How noisy are top notch new laptops?

spherop · Post by **spherop** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:13 pm

I am looking into what laptop to purchase for both live and production uses. I am wondering about noise issues if a laptop is in a room with recording going on?

Care to comment on your own laptop and how noisy it is or isn't?

PC variations or Macbook Pros - I am interested in comments on both. And of course include what the model #/specs are.

ARDJ · Post by **ARDJ** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:23 pm

mine is whisper quiet...

http://www.gateway.com/products/GConfig ... 0x&clv=Img

my ibook is also whisper quiet....

never had an issue

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Mon Dec 04, 2006 10:52 pm

My MacBook Pro is very quiet. In fact, when getting it home, the first thggn I noticed was just how quiet it is when up and running every day stuff. You could easily record in the same room as one from 4 feet away or so.

Keys word above being 'every day'. They do get louder as the fans spin up when you push it hard. I hit about 40% in Live 6 before it's noticeable, so if you were only recording with a few tracks playing back, it'd be perfectly feasible to do it in the same room.

muscleandhate · Post by **muscleandhate** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 12:21 am

Said it before, I'll say it again, very impressed with how quiet this thing is (MacBook).

shaneblyth · Post by **shaneblyth** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:34 am

macbook or macbook pro and there is a little free preference panel app called fancontrol that allows you to adjust how the fan spins up so you can tailor it to suit
Not that you need to though I have more trouble with breathing too loud!! thats the honest truth they are that quiet now escially scince the first revisions.
I just got a 17" MBPro with 2 gig of ram and the 160 hd (firewire 800 and 400 and 3 usb it is a stunning machine and it is worth that and then some in my opinion. Now anyone want a powerbook but i may keep my Macmini intel not too sure it is very very quiet also

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 8:40 am

Tarekith wrote:My MacBook Pro is very quiet. In fact, when getting it home, the first thggn I noticed was just how quiet it is when up and running every day stuff. You could easily record in the same room as one from 4 feet away or so.

Keys word above being 'every day'. They do get louder as the fans spin up when you push it hard. I hit about 40% in Live 6 before it's noticeable, so if you were only recording with a few tracks playing back, it'd be perfectly feasible to do it in the same room.

So - what does it actually take for you to push it up to 40%??

SubFunk · Post by **SubFunk** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:49 pm

muscleandhate wrote:Said it before, I'll say it again, very impressed with how quiet this thing is (MacBook).

dito here, a mcbook pro core2duo super silent.

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:59 pm

SubFunk wrote:
muscleandhate wrote:Said it before, I'll say it again, very impressed with how quiet this thing is (MacBook).
dito here, a mcbook pro core2duo super silent.

cool,

I hope mine arrives before i get old.

TheAnimal · Post by **TheAnimal** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:09 pm

The fan of my old PowerBook and iBook has almost never been running at all.

To tell the truth, I was really shocked when my PowerBook's fan kicked in for the first time about ten years ago, because I wasn't used to PC laptops noise level and at first thought that something was broken. But then it turned out that it was only the fan: I had placed the Powerbook on a very thick and fluffy carpet.

Meanwhile I managed to get the fan running about three or four times over the years.

How is it with the new MacBook? Is the fan running often?

muscleandhate · Post by **muscleandhate** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:01 pm

I'm coming from a Dell Inspiron, a trusty machine but the thing sounded like hairdryer at 5 meters, even when idle.

nolus · Post by **nolus** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:12 pm

I have a Sony viao 15.4"/1.6MHz core duo/1GB ram/160 GB. it's very quiet. The only time I ever notice it is for a second or so after first loading up live. normally it's quiet as a mouse.

the noisiest component in my system now is the Lacie external firewire drive - with my old fujitsu laptop i never even noticed this because the noise from the fan was so loud.

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:14 pm

My Fujitsu only makes a sound when the cd drive starts up.

Its cooled using the menthol cooling system i think -

use of radiators and hot liquid movement instead of fans.

I am suprised that the mac books dont do this.

frisbeedisk · Post by **frisbeedisk** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:20 pm

Yeah all the newer laptops these day seem very quiet, unlike my Sony viao p4 2.6 which sounds like a tractor!!

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:22 pm

wilxon wrote:So - what does it actually take for you to push it up to 40%??

16+ tracks running a lot of effects usually. Kind of a moving target, as it depends on a lot of other factors.

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 5:25 pm

Tarekith wrote:
wilxon wrote:So - what does it actually take for you to push it up to 40%??
16+ tracks running a lot of effects usually. Kind of a moving target, as it depends on a lot of other factors.

If you had said "Running approx 6 tracks with few effects" i would have cancelled my order.

Your answer was a good one.

I bet you can run more than 5 instances of Green Matrix (reaktor 5) before it hits 70% cant you?