Recommand me with a quiet Laptop

Can't you just turn down the card's fan speed when idle? With MSI Afterburner or something?

Look for a netbook with passive cooling if you've got the dough to consider a Mac. It'll probably have a solid-state drive in it so it'll be pricey.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pzm9pzm9 

hi guys,

 

I am currently running Desktop -> DAC -> Amp. The problem with my desktop is that its graphic card is noisy as hell. (ATI 4870x2)

So I'm thinking of buying a new laptop just for the headphone system.  Apple looks nice but I have never used Mac before. I am looking for a quiet laptop that I can run foobar (I hate iTunes) and bit perfect. (something like WASAPI)

Any suggestion? How do those little macbooks do? Do they have SPIDF on the back? Will iTunes run faster on Macs? (iTunes runs pretty slow and dull on my desktop but I would love have the remote control feature with my iPod touch) Any PC based laptop that runs quiet? I'm open to anything... It doesn't have to be a laptop. HELP!!!

 

BEST

The little Macs are still expensive, and I dislike the iTunes interface aswell, although I'm told the Mac version is snappier.  They run fine, albeit a little overpowered for just a music machine.

Completely fanless would be the option of choice.  There's a fanless Dell netbook that I'd recommend, the 'New Mini 10', all models running an Atom at 1.66ghz, and either XP or Win7.  Give Dell a quick call to confirm they're fanless, and I'm sure you'll be all set.  After that, you'll have a NEAR silent machine, the only noise would be the HDD, which you can eliminate by upgrading to a solid state drive.  (If you call Dell, they might be able to put a 64-128gig in there for you for $200-400.)

jsut build youself one of these bad boys!

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/strip-fans,1203.html

runs completely silent, specially if you used a SSD

but on a serious note, mac laptops, or even desktops, like the mac mini for instance make almost zero noise if all you're doing is running itunes, and they run itunes great. and adding a SSD would also decrease the noise even further, if hard drive noise bothers you at all. my 06 macbook pro, doesnt start making noise till i start watching hd video and then the fans really kick in :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoupRKnowva 

jsut build youself one of these bad boys!

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/strip-fans,1203.html

 

runs completely silent, specially if you used a SSD

 

but on a serious note, mac laptops, or even desktops, like the mac mini for instance make almost zero noise if all you're doing is running itunes, and they run itunes great. and adding a SSD would also decrease the noise even further, if hard drive noise bothers you at all. my 06 macbook pro, doesnt start making noise till i start watching hd video and then the fans really kick in :D

My sister's AND cousin's 06 MacBooks both run their fans at near max 24/7.  >_>  Just going to a fanless system would better guarantee low noise.  Nevermind not costing 4192871356 times as much, and being able to run Foobar natively.

Laptop fans can be annoying too... Turn off, turn on, turn off, turn on... every freaking minute. That is, unless you have a Thinkpad, they have a fan control program that probably still works to this day.

If you like to invest in aftermarket heatsinks for your CPU and GPU, and add some silent fans with them, then you can get a relatively quiet desktop.

Originally Posted by ShinyFalcon 

Laptop fans can be annoying too... Turn off, turn on, turn off, turn on... every freaking minute. That is, unless you have a Thinkpad, they have a fan control program that probably still works to this day.

 

If you like to invest in aftermarket heatsinks for your CPU and GPU, and add some silent fans with them, then you can get a relatively quiet desktop.

This is true aswell.  As large in size as you can fit, high in CFM, low in dB/DBA.  That's the key.  Anything under 15DBA would be good.  Ex:

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26746&vpn=SY1225SL12L&manufacture=Scythe

or

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26745&vpn=SY1225SL12SL&manufacture=Scythe

I have the same problem also.

And I have no problems with my MacBook Pro and iTunes :)

There are very easy ways to get a noiseless desktop.

My desktop PC is near silent, the key is to get a good case, and then good fans for your heatsinks. Though I find with a good case, stock cooler for Intel Core 2s are plenty quiet. 

A good case means it doesn't have crap fans on it, usually something with nothing but 120mm fans are quiet because 120mm fans are high CFM and low decibel.

You typically will need to replace the GPU fan unless you have a GPU that out of the box came with a good cooler.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mochan 

There are very easy ways to get a noiseless desktop.

 

My desktop PC is near silent, the key is to get a good case, and then good fans for your heatsinks. Though I find with a good case, stock cooler for Intel Core 2s are plenty quiet. 

 

A good case means it doesn't have crap fans on it, usually something with nothing but 120mm fans are quiet because 120mm fans are high CFM and low decibel.

 

You typically will need to replace the GPU fan unless you have a GPU that out of the box came with a good cooler.

What if you have already got the laptop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kunalraiker 

What if you have already got the laptop.

Give it a good clean with some compressed air in each port, and then setup a program called 'SpeedFan'.  Not all laptop's fans can be controlled though, so... You might be hooped.

I say go MacBook (Pro). Quiet and great running  machines. :)

* Optical S/PDIF out. Not on the back though, but on the side - if that matters.

* iTunes runs a lot faster, smoother, .. on Mac OS X than on MS Windows.

* iTunes on Mac OS X is bit-perfect.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis 

I say go MacBook (Pro). Quiet and great running  machines. :)

 

* Optical S/PDIF out. Not on the back though, but on the side - if that matters.

* iTunes runs a lot faster, smoother, .. on Mac OS X than on MS Windows.

* iTunes on Mac OS X is bit-perfect.

I'd be Mac-Hating right now, but you've made the only three valid points. =P

If you can afford it, the new 13" MBPs are decent, and can do a little more than the fanless Mini 10, such as playing HD video and etc.  That said, if you're ONLY playing music from the device, I'd recommend the Mini 10 above it.

If you're really gunning for OSX, but want to stay on a budget, you can get a laptop elsewhere.  You can run Hackintosh/OSX86 on most machines with little effort.  See here for a compatibility list.  You'd of course lose the SPDIF output, though.

http://osx86sv.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/osx-10-6-2-snow-leopard-on-dell-mini10v/

http://www.mymacnetbook.com/compatibility-chart/

It WON'T work on the New Dell/Inspiron 10-1012, that I linked you to.  You might be able to find a Mini10v on ebay/FS forums, or here at the Dell refurb/ding and scratch store.

Note to naysayers: This is not an illegal tutorial.  The tutorial asks you to purchase a copy of Snow Leopard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis 

I say go MacBook (Pro). Quiet and great running  machines. :)

 

* Optical S/PDIF out. Not on the back though, but on the side - if that matters.

* iTunes runs a lot faster, smoother, .. on Mac OS X than on MS Windows.

* iTunes on Mac OS X is bit-perfect.

I do have a mackbook pro,,probably the quietest laptop out there. But all my music is in FLAC and I don't want to convert it to M4A.i don't want to use iTunes.