Thinkpads Forum

Hi everyone!

I am interested in knowing which are the oldest thinkpad models with a fan that is not extremely loud. I understand this is subjective, so for "calibration purposes" I find:

- a(n idle) X30 very quiet
- a(n idle) 390X VERY noisy.

I am interested in an old thinkpad to act as a fileserver/music player/etc in my living room. I have been using the 390X for that, but the truth is that it bothers me since the fan is permanently on even when the system is idle. (I have set it up in the BIOS for "maximum battery life" and set the CPU speed to "fixed low". I raised it from the platform on which it was sitting so that it had lots of flowing air all around, and still no change. This afternoon I also removed the hard drive and, after one hour saying "operating system not found", I can still hear it across the room. : ) Must be the fan, right?).

So, when did thinkpads "go silent"? Which are the oldest models that will go quiet while idle? (I would be much interested in buying a model older than the X30, since one of those still costs a good deal of money on ebay.)

Thank you so much for any further guidance on how to keep finding uses for old reliable computers : )

L

My T23 runs so quiet it's spooky.

Take a look at ThinkPad 560s (560/E/X/Z) - it's been a long time since I used one (let alone poke into the insides with a screwdriver), but I seem to recall it not having a fan at all.

Thank you both for your replies : )

The 560 is an excellent idea (--> cheap!), but according to google it lacks a usb port... (Which I should have mentioned I need. Although I could get a PCMCIA usb card...)

I would be grateful for any other testimonials on old(er) thinkpads that run in a decently quiet way.

Best

Lara

goofyGAguy wrote:My T23 runs so quiet it's spooky.

I agree, if I use the T42 or T30 then go to the T23, it seems incredibly quiet.

But...if you need USB, will 1.1 USB port like the T23 has do the job?

LaraM wrote:The 560 is an excellent idea (--> cheap!), but according to google it lacks a usb port... (Which I should have mentioned I need. Although I could get a PCMCIA usb card...)

According to http://www.thinkwiki.org, the later 560 series models (560X and 560Z) have a USB port. Only USB 1.1, but that's the same as what the existing 390X has anyhow..

Woo, thank you so much! That definitely settles it for me. USB + fanless = what I am looking for. : )

the later 560 series models (560X and 560Z) have a USB port. Only USB 1.1

But USB 2.0 with the use of a PC USB card.

Having owned a 560X, I agree that it was a pretty quiet machine. For playing MP3 files it should be fine. Other interesting machines-- my 770X with a 500mhz P3 upgrade is pretty quiet even at max fan speed, the 570E (P3 500mhz) is a little noisier, and the 600 (P2 300mhz) is another step up. These are my personal machines and I'm not positive that this scale would hold true with a larger sample.

Keep in mind that a full load on the CPU will increase temp and therefore fan speed and noise. With older machines (like the 560E @ 166mhz) playing MP3 files took all the system resources. If I had to pick one machine, I'd go with the upgraded 770X. Its fairly cheap, CPU upgrade is $10, holds up to 512MB memory, and has the loudest speakers I've seen in a Thinkpad.

My opinion only of course.

LaraM wrote:Woo, thank you so much! That definitely settles it for me. USB + fanless = what I am looking for. : )

I have 560Z, has USB port, quiet but when the original HD (8GB) seeks it does make "clicking" noise which is a mild distraction.

gychang