What is a “Silent” Computer?

Some years ago, Intel and Microsoft laid down noise guidelines for computers in certain applications, using the term “silent” as one of the descriptors. The response from acoustics engineers in the industry was swift and merciless. The critics argued correctly that “silent” is not possible to define in any meaningful way, at least from an engineering perspective. It is also a challenge to define legally, an issue whenever there are corporate legal teams that routinely consider worse-case-scenarios. The term has more or less disappeared from Intel and Microsoft’s official vocabulary, and now it is impossible to find well defined recommendations or guidelines about low-noise PCs on either company’s web site.

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