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Tom's Reviews Expensive, Noiseless Case
hakker writes "Toms Hardware Guide is running a review of a new case that claims it provides noiseless computing. The TNN 500A case from Zalman Tech is fanless (including PSU), and uses a bunch of heatpipes to move heat outside of the case from sources inside the system. Potentially costing as much as $1400, how much is your peace and quiet worth?"
For 1400 I could put a godlike non-noiseless sound system in my car, so that would be a no.
I know as a college student that a quiet atmosphere while doing work is valuable. The question for most would be, is it $1,400 worth. I *know* that I could not afford that while trying to pay tuition, renting a house, and feeding myself. Somethings are necessary, and some are just...not. Now, if someone gave that to me as a gift or something, no way i would complain :)
Jeff
...if you're an audio engineer, video producer, or run a studio. A case like this allows you to work with instruments and other devices, while editing the sound live, with easy access to your monitor/keyboard. This is particularly useful for those who operate recording studios as a side business, out of their home or office space... or people trying to develop their own music, semi-professionally.
People who know how to do this can start up their business without spending well over $1,400 building a soundproof room. For full-blown recording studios, this is a no-brainer. They probably wouldn't think twice about spending double that to keep the sound engineer from getting distracted and/or missing sound details just because of a noisy fan.
While avoiding the $1,400 fee by attempting to relocate the cases out of audible range may initially sound like a great idea, not to mention less expensive, you eliminate the access of the system being readily available.
ie: MS Office component not installed, please insert ms office cd and click 'ok'. I'd hate to run back and forth for such a thing.
People want their pleasures with their convenience. And while it seems (by the current posts/threads) that the pleasures for most are spending the $1,400 on a hooker, some of us have the fortunate position to have married our hookers. So while our payments are much higher for these pleasures and last the remaining part of your life.
ok, off track a little. If relocating the case is the more cost effective, then you'll need to have a cd server or other means readily avaiable.
I do agree that $1,400 is not worth the pleasure of a quite office - but then what other solutions are feasible?
Never try to beat a professional at his own game!
You know those sweet looking cars you see in auto show reports? Those one-offs designed to get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other models? Ever try to buy one? They're frickin' expensive. A concept of a $15,000 vehicle will set you back six figures.
That's what this case is, a concept. It's a limited run designed to get the money of early adopters, get people excited about the manufacturer and looking at its other products, and test the market viability of such a product.
It's very cool, I want one but can't afford one, have looked over their other products (well-priced nice stuff and I'll probably get one of their quiet CPU HSFs), and look forward to this case hitting the $100-$200 price range where I'll be able to afford it.
As far as Zalman is concerned with me, they have a success in a $1400 case. Crazy, huh?
obviously no deficiencies vs. no obvious deficiencies
Or you can spend $1400.
my karma will be here long after I'm gone
Which, it should be noted, comes with a rather noisy fan. You just can't win...
Who needs a desk?
Nice comfy chair in the middle of an acoustically perfect room with a nice sound system.
Slot-load optical drive
Keyboard on a swing-out tray
Wireless mouse with a small mousing pad.
Big white wall
Projector
And before you go harping on price, we ARE talking about a $1400 computer case in this thread.....
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
College girls actually do that??
You can get as close to silent as you need for a lot less than $1400, with an ordinary case, a Zalman fan, a quiet power supply, and a hard drive noise dampener. I did it for under $300. (Not counting the case, motherboard, and hard drive, which I recycled from my previous system.)
Unless you get under the desk and put your head next to the case, the only thing you can hear is the CD-RW drive when it's running. (Which makes it arguably quieter than the Zalman -- the Tom's Hardware reviewers stated they could still hear the Hard Drive.) My desktop is still a PIII, which made it easy, but it's also feasible for P4s. Look at the Silent PC Review site.
Buy the processor with the highest frequency your money can buy, the best heat sink, and an adjustable speed cooler.
When you need silence, reboot, downclock the processor and turnoff the cooler.
A 3.2Ghz half at half frequency (that not means half speed) is still very fast.
You can also just use a high quality headphone
And those sound enginners might user their computers on a hot room, because air-conditioning make noise too.