The quietness/heat of 2.8 vs 3.0 iMac

[C62008]

Hello,

I'm switching to a new 24" iMac and I would really appreciate some advice. A large part of the reason I'm switching is to get a really quiet machine. I haven't actually seen/heard a new 3.06 Mhz iMac (because they're build to order) and I was wondering if the upgrade to the more powerful nVidia graphics card + the more powerful cpu + doubling the ram from 2 to 4 GBs has much of an effect on the 24" iMac's quietness/coolness.

I guess I'm a little in awe of how quiet and cool the 2.8 is and I don't understand what it is about the iMac's case that allows Apple to can get such high performance at such minimal heat/sound expense.

I realize different graphics cards can have hugely different sonic signatures and I've seen it mentioned that the base ATI card is actually better than the nVidia card except for playing games. BUT, I will be using a secondary 24' monitor. Does that make the nVidia card a much better choice?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Hatchet]

I am a recent switcher from a Dell Pentium D 3.0GHZ. At first I got the Mac Pro and found it pretty near silent except when it was processing things. I decided to take it back because it was too much power for my needs.

So I decided on the 2.8GHZ iMac. To tell you the truth, I've never actually heard it and I have excellent hearing. The only time you can hear it is when you are playing a cd or running a program from the cd.

It's incredibly quiet. It does get a little hot to the touch on the back upper left corner, but nothing out of the ordinary from an all-in-one. Mine sits in the window and gets direct sunlight and i've never had a problem. Max heat i've seen is 55 C with my airport card.

Best computer i've ever had and it's quieter than anything i've ever used electronics wise. Even my cable box makes more noise than the iMac.

 

[C62008]

So I decided on the 2.8GHZ iMac. To tell you the truth, I've never actually heard it and I have excellent hearing. The only time you can hear it is when you are playing a cd or running a program from the cd.

It's incredibly quiet. It does get a little hot to the touch on the back upper left corner, but nothing out of the ordinary from an all-in-one. Mine sits in the window and gets direct sunlight and i've never had a problem. Max heat i've seen is 55 C with my airport card.

Thanks, so do think the maxed out 3.0 + nVida graphics + double the ram would make the internal heat greater and hense the internal fans spin faster to the point the quiet 2.8 machine becomes a noisy 3.0 box??