Quiet T Series ?

[energyandair]

I am looking for a new laptop and would appreciate advice on how to configure a T Series for quetest operation.
I have read hundreds of posts on T series laptops and others, had numerous fruitless conversations with IBM, Dell, Panasonic and others.
I need at least a 14.1" SXGA screen and at present I suspect the Panasonic Y2 is my quietest option as it uses a ULV processor and has no fan. I am however attracted to the IBM T series due to the 15" screen, the better graphics driver and numerous other benefits. If I go with a T series, it will need to be as quiet as possible.
Here are a few of my questiions & thoughts:
- Will the slowest processor available draw the least power and hence result in less or slower fan operation?
- Can I get a quieter hard drive than the 7200rpm Hitachi?
- Will using a less capable graphics driver result in less heating and hence quieter operation?
- Am I correct that a T42 is likely to be quieter than a T43?
- Can I use settings to slow down the fan, processor or hard drive when connected to mains power?
Thanks for any input.
David

[stgreek]

- Will the slowest processor available draw the least power and hence result in less or slower fan operation?

Yes, but you can simply scale down the frequency of your processor. No need to skimp on features.

- Can I get a quieter hard drive than the 7200rpm Hitachi?

In general, the less RPM the drive has, the quieter it is. However, the Hitachis are considered the quietest two-platter drives, and despite the few complaints you see in the forums, many people (me included) can reassure you that you wont hear a thing.

- Will using a less capable graphics driver result in less heating and hence quieter operation?

It is not down to less capable, it is the fan assembly you have. For example, some T40 and T41s had a different fan assembly that made more noise than other T40s with the same gfx card. The FireglT2 cards (on the p models) run on lower speeds, so they should IN THEORY produce less heat.

- Am I correct that a T42 is likely to be quieter than a T43?

This is the general consensus, I've never seen a T43. However, my T40 IS quieter than my T42 and my X31 IS quieter than my T40, although they all run at similar speeds. Go figure. That said, they are all miles quieter than any desktop you will encounter.

- Can I use settings to slow down the fan, processor or hard drive when connected to mains power?

The fan is temp-dependent. If you slow down the processor (say to 600Mhz) and you dont strees the CPU, the fan should be inaudible. You can also change the acoustic performance/speed of the HD and CD using a Hitatchi tool (for the first) and the BIOS (for the 2nd)

Thanks for any input.
David

Hope this helps, welcome to the forums and please add your location to your profile, it is very useful for everyone. And if you are looking for a nice and quiet SXGA+ 14" machine, search the forums for the 2378-FVU. It won't dissapoint you.

Stavros

[energyandair]

Thanks for the advice.

you can simply scale down the frequency of your processor.

I asked IBM about this last week and they said no. Am I missing something? Is this possible when on mains power or just when on battery?

you wont hear a thing

That would be great.
My concern is that I am fussy about noise and I work from a very quiet home office. Based on some comments on the forum, I am concerned that hard disc noise may be an issue for me when the fan is at minimum (or off). I am also concerned that any extra heat generation from the HD may make fan noise more of an issue. If there is a significantly quieter or lower power option (eg some of the new 5400 rpm HDs), I would go that way to minimize the risk.

David

[daeojkim]

By scaling down I presume to put your computer in adaptive mode. When idle it will stay at 600MHz so your laptop will run cooler, thus no fan noise.
The processor will scale up depending on demand.

[CantabRich]

I have both the 5400 rpm Hitachi 40GB HDD and the 7200 rpm 60GB HDD. The larger, faster drive is louder to my muscially trained ear - a high pitch whine (albeit barely detectable and not heard by my wife). The 5400 drive is remarkably quiet - much quieter than any other drive I have experienced.

The difference in noise level between the two drives may be because I have the 7200 installed in the ultrabay using a HDD adaptor. There may be different levels of noise due to the different housing (i.e. vibration/resonance issues). To be honest, I can't comment on that sort of thing - I know what I can hear, but I am only speculating as to why the two drivees might sound different.

I figure that, as I get older, my ability to hear high frequencies will diminish and I will stop noticing this sort of thing!

[stgreek]

Thanks for the advice.

you can simply scale down the frequency of your processor.

I asked IBM about this last week and they said no. Am I missing something? Is this possible when on mains power or just when on battery?

On linux, there are more than a few daemons (cpufreqd, speedfreq, powernowd) that let you select frequency on the fly or adaptively. On Windows there is a small program, search the forums and you can find it. IBM can say whatever they wont, my T42 tuns at 1 Ghz most of the time.

[fbrdphreak]

To keep a T-series the quietest, you've got a few options.

First, I always keep my CPU on adaptive mode whether I'm plugged in or not. This allows it to idle at 600MHz (for T42, T43 idles @ 800MHz) and scales up based on need. You can also use the IBM software to force it to run in "Slow mode" there it stays at 600MHz permanently. This is the best for less temperatue and a more quiet machine. My 15" T42 stays below 40C when it runs @ 600MHz, and never goes above 50C any other time.

You can use IBM's software to change the CD speed to "Silent" and it is very quiet.

In regards to the hard drive, try the Acoustics tool the other person suggested; haven't used it myself.

Here's another tip to try and keep temps as low as possible, but does involve a little more technical involvement. You can under-volt the CPU. This involves reducing the voltage to the CPU to the point where it still runs stable at all speeds. You will of course have to do some stress testing to make sure it is stable. I won't go into detail here, but we've got a great guide on battery optimization here. In general, if you do something that increases battery life, that reduces the power drawn and thus lowers temperatures; reducing necessary fan noise!
Basic Battery Optimization Guide
Advanced Battery Optimization Guide

Hope this helps!

[dimon]

In general, the less RPM the drive has, the quieter it is. However, the Hitachis are considered the quietest two-platter drives, and despite the few complaints you see in the forums, many people (me included) can reassure you that you wont hear a thing.

Well, "wont hear a thing" is not the same for everybody. I got 2 new models with those drives - definitely hear drive spinning. Remember, he (me too) seeks very quiet drive. BTW, hitachi in my dell is quieter.

Can someone comment on seagate 5400 rpm drives? Would like a comment from someone who has replaced hitachi with seagate because of noise. Thanks!

[energyandair]

Dimon

You are quoting stgreek's words, not mine.
Now that I have a TP with a 7K60, I definitely hear the drive spinning and while I can understand why many people would find it acceptable, I am actively seeking quieter options.
To help gather information, I started the following noise related threads:
Quieter Hard Drive Options for T42: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=
T42 Minimum Fan Speed: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=
I would also like to hear from someone who has changed out a 7K60.

David

[dimon]

Dimon

You are quoting stgreek's words, not mine.
Now that I have a TP with a 7K60, I definitely hear the drive spinning and while I can understand why many people would find it acceptable, I am actively seeking quieter options.
To help gather information, I started the following noise related threads:
Quieter Hard Drive Options for T42: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=
T42 Minimum Fan Speed: http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... highlight=
I would also like to hear from someone who has changed out a 7K60.

David

Well, count in my opinion. Dropping down to hitachi 5400 rpm is not a solution - noisy... Tested on T42 and X32... Just curious - are you a trader by occupation?

[mahorn]

my T42 is very quiet. my breathing is even louder

[energyandair]

Dimon wrote

Dropping down to hitachi 5400 rpm is not a solution - noisy... Tested on T42 and X32...

Thats interesting, which 5K drive? According to Hitachi's site, the 5K80 should be a little quieter than the 7K60. Was it disc noise or head noise?

Just curious - are you a trader by occupation?

I am an engineer.

Mahorn wrote:

my T42 is very quiet. my breathing is even louder

Thats interesting, I wonder if there is significant sample to sample variation or if it is your configuration? What is your size, speed, graphics processor, hard drive and bios version?

David

[dimon]

Thats interesting, which 5K drive? According to Hitachi's site, the 5K80 should be a little quieter than the 7K60. Was it disc noise or head noise?

Both IBM drives I have are 5K40. I can't compare it to 7K60, since I don't have it. I figured that 7K would be louder.

Head/disc noise?I think it is a disc. Constantly spinning/idling even w/o me doing anything... From what I have read, windows likes to access HD often, even if it did not, odds are that some app one is running will write something to a file/log, so again disc access...

[aamsel]

There have been several threads saying that Seagate and other drives are quieter.

Andrew
Austin, TX

Thats interesting, which 5K drive? According to Hitachi's site, the 5K80 should be a little quieter than the 7K60. Was it disc noise or head noise?

Both IBM drives I have are 5K40. I can't compare it to 7K60, since I don't have it. I figured that 7K would be louder.

Head/disc noise?I think it is a disc. Constantly spinning/idling even w/o me doing anything... From what I have read, windows likes to access HD often, even if it did not, odds are that some app one is running will write something to a file/log, so again disc access...