Need a Windows 7 Desktop. A quiet one.

Obi-Wan zenabI

Obi-Wan zenabI

New member
Got Sibelius 7 for my wife, and need to upgrade the old desktop I guess.

Current desktop has such a loud fan that I haven't really even been using it for serious recording.

Cubase LE user. Firepod (so I need an expansion slot to put in my firewire card, or better yet a machine that is already firewire equipped.)

I'd like multiple monitors, too.

Don't need mega processing power-- here are the req'mts


avid said:
Minimum hardware requirements
Minimum requirements for Sibelius 7 software only

Windows: Windows Vista SP2 with the Platform Update Pack or later, Windows 7 SP1 or later, 1 GB+ RAM, 750 MB hard disk space, DVD-ROM drive
Mac: Mac OS X 10.6.7 or later, Mac OS X 10.7, 1 GB+ RAM, 750 MB hard disk space, DVD-ROM drive
Recommendations for Sibelius 7 Sounds sample library*

Windows: Intel Core 2 Duo (or equivalent) or better, 4 GB+ total physical RAM, 40 GB total hard disk space (7200 rpm or faster drive recommended; SSD preferable), ASIO-compatible soundcard
Mac: Intel Core 2 Duo or better, 4 GB+ total physical RAM, 40 GB total hard disk space (7200 rpm or faster drive recommended; SSD preferable).
* You can use Sibelius 7 Sounds if your computer doesn't meet the recommended requirements, but you may find that you cannot use as many sounds simultaneously, and that sounds take a long time to load.
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I'm also a cheap son of a gun.

Any suggestions / links on Newegg...?
 
You won't find many/any 'home use' computers these days with Firewire capability standard. My HP Pavillion p6 (bought it this past summer) is very quiet.
 
The quietest PC's are custom made or DIY.

These are the best ways to quiet down your PC:

1. If you're using a graphics card, get a fanless one with a heat sink.
2. Get Coolermaster fans or equivalent. They are super quiet. The Turbine series is great.
3. Get an upgraded silent series power supply.
4. Get a Zalman CPU cooler. There are also fanless ones that work.
5. Get a solid state drive.

Hope that helps.

Cheers :)
 
Get an Intel CPU with HD3000 or HD4000 built in graphics. They can serve two screens easily without a need for an extra card and fan. My Seasonic PSU is silent, as is my Scythe Mugen 3 CPU cooler. As above, SSDs are also silent. I can recommend the Fractal R3 case for a nice, quiet build (it comes with two fans and a fan speed control - mine stays well cooled with the fans slowed to a silent speed; and has some sound proofing around most sides).
 
My HP W7/64 desktop* is very quiet (as is my HP i3 lappy). There is a bit of a "drone", CPU fan I guess, but that is eliminated by standing the machine on 50mm of foam stuck to a 19mm MDF plate.

Son can comfortably record acoustic guitar in the same, small room.

* Compag Presario Mod # WE142AA#ABU
CPU: AMD Athlon ll x2 215 (actually runs at 2.7G) No longer current but it seems HP machine are very quiet (I have two other desktops that are like tractors!) but then you can always take advantage of the Distance Trading Regulations.

Mine came with a single 320G SATA drive and I have fitted a second 500G SATA just for music data.

I have also found HP support very good.

Dave.
 
Thanks, eec. Yes, I like HP. Had to bug them a bit about some ink once, but their customer service eventually coughed it up, so they're cool with me.

jonny-- I'll spec out a computer like that and see whether my desktop is worth upgrading.
 
Obi-Wan zenabI said:
Thanks, eec. Yes, I like HP. Had to bug them a bit about some ink once, but their customer service eventually coughed it up, so they're cool with me.

jonny-- I'll spec out a computer like that and see whether my desktop is worth upgrading.
Click to expand...

When I got my HP desktop it ran perfectly out of the carton but when I investigated the diagnostic startup it threw up a system hard drive error.
I emailed HP support and the sent me, on trust, a new hard drive and a set, to keep, of recovery discs. I did the swop but the error remained. HP came back to say that if there was no other problem with the pc not to worry and don't bother to change the drives back (Phew! takes all fekkin' day!) just ship (free) the original.

Now I call that service! Especially when I read of a guy having probelms with Corsair memory who want him to ship back the suspect stuff before they will send new! He thus having a borked computer for the duration.

I mean, FCS, how much does a few Gig of ram ACTUALLY cost Corsair? Oh! and Dabs? YOU still owe me a 2gig stick!
 
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A Coolermaster Silencio 650 case, IMO, is the better option because it has sound absorbing material installed on the side panels.

Cheers :)
 
Mo Facta said:
A Coolermaster Silencio 650 case, IMO, is the better option because it has sound absorbing material installed on the side panels.

Cheers :)
Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure that helps but it is surely better to get a pc that is inherently quiet in the first place?

A good deal of PC noise is CPU and case fan "drone" and this LF noise will not be stopped by a cm or so of absorbent, in any case most of it is borne by conduction thru' the chassis and couples to the surface the PC is sitting on. Breaking this coupling, as I have described with a compliant mounting reduces the drone noise to virtual inaudibility.

It is also prudent to have a HP filter in the mic circuit. Very few sources have much "musical" energy below 100Hz and a HPF can clean things up beautifully. Such a shame then that few (if any?) AIs have such filters provided. If you are very lucky and have an AI with inserts on the mic channels (the fast track pro is one of few such) you can build a simple passive filter inside a TRS jack plug.

Dave.
 
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