Environmental Noise Test Numbers For New Dual G4s?

[law guy]

I'm considering a new dual G4, but I haven't seen anything from Apple on the sound tests giving an ISO 9296 number (sound pressure in decibles at user position [http://Silentpcreview.com has set a target of 20 dbl. at rest, but most machines run at more than that]). I've looked over the old threads here too and there doesn't seem to be more than ear to the case tests. Has anyone run across any objective lab results from Apple or any other source?

Can someone tell me who is making the HDDs on the new duals? I suppose hoping for a quiet Seagate Barracuda V is hoping for too much.

Does Apple have something like Dell's environmental info page?
(see, e.g. http://www.dell.com/us/en/gen/corporate/vision_000_environ.htm. I'm hoping the dual G4s are as quiet as the Dimension 8250 now). I came across an outdated enviro page on Apple's site, but I couldn't find any decible information. Thanks.

 

[khollister]

I have a new DP, but my SPL meter only goes down to 50 dBA, so I can't help you there.

My machine does have a barracuda V (as do several others I have read about on the net), however it is not quiet. I'm rather puzzled, because I have a Barracuda IV & Barracuda V in external Firewire cases and they are virtually silent both in idle & seek. The one in the DP is quiet at idle, but has considerable seek noise. I' ve seen a couple similar comments from others on the net, so I'm pretty sure mine is not abnormal.

The number on the drive is not listed in Seagate's online support database, so I'm sure it is an OEM version. I have another Barracuda V 120 GB in the PC, so maybe I'll swap them.

 

[law guy]

comparison

Keith -

Thanks for the information on the drive. It's odd that the Apple OEM version of the Seagate should be noisy in seek. What sort of PC (model/case/processor/vid.card/PSU wattage)? If you could tell me how the two compare, perhaps the PC maker has noise data posted that would give me a ballpark for what it the power mac is quieter than or noisier than. Thanks.

 

[khollister]

I'm not sure the PC comparison is going to be much help since it is in another room with a different acoustic environment. The PC is a Dell Dimension 8200 with a 1.8GHz P4. I believe my DP Powermac is roughly equivalent in noise (sometimes I think the PC is louder, sometimes the Mac).

There a few things I do know for certain:

1) The new ones are certainly quieter than than most of the first MDD's I heard. There is no way the noise of this machine would cause headaches.

2) You will definitely hear it in a very quiet room (as you will most any PC). It is NOT an iMac or iBook as far as noise is concerned.

3) My Powermac sits under a small table in an alcove that connects the living room & dining room. All of this is part of a great room that includes the kitchen. When the refrigerator comes on (about 25-30 feet away), it is difficult to hear the Mac.

 

[law guy]

Thanks again Keith - Dell has an 8250 with a 2.8 GHz P4 listed at 24.2 db at idle and 26.4 when accessing the HDD (I can't get the full url for that Dell page to take above). Their 32 MB card used in that figure implies no fan for the card. If your new dual G4 is roughly the same as your Dell - that is certainly a big improvement over what I've read the old G4s generating in terms of fan noise. BTW, back to the seagate that is noisy in its oem version, http://www.endpcnoise.com advertises some internal drive cases that they claim will isolate internal drive noise.