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NEED ASAP: small, very powerful but silent computers for office

M

mmx

Diamond Member
I wanted the iMac mini but don't hink they are powerful enough, The shuttle systems look nice, especially the new sx38p2 model - but I can't buy them anywhere?

What do you uys recommend - The owner of the company wants to replace all of the computers to a small, silent computers.
I don't like the small dells - since they are very noisy.

Dani
 
Never mind, since you don't like the Dells.
Was going to suggest the Vostro Slims.

Tried the HP?

BTW Why do you think the Mac minis aren't powerful enough? What do you guys use the computers for?
 
I was.
But the problem we need dual or triple monitors and the Imac built in ati card sucks. Besides asthetic that the 2nd monitor will not be the same as the primary.

I agree the Imac is the best if there was a 2nd monitor able to match the profile of the imac.
 
Originally posted by: mmx
I wanted the iMac mini but don't hink they are powerful enough, The shuttle systems look nice, especially the new sx38p2 model - but I can't buy them anywhere?

What do you uys recommend - The owner of the company wants to replace all of the computers to a small, silent computers.
I don't like the small dells - since they are very noisy.

Dani
Click to expand...

since the motherboard in the Shuttle is already mounted,
there's not much to do.

step 1 - mount the CPU & CPU heat sink.

step 2 - install RAM.

step 3 - install drives; cables are already in place.

step 4 - install video card unless you're using on-board graphics.

Shuttle with stealth drive bays for $300, takes Core2Quads
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16856101034

Shuttle without stealth drive bays for $240, takes Core2Quads
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16856101055

Shuttle product similar to the Mac Mini; they used to have one
pre-assembled, with CPU & hard drive ... i thought
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16856101032

plus Shuttle will build systems
http://us.shuttle.com/Home.aspx
 
Is everything running their own independent systems with separated profiles? If not, have you ever considered running thin clients built off a central super-server?

EDIT: The point in that is that you can run very small systems with 600Mhz Geode processors and miniscule amounts of ram while running the systems off external PSUs rather than 2Ghz processors, 1-2GBs of ram etc. in every machine.
 
I only want the sx38p2 shuttle sff, or was actully admiring dell business 755 computer line.
However now I need to wait for the damm penryn to come out. what a month 3 months?
 
Originally posted by: mmx
However now I need to wait for the damm penryn to come out. what a month 3 months?
Click to expand...

Why? What will those chips do that the current ones will not?

Oh yeah, don't know of a good source or if they'd suffice, but AOpen had "Mac mini -like" systems.
 
Originally posted by: Throckmorton
We have those small Dells, and they aren't noisy IMO
Click to expand...

+1

Do you have experience building a computer? Can you trouble shoot it if there's something wrong. Do you have the spare parts to swap out things when something goes wrong?

If you answer No to 2 of those questions, you need to get a prebuilt from a good vendor. Sorry, but you'll have more problems when something goes wrong, then getting a bad lottery ticket off a dell tech support.
 
Originally posted by: mmx
I wanted the iMac mini but don't hink they are powerful enough, The shuttle systems look nice, especially the new sx38p2 model - but I can't buy them anywhere?

What do you uys recommend - The owner of the company wants to replace all of the computers to a small, silent computers.
I don't like the small dells - since they are very noisy.

Dani
Click to expand...

Just how powerful do these systems need to be if you are thinking that the Mac Mini isn't powerful enough... it has a 1.83 Core 2 Duo with 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive...

Seriously, what are you doing that needs more oomph than that (ok, bump the RAM to 2 GB)
 
Originally posted by: Zap
Oh yeah, don't know of a good source or if they'd suffice, but AOpen had "Mac mini -like" systems.
Click to expand...

I've used those aopen mini systems a few times.
Text
They aren't dead silent, but not to loud for a small system. They perform great though.
 
Look I'm running on my work pc a 6600core2, 4 gig, 1.5tbyte system with geforce 8800 - vista ultimun and it runs slow. Vista is great - xp is faster. But vista is for the future and so currently the mac mini will run good but tommorow it will not.

These pc's are to last at least 2-4 years.

Dani
 
Originally posted by: mmx
Look I'm running on my work pc a 6600core2, 4 gig, 1.5tbyte system with geforce 8800 - vista ultimun and it runs slow. Vista is great - xp is faster. But vista is for the future and so currently the mac mini will run good but tommorow it will not.

These pc's are to last at least 2-4 years.

Dani
Click to expand...

sorry about my earilier post MMX.

I was just worried that you werent an advance PC builder. And i was worried you were going to get yourself into more work then one could handle buy building all these computers. Thats why i recomended a dell line.

If your willing to put time into each machine, and you want something small and fast.

Goto logicsupply.com

Look at the intel boards on the P965 chipsets. These take Socket P Merom processors. These are laptop processors, on mini-ITX boards.

The T7500 and T7700 are core2duo's in mobile form. These might be your best bet at the smallest and quietests systems.

You can alsso look at the cases at logicsupply. But i recomend you getting the processors somewhere else.


http://www.logicsupply.com/products/ms_9803 That is the board im running currently on my HTPC.

http://www.logicsupply.com/products/t_3310 Thats the case i have on my HTPC. It sits right next to my PS3.

i dont use this case anymore because i wanted more gpu power. :X But thats the first case i used

I think you can piece out the rest of the equiptment.

I have it with DDR2 667mhz Crucial Ballastix Ram.
The PSU is a Antec NEO 550W externally. It doesnt need anything super big. Just really quiet.
 
Originally posted by: mmx
Look I'm running on my work pc a 6600core2, 4 gig, 1.5tbyte system with geforce 8800 - vista ultimun and it runs slow. Vista is great - xp is faster. But vista is for the future and so currently the mac mini will run good but tommorow it will not.

These pc's are to last at least 2-4 years.

Dani
Click to expand...

If the quoted system runs "slow" then something is broken.

 
Originally posted by: Rottie
I thought imac mini is dead long time ago. I don't see anything new anymore.
Click to expand...

Not totally sure what you are saying there, but if you go to Apple's website, you will see that the Mini now has a Core 2 Duo, and therefore is not dead. It is unfortunately still using the GMA950, but there is a rumor going around that the Mini will get a size reduction and updated components. It is distinctly possible that if they wanted to, they could phase out the AppleTV, and give a beefier graphics chip to the Mini (nVidia 8400 anyone?). But that is just a dream.

As it stands right now, the Mini beats out any system its size, or even twice its size, but is apparently not for the OP.
 
I've read good things about www.EndPCNoise.com, they sponsor and have collaborated with SilentPCReview on quiet computers in the past and do offer cubes as one of the choices.

They could work with you on systems with the right video cards for your triple displays, either motherboard + dual-out card or a Matrox card.

I've never bought from them myself though, so this is second-hand information.
 
Originally posted by: mmx
not slow, but win xp seems much brisker.
Click to expand...

On that system, Ultimate should be screaching. I run Ultimate 64 bit on my HP laptop with a T7500, 2GB RAM, and 160GB 5400 drive. I got MORE points on Vista then I did XP Pro 64. You should check your config, temps, or something. There's no excuse for Vista to be slow on that system. Vista is fast. I can run Fireworks, Freehand, Paint, and Dreamweaver, while playing music with Windows Media Player, and browsing my creations in Firefox, IE, and Opera, all without any slowdown. Sometimes the switch would bog down, and I would see RAM hit 95% under that load, but I could also get another 2GB RAM module and fix that problem easy.
 
Mac Mini would have been the best - aesthetic wize, size wize, even performace is not bad - but not great. Integrated graphics killed it.
I'm still searching, but thanks everyone for their input.
 
Originally posted by: mmx
I wanted the iMac mini but don't hink they are powerful enough, The shuttle systems look nice, especially the new sx38p2 model - but I can't buy them anywhere?

What do you uys recommend - The owner of the company wants to replace all of the computers to a small, silent computers.
I don't like the small dells - since they are very noisy.

Dani
Click to expand...

get some laptops and docking stations then
 
Originally posted by: Shivetya
Originally posted by: mmx
I wanted the iMac mini but don't hink they are powerful enough, The shuttle systems look nice, especially the new sx38p2 model - but I can't buy them anywhere?

What do you uys recommend - The owner of the company wants to replace all of the computers to a small, silent computers.
I don't like the small dells - since they are very noisy.

Dani
Click to expand...

get some laptops and docking stations then
Click to expand...

At the college, all their PCs run on old slim dells with Celerons and 256MB of ram. They are near dead quiet (and these are so old that they only have floppy drives in them 😛)

I take my laptop in there (15" HP Core 2 Duo T7250, 2GB of ram, Vista Premium, 8400GS) and while it's silent at idle, if you do anything the fan turns on. And if you open a program (which I assume by mmx's computer he must run some intensive programs) then the fan is the loudest thing in the entire room.

Honestly, laptops were not meant to be workhorses, and I'd bet that a room full of laptops working would be far louder than some simple slimline dells.

What about the all-in-one dells that have been released?
 
I recommend the HP Slimline. Super quiet and I am a quiet freak. I will turn the computer off if it is too loud, and yell at clients for having a loud computer.

Never was much impressed with Shuttle at all for quiet. I had one, although awhile ago, and nothing I did really helped.

HP very quiet, I have it on 24/7.

Dave
 
How small is "small"- what does the boss want vs what you have now?

And "powerful"- what are the computers tasked to accomplish?

"Silent" vs "very quiet"- the first is a lot more difficult and expensive- will "very quiet" do?

How many computers?

Dual monitors- how big? what resolution?

Lots of factors to consider that haven't been mentioned, so it's a bit nebulous...
 
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