suggestions for reviews

[Listener]

In addition to general personal computer use, I'm interested in using computer for high quality music playback. Getting the detailed test results I need to make purchase decisions hasn't been easy. SPCR has been my best source. These reviews would make it better:

1. laptop / netbook reviews - Most current laptops or netbooks reviews don't give useful results for the noise level of the computer. I currently use a 5 year old laptop for remote control of music playback; the fan is bothersome.

While netbooks are a good idea, Fry's and newegg.com regularly offer regular dual core laptops at new netbook prices. Which value laptops are quiet and trouble free?

2. power supply reviews - How about most info on ripple? Anandtech publishes graphs of the ripple waveforms. I realize that many of the power supply products released in the last couple of years have been high power models. However, there is a need for very quiet, lower power, high quality power supplies for audio applications.

3. Atom based net-tops and bare motherboards - These are also of interest for audio and file servers.

4. low power consumption desktops - I'd like more coverage on processors and chipsets that have low power usage. Integrated graphics is important. I will be really interested in revi9ews of Intel 32 nn CPU with IGP in the same package.

Bill

[croddie]

1. laptop / netbook reviews - Most current laptops or netbooks reviews don't give useful results for the noise level of the computer. I currently use a 5 year old laptop for remote control of music playback; the fan is bothersome.

But there are so many laptops.
Why not just use this checklist:
Does it use an SSD?
Does it use a dual core 45nm processor?
It's rare for a fan from a laptop made by a mainstream manufacturer to turn on unless it has heated up. So those two things should give quiet operation, with a small amount of LCD and other electronic noise possibly remaining. You could also check the graphics chip.

4. low power consumption desktops - I'd like more coverage on processors and chipsets that have low power usage. Integrated graphics is important. I will be really interested in revi9ews of Intel 32 nn CPU with IGP in the same package.

Same here but that's 6 months away!

[Listener]

1. laptop / netbook reviews - Most current laptops or netbooks reviews don't give useful results for the noise level of the computer. I currently use a 5 year old laptop for remote control of music playback; the fan is bothersome.

But there are so many laptops.
Why not just use this checklist:
Does it use an SSD?
Does it use a dual core 45nm processor?
It's rare for a fan from a laptop made by a mainstream manufacturer to turn on unless it has heated up. So those two things should give quiet operation, with a small amount of LCD and other electronic noise possibly remaining. You could also check the graphics chip.

4. low power consumption desktops - I'd like more coverage on processors and chipsets that have low power usage. Integrated graphics is important. I will be really interested in revi9ews of Intel 32 nn CPU with IGP in the same package.

Same here but that's 6 months away!

I'd rather have SPCR do actual reviews instead of taking your word for it.

> Why not just use this checklist:
> Does it use an SSD?

There are significant reasons someone might choose not to use an SSD. Cost, limited capacity and slow write performance for a start.

> Does it use a dual core 45nm processor?

You might read more SPCR articles and forum posts abnd learn that they aren't all the same in power consumption and thus in demand for cooling.

> It's rare for a fan from a laptop made by a mainstream manufacturer
> to turn on unless it has heated up.

You may be characterizing your laptop's behavior. It certainly isn't my experience with my laptop. I read user's comments on various forums that their laptops are too noisy.

---

I made this post after months of thought about my needs. You might consider spending more than a few seconds before dismissing my request.

Bill

[croddie]

Take it easy mate.

> Why not just use this checklist:
> Does it use an SSD?

There are significant reasons someone might choose not to use an SSD. Cost, limited capacity and slow write performance for a start.

No:
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdo ... =3531&p=24
http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdo ... =3531&p=25
Besides, without one you won't have a quiet laptop. No laptops with mechanical drives are quiet, to my knowledge.

> Does it use a dual core 45nm processor?

You might read more SPCR articles and forum posts abnd learn that they aren't all the same in power consumption and thus in demand for cooling.

Within the Penryn line of course some consume more power than others and clock speed and TDP give some guidance (there isn't as much data as for desktop processors AFAIK) but all of these processors are very power efficient.

> It's rare for a fan from a laptop made by a mainstream manufacturer
> to turn on unless it has heated up.

You may be characterizing your laptop's behavior. It certainly isn't my experience with my laptop. I read user's comments on various forums that their laptops are too noisy.

I was talking about current laptops. You are using a 5 year old laptop. Noise standards (and everything else) have improved tremendously since then. Maybe those people on forums are not using Penryn processors, not using SSDs, using high-power graphics chipsets, or not buying a good brand of laptop.

I made this post after months of thought about my needs. You might consider spending more than a few seconds before dismissing my request.

A few seconds thought was all that was needed; explaining has taken a little longer.

[xan_user]

I currently use a 5 year old laptop for remote control of music playback; the fan is bothersome.

fwiw i used to do that.. till i figured out how to use my ipod tuouch as my media/rdp remote. nothing could be more silent.

one big problem I see with reviewing lap/net books is all the different models by each oem. take the asus eee for instance many screen sizes, multiple cpu options , os options, keyboard layouts...ssd or hdd, and what size/platters? there are just to many variables to do proper spcr reviews on enough comps to have any real comparisons.

plus oems constantly change hdd platter counts during a manufacturing run and never disclose that. So there's a good chance the laptop spcr reviews is not going to be identical the one you end up with, even if the model numbers are the same.