The Sexiest PC I've Ever Seen

[Jason Dunn]

Ok, it's time for our Friday off-topic post. But rather than post something funny, I wanted to post something that got me really excited. Really. Excited. :ppclove:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.alienware.com/Images/case_images/prd_cyborg_green_gaming_large.jpg" /> <br /><br />Would you LOOK at that? It's makin' me RANDY, baby, yeah! :pimp: Wow. Put that in your iPipe and smoke it! Alienware has always had some nice designs, but this one really takes the cake - totally unique! Be sure to <a href="http://www.alienware.com/gaming_main_desktop.aspx">take a peek at the other colours</a> - they all look amazing!

[cesarfong]

it looks like an alien.. 0X 0X or a funny car .. i don´t know byut really cool :D:D:D

Only for collectors :D

[bradolson]

I'd still rather build one myself. Buying one of these takes all the fun out of it.

Brad

[Sheynk]

I'd still rather build one myself. Buying one of these takes all the fun out of it.

Brad

i disagree....Alienware makes the best PCs on the market...you wont build one of these babies 8O at home

0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X

if only they were cheaper....cant wait for the slim centrino notebook!

[ctmagnus]

Yeah, but it's constantly looking at you!

[cesarfong]

it look like ALIEN (from the ALIEN SAGA) but with green large head ;)

[sponge]

I've been able to put together systems (just pricing) cheaper than Alienware. It's well known (at least where I come from) that their prices are very high for what you get. I'd much rather build one too.

[ctmagnus]

I've been able to put together systems (just pricing) cheaper than Alienware.

I've spec'ed systems with the exact same components as the big 3 and come up with a much lower price. You pay for the service but never need it after the initial purchse.

[klinux]

I prefer the Media Center PC: http://www.alienware.com/mce_main_sff.aspx. The 17" PowerBook would be top on my list though.

[bsoft]

I'd still rather build one myself. Buying one of these takes all the fun out of it.

Brad

i disagree....Alienware makes the best PCs on the market...you wont build one of these babies 8O at home

0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X 0X

if only they were cheaper....cant wait for the slim centrino notebook!


Oh, you most certainly can build one of these babies at home. Actually, you can build something better. Twin 15K SCSI drives. Radeon 9800. Brushed aluminum case. P4 3.0C overclocked to 4 gigahertz. Watercooling.

If you have the budget, you can build a very sweet PC.

"cant wait for the slim centrino notebook!"

If you think Centrino is revolutinary, you're probably in for a sorry surprise. Athlon XP-M is just as fast, uses no more cooling equipment and little more power, and costs $300-$600 less than an equivalent Centrino notebook.

Now, Pentium-M is a great mobile processor, but it's overpriced and overmarketed.

I look at the Alienware systems and I see a system for those who want to be a computer enthusiast but are too lazy to do it themselves. You can get exactly what you want (even miost of Alienware's "exclusive" features) when you build a PC, and it's much more rewarding afterwards.

Here's my 10-month-old system:

- Abit NV7m NForce 420-D Athlon XP Motherboard
- 2x Crucial Micron 256M PC2100 DDR
- 2x Samsung SpinPoint P40 Series 7200rpm 80GB IDE HDD (160GB Total) RAID0
- TDK 32X CD-RW
- Hitachi 8X DVD-ROM
- AMD Athlon XP 2000+ (1667) Palomino
- Alpha 8045 Heatsink
- 3x Panaflo L1A 80mm 24cfm Fan (1 case, 1 CPU, 1 PSU)
- Enlight Micro ATX Case, 300W PSU (2 External 5" Bays, 1 External and 2 Internal 3" Bays, rounded corners, easy-off sides, screwless removable drive cage, screwless PCI/AGP retention clip)
- Windows XP Professional (Retail, Yes it's legal)
- Dual-Boot Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (180 day evaluation)
- GeForce 4 Ti 4200 128M VIVO GPU
- Zalman ZM80A-HP Fanless VGA Heatpipe Cooler
- NVIDIA Dolby Digital Audio (Same as the XBox), Ethernet, Etc.


I've put a lot of work into this system over the years and it shows. I aimed for a silent PC and I think I succeeded. It does 10,000+ in 3DMark 2001. And my total investment was less than $1200.

[suhit]

So I was customizing my own Alienware PC and I was able to get it up to a meagre total: $13,874.00. Someone looking for a new best friend? :wink:

BTW, I also recommend everyone check out the Alienware laptops, very nice desktop replacements.

[Elad Yakobowicz]

I have to admit the new Alienwares look way too cool, especially with their new cooling technology (pun intended) :lol:

[Sheynk]

So I was customizing my own Alienware PC and I was able to get it up to a meagre total: $13,874.00. Someone looking for a new best friend? :wink:

BTW, I also recommend everyone check out the Alienware laptops, very nice desktop replacements.

the problems with those laptops that you wont leave the desk.... the battery life is tiny 0X

[suhit]

the problems with those laptops that you wont leave the desk.... the battery life is tiny 0X

I agree, which is why I said that it would be a good desktop replacement. But think of the "ass kicking" you will be handing out at those LAN parties 8) (as long as your are connected to a reliable power source).

[Jason Dunn]

I've been able to put together systems (just pricing) cheaper than Alienware. It's well known (at least where I come from) that their prices are very high for what you get. I'd much rather build one too.

Ah, but tell me where you can get such a sweet looking case, with the paint job that Alienware does, and a matching keyboard and mouse? Nowhere! That's what I find appealing about these boxes - I like putting together my own machines too, but home-built boxes can't match the sheer sex appeal of an Alienware or Voodoo (http://www.voodoopc.com) PC. Machines built like this are more than the sum of their parts, and that's sort of the idea. :wink:

If you wouldn't buy one yourself, cool. But why trash the concept if others like it? :|

[Mike Temporale]

too bad I can't buy just the case. :( I just finished updating my machine late last year. I'm not in the market for a new machine, but man, that case would look amazing under my desk. 8)

[Jason Dunn]

If you think Centrino is revolutinary, you're probably in for a sorry surprise. Athlon XP-M is just as fast, uses no more cooling equipment and little more power, and costs $300-$600 less than an equivalent Centrino notebook.

I'm not so sure. Now either AMD did a horrible job marketing the XP-M, the press completely missed the boat (possible), or it's just another ho-hum CPU from AMD. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big AMD fan on the desktop, but their processors have never, ever been good in laptops. They're insanely hot, power hungry, and hot. Did I mention they're hot? I did some research on the XP-M, and AMD doesn't even list the cache size on their spec page (that I could find) so I find it hard to believe that the XP-M is as fast as the Pentium-M. Although perhaps AMD's ability to be faster per clock cycle balances out the 1 MB of cache on the Pentium 4-M.

The bigger problem I think is that the XP-M is in so few notebooks - I buy my notebooks based on a whole whack of features, not just the CPU type. I have my eye on the Acer 803CLi - with a second battery it will do 8 hours of runtime! That's the kind of specs that are important to me, not the brand on the CPU.

I look at the Alienware systems and I see a system for those who want to be a computer enthusiast but are too lazy to do it themselves.

Don't confuse "lack of time" with "lazy" - there are two types of people in the world: those with more time than money, and those with more money than time. It's a wee bit arrogant to assume that someone is "lazy" just because they want to have a nice out of box experience. :|

Or did you hand-build your Pocket PC? :wink: :lol:

[SassKwatch]

Ok, it's time for our Friday off-topic post. But rather than post something funny, I wanted to post something that got me really excited. Really. Excited. :ppclove:
Just wish it had a 'Natural' type keyboard. Then I'd take one in anything but 'Cyborg Green'. The last time I saw colors that durn hideous was on a Friday nite after a little too much.......well, never mind. I think you can figure it out. :)

[Sheynk]

Voodoos are nice but talk about a premium..... definatly one of the most expensive PCs around.

BTW... the Acer looks very tempting!!!

now if only i found one for about a grand with all the options :roll:


I think that there is a market for these premium systems. Maybe not for Super Elite Crazy Expensive Voodoos and Falcon, but definatly for Alienware. A good company to look for is ABS. The might not have the primier tech support, but according to reviews their systems perform exactly like ones from Falcon. (this is refering to the Ultimate M5)

[Jason Dunn]

Voodoos are nice but talk about a premium..... definatly one of the most expensive PCs around...I think that there is a market for these premium systems. Maybe not for Super Elite Crazy Expensive Voodoos and Falcon, but definatly for Alienware.

Oh, you'd be surprised what kind of market there is for this stuff! Voodoo happens to be located in my own city, and they went from being a local system builder with a great reputation for speed to being the top-ranked speed demon & "holy crap that's nice looking!" machines on the planet.

A Maximum PC issue a few months back put the Voodoo machine head to head with an Alienware and Falcon...Voodoo took the crown. Yes, they're insanely expensive. But they're also insanely good, insanely stable, and insanely nice looking on the inside and out. Voodoo actually hired a guy from China who pioneered a technique where he applies the principals of Oragami to cables inside the computer. The cables are folded and tucked away to a degree that is absolutely amazing - it's something I could never duplicate perfectly even if I tried for weeks. 8O

There are computers, and then there are works of art. Dell builds computers, Voodoo makes works of art. Each serves a need and a market, and I'm all for choice! Choice is good. Just like I'd never want one Pocket PC vendor to be making all the devices, I'd never want only one type of computer to chose from. :mrgreen:

[Elad Yakobowicz]

I've been able to put together systems (just pricing) cheaper than Alienware. It's well known (at least where I come from) that their prices are very high for what you get. I'd much rather build one too.

Ah, but tell me where you can get such a sweet looking case, with the paint job that Alienware does, and a matching keyboard and mouse? Nowhere! That's what I find appealing about these boxes - I like putting together my own machines too, but home-built boxes can't match the sheer sex appeal of an Alienware or Voodoo (http://www.voodoopc.com) PC. Machines built like this are more than the sum of their parts, and that's sort of the idea. :wink:

The Alienware cases are definitely some of the top, if not THE best cases I've seen. The question, of course, is whether or not it's worth the $3000+ price tag :lol:

[Brad Adrian]

So, the way a computer LOOKS is a major factor in your purchase decisions? Granted, I probably wouldn't buy a notebook that was fluorescent pink, but case color, etc. is pretty low on my list.

Oh, did I also mention I only buy sensible shoes? :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

So, the way a computer LOOKS is a major factor in your purchase decisions?

Absolutely! I like having good looking stuff. :-) Granted, if something sucked in terms of performance, I wouldn't buy it, period. But I always look for a good combination of best-in-class performance and "looks good on my desk and makes me happy". Maybe I'm shallow, but looks matter in computer hardware to me. :D

[Sheynk]

If i had an extra 4 grand just sitting there on my desk I doubt I'd buy a voodoo... If i have an extra 100 grand just sitting there on my desk...I'd buy a couple voodoos

voodoos rock period.




Anyone wanna buy my 650mhz 512ram 128geforce3 14gb machine for 3.5 grand?? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[XmanHP548]

:clap:

Alienware makes nice PCs and the design looks good, but if you are that much into design just get an iMac! Apple has had the sexy and easy to use design stuff nailed down for a couple of years now.

[PetiteFlower]

For me it's not a matter of having money OR time but expertise. I don't know how to build my own system. I know a little about hardware, I can open up my case and figure out where the RAM and the hard drive is, I can add or remove a card, etc, but I don't know anything about motherboards, I just don't have the knowledge. Does this mean I don't deserve to have a decent system? Should everyone have to learn how to build their own? Now I think Alienware is overpriced for one and gives the average user WAY too many choices for another, but they do make very powerful and sexy machines. I'm more of a Dell person, I can choose the parts I understand and I don't have to worry about what brand of RAM is the best or stuff like that, and I can get a solid, reliable machine for under $1000. Building isn't for everyone--not even for every geek :)

[PetiteFlower]

iMacs scare me. They don't look like computers. The new one looks like a frightening cross between a potted plant and a desk lamp.

[sponge]

The cases ARE nice, besides for that hideous green, but it lacks the sense of self accomplishment in building, and maybe modding your case. If you have the extra money to throw away, sure, go for it. But I agree with Brad, looks are very low on my list. If it's that bad, you could always put the computer to the side of your desk, or mod the case yourself.

Alienware is good if you've got money burning a hole in your pocket, but otherwise, I simply feel a lot more people will be content with a powerful, yet plain looking PC. It is simply just how much that case is worth to you.

[bleeman]

Speaking of Dell, looks like they're trying to work their way into this market as well, http://www.dell.com/us/en/dhs/products/model_dimen_dimen_XPS.htm

[XmanHP548]

"iMacs scare me. They don't look like computers. The new one looks like a frightening cross between a potted plant and a desk lamp..."

:twisted:
heh, as opposed to a computer that looks like a big, staring alien head? That's not scarey?

Seriously though, I see your point...Hard as it may be for me to swallow I realize that there are those out there that the iMac desklamp design just doesn't work for.

In the effort to try to be more PC friendly, I did check out those Voodoo systems. They are plenty nice but my God you can hit $3000 before you know what's happening with their configurations...That's nuts!

[trachy]

A Maximum PC issue a few months back put the Voodoo machine head to head with an Alienware and Falcon...Voodoo took the crown. Yes, they're insanely expensive. But they're also insanely good, insanely stable, and insanely nice looking on the inside and out.

Doesn't Voodoo include component upgrades with the package? Seems I remember something about 'cost associated upgrades'.

[Ed Hansberry]

Going to have to disagree and suggest that http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030503/eren.html is a bit sexier. :lol:

[Sheynk]

Going to have to disagree and suggest that http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030503/eren.html is a bit sexier. :lol:

that is just wrong on MANY MANY MANY levels

[Steven Cedrone]

Going to have to disagree and suggest that http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030503/eren.html is a bit sexier. :lol:

that is just wrong on MANY MANY MANY levels

I agree 100%...

Oh, BTW... Where can I buy one??? :wink:

Steve

[Paul P]

Going to have to disagree and suggest that http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20030503/eren.html is a bit sexier. :lol:

1. Man, look at the ram on that.

2. Interesting placing of the fan (someone will try anyways). :lol:

3. Back to the topic at hand. Are those air intakes cosmetic or what? :)

[Foo Fighter]

Reminds me of one of the aliens from the Bar scene in Star Wars. 0X

[foldedspace]

That's a mini-itx board. If you want to see a lot of cool projects, check out mini-itx.com. As far as Alienware goes, you basically end up paying a few hundred dollars for a pretty case. Building your own system is very easy...just get a Shuttle barebones like I did...

http://www.shuttle.com/new/images/productimages/sn41g2.jpg


8x AGP, Nvidia chipset, firewire, usb 2, 128mb Nvidia video built in (I went with a 128mb Nvidia Gforce 4 Ti200). All aluminum and as big as a breadbox. And it's very quiet. I put mine together in 30 minutes...cost 1200 shipped. If you can put together that desk you got from Target, you can build your own pc.

[Reza]

Speaking of weird PC case mods check this out:

http://admin2.sudhian.com/images/articles/xpcparty/mfSFF.jpg
http://admin2.sudhian.com/images/articles/xpcparty/mfSFF2.jpg

It's a Shuttle XPC moded with an LCD in the front panel! 8O

[Lday]

Best Buy is (or was- haven't been in to drool lately) Alienware PC's. Don't remember if they had the particular model, but I definately remember green.

[wizardmaster2k]

I have a standard desktop machine. I was at Fry's electronic store the other day and saw a shuttle PC case. I was really interested in one. I could get a nice mobo for it, pop in my 80 gig hard drive, my geforrc 4 ti4200 in it, a burner, and be my desktop and lan party buddy :) I love that case Reza just posted, what a perfect machine for me and me. small, all in one.

[CodeSurge]

[quote=Jason Dunn]
Doesn't Voodoo include component upgrades with the package? Seems I remember something about 'cost associated upgrades'.

I believe you'll get upgrade insurance if you get one of their F-class machines. Kinda means that when your machine gets old and slow, you'll get to ship it back to Voodoo and pay the market cost for each of the new components you want installed and the cost of one hour of labor to get your entire system overhauled with the new components.

[gwinter]

There are some nice designs from Soldam (http://www.soldam.net/index.html). For example Esprit R:

http://www.soldam.net/products/esprit/images/ga/r09.jpg

[myung]

Jaws dropped. Too bad it's no Ferrari Red color ... :(

[Jonathan1]

Gotta love that X-Files alien green glow.....mmm X-filey :D

Do I wanna even know the price of this sucker. Prob the same price an alien spacecraft would go for on the black market. 0X

[Foo Fighter]

I prefer simple elegant designs like these:

http://coolermaster.com/case/p620.htm

http://coolermaster.com/case/p610.htm

http://coolermaster.com/case/p110.htm

http://coolermaster.com/case/p710.htm

http://coolermaster.com/ad/wavesite.html

I'll take metal over plastic ANY day. 0X

[Foo Fighter]

Of course, SONY still has the best looking PCs (behind Apple of course ;) ).

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/250x250/PCVRZ.jpg

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/250x250/PCVRS100KIT1.jpg

http://www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/250x250/PCVW10.jpg

[Foo Fighter]

Nothing compares to this one:

http://a768.g.akamai.net/7/768/51/634ec07d933a12/www.apple.com/powermac/images/indextop02022003.jpg

0X :werenotworthy:

[Jason Dunn]

Nothing compares to this one...

Really? Max props on the monitor, but the tower is only "ok"...the Alienware tower looks way cooler in my eyes. :mrgreen:

[Foo Fighter]

Really? Max props on the monitor, but the tower is only "ok"...the Alienware tower looks way cooler in my eyes. :mrgreen:

It isn't just about "looks", it's the way the PowerMac is designed. Mobo built right into the door for easy access to all internals. Upgrading one of these systems is a snap, whereas I have to dig around inside a typical PC.

[qmrq]

Voodoos are nice but talk about a premium..... definatly one of the most expensive PCs around...I think that there is a market for these premium systems. Maybe not for Super Elite Crazy Expensive Voodoos and Falcon, but definatly for Alienware.

Oh, you'd be surprised what kind of market there is for this stuff! Voodoo happens to be located in my own city, and they went from being a local system builder with a great reputation for speed to being the top-ranked speed demon & "holy crap that's nice looking!" machines on the planet.

A Maximum PC issue a few months back put the Voodoo machine head to head with an Alienware and Falcon...Voodoo took the crown. Yes, they're insanely expensive. But they're also insanely good, insanely stable, and insanely nice looking on the inside and out. Voodoo actually hired a guy from China who pioneered a technique where he applies the principals of Oragami to cables inside the computer. The cables are folded and tucked away to a degree that is absolutely amazing - it's something I could never duplicate perfectly even if I tried for weeks. 8O

There are computers, and then there are works of art. Dell builds computers, Voodoo makes works of art. Each serves a need and a market, and I'm all for choice! Choice is good. Just like I'd never want one Pocket PC vendor to be making all the devices, I'd never want only one type of computer to chose from. :mrgreen:

The Alienware machine in this round-up would've won if it were not for a driver issue that kept it from running a gaming benchmark. This was stated at the end of the article.

[PetiteFlower]

It isn't just about "looks", it's the way the PowerMac is designed. Mobo built right into the door for easy access to all internals. Upgrading one of these systems is a snap, whereas I have to dig around inside a typical PC.

I have to agree with that statement. I've never seen the inside of a power mac but I was ASTONISHED when I opened up the case of my Dell; I couldn't believe a) how much room there was in there b) how easy everything was to get to and c) that I didn't even need a screwdriver to add or remove ANYTHING. It's nothing particularly special on the outside(not ugly either though, at least it's not beige) but the inside is a thing of beauty :)

[ctmagnus]

I have to agree with that statement. I've never seen the inside of a power mac but I was ASTONISHED when I opened up the case of my Dell; I couldn't believe a) how much room there was in there b) how easy everything was to get to and c) that I didn't even need a screwdriver to add or remove ANYTHING. It's nothing particularly special on the outside(not ugly either though, at least it's not beige) but the inside is a thing of beauty :)

I concur. Having worked on a couple of them, they are indeed a thing of beauty. In fact, I would have to say that they are on par with Voodoo's origami cables. And MUCH quieter!* Quiet is good. As long as there is fan noise and hard drive noise, there will never be pervasive computing. Pervasive computing is good.

*They day I got my Voodoo, I fired it up and almost started crying. It was so beautiful yet so loud.

[Johan]

Design is very important, certainly an important reson to why I got my first iPAQ 3630, it looked so sexy and sleek!

Would be interesting to see what these guys could for the design of a Pocket PC!

:rock on dude!:

[brent_anderson]

Ah, but tell me where you can get such a sweet looking case, with the paint job that Alienware does, and a matching keyboard and mouse? Nowhere!

http://www.casearts.com/index.html

They have a huge assortment of painted cases, with matching keyboards and mice!

I like the wood grained ones myself :)

Brent

[beq]

I'm not so sure. Now either AMD did a horrible job marketing the XP-M, the press completely missed the boat (possible), or it's just another ho-hum CPU from AMD. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big AMD fan on the desktop, but their processors have never, ever been good in laptops. They're insanely hot, power hungry, and hot. Did I mention they're hot? I did some research on the XP-M, and AMD doesn't even list the cache size on their spec page (that I could find) so I find it hard to believe that the XP-M is as fast as the Pentium-M. Although perhaps AMD's ability to be faster per clock cycle balances out the 1 MB of cache on the Pentium 4-M.

The bigger problem I think is that the XP-M is in so few notebooks - I buy my notebooks based on a whole whack of features, not just the CPU type. I have my eye on the Acer 803CLi - with a second battery it will do 8 hours of runtime! That's the kind of specs that are important to me, not the brand on the CPU.

See www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1043446,00.asp for a recent comparison of one vendor's implementations (and cache details). While there see www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1046911,00.asp for this month's notebook roundup.

You'll definitely be paying more for a P-M/Centrino (almost $500 in this case). In fact Dvorak's latest Inside Track mentions a damaging WR Hambrecht + Co report about its cost value and predicts prices will plummet shortly (yea!).

Anyways I want the IBM T40 and X31 soo much (soon as IBM offers a built-in 802.11 a/b/g solution, and the T40 offers 1394 like the X31... and IBM ships a 9.5mm rewriteable DVD drive), darn the cost.

P.S. To get back more on topic for this thread: www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1067031,00.asp :)

[One-eYe]

Personally, Voodoo has by far has the best sex appeal. The overall design will not get old next week. Voodoo's are a class act:) Don't get me wrong, the Alienware look snazzy and turns heads. But will you still think it's cool in one year? Probably not. I bought a Voodoo before they became what they are today. I must say their service is just awsome and their PC's have the Ferrari drool factor. I would most certainly other consider a Voodoo before any Alienware purchase.
:D

[jeff]

It isn't just about "looks", it's the way the PowerMac is designed. Mobo built right into the door for easy access to all internals. Upgrading one of these systems is a snap, whereas I have to dig around inside a typical PC.

Really? Ever try pulling the hard drive from one of those things? There's a hidden screw that's guaranteed to get dropped and lost and the cage is removed at a very difficult angle. I'll take a Dell Precision 300 series for ease of upgrading any day.

[PetiteFlower]

I concur. Having worked on a couple of them, they are indeed a thing of beauty. In fact, I would have to say that they are on par with Voodoo's origami cables. And MUCH quieter!* Quiet is good.

My boyfriend's Dell is very quiet(I don't know what model but it looks the same as my 8250 on the outside) but mine is really noisy! I think it must be my video card, it's a 128m ATI Radeon 9700 TX. I can't sleep with it on, it's a shame, even if I just want to take an afternoon nap I have to turn it off. Wish there was something I could do about it...but I love the card!

[hyonj]

In case someone didn't post it - I'm one of the no money no time people ;) - so, I didn't read all through the post. Someone may have posted this already in which case, pardon me.

Jason, you mentioned a comparison of AMD XP-M vs Centrino, PC Mag released a comparison. Read about it here:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1043446,00.asp

For the people with little money and more time, or no time and no money, it looks like AMD XP-M may be the way to go. :lol:

[ctmagnus]

My boyfriend's Dell is very quiet(I don't know what model but it looks the same as my 8250 on the outside) but mine is really noisy! I think it must be my video card, it's a 128m ATI Radeon 9700 TX. I can't sleep with it on, it's a shame, even if I just want to take an afternoon nap I have to turn it off. Wish there was something I could do about it...but I love the card!

My dad's 4300 was nearly perfectly silent most of the time for ~16 months. Lately, there has been an audible fan even in standby mode, which drives me insane!

Hold your Pocket PC up to your ear. Hear any fans running inside of it? Didn't think so. IMNSHO, that's how quiet ALL PCs should be. Like I said before, as long as computers can be heard running in all but the quietest environments, there will never be pervasive computing, and that is one thing I want to see in my lifetime.

[Jason Dunn]

The Alienware machine in this round-up would've won if it were not for a driver issue that kept it from running a gaming benchmark. This was stated at the end of the article.

Yes. But they also stated that they gave Voodoo the crown for more than just performance. It was the overall esthetic - the artwork that separated Voodoo from the rest of the vendors.

[Jason Dunn]

Like I said before, as long as computers can be heard running in all but the quietest environments, there will never be pervasive computing, and that is one thing I want to see in my lifetime.

Here, here! Most computers are WAY too loud. My Shuttle SS51G is ATROCIOUSLY loud... :cry: It totally sucks. Noise, noise, noise! My wife's Dell 4300 is very quiet - I very nearly ordered a Dell JUST for the quiet factor.

And, yeah, Voodoo's are noisy. Any high-performance machine will be, unfortunately, because it will run screaming hot...it's the trade-off.

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, you mentioned a comparison of AMD XP-M vs Centrino, PC Mag released a comparison. Read about it here:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1043446,00.asp


Thanks, I'll take a look! I certainly don't think the Centrino is "pefect" or anything, but the XP-M really didn't seem to make much of a splash - I'll read all the articles posted here. Knowledge is good! Mmm! :mrgreen:

[theone3]

no case will ever beat the sweet www.gostyle.com laptop/pda/mobile cases IMO. The desktop one is cr..ud. yes, crud. :wink:


too plasticy for my liking

[grohl]

Not to belabor the point about noise (this could be its own topic), but I remember seeing a website dedicated to noiseless computers and various mods.

Does anyone know which one I am talking about? My next PC will HAVE to be louder than my aging OC'd Athlon (sans watercooling).

Why has noise become so acceptable in computers? Are we overlooking it because performance continues to climb? I can't convince my wife to watch Divx movies in my study because the noise is so loud!

[klinux]

http://www.silentpcreview.com

[ctmagnus]

Not to belabor the point about noise (this could be its own topic), but I remember seeing a website dedicated to noiseless computers and various mods.

Does anyone know which one I am talking about? My next PC will HAVE to be louder than my aging OC'd Athlon (sans watercooling).

http://quietpc.ca/, http://www.siliconacoustics.com/.

[bsoft]

"I'm not so sure. Now either AMD did a horrible job marketing the XP-M, the press completely missed the boat (possible), or it's just another ho-hum CPU from AMD. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big AMD fan on the desktop, but their processors have never, ever been good in laptops. They're insanely hot, power hungry, and hot. Did I mention they're hot?"

This is a common misconception that stems from the Thunderbird/PIII days. Yes, back then the Athlon was a hot and power-hungry CPU. Since then, Intel CPUs have jumped in power consumtion (80W at the high end), and AMD CPUs have dropped signifigantly. The Athlon XP-M is only about 10W more than a Pentium-M. That amounts to about 5-10 minutes less battery life on a similar performing subnotebook. 2:55 vs 2:45 isn't all that signifigant.

Also, the XP-M is definately very compeditive with the Pentium-M.

For more info and benchmarks, see http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20030507/index.html.

[bsoft]

Not to belabor the point about noise (this could be its own topic), but I remember seeing a website dedicated to noiseless computers and various mods.

Does anyone know which one I am talking about? My next PC will HAVE to be louder than my aging OC'd Athlon (sans watercooling).

http://quietpc.ca/, http://www.siliconacoustics.com/.

If you want a quiet PC, I recommend the following products (I own all of these)

- Panaflo L1A Fans (about $8 each, very quiet)
- Zalman ZM80A-HP VGA Cooler (fanless, about $40, cools any GPU)
- Alpha 8045 (put a quiet 80mm fan on it such as the Panaflo L1A and it's very close to silent - good cooling also)
- Samsung IDE HDDs (They have a DSP to help reduce vibration - 3 year warranty too)
- SpeedFan - it lets you throttle down the fans with most motherboards and it can also read temperature sensors

[ctmagnus]

- Alpha 8045 (put a quiet 80mm fan on it such as the Panaflo L1A and it's very close to silent - good cooling also)

I bought a Coolermaster to replace the Volcano that this machine shipped with. When removing the Volcano, I broke the middle tab off one side of the CPU socket. :oops: I got a Taisol to relace the unused Coolermaster (The Taisol has three slots per side, as opposed to the usual three/one combo) and it's noticably quieter than it was, but still loud enough to drive me insane if I have it running too long over a given period of time.

Anyone want to buy an unused Coolermaster DP5-6I31C CPU cooler? Slightly used ThermalTake Volcano DU0462 (Chrome Orb) CPU cooler?

[aroma]

THE sexiest PC has to be the "Love PC": (http://www.envador.com/Photos/LovePC/)

http://www.envador.com/Photos/LovePC/LovePC01.jpg

Complete with integrated lotion despenser, tissue holder, coin operated power supply, AND integrated LCD display for "private viewing"....

[Jason Dunn]

If you want a quiet PC, I recommend the following products (I own all of these)...

I wish someone, anyone, would make a power supply replacement for the Shuttle XPC boxes - the current unit they ship is PAINFULLY loud.

[PetiteFlower]

Seems like there's not much I can do about a loud video card though huh. Other then replace it, except as far as I've seen, all the powerful ones are loud :(

[Kati Compton]

Seems like there's not much I can do about a loud video card though huh. Other then replace it, except as far as I've seen, all the powerful ones are loud :(

If you search, some have mods that you can replace a fan or two with a quieter one. I don't have this problem, but my husband does.... Unfortunately, I don't have the links at the moment.

[ctmagnus]

Seems like there's not much I can do about a loud video card though huh. Other then replace it, except as far as I've seen, all the powerful ones are loud :(

http://quietpc.ca/ or http://www.siliconacoustics.com/ may have fanless video coolers. I've never noticed which way an AGP card is oriented, so the coolers from these links may take up a PCI slot or two (or four :))

[foldedspace]

If you want a quiet PC, I recommend the following products (I own all of these)...

I wish someone, anyone, would make a power supply replacement for the Shuttle XPC boxes - the current unit they ship is PAINFULLY loud.


I hadn't noticed that....could be the tinnitius from all those concerts. What version of the XPC are you using?

[Jason Dunn]

If you want a quiet PC, I recommend the following products (I own all of these)...

I wish someone, anyone, would make a power supply replacement for the Shuttle XPC boxes - the current unit they ship is PAINFULLY loud.


I hadn't noticed that....could be the tinnitius from all those concerts. What version of the XPC are you using?

I've got an SS51G. It a LITTLE bit quieter than my old Voodoo, but that's not saying much considering it has less fans and is up on my desk so the noise seems worse...

[Jonathon Watkins]

Here, here! Most computers are WAY too loud. My Shuttle SS51G is ATROCIOUSLY loud... :cry: It totally sucks. Noise, noise, noise! My wife's Dell 4300 is very quiet - I very nearly ordered a Dell JUST for the quiet factor..

I replaced the 8 inch fan at the back of my SS51G with a silent alternative and it helped a fair bit. I agree that the power supply is too loud though. I read somewhere that one guy had managed to get the noise dropped considerable by baffling the exit hole using a commercial noise reduction system. I could have a poke around if you're interested..

[ctmagnus]

I've got an SS51G. It a LITTLE bit quieter than my old Voodoo, but that's not saying much considering it has less fans and is up on my desk so the noise seems worse...

With my Voodoo, I replaced the CPU cooler they shipped with it with a Taisol and it's ~15-20% quieter now. And AsusProb reports I'm getting 10C cooler, even with the big fan in the PSU unplugged. I still have to replace the PSU though as I have reason to believe that it's the cause of most of the noise produced.