Who sells quiet PCs other than ARM?

sketch · Post by **sketch** » Mon May 05, 2003 11:02 pm

Hi. The ARM systems seem very expensive. Can anyone here build a quiet pc around one of those super quiet power supplies and cases and sell it as a system. I can add OS, monitor and input devices. Is there a better source for quiet pcs than arm systems?

Mr_Smartepants · Post by **Mr_Smartepants** » Mon May 05, 2003 11:24 pm

www.coolcases.com

He'll mod the case, install the fans, install your pick of PSU. Hell, I'm sure he'll build you an entire system from the ground up if you ask nicely!

Just email him with your requirements and he'll quote you a price.

dukla2000 · Post by **dukla2000** » Mon May 05, 2003 11:49 pm

Do you mean ARM processors?

In which case the Via EPIA CPUs are also worth a look. Being pitched heavily at home theatre (some 4 letter acronym so I cant remember it) and very effective for about a fifth of the wattage of an AMD or Intel so thus much easier to cool quietly.

Post by **Rusty075** » Tue May 06, 2003 12:13 am

Have you checked out the links section? Silent PC system manufacturers

@mbient makes some nice units. Although the Signum-Data Future client is probably the best looking silent box I've seen.

Not on SPRC's list, and not cheap either is Nisvara. They're a newcomer to the field, and there's been some ongoing discussion about them here in the forums.

Post by **MikeC** » Tue May 06, 2003 7:08 am

for the record, @mbient is utterly unresponsive to SPCR, which does not seem like a good sign.

Post by **Rusty075** » Tue May 06, 2003 8:02 am

Maybe they should get pulled from the reccommended list?

Post by **MikeC** » Tue May 06, 2003 8:08 am

This is something I've been pondering. Originally, when the site was first started, it was a thrill to find ANY vendors, so the web links were pretty much wide open, simply a listing, mostly of self-descriptions. It was never a recommended list. I don't know that I really want to be recommending any vendors at all unless I know them well business-wise and continue to know them well. Know what I mean? Still pondering...

dac10012 · Post by **dac10012** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:05 pm

Hi Mike C,

First of all, great site! As an old-hand pc builder (going back to the XT), and someone who has a low tolerance for any noise I don't intentionally make myself, I would love to buy a silect pc without having to to do all the work myself and spend a lot of additional time and money to achieve a pc I can coexist peacefully with.

There are only three companies I am aware of that make a custom-made silent full size (i. e., mid tower, not cube) full power pc that is affordable to your average non-millionaire (which doesn't mean that any of these is, by any means, cheap). They are (in order of price): ARM ($1,436 for me), EndPCNoise ($1,544), and Ambient ($1,591). The rest I've heard about are for the uber rich or are mere add-ons, not complete systems.

How about a forum that deals specifically and solely with custom-made silent pc vendors and their products? I would love to see a list of custom-made silent pc vendors and a comparison of their products for quality and price, including user reviews and comments. You would be rendering your readers a great service and this may also contribute to a little healthy competition in this relatively new field. You cannot enjoy one of the contemporary multimedia systems with background noise, whether you're listening to music, looking at video or playing a game. And it's hard to do research or create your masterpiece when your instrument is droning into your head.

marose1 · Post by **marose1** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:01 pm

In addition to the ARM Stealth Computers, I also looked at EndPCNoise Computers (Silent Vortex Gaming PC) and SonicaQuiet Computers (340T Tower):

http://www.armsystems.com/
http://www.endpcnoise.com/
http://www.rockinghamsound.com/index.asp

Comparably equipped ARM and EndPCNoise Computers are similar in price, and they are both quite alot more expensive than the SonicaQuiet Computers.

I have to admit that I strongly considered purchasing the Sonica 340T -- It is very well configured (except need faster video card for games), it is very quiet, it is fast (3.4 GHZ Pentium) and it is very reasonably priced, especially when compared to the other two brands mentioned above when similarly equipped.

Maybe it was that I wanted an AMD FX-55, maybe it was that I liked the review of the ARM posted on SPCR, maybe it was that Steve @ ARM was pleasant to deal with, or maybe a combination of those factors that made me decide to order the ARM system.

I do wish, however, that a reliable review of the EndPCNoise Silent Vortex and Sonica 340T PC's could be found somewhere on the Internet -- Particularly the Sonica, as I believe it merits strong consideration by people who want a silent, fast PC.

System ordered:

ARM Stealth PC with:
-AMD FX-55 CPU & Thermalright XP120 HS/Fan
-2 GB DDR400 CL3 SDRAM
-2 Samsung Spinpoint 160 GB SATA 7200 RPM HDD Striped (Raid 0)
-ATI X800XT 256 MB Video Card with Arctic Cooling ATI Silencer 4 or Zalman ZM80D or ZM80C Cooler (Don't know yet)
-Stealth Level 4 quieting

I haven't received it yet due to delay in acquiring the FX-55 CPU.

colin · Post by **colin** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 6:43 pm

The combination of hype and amateurishness on Sonica's site doesn't inspire confidence. Despite all that computing power they apparently lack a spell-checker ("proclame," "challange," "equiped"), and the writing is obscure. What exactly is their innovation -- a better fan controller?

marose1 · Post by **marose1** » Mon Nov 15, 2004 8:43 pm

The motherboard circuitry that regulates power to the CPU and other components is more stable and runs cooler, requiring less fan cooling (and accompanying fan noise). The Sonica 340T apparently uses an AOpen motherboard with this technology:

http://www.aopencom.de/tech/techinside/ ... Engine.htm

river_music · Post by **river_music** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:19 am

[quote="colin"]The combination of hype and amateurishness on Sonica's site doesn't inspire confidence. Despite all that computing power they apparently lack a spell-checker ("proclame," "challange," "equiped"), and the writing is obscure. What exactly is their innovation -- a better fan controller?[/quote]

Colin, perhaps you are being a little bit harsh!

My commercial recording studio runs on three SONICA-X G300R systems which I purchased about 8 months ago. They run perfectly and whisper quiet.

They don't need innovation as their market is the pro audio segment. They offer silent computing, qualification with professional audio applications and turn-key systems. I must say that they do all three very well.

"Amateurishness", I don't think so. I think that their site is better laid out and offers more relevant information to their market segment than any of the other companies mentioned in this forum.

I am surprised that after all that spell checking you didn’t get the whole picture!

My two cents!

colin · Post by **colin** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:23 pm

1. I'm happy to hear that river_music's experience with Sonica's products is good. (I do notice that they're using Prescotts, though, and it would be interesting to see the machines tested by SPCR.)

2. Thanks to marose1 for the link to Aopen's tech. They're clearly doing several interesting things around silencing. It would be very interesting to see more on the PWM and get a sense of how results differ from underclocking and undervolting.

3. Sonica claims two "wonderfull technologies" make its PCs quiet. One, the VWM engine, I now see is Aopen's. The other is "our patent pending ThermaXflow technology" for which they claim: "THERMAxFLOW is a system that cuts traditional computer system's noise of 30dB or higher to 20dB or lower, which is below what a normal user can usually notice." So they *do* make a claim for innovation and a significant one: that's a rather large db drop!

4. I should let other people make their own judgments of the quality of Sonica's website, but I can't help noting that http://www.rockinghamsound.com/deusshow.asp?catID=3783
borrows both text and images from http://www.aopencom.de/tech/techinside/ ... Engine.htm, with no attribution at all.

marose1 · Post by **marose1** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 1:46 pm

>>Sonica claims two "wonderfull technologies" make its PCs quiet. One, the VWM engine, I now see is Aopen's. The other is "our patent pending ThermaXflow technology" for which they claim: "THERMAxFLOW is a system that cuts traditional computer system's noise of 30dB or higher to 20dB or lower, which is below what a normal user can usually notice." <<

Before I bought my ARM computer, I talked to the people at Sonica and asked alot of questions concerning the components of their computers.
ThermaXflow technology probably refers at least in part to the Thermaltake Case supplied with computer -- One of the best:

http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/ts ... na/sna.htm

All of the components, including the case, hard drives, heat sinks, cooling fans, etc., appear to be top notch for silence and not too shabby for performance. The standard video card is not high performance because it is not necessary for audio production and it helps keep the heat and noise down. With the great cooling features of the Case & Fans, a more powerful video card could easily be substituted for the standard one -- with a high quality heat sink/fan to keep it cool & quiet.

colin · Post by **colin** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 5:04 pm

Thanks marose1!

This makes sense, though it still leaves open the question of "our patent pending ThermaXflow technology." That is, if you combine the claims about ThermaXflow at http://www.rockinghamsound.com/deusshow.asp?catID=3443 and http://www.rockinghamsound.com/deusshow.asp?catID=3783, sonica still claims to have invented something patentable that lowers noise 10db or more.

Of course this may all be moot in a few hours, as sonica has already begun to fix the most glaring spelling errors on its site.

marose1 · Post by **marose1** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 6:07 pm

>>Of course this may all be moot in a few hours, as sonica has already begun to fix the most glaring spelling errors on its site.<<

I'll sleep alot better tonight!

river_music · Post by **river_music** » Tue Nov 16, 2004 8:31 pm

[quote="colin"]1. I'm happy to hear that river_music's experience with Sonica's products is good. (I do notice that they're using Prescotts, though, and it would be interesting to see the machines tested by SPCR.)

2. Thanks to marose1 for the link to Aopen's tech. They're clearly doing several interesting things around silencing. It would be very interesting to see more on the PWM and get a sense of how results differ from underclocking and undervolting.

3. Sonica claims two "wonderfull technologies" make its PCs quiet. One, the VWM engine, I now see is Aopen's. The other is "our patent pending ThermaXflow technology" for which they claim: "THERMAxFLOW is a system that cuts traditional computer system's noise of 30dB or higher to 20dB or lower, which is below what a normal user can usually notice." So they *do* make a claim for innovation and a significant one: that's a rather large db drop!

4. I should let other people make their own judgments of the quality of Sonica's website, but I can't help noting that http://www.rockinghamsound.com/deusshow.asp?catID=3783
borrows both text and images from http://www.aopencom.de/tech/techinside/ ... Engine.htm, with no attribution at all.[/quote]

Colin, SONICA-X is not the first to achieve 20db (A). Carillon has been arround for years.

http://www.carillonusa.com/clnweb/clnwe ... country=US

colin · Post by **colin** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:28 pm

On

http://www.rockinghamsound.com/deusshow.asp?catID=3443

There’s a little blue graph. I thought I’d seen it before. Yes! Here it is in an ad for a Zalman PSU:

http://www.quietpcusa.com/acb/showdetl. ... 73&CATID=2

and if we check the properties of the picture in Sonica’s webpage we find it labeled "KsxpRESFID493RESzalmanpsugraph." So it sure looks like Sonica took the graph from Zalman rather than the other way around.

Now look at something else. Right above the borrowed blue graph, on Sonica’s web page, is this text:

"THERMAxFLOW is a system that cuts traditional computer system's noise of 30dB or higher to 20dB or lower, which is below what a normal user can usually notice."

Try sonica's language in google and up comes an older Korea-based Zalman page:

http://www.zalman.co.kr/usa/product/cnpsma.htm

which contains this text:

"CNPS(Computer Noise Prevention System) is a system that cuts traditional computer system's noise of 30dB or higher to 20dB or lower, which is below what a normal user can usually notice."

Precisely sonica's wording, except that "CNPS(Computer Noise Prevention System)" is changed to "THERMAxFLOW."

I doubt it’s just coincidence. Note the missing “a” before “traditional” – the sort of mistake a non-native speaker of English would make. But apart from that, the sentence is fastidiously written. (Sonica's wordsmith, by contrast, is clearly a native, colloquial English speaker though a sloppy speller. ) And the apparently-borrowed Zalman PSU graphic certainly suggests that Sonica was already raiding Zalman’s websites for material. Both text and words probably came from the same Zalman page, given how updated versions of both can be seen at http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/product/vi ... 6&code=015

I don't have time to check the rest of Sonica's site for more borrowings, but this fits with the other unattributed borrowings of text and graphics I pointed to in my last message (and at the very least, supports my earlier claim that the site is "amateurish”).

This leads to a final question: is Sonica telling the truth about "our patent pending ThermaXflow technology?" It’s curious that the only words that the site comes up with to describe ThermaXflow seem to be taken from a description of a Zalman product. So a question to Sonica (which is presumably watching this thread since they've started fixing their spelling): have you really filed a patent application in for ThermaXflow? (It doesn't show up here:http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html) If so, what's the title and document number of the patent application?

(to river_music: If you look at what I’ve written I never doubted that Sonica’s machines have actually achieved 20db and I’m happy to assume that they are excellent machines. All my comments have been directed at “the combination of hype and amateurishness” on their website. Why bother? (1) *this* site has a tradition of debunking published hype about silencing (2) plagiarism is dishonest.)

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 6:53 am

To come back to the original question. Have a look at http://www.peacefulpc.com/.

river_music · Post by **river_music** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 11:43 am

Colin,

What’s the point? I also see on the sonica site pictures of the Zalman 7000 CPU cooler, the acustifan logo, a pioneer DVD, etc. They use those components and probably the manufacturers let them use the pictures. Same principle applies to the aopen board.

Who cares, the product they sold me exceeded my expectations.

Also, check this out. They seem to be exceeding many people's expectations.

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.d ... TRK:ME:UFS

Who are you anyway? You sound like a competitor to sonica who is looking to trash their name.

I am done posting here sir.

Back to the original question please.

Who sells quiet PCs other than ARM?

Who sells quiet PCs other than ARM?

Suggestion for a new forum - Custom-made Silent PC Vendors

Perhaps you are being a little bit harsh!