[LFord]

I'm a newbie here, and considering going the computer audio route.  I've looked over some of the threads on OS and application software tweaks, and I'm wondering how much the PC itself matters.  I know the roughly 2-year-old desktop computer sitting in my office is way too noisy to be placed in the listening room (currently the living room for me).  My slightly older Dell laptop is quieter, but still too noisy.  I'm wondering if anyone has looked into a "quiet" PC (see www.endpcnoise.com for examples).  Have computers gotten dramatically quieter lately, or do you all run cables from another room?  More generally, how do you go about integrating the computer into your audio system, while still keeping it usable for other, boring but necessary, computing tasks?

Thanks for any and all thoughts,
Lou Ford

[CSMR]

If you can run cables from another room that is ideal (then you only need a relatively quiet computer, not a completely quiet one).
You can certainly get a quiet computer from endpcnoise. Or you can go to SPCR and master the intricacies of building a quiet machine yourself. It depends on how much you value your time.

[audioengr]

Noise is very laptop dependent.  I have had good luck with full-featured Toshibas, in the $1500 -$2000 range.  I would only buy an expensive Sony Vaio, not a cheap one.  hp Pavilions are good and have large disk available.  Make sure that you get:

Large disk
2 GBytes DRAM
Fast CPU - at least 1 GHz, preferably Pentium
Fast CDROM/DVDROM drive - for fast rips - these usually only come on more expensive laptops

Steve N.

[LFord]

Thanks for the note, Steve.  I agree that laptops vary a lot in their noisiness -- even within a brand.  I assume with a laptop, the approach would be to keep it within arms' reach, making the noise issue all the more critical.  Any thoughts on using a desktop and a remote control?

Lou

Noise is very laptop dependent.  I have had good luck with full-featured Toshibas, in the $1500 -$2000 range.  I would only buy an expensive Sony Vaio, not a cheap one.  hp Pavilions are good and have large disk available.  Make sure that you get:

Large disk
2 GBytes DRAM
Fast CPU - at least 1 GHz, preferably Pentium
Fast CDROM/DVDROM drive - for fast rips - these usually only come on more expensive laptops

Steve N.

[audioengr]

Thanks for the note, Steve.  I agree that laptops vary a lot in their noisiness -- even within a brand.  I assume with a laptop, the approach would be to keep it within arms' reach, making the noise issue all the more critical.  Any thoughts on using a desktop and a remote control?

Lou

Noise is very laptop dependent.  I have had good luck with full-featured Toshibas, in the $1500 -$2000 range.  I would only buy an expensive Sony Vaio, not a cheap one.  hp Pavilions are good and have large disk available.  Make sure that you get:

Large disk
2 GBytes DRAM
Fast CPU - at least 1 GHz, preferably Pentium
Fast CDROM/DVDROM drive - for fast rips - these usually only come on more expensive laptops

Steve N.

I am evaluating a new wireless USB later this month or early April.  However, the laptop may still make too much noise.

There are users that are using PDA-like Tablet devices to control their towers from their listening positions.  There were some posts on Asylum about this.

Steve N.

[LFord]

I am evaluating a new wireless USB later this month or early April.  However, the laptop may still make too much noise.

There are users that are using PDA-like Tablet devices to control their towers from their listening positions.  There were some posts on Asylum about this.

Steve N.

Thanks again, Steve.  What's the anticipated range of the wireless USB?  Products I've seen so far have only promised about 30 feet.  If I had a wireless USB that could go 100 feet, I could get the data from my den to my stereo when it moves to the new addition to our house (which hopefully we'll start construction on sometime soon).  I'd be really happy not having to run data wires partially through old construction and partially through new. 

Lou

[audioengr]

I am evaluating a new wireless USB later this month or early April.  However, the laptop may still make too much noise.

There are users that are using PDA-like Tablet devices to control their towers from their listening positions.  There were some posts on Asylum about this.

Steve N.

Thanks again, Steve.  What's the anticipated range of the wireless USB?  Products I've seen so far have only promised about 30 feet.  If I had a wireless USB that could go 100 feet, I could get the data from my den to my stereo when it moves to the new addition to our house (which hopefully we'll start construction on sometime soon).  I'd be really happy not having to run data wires partially through old construction and partially through new. 

Lou

This is 802.11g, so I believe it will go 100 feet.

Steve N.

[LFord]

Cool.  I trust you'll post more here when you've had the chance to evaluate it.  What do you anticipate being the advantage over existing 802.11 stuff like the Squeezebox?

Thanks,
Lou

[JohninCR]

Any thoughts on using a desktop and a remote control?
Lou

I use a programmable remote for an Xbox as a remote for my PC.  $12 plus a simple mod to give the receiver a USB connection.  My office is my listening room, and since my PC is also a video source, long cables are out of the question.  There is no such thing as a silent PC, only degrees of quiet.  I decided against trying to eliminate fans, because today's harddrives generate a lot of heat.  Instead I went with large quiet fans and a variable speed fan on the heat piped CPU heatsink.  Then I built everything into a wooden PC case.  The air intake and exhaust are through damped labyrinths.  The only noises I hear are a slight woosh of air circulation and occasionally harddrive noises if I listen closely.  If I want almost total silence, I do have a second wood cover resulting in a box within a box, but I rarely even use the second cover because I never hear my computer when I play music despite the very low noise floor in my room.

[audioengr]

Cool.  I trust you'll post more here when you've had the chance to evaluate it.  What do you anticipate being the advantage over existing 802.11 stuff like the Squeezebox?

Thanks,
Lou

The advantage will be that any player can be used on the PC.  They all output to USB.  Particularly, Foobar can be used with SRC upsampler.

Steve N.

[gooberdude]

I modded my home tower a few years back for better sound...super quiet Zalman CDU fans & Arctic Silver grease, some Mikrosmooth on the connections and a new cable from Granite Digital to go from motherboard to cd burner.  i also routed al theinternal cables and increased airflow, amongst other small things.

a buddie's basic Mac laptop destroys mine, in terms of sound, in a very big way though...

the cd-r's from a laptop sound awesome compared to mine. 

If i had the $, a killer computer music server would be battery powered.

i even use, at times, a very nice power cord.  still, it can't touch what the Mac does.

[Imperial]

Hi guys!
I'm in the process of piecing together a partslist these days for a new computer/media storage/digital drive
combo.
I'm trying to beat the noise monster myself!
This is the preliminary: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1218

Imperial

[boead]

Hi guys!
I'm in the process of piecing together a partslist these days for a new computer/media storage/digital drive
combo.
I'm trying to beat the noise monster myself!
This is the preliminary: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?action=gallery;area=browse;album=1218

Imperial

Are you familiar with over-clocking?

[Imperial]

Well, I'm running 50% over spec on my current machine at the moment.
But I'm no expert on the subject.
My FSB is 200 on a 133 spec card. So I'm happy with that effort. (it's a bit noisy though, hence my no noise plan!)

I do intend to push the limit on this new machine as well. Slowly increasing the speed to as much as I can get out of it. It does take some planning, so the partslist on my gallery may change before I actually build it.
I do have a buddy that is very proficient on over clocking, I'll be running the setup by him as a last check before firing it up!

The PC project:
The new Asus card can get the memory up to ca 1140mhz (theoretically)
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2097&page=15  (some info on the cpu...)

If you really wanna over clock a core duo CPU, the Abit AW9D-MAX is THE board to go for!
It will run a E6600 at 3.8Ghz like a breeze! Use G.Skill HZ memory and you've got yourself a quick machine! A game monster...

Now overclocking is really all about getting a really strong powersupply.
I'm gonna go with a custom built one here in Norway, it is built/modded by a firm called Microplex.
They build a series called MIST. Very very good, and very very pricey (300$ ++)! But no noise! So there you have it!

Getting you PC to be quick is all about homework.
I expect to use 2- 3 months now reading forums and tests and asking questions all over before I
finally start purchasing components, then I have the plan ready and there will be no problems.
It will be an expensive build this. I don't want to waste my money. And I dont want ANY noise!
When I am done, I will post a very detailed step by step story on the computer
- Hardware, bios, windows core/services, programs, security, installed programmes, boot enhancements, the lot!

Imperial