/product/product0 ... x=5&type=a

Advantages:
Dual skin side panels and rear air intakes ensure no noise escapes from front
Solid construction to Lian-Li's high standards
rear fan muffler

Disadvantages:
Expensive
Could have heat issues due to restricted airflow

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:02 pm

True, but I don't expect it to... I have become a regular visitor here and read the improvements on the P180/182 so many times that I wasn't even thinking of repeating them.
I'm not sure if you seen the modifications to my current case, the same will be done to the new case

I knew about the Zalman case, but the price...
The PaQ is new to me! Not available in The Netherlands though.
The Lian Li is also too expensive and getting a good airflow in it seems complex (I'm only average when it comes to this new soundproofing concept and anything that goes with it).

Just to be sure (I'm not sure I want to hear the answer...) if the same modifications are done to a case in the same price class as the P182, will the results be alike? From reading reviews here and elsewhere, I assumed it would still be the best choice...

silence · Post by **silence** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:04 pm

The answer to your question lies in the very existence of this website: so long as a mainstream exists, so will the hobby that generated this very website. Very few products exist in the market that completely meet the needs of the computer silencer. Those that come close enjoy much popularity with the very small minority of computer users who populate the silencing community, but will likely never develop into a mainstream product. Sure, the P180/182/190 and Scythe Ninja have their shortcomings, but they do a damn good job of working well for the vast majority of people who purchase them. If totally silent computer parts were a plug and play affair, there would be no need for this website or community. Obviously this is not the case, and I'm glad because I have the good fortune of enjoying the fruits of my labor each time I use my computer (which is very frequently). I think I speak for many people here when I say I wouldn't have it any other way.

-Dom

spookmineer · Post by **spookmineer** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:24 pm

I don't agree that if totally silent computer parts were a plug and play affair, there would be no need for this website or community.

The extra choices one has, will only make for more individual choices according to personal priorities. There are countless ways to make a PC faster, maybe the reason for the loads of overclock forums is just to make sense of all the choices one has.
This may be oversimplifying things: but a quick look at the recommended cases list, makes the P180/182 mighty popular here. The 2 Zalmans above this case are too expensive and inflexible.

I would have it another way... I'd very much like if manufacturers would more tune in to, what is up till now, a niche market. If that were to happen, there would be even more a need for this website then today.

ronrem · Post by **ronrem** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:14 am

There are a LOT of options.

The popular Antecs are a bit pricey...but "as-is" are about 85% of the way toward quiet. Of course...for LESS $ you CAN mod a lot of basic cases and get equal results. There are some fairly big heavy gauge cases I'd think can be made quieter than an Antec...of course..the Antecs can be made quieter too.

Felger and Bluestone have posted a lot of great stuff on custom rigs using the "Big Fan" plan,running a 220 mm at under 400 rpm.

There's an assortment of HDD cooling/quieting strategies---and now eSATA lets you put the HDD's 6 ft further from your ears-outside the case.
That also simplifies internal airflow.

There's a lot of creative "from scratch" cases and a lot that start with an old "reject" mostly for the back + mobo mount. Usually these are Wood and some top any off the shelf case for looks. Some are do-able without having a full woodworking shop...just a circular saw and a sabre saw.

If you want a screamin' OC'd gamer rig....well..that's gonna mean heat-and unless the case is cinder block...some noise is inevitable.
The new amd 45 w chips...stock..are EASY to cool. A 220 mm at under 400 rpm or a 120mm at under 800 rpm gives adequate airflow if the air path is planned. Few current Mobos have those nasty 40 mm fans now,and you can get a pretty potent passive vid card.

Building from scratch can let you effectively use a fanless PSU. They should be in a seperate well vented space-and stock cases don't provide that.

A lot of "silent" cases put an INTAKE fan on the front..at 1000-1600 rpm.
Duh?

WR304 · Post by **WR304** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:12 pm

spookmineer wrote:If the same modifications are done to a case in the same price class as the P182, will the results be alike?

That's a really difficult one to answer.

Antec have largely got the basics right: Solid case construction, 120mm fan mounts and rubber grommets/suspension as standard.

When you see some modified cases the only thing they have in common with the original case is the packaging they came in.

I think the answer is probably that you could get any similarly priced case down to the same noise level as a modified Antec P180 or P150/Solo case.

It's just that you would have to spend more time and effort modifying the case in order to achieve that result.

Felger Carbon · Post by **Felger Carbon** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 8:14 am

WR304 wrote:I think the answer is probably that you could get any similarly priced case down to the same noise level as a modified Antec P180 or P150/Solo case.

It's just that you would have to spend more time and effort modifying the case in order to achieve that result.

I agree. My own particular focus lately has been on the use of a large fan for silent PC case and PSU cooling. For low-power CPUs, that can include a passive HS.

That leaves sealing the front panel so no noise escapes that way, and both suspending and spot-cooling the HDDs. My solution to that problem has been a rubber box with an open rear to contain 2ea HDDs and 1ea 100mm spot-cooling fan.

I ignore optical drive noise, since I only use it for backup ~once a week.

The result is an extraordinarily quiet PC, but yes, it's a lot of work.

Tzupy · Post by **Tzupy** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 4:53 am

As an owner of the P150, I was able to take measurements of the front intake area, and it's at best 50 cm2 (in the front door).
I couldn't take the same measurements on the P180, but from the pictures I've seen it doesn't seem to be much larger.
Such a small intake area obviously hinders airflow, it's only half of what's needed for one of P150's two 92 mm fans.
Of course it's a major improvement compared with the Sonata design, but still far from my standards.
That's why I imagined a design that would offer about 150 cm2 of intake area, while still denying a direct path for noise escape.
It would fit in the same space as the P150 front door, but it wouldn't be a door anymore (the hinge wastes a lot of space).
I wish someone could put this design into practice...

nick705 · Post by **nick705** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:22 am

Tzupy wrote: Such a small intake area obviously hinders airflow, it's only half of what's needed for one of P150's two 92 mm fans.

I don't think it's necessarily true that intake area absolutely *has* to be equal to or greater than the swept area of the fan blades. Air is a pretty fluid... ummm... fluid, so a smaller intake simply means it will be moving faster through the vents to replace the volume evacuated.

Obviously below a certain threshold the fans *won't* be able to suck in enough air, but I don't think there's any evidence the P150/P180 are a real problem, except maybe in unusual situations like cmthompson's highly-overclocked/low-airflow build...

ronrem · Post by **ronrem** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:04 pm

It's almost too easy now. Folks just assume they can get silence-and also have a high power overclocked gamer's beast.....and now that is almost possible.

We now can get the hard drives ALL out of the box-sow them in a silent case at some distance (eSATA) or have the os on a SSD-an option that gets way better as the costs drop---and I expect big drops.

We have available dual core CPU's that you can cool passive with a Ninja,and we have 220 mm fans that can run at less than 400 rpm. There are good FANLESS PSU's. There are good FANLESS GPUs.

Cases? If you don't find what serves your needs----THINK----then build something better.

Based on the above improved technology-and a few decent power tools I could EASILY come up with a half dozen case layouts/builds that give prformance and a noise level that's generally unnoticed.

Home built cases,whether using part of a scrap case-or all from scratch,are not brain surgery. They can also look great. A few feet of Oak 1X8 is not that much $. Give it a sand and stain,a coat of Man-O-War spar gloss and it looks great. There's your front door.

I can come up with plenty of concepts for a silent case in a half hour...and they can be do-able without a whole lot of tools.

There are ALSO a LOT of stock cases anyone can mod to be at least equal to Antec's stuff.

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 6:22 pm

If i had an unlimited budget id still go with an Antec Solo for an ATX build, or an NSK4380 for a Micro ATX build. They are IMHO the best enclosures available for absolutely SILENT systems.

As for a PSU to go with them, as much as i like seasonic, i really dont like 120mm fan'd PSU's. Its just overkill IMO when your system is only pulling around 100-150w at load, plus in a standard case a PSU with an 80mm fan is easier to thermally seperate your PSU zone from the rest of your enclosure. So i would go with an Antec Earthwatt 380w. It's more than enough power for any single VGA card system and its 80+ certified with a dead silent fan when running under 150w which all of my systems are. While modular cables are nice, there is always room around the PSU area to tuck extra cables. So its not really needed. Thankfully the NSK3480 comes with my prefered PSU of choise.

echn111 · Post by **echn111** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 3:21 pm

Lian Li PC-S80 has advantages over the Antec. I found the Antec P180 too noisy even after modifications. The fans are completely unbaffled, air flow is handled just like any normal case. The Lian Li takes care of this, but still makes some noise, although less than the P180 (which I've now thrown away).

Don't think acoustic technology for PC cases has really advanced much mainly because people want silence but don't want to pay for it. Premium brands like Bang and olufsen or Bose do not yet exist for PC cases.

As for unlimited budget, I think I'd probably go for something a bit more than an Antec solo. I'd commission a piece of designer furniture with wooden walls at least 1 inch thick, on top of anti-vibration fibreglass case enclosing a sound proof titanium shell. maybe make one side 1 inch thick bullet proof glass... Or something like that.

Oh yeah, the fans would be well baffled, and I'd make it part of an executive desk or a standalone work of art/designer furniture.

Anyway, I can't afford that. But it'd be really quiet. (I sure wish someone would have the imagination to make a better case that we can afford...)

mellon · Post by **mellon** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 8:57 pm

echn111 wrote:Don't think acoustic technology for PC cases has really advanced much mainly because people want silence but don't want to pay for it. Premium brands like Bang and olufsen or Bose do not yet exist for PC cases.

Well, 6-7 years back it simply wasn't possible to get a "silent" case, it simply did not exist. Fan grills were restrictive and hard drives were always hard mounted.

On the topic of Bose it suffices to say that in every single magazine review I've seen about Bose the conclusion has been that it's horribly overpriced as products five times cheaper regurally beat the Boses with same functionality. One review even went on to suggest that the only purpose Bose has is to separate the fool from his money.

Erssa · Post by **Erssa** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:14 am

A bit off topic, but I think Nexus Morpho looks a bit like TJ-09 (imo it looks a bit better)

http://www.nexustek.nl/morpho_premium_a ... c_case.htm

echn111 · Post by **echn111** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 2:45 pm

mellon wrote:
echn111 wrote:Don't think acoustic technology for PC cases has really advanced much mainly because people want silence but don't want to pay for it. Premium brands like Bang and olufsen or Bose do not yet exist for PC cases.
Well, 6-7 years back it simply wasn't possible to get a "silent" case, it simply did not exist. Fan grills were restrictive and hard drives were always hard mounted.

On the topic of Bose it suffices to say that in every single magazine review I've seen about Bose the conclusion has been that it's horribly overpriced as products five times cheaper regurally beat the Boses with same functionality. One review even went on to suggest that the only purpose Bose has is to separate the fool from his money.

Luxury premium products are always overpriced compared to their functional counterparts. Could get a Ford Escort and drive from A to B. Or could get an S class Merc that would do the same. In fact, with some tweaking and nitro, the Ford Escort would outperform the S class. Some would actually still prefer the overpriced S class. Anyway, one man's fool is another's success story. It's all relative.

PC case market is still very immature which is why we don't have the range of products more mature markets have. Getting there slowly with cases like the TJ10 and so on, but still years behind.

I realize that SPCR enthusiasts don't like to spend money. Well ok - but that's why the expensive flash cases aren't exactly aimed at SPCR.

Das_Saunamies · Post by **Das_Saunamies** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 6:29 am

Don't want to spend money?!

There are people in the silencing business going through multiple cases, fans, hard drives and motherboards to find the perfect combination, whereas your average user sits with the same old screamer for years on end; this is one thing that sets the enthusiast apart. Many also happily pay the premium on what they observe to be the better or indeed perfect component. Nexuses and Seasonics don't come cheap, nor do the new Antecs, just to refer to the reference brands. They're not exactly "S-class"(a heaven on wheels compared to a mediocre car, it's not all about overcompensating with horsepowers

) by features or price -- Lian Li holds the overpriced crown and doesn't deliver on features in my opinion -- but they are high above the price of an average or mediocre product. Yet people still get them and recommend them because they are that good, and they are ready to invest on premium regularily. A single shoddy component would ruin a carefully hand-picked rig.

And while we don't have disco lights or m4d Gr1Ll$(which are what, 5 bucks a pop now? flashy cases are just rubbish), we do have exotic damping materials, fan controllers, giant-sized heatsinks, optional fans and cooling enclosures, special card, chipset and processor models and so on... in short, all sorts of extras that your average user won't even think of spending money on. That's how the car business you readily made your analogy to garners profits from new sales.

Money has been spent and is constantly being spent by the enthusiasts. The enthusiast market just isn't that big. Just how most people opt for a "Ford Escort" instead of a "Mercedes S-class" in just about all walks of life.

You are right about the luxury products, they are extra luxury for extra money and nothing more, you could get the basics for less. But consider this: silencing is not about luxury, it's about form and function that should be provided by default in a decent product.

WR304 · Post by **WR304** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:43 pm

echn111 wrote:I realize that SPCR enthusiasts don't like to spend money.

I'm not too sure about that.

If you don't have them already just the cost of tools for case modding by itself can be quite a lot (tin snips, padsaw, wet and dry sand paper, glue gun etc). That's ignoring any power tools.

Aftermarket heatsinks and accessories don't come cheap either. Replace the bits chosen for low noise (Scythe Ninja, Scythe S-Flex fans, hard drive enclosure, semi-fanless power supply, Zalman Reserator 2 + waterblock, acoustic foam etc) with stock items and my PC would have been far cheaper to build.

That's not even starting on the specialty components you're going to start seeing used increasingly also.

Solid state hard drives are probably the best example.

It looks like they'll be a reasonable option soon. Â£300 just to get the PC a bit quieter isn't too bad really...

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/0 ... te_drive/1

.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:19 pm

Solid state hard drives are probably the best example.

It looks like they'll be a reasonable option soon. Â£300 just to get the PC a bit quieter isn't too bad really...

IMO noisewise there will be no perceptible difference between the best (quietest) laptop HDD in a DIY enclosure and solid-state; the price per GB will be substantially better also.

echn111 · Post by **echn111** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:26 pm

Das_Saunamies wrote:Don't want to spend money?!

WR304 wrote:
echn111 wrote:I realize that SPCR enthusiasts don't like to spend money.
I'm not too sure about that.

Absolutely. Silent PC enthusiasts are relatively low spenders. While SPCR are may consider $300 to be a lot for making their overall PC more quiet, graphics enthusiasts will shell out $1400 for SLI graphic cards alone.

But think beyond the money factor. We have the technology to make sound proof ultra-quiet cases. But they're not going to be cheap. Do you see the typical silent PC enthusiast paying $1400 for a truely soundproof modern PC case made of double walled, vacuum sealed composites and high strength anti-vibe alloys?

Well considering that most people here seem to think the $80 Antec P180 or solo is at the cutting edge of PC sound proofing technology, the answer appears to be a resounding "no". In fact, the sad thing is, the $80 aluminium Antec P180 is at the cutting edge of PC sound proofing technology (along with the TNN's).

Fact is, manufacturers do not think people will pay for it. And they're right. So manufacturers will not waste their time.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I believe that the silent pc enthusiast market is in its infancy. Eventually more premium manufacturers will offer more technologically advanced (and more expensive) products, but there is absolutely no reason to at the moment. They'd simply lose money.

m^2 · Post by **m^2** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:02 am

jaganath wrote:
Solid state hard drives are probably the best example.

It looks like they'll be a reasonable option soon. Â£300 just to get the PC a bit quieter isn't too bad really...
IMO noisewise there will be no perceptible difference between the best (quietest) laptop HDD in a DIY enclosure and solid-state; the price per GB will be substantially better also.

Agree. But performance and energy consumption will be worse. And you have to DIY

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 12:52 am

Â£300 (1673 zloty) versus a bit of DIY, what a difficult choice...difference in energy consumption can't be more than 1 or 2 watts.