Editing Quiet PC (section)

{{short description|Type of personal computer}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
[[File:Fanless CPU Cooler.jpg|thumb|A fanless CPU cooler based on [[heat pipe]] technology]]

A '''quiet''', '''silent''' or '''fanless PC''' is a [[personal computer]] that makes very little or no [[noise]]. Common uses for quiet PCs include video editing, sound mixing and [[home theater PC]]s, but noise reduction techniques can also be used to greatly reduce the noise from servers. There is currently no standard definition for a "quiet PC",<ref name=WhatisSilentPC>{{cite web| url = http://www.silentpcreview.com/article669-page1.html | title = What is a "Silent" Computer  | first = Michael ‘Mike’ | last = Chin |date=2006-09-21 |publisher=Silent PC Review (SPCR)|access-date=2008-10-10}}</ref> and the term is generally not used in a business context, but by individuals and the businesses catering to them.

A proposed general definition is that the sound emitted by such PCs should not exceed 30 [[Sound pressure|dB<sub>A</sub>]],<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Computer-Systems/Fundamentals/3/ | title = Building the Perfect PC | access-date = 2008-10-10 | first1 = Robert Bruce | last1 = Thompson | first2 = Barbara Fritchman | last2 = Thompson | publisher = Dev hardware | date = 2004-12-01 | archive-date = 2008-11-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081119231217/http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Computer-Systems/Fundamentals/3/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> but in addition to the average [[sound pressure level]], the frequency spectrum and dynamics of the sound are important in determining if the sound of the computer is [[Psychoacoustics|noticed]].  Sounds with a smooth frequency spectrum (lacking audible tonal peaks), and little temporal variation are less likely to be noticed.  The character and amount of other noise in the environment also affects how much sound will be noticed or [[Psychoacoustics#Masking effects|masked]], so a computer may be quiet in relation to a particular environment or set of users.<ref name=WhatisSilentPC />