Noise Levels - Dell XPS/Alienware 51

J

joshieca

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Jun 12, 2004
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I am curious to know if anyone has either the Dell XPS series desktop or one of the newer Alienware Area 51 desktops and how noisy there?

I was wondering how the noise level is when the computer is on and all of the fans are running, especially at night when there is less noise from the outside.

The computer I have now is really noisy and I am looking to upgrade but do not want something that will be too noisy as I will be living in a college dorm next year and don't want to have a cranky roommate.

Thanks.
 
my cousin has a new brand new xps and it is soo nosiy i dont know about the aleinware but my cousins xps is nosiyer then my desktop he has a 3.2 w/ht and 1gig ram and ati 9800xt. but i like it, it is VERY fast
 
The Alienware's in my experience are quite quiet, so I would say the newer Area 51's wouldn't be any different. Haven't tried a DELL in awhile though, so I can't say much about them.
 
In the most recent MaximumPC there is a piece that talks about how loud the XPS can be.

The speeds of the fans arent bad when the thing is running with low CPU usage and not doing anything too intensive, but if the room temp is very high and you are doing anything besides looking round the internet then it is pretty noisy.

I would think the Alienware wouldnt be much different.

Unless it were watercooled had another means of cooling.
 
As said before, they would probably be about the same.

But if you are purchasing one... You might be better off building one yourself, and using stealth fans and HDD silencers to have a quite AND high performance PC.

If you don't do that, then probably go with the Dell. It would most likely be cheaper.
 
The new Alienware computer the ALX is watercooled so it probably isnt so noisy (but it will cause you an arm and a leg, i think the base model is almost 6 grand). also i saw an alienware in a store once and it seemed pretty quiet but walking past one probably isnt the same as it sitting in your room for a month.
 
The ALX is cool....but its way too much...the Alienware is just about out of my price range also, but I can deal with it. I have built my last four computers and frankly I am just tired of doing it again....so this is why I am looking to pay the extra and get either the XPS or the Area 51.

Its too bad, but here in SOCAL we do not have a Dell store for me to go and take a look/hear at....but I do get MaxPC so I will take a look for the review....thanks for the tip.

If anyone who owns an Area51 would like to comment on the noise level it would be greatly appreciated.

Performance wise how much of a difference would there be between the 256MB 9800 and the new X800 card? Wondering how much noise difference there is between the two cards also. Right now the Dell's can only get the 9800, while the Alienware you can get either.

Thanks again...Josh
 
yah the alienware desktop computers are very quite. I think its about 28-32db, to me it sounds like just 1 80mm fan is running
 
joshieca said:
Performance wise how much of a difference would there be between the 256MB 9800 and the new X800 card? Wondering how much noise difference there is between the two cards also. Right now the Dell's can only get the 9800, while the Alienware you can get either.
Click to expand...

A lot. The X800 XT is about 2x the speed of a 9800.
 
joshieca said:
But twice as loud??
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Now that I dont know, but ATI is pretty well known for keeping their cooling nice and quiet, so I wouldn't worry about video card noise unless you go nVidia
 
SinisterAsinus said:
Now that I dont know, but ATI is pretty well known for keeping their cooling nice and quiet, so I wouldn't worry about video card noise unless you go nVidia
Click to expand...

This is true...Maximum PC just did a review of the X800 vs the new nVidia....the X800 beat out the nVidia, but only barely...one of the reasons is that the X800 was smaller and didn't take up two slots. Although they didn't mention it, it looks like the nVidia card would be loud as their HSF takes up about 70% of the card....MaxPc's only concern was the 3.0 Pixel shader compatibility with the X800 and they felt that it would not be that big of a deal for at least the next 18 months and by then I will have almost certain upgraded my card anyway.
 
My XPS barely makes any noise at all. I can hardly hear the hard drive, and I can't really tell the fan is running without feeling the air blowing out. I'm very happy with my XPS!
 
Thanks everyone....

I just read an article in the July 04 Max PC and the reporter has one of the XPS. He says that it sounds (low noise) great if you are in a room with air cond and the room temp doesnt get too warm. But he says that if your room gets into the high 70's the XPS can sound like that of a jet engine and that often in the summer he just leaves the case open and blows a fan into it. He finds the noise annoying when he is playing a game and the game is in a "stealth mission" and low noise levels from the computer clearly drowns out the experience. :(

Fubak so far you are the only one that says the XPS isn't loud...have you changed anything in the system to keep it quiet? How are your room temps?


- j
 
joshieca said:
Thanks everyone....
Fubak so far you are the only one that says the XPS isn't loud...have you changed anything in the system to keep it quiet? How are your room temps?

- j
Click to expand...

I haven't changed anything other than updating to the latest CAT drivers from ATI. Room temp is in the low-mid 70s. If I play a game then I can hear the fan running, but it doesn't seem that loud to me at all. Although, it can warm a room up pretty fast ;)
 
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