Hi, just wondered what people here thought about purchasing a laptop in preference to a silent PC set up.
After all, laptops run very quietly and of course the space saving advantage.
I think Dell sell laptops for not a lot more than the desktop equivalent.
So, surely it makes sense to purchase a high spec laptop??
My main purposes would be all the usual internet/media activities, and I'd also like to be able to play games and so I'll need a high spec GPU - this may be the problem as I imagine there'll be heat issues with having such a GPU in such a small space.
Laptop vs quiet desktop
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maalitehdas
- Posts: 166
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- Location: Finland
In a long run: updating hardware to a laptop is difficult compared to case build. Hardware updates are a necessity expecially in gaming and you'll propably need to change something inside there (GPU?) within couple of years.
In a short run: Yet, laptops are still more expensive when comparing the prices at same performance level - and if this difference in price is used to quiet components, it's possible to build a desktop computer much quieter than the original laptop.
In a sense of feeling: Silent DIY build vs. already done laptop. Opinions vary, so this is up to you.
Conclusion: Go for a laptop only if mobility is an advantage
(or if you don't have space for a case at all)
In a short run: Yet, laptops are still more expensive when comparing the prices at same performance level - and if this difference in price is used to quiet components, it's possible to build a desktop computer much quieter than the original laptop.
In a sense of feeling: Silent DIY build vs. already done laptop. Opinions vary, so this is up to you.
Conclusion: Go for a laptop only if mobility is an advantage
(or if you don't have space for a case at all)
In my personal experience, most laptops aren't really quiet at all, especially the high-spec ones. They have 7200 RPM harddrives that are not decoupled, small fans for 'powerful' graphics cards, and always a high-pitched whine from the powersupply.
Some of them really are quiet: macbooks, dell's business line, some fujitsu's that i've worked with.
Most high-spec laptops in shops however, are not really designed for silence and are as such quite noisy.
Some of them really are quiet: macbooks, dell's business line, some fujitsu's that i've worked with.
Most high-spec laptops in shops however, are not really designed for silence and are as such quite noisy.
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judge56988
- Friend of SPCR
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- Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:39 am
- Location: England
I have a Dell latitude that is actually nosier than the desktop I've recently put together. I suppose one reason is that my ears are much closer to it as the desktop is on the floor beside my desk.
The laptop fan is pretty loud when it speeds up if the processor is working hard and the hard drive vibration resonates when the laptop is on a wooden table - I've stuck soft acoustifeet things on to reduce this.
It's not a huge problem as I mostly use it when I'm away from home, either in a hotel room with noisy ac running or in a loud work environment.
I think you can certainly build a quieter more powerful desktop for a lot less money.
The laptop fan is pretty loud when it speeds up if the processor is working hard and the hard drive vibration resonates when the laptop is on a wooden table - I've stuck soft acoustifeet things on to reduce this.
It's not a huge problem as I mostly use it when I'm away from home, either in a hotel room with noisy ac running or in a loud work environment.
I think you can certainly build a quieter more powerful desktop for a lot less money.