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Thermals & Acoustics
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Thermals & Acoustics
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Activity
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CPU Temp
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HDD Temp
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SPL @1m
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SPL @0.6m
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Idle
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23°C
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33°C
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20 dBA
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24 dBA
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x264 Playback
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32°C
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33°C
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22 dBA
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26 dBA
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CPU Load
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78°C
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35°C
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25~26 dBA
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30~31 dBA
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CPU + GPU Load
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85°C
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34°C
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25~26 dBA
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30~31 dBA
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Ambient temperature: 22°C.
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The system ran fairly cool when idle and during video playback, but the CPU
temperature skyrocketed 55~62°C on load. The processor runs fairly hot when
pressed into service, an unavoidable consequence of being cooled by a small
fan in a compact case.
When idle the system's noise level was audible but fairly inconspicuous at
a distance of one meter. At 0.6m, the ISO 7779 seated user position distance,
it was noticeably louder as the SPL increased by 4 dBA. The hollow-sounding
idle whirl of the Seagate 500GB
7200.12 combined with the system fan produced some tonality, but it
was not as irritating as the M58p. On load, the noise level increased dramatically
with the system taking on more tonal elements, evidenced by spikes in the spectrum
at 270~280 KHz and 500~600 KHz. When operating at higher speeds, the fan emits
an annoying whine.
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The M90p idles at 20 dBA@1m.
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The M90p on load measured 25~26 dBA@1m. Note the tonal spikes at 270~280
KHz and 500~600 KHz.
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Comparison: SPL @ 1m / 0.6m (dBA)
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Activity
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ThinkStation E20
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ThinkCentre M90p
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ThinkCentre M58p
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Idle
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19~20 / N/A
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20 / 24
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21 / 27
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CPU Load
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20~21 / N/A
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25~26 / 30~31
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27 / 32
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Ambient temperature: 22°C.
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When idle, the M90p is quieter than its predecessor, especially at 0.6m and
closer where it sounds smoother and slightly less tonal. The M90p isn't as prone
to vibration as the M58p (putting pressure against the top of the M58p actually
altered the quality of the acoustics). On load, the acoustic profiles of the
two machines are more difficult to differentiate and figuring out which system
sounds worse is an effort in futility. Both generated unacceptable levels of
noise at 0.6m; at 1m they were bearable but intrusive.
The ThinkStation E20 is a much quieter PC, thanks to its tower case. With the
extra breathing room inside and room for three 92 mm fans, the acoustic advantage
is undeniable.
INTANGIBLES
Keyboard & Mouse:
The M90p ships with a full-sized keyboard and optical mouse. The keyboard is
very responsive and quiet, but it has an odd filmy/gritty surface that takes
some getting used to. The mouse has a generic, inoffensive shape and is fairly
comfortable. Our only complaint is it produces very sharp clicks when you use
the rickety scroll wheel.
Speakers:
Not much thought was put into the built-in speakers which produce hollow, tinny,
and just generally low quality mono sound. It's actually perfect for a workplace
environment as quality speakers would only encourage recreational use.
Pre-installed Software:
The amount of pre-installed software was about average for a machine of this
type. There were plenty of Microsoft programs/updates including a trial version
of Office, SQL Server, Visual C++, and MSXML. The only nonessential, non-Lenovo
applications present were Adobe Flash and Reader, and DVD creation/burning programs
from Corel.
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