Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
totaled less than $2,000. A balanced design is one that takes into account the
tasks the system must perform and allocates resources to optimize performance
for those tasks.
But balanced design takes into consideration more than simple performance.
A truly balanced design accommodates non-performance issues such as phys-
ical size, noise level, reliability, and efficient cooling. You might, for example,
have to choose a less expensive processor or a smaller hard drive in order to
reserve sufficient funds for a quieter case or a more reliable power supply.
The key to achieving a balanced design is to determine your requirements,
look dispassionately at the available alternatives, and choose accordingly. That
can be tougher than it sounds.
DesigningaQuietPC
The ongoing PC performance race has had the unfortunate side effect of
making PCs noisier. Faster processors use more power, which in turn requires
larger (and noisier) power supplies. Faster processors also produce more heat,
which requires larger (and noisier) CPU coolers. Modern hard drives spin faster
than older models, producing still more noise and heat. Fast video adapters
have their own cooling fans, which add to the din. While building a reasonably
quiet PC that performs well is easier today, fast and powerful machines still
need plenty of noisy moving air.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce the amount of noise your
PC produces. No PC with moving parts is completely silent, but significant
noise reductions are possible. Depending on your requirements and budget,
you can build a PC that is anything from quietly unobtrusive to nearly silent.
The key to building a noise-reduced PC is to recognize the sources of noise
and to minimize or eliminate noise at the source.
The major sources of noise are typically the power supply, CPU cooler fan, and
supplementary case fans. Minor sources of noise include the hard drive, chip-
set fan, video adapter fan, and optical drive. As you design your PC, focus first
on major noise sources that can be minimized inexpensively, then minor noise
sources that are cheap to deal with, then major noise sources that are more ex-
pensive or difficult to minimize, and finally (if necessary) minor noise sources
that are expensive or difficult to fix. Use the following guidelines:
Choose a low-power processor
The amount of power consumed by the processor has a direct effect on
the noise level of the system. The peak power consumption of mainstream
processors ranges from about 30W to 140W. That power ends up as waste
heat that must be exhausted from the case. Using a lower-power proces-
sor produces less waste heat, which in turn allows you to use a quieter
CPU cooler, fewer and quieter case fans, and so on. Power consumption
isn't necessarily proportional to processor performance. For example, one
processor that draws 70W peak power may be faster than another that
draws 130W. None of this is to say that there's anything wrong with choos-
ing a high-wattage processor, but doing so complicates cooling and noise
issues.
