Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with quiet

How to fix the LOUD and the quiet on my TV?

zardoz — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:58:17 -0800

When I watch a movie on my TV, the audio is very LOUD and the dialogue is often quiet. I have to turn up the volume--way up--to hear dialogue and then BAM! An action scene with lots of explosions and heavy music forces me to turn it way down. The constant switching drives me nuts! I have a Toshiba Regza HDTV with (I am assuming) the built-in, basic stereo speakers. My player is an LG Blu Ray player. I don't think either are necessarily the culprit as I have friends with different TVs and players who have the same problem.

I don't have any speaker setup or audio equipment. Just the player and the TV.

This is really apparent when watching movies, whether they be Blu Rays, DVDs, or backed up movies on my computer's hard drive (that my player can handle as a media player as well). This soft/loud problem happens with all of them. Regular TV shows, oddly, don't really have a big issue with this--those volume levels are pretty even (not including commercials, but that's a whole other issue).

What advice have you, masters of AV products? I imagine it's the settings on both the TV and the player...what should I be doing?

Writing spot in Lower Manhattan or upper Brooklyn

eustacescrubb — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 15:35:15 -0800

When I lived in Chicago, there was a great late-night coffee shop called New Wave Cafe in Logan Square that was perfect for after-work writing. I've been having a hard time finding a similar spot since moving to NYC. It doesn't need to be a coffee shop, but it does need to be well-lit enough that I can read, and calm enough that I won't be seen as preventing the establishment from doing business. Bonus points if the place has a neighborhood-y feel with a friendly staff. I live in Greenpoint, work in SoHo, and usually commute via bicycle over the Williamsburg Bridge. Any suggestions, Metafilter?

Quiet venue for a Wednesday night date in Tempe?

emumimic — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:48:36 -0800

I asked out a cute person, and he said yes, but... where do I want to go tomorrow night? Looking for someplace quietish (not too crowded, quiet enough so we don't have to yell at each other, and could maybe play a game of Scrabble), pretty casual (not overly-romantic), and pretty cheap. Could just be a drink or coffee, doesn't have to be a restaurant.

Best white noise solution

MT — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:04:11 -0800

What is the best white noise app or machine for a workplace that requires a more sound proof solution to normal ambient noise in an office. I run a small psychology/consulting practice in a shared office suite. I have my own office (I can shut the door) and there are 3 other offices that open on to a shared reception area. I need to muffle the sounds coming from the other offices as well as muffling the sounds coming from my office. This is for confidentiality and to maintain focus. No one in this scenario is being loud, it is just normal conversation and office noises that you would expect in any professional environment.
So what is an effective app or machine to provide white noise, and even-out the noise.

Quiet (not just empty) bar in Philadelphia?

brackish.line — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:43:06 -0800

Can you recommend a quiet (but not simply empty) bar in Philadelphia? My gf and I have trouble talking and hearing over the music at most places. If you've ever been to Burp Castle in NY you know what my ideal bar is like (monk costumes optional). Good craft beer selection is a plus, as is the availability of hard cider. We live in West Philly but would welcome recommendations in any neighborhood.

For reference, Local 44 has a good selection but is usually too loud.

Affordable bedroom-quiet mini-fridge with a freezer?

laeren — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 01:15:52 -0800

I have an old hand-me-down mini-fridge in my bedroom that I use to store cold water and medications. Husband for Christmas thoughtfully bought me a new one with a freezer compartment so that I could keep ice packs up in our bedroom as well, yay! We plugged it in Christmas afternoon and disaster: new one is SO LOUD! Let it settle through the day, but both had awful trouble getting to sleep, and he ended up getting up in the middle of the night and just unplugging it because it kept on cycling in a frequent pattern that he couldn't handle. Looking for recommendations because it turns out that every fridge for sale on the internet has least one review saying it's WHISPER SILENT and another saying it's THE LOUDEST EVER. Does a quiet mini-fridge even exist? Is our new one generally thought to be quiet but got busted in transit? It sat in-place for quite some time as a mysteriously large present, then was moved up a flight of stairs, and we don't think we bonked it around much: nothing is obviously loose. Everything that Google tells me is contradictory.

The biggest problem with the new one seems to be not that it has a loud noise as it shifts cycles (the old one made a *thunk* and long rattley *hummmmmm* when it kicked off cycles too, although new one is perhaps 25% louder and doesn't seem to taper off in volume the way the old one did), but rather that its cycle seems to be on the order of tens of minutes rather than multiple hours as the old one.

Old one: GE 3.2 cubic foot compact fridge
New one: SPT 2.5 cubic foot mini fridge

Criteria for not just going back to the old one and bidding my dreams of convenient ice packs goodbye:
* Space inside for 2 good-size Nalgene bottles and some assorted medications (we could completely go down to a tiny cube like I had in university, if it met the rest of the criteria)
* Freezer compartment big enough to hold an ice pack or two (think able to hold 2-4 standard DVD cases)
* Either a tiny cube that we could relocate to the bathroom, OR a 2-4 cubic foot mini-fridge that's quiet enough at the loudest part of its cycle to sleep through, or is on a long enough cycle to not have it be a significant problem (one loud noise every 6-8 hours we could live with)
* Buyable in the Seattle area or reasonably shippable-to that area, for "a reasonable price" (anything over a couple hundred dollars is probably too much; apparently there's some sweet silent fridges for sale in the UK, but I don't think I can countenance that)
* Attractive would be nice, but the current one is a bit on the dingy white side so that's not too much of a worry, really.

Suggestions from the hive mind? Would also appreciate any tips on how to check ahead of time what the volume level of a fridge will be, as it doesn't seem to be something included in most specs. Would it be worthwhile to try to listen to one in a store or would the ambient noise be too distracting? Etc.

All I want for Xmas is airport peace, quiet and wifi

Wordshore — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:10:28 -0800

How can one keep sane with a 6 (six) hour layover in Detroit airport during the Xmas travel rush? Arriving late afternoon, a few days before Christmas. Departing late evening on a flight to Europe. Carrying a laptop and an android.

Looking for:
- wifi, either free and/or reliable
- quiet spaces and places
- power socket

Shot-in-the-dark less likely options, but would also be nice:
- light and healthy meal option (no fast food, fries, similar)
- decent tea
- cat petting or viewing place (as will be missing mine)

Do these exist (together) in any specific non-lounge areas? If not, is there is a cheap / cost effective way of getting lounge access? Infrequent flyer (a few times a year).

Thank you.

Where to get a quietclassy drink in DC?

Xalf — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 06:28:21 -0800

I'm looking for a quiet and classy hotel lobby in DC where a couple can have a drink tonight. I have been to the Mandarin Oriental, and I think that would work, but I would like something new to me. And convenient to public transport wouldn't hurt. My ideal is the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, if that helps. (Also, I am open to suggestions that are similar to but not necessarily hotel lobbies.)

Looking for phone with missed call notification.

wongcorgi — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 10:04:19 -0800

Looking for a phone (landline or cell) with a missed call notification. I have an infant and we keep the all the phones on silent as he can be sleeping at any time. This means a lot of calls go missed.

I am looking for a phone (landline preferred) that has some sort of missed call notification, either a LED stays lit or occasional quiet audible beep/vibration until acknowledged.

My old Motorola Startac did this. Cell would be okay if cheap.

Right now I am using Google voice with a prepaid cell phone on vibrate in the common area of the house, but we still miss calls.

how do i integrate myself into a brand new friend group?

humiliated_grape — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:30:26 -0800

how do i integrate myself into a brand new friend group? so... i have a wonderful new boyfriend, who i've been dating for approximately six months (official for about three)... and with this new boyfriend comes an exciting (and rather large) new friend group. they're the kind of friends who hang out regularly in really large gatherings where everyone knows each other and has known each other for years... and it's a bit overwhelming, particularly for someone like me, who is more of a one-on-one kind of person, and rather quiet and reserved in large groups.

a few special snowflake details that are also causing me some anxiety:
1. my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend (they were together for about a year and a half, and up until a couple of months before we started dating) was apparently a very integral part of this friend circle... like to the point where even after they broke up, she was planning one of his good friends' engagement parties. so i can't help but feel like everyone is comparing me to her, and that they may even still feel some sort of loyalty towards her. i haven't met her, although i think she still hangs out with plenty of the people in the group.
2. as silly as it sounds, i find myself particularly concerned with thoughts that she was probably more social and outgoing than i am... i'm finding it difficult and awkward to just jump into some of the larger group discussions, even though i really like everyone, and they're the kinds of people i would want to be friends with regardless of their association with my boyfriend. i don't want to come across as snobby or unfriendly somehow, just because it takes me a little longer to open up.
3. another factor... and a major one, i think... is that my boyfriend's family is also highly involved in his friend group. they're sort of the "cool" parents who host weekly dinners for everyone, attend some of the social events, buy everyone drinks, etc... so they, too, were quite close to the ex-girlfriend (who was much beloved, from what i can tell, although it's not like anyone flaunts this or mentions it in front of me). it's also taken a little getting used to to be hanging out with all of his friends... over at his parents' house. i actually really like them, but it's sort of been meeting new people overload.

i haven't shared any of these concerns with my boyfriend, and he hasn't said anything to make me feel like i'm doing anything wrong. a month or so before we officially became boyfriend/girlfriend, he did express some concern about the fact that his ex-girlfriend was so close to his parents and all of his friends... this is, i guess, when the seed of worry was first planted in my mind... but after that, he never mentioned it (or her) again.

thoughts? tips? personal anecdotes? reassurance?

Is there a quiet restaurant out there?

JanetLand — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 17:12:02 -0800

Do quiet restaurants and bars exist? Any recommendations wanted. It could be, of course, that I've just seen too many movies, and Mad Men. But I'm so tired of sitting down in some fancy place expecting a wonderful time and not being able to converse, having everything drowned out in a roar of sound. And then I see these lovely places on tv and in the movies where everything's so quiet. Is this even possible? Or is it just a convention of movies and tv? Have you been any place like that? Will take recommendations from anywhere, although realistically I would probably not be able to go anywhere that isn't in the eastern U.S. or Canada.

Alarm clock recommendation

medusa — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 15:30:35 -0800

Help a picky person find an alarm clock? I'd like to get an alarm clock that doesn't annoy me. I'm picky; most alarm clocks drive me crazy. Here's what I'm looking for:
- easy to set/change the alarm time (so an analog clock is preferred; I don't want to have to press a button 30 times to change the alarm from 7 to 7:30)
- stand-alone alarm clock, not a phone (I tried using my phone, found it annoying)
- makes no sound except when the alarm goes off
- makes a pleasant sound or sounds when the alarm goes off
- emits no light except on request
- good quality (I don't want it to break right away)

vacationing with my phone

raztaj — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:45:33 -0800

Seeking hotel recommendations in either the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, or Hawaii. The reason for those 3, is because those are the tropical-y places I can go without incurring roaming charges (yeah, I go where my phone goes--iknowiknow).

I will be traveling alone. My goal is to go to a hotel where people will mostly leave me be to read and listen to music by the ocean or sea. A private balcony where I can sit and look out at the water and hear the rustling palm leaves while reading a good book. And room service. A long stretch of sand where I can take meditative walks on.

Not interested in places where there will be partying or kids (though I'm looking to travel around October, so that mostly takes care of the latter)

Bonus points if the hotel allows me access to one of those straw beach umbrella stand things like this (love those things), where I can zone out to the breeze and waves crashing on the sand.

Low-key in lower city

greta simone — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:07:17 -0800

NYC: Low-key non-dive downtown Friday night bar? I have a friend visiting from out of town tonight (Friday night), staying in a Manhattan neighborhood that is far away from my Brooklyn neighborhood, and that of my other friend’s other Brooklyn neighborhood that will be joining us. We have all decided that the East Village (or Flat Iron-ish or LES-ish) is the most convenient place for a meet up. We will probably be meeting around 8 or 9 in the evening and would prefer a more low-key quiet non-clubby atmosphere where we can actually have a conversation: somewhere tasteful, not dive-y or sportsbar-y or touristy, not full of college kids or party types (we are late 20’s/early 30’s), where we will be able to sit down and not have to crowd around a bar standing up, and where we can get decent cocktails/good beers/tasty wines for under $12.

If it were during the week and not on a Friday night, I would suggest something along the lines of Marshall Stack, Ten Bells, or Pink Pony--something nice but not super-swanky or full of Wall Street types. I’m also looking for somewhere that is more of a bar than a restaurant because we will have all likely eaten dinner before hand, but if there's a good restaurant with bar suggestion that you have, I'll take that too.

Any recommendations? Yes, I understand Brooklyn might be a better bet for what we seek, but the two Brooklynites of the party of three don’t want to make the non-New Yorker have to navigate transportation in the very short window of time we have to actually see each other.

Thanks for your help!

Meditation for busy parents?

dylan20 — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:59:49 -0800

How do I find a time and place for meditation as a parent? I've got two young, high-energy children at home, a demanding job, and lots of housework to take care of. My wife is also running pillar to post every day, as am I. Frequently her parents visit and stay for a week or two at a time, which is wonderful, but adds to the hectic nature of home life.

I would love to be able to meditate for just a few minutes each day, 10 or 15 would do it. I've read a lot about meditation and practiced it a little in my pre-kids life. But I can't seem to find the right time or place. Constantly worried about being ambushed by someone coming around the corner or just walking by and asking me what I'm up to.

Those of you who meditate: Do you have any advice for making a space and time for meditation in the middle of a hectic environment? It seems like this is the kind of situation where meditation is most needed, but most books assume you can find a quiet place and a private room. Are there tips? Tools? Techniques? Help me out here!

Help me keep my Workstation quiet!!

Rafaelloello — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:55:45 -0800

I like to keep my home office incredibly devoid of machine noise. To that end, other than my sound system (where I choose the noise), my workstation consists of 1.) A Mac mini running Lion Server on Raid 0 3.5" drives (2 x 500GB) and 2.)A Lacie quadra 1TB drive doing Firewire 800 Time Machine backups every hour (I put up with the Tsk, Tsk, Tsk, every hour without being annoyed). I need more storage, but don't want to increase the (lack of) noise factor... ...I have a couple other external USB 2.0 drives in enclosures for overflow data, but I can't stand them being on for more than a couple minutes because they seem so loud compared to everything else. What would a be a good addition of extra storage that wouldn't add to the noise factor? It doesn't have to be redundant or safe, just quiet. Thinking outside the box, please also consider maybe a.)long Firewire 800 or Thunderbolt cables so the drive(s) can be farther away or b.)Simply replacing my 1TB drive in my Quadra time machine backup with a 3TB? I don't like the second idea so much, but I read that you can store other data next to your Time Machine backups, right? I only have 1 TB of storage and 1 TB of backup right now(right at my workstation, which is fine), I probably only need an extra TB or two to keep me happy for a while. I wouldn't say price is *not* an option, but I'm in for 4 or 5 or maybe 600 bucks if things stay quiet.

Quiet bar or restaurant in central Toronto that doesn't play music?

JPDD — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:43:17 -0800

Quiet bar or restaurant in central Toronto that doesn't play music? I'm recording a podcast that will involved two people wearing wireless lapel mics, having a conversation over drinks in a bar or restaurant in downtown (or close to downtown) Toronto. A slight din of people talking in the background is ok, but because the conversation will be edited, there can't be background music. We're aiming to tape this on a Wednesday, around 6-9pm. Oh and not too pricey!

Thanks!

Help me build the quietest gaming desktop system, pro favor.

6spd — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:30:13 -0800

Help me build the quietest gaming desktop system, pro favor. I'd like to build a gaming desktop that can handle Diablo III, games like COD, BF3, etc on a single monitor.

I'm not looking for an insane setup that can play the craziest, latest games on the highest settings on 10 monitors. No, I just want to play games like Modern Warfare and D3 on their highest settings.

So, that being said, I've identified Puget Systems as selling silent desktops as well as liquid-cooled desktops. It seems, though, that their silent desktops are more quiet than the liquid-cooled ones. Also, they're a bit pricey, which is to be expected.

So, how much should I expect to spend for a system wherein:
a) I buy each component myself and build the PC from scratch (this includes sound deadening materials, etc)

OR

b) I pay a premium and purchase a pre-built one from Puget Systems and the likes.

I'm looking to spend less than $1,500 total (including a monitor).

Quiet hard drive enclosures

Blazecock Pileon — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:38:04 -0800

Any recommendations for quiet eSATA two- or four-hard drive enclosure that supports RAID 0/1? Looking to replace a noisy enclosure (cannot replace hardwired fans) with a new box that is near-dead quiet, with eSATA, that quietly supports two or four 2 TB drives in a quiet, mirrored or striped arrangement. If such a thing exists, I would welcome your advice. Thank you.

Make me Deaf

Query — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:03:47 -0800

How can I effectively deafen myself I am a graduate student who suffers from acute distractability from voices/ people talking As of now, I have tried earbuds and music with noise reducing headphones to limited effect both separately and together. Covering my ears with my fingers has helped some but is not a long term solution.

How can I effectively deafen myself to get work done?

Quietest, calmest, most self-sufficient breeds of large dog for a person who doesn't like dogs?

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:38:00 -0800

I do not want a dog but I'm considering getting one. What kinds would be most quiet, self-sufficient, and non-active? My husband really, really wants a 'doggy' dog (playful, energetic, greets you by jumping up). I don't want any dog, but I most of all I don't want a doggy dog. (I've been totally upfront that I don't like doggy dogs ever since he first asked me, on our second date.)

It can't be a small dog because that wouldn't feel enough like having a dog to my husband. He's said a Greyhound might be an acceptable compromise. I really (really!) do not want a huge dog, but apparently they're at least very calm and non-barky. No question we'd get an adult, not a puppy.

This is a really hard conflict that we keep talking about. I keep trying to think how it could work. (We have, btw, looked at all possible shelter-volunteer options near us, and none fit his schedule or seem to excite him anyway.) In the broadest sense, I have a loving, supportive husband who's made real compromises for me and I truly want to make him happy. I don't want to see him this sad that he doesn't have a dog like he used to years ago.

My concerns are that we're already really struggling with time and priorities; we have a young toddler; and we both work at home (our child's in daycare several days a week) and I depend on uninterrupted, quiet worktime. And maybe most tellingly, we still have an ongoing, exhausting conflict over the care of the two cats who already lived with him when I moved in (specifically about changing their litter, which gets horrible). My instinct there is that if we can't even provide a clean home for undemanding pets like a pair of cats, a dog would cause conflicts and issues I can't even imagine.

Our toddler seems very good with pets -- gentle with our cats, excited to see dogs on the street.

My big questions are these:
- what kinds of dog would be totally safe for a young child (and cats);
- what kinds of dog would feel least deprived living with me (a person who will never want to play in a doggy way, be jumped on, be slobbered on, etc.), especially if my husband is traveling for work and the dog and I have to be alone together for entire daytimes;
- what kinds of dog would stay quietest and calmest in the house, bark least, and need least frequent attention; and
- whether, as my husband thinks, the dog can just use our backyard as a big doggy litter box. That sounds to me like it has the potential to become nightmarish smell-wise and a source of much greater conflict than cat litter boxes. I'd welcome any reports about how you do that, if you do it.

So you can probably guess what my New Year's resolution is going to be...

po822000 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:29:40 -0800

I have two 25-lb. dumbbells and typical living room furniture. I need to workout - strength building, not cardio, for this question. Difficulty level: I can't make much noise, because my two-year-old will be asleep in the next room. I need to start working out again, but it seems the only time I have is in the evening, when little man is asleep. I'd like to do three nights a week of strength training, so that I can vary up the workout each evening and focus on different areas.

I've seen stuff like 'combat fitness', with things like handstand push-ups, but I don't have the ability to do that sort of thing right out of the gate. Given that we have a smaller house, I don't want to have to get a Bowflex or something, either. So looking for workouts for different areas of the body using only living room furniture and two 25-lb. dumbbells.

FWIW, I'll be getting cardio three other nights of the week by jogging around the neighborhood. Assume that I'm somewhat stoic and will keep the mid-rep grunting to a minimum.

Quiet keyboard?

SevenSpirits — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:21:21 -0800

Help me find a quiet keyboard Pretty simple: my current keyboard - the one that came with my dell desktop - is annoyingly loud for my significant other trying to sleep in the next room.

I know there must be quieter options available, but all the advice I can find is from 5+ years ago. Got any up-to-date suggestions?

Thanks!

Would you prefer I start shouting?

wansac — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:59:36 -0800

Others describe me as "quiet". Is there something wrong with how I interact with others? I'm an introvert. As a younger person (during my teen years; I'm 23 now), I was very shy and even experienced a lot of anxiety and nervousness around socializing and social events. However, these days I no longer experience those issues at all. Although I'm not an outgoing person, I often really enjoy talking to strangers and learning things about their lives. I rarely have issues with others. I work a very social job in a hospital ER, and I am able to get along with all my coworkers, though I have become close with none. I also talk to strangers in emotionally wrought situations all day long, and it honestly doesn't phase me. I feel like I have a knack for it, and from my perspective it seems like the patients and their families respond really positively to me. I'm also lucky to be getting married in 6 months-ish, so I don't really seem to have issues maintaining close long term relationships.

My issue is that people (mainly coworkers) tell me I'm "so quiet". They usually say this in a tone like that's a problem or they want me to explain why. People will also sometimes say things to the affect that I am "timid" or "too nice". I don't feel quiet. I don't feel timid or scared (in fact, I think I'm braver than most people; I'm training to become a paramedic and will give just about anything a shot once). It's true I'm not much of a small talker myself, although I don't mind listening to other people at all. My fiance says everything I say tends to be "short and to the point". I don't think he means that I'm abrupt or rude, but rather that I just say what I mean directly without a lot of excess detail surrounding it (or at least that's how I feel like I am). It's also true I don't make friends very easily. While I've never had a problem finding a boyfriend, and as I've said before I can get along with most everyone, I become close with very few people and it takes me a very long time to get there. I try to be really friendly and nice, so I don't thinking people perceive my "quietness" as aloofness or dislike of them (but of course I don't really know what they think). I have some significant abuse in my childhood, so I do think I have a naturally skeptical or slightly mistrusting nature, but at the same time I really try to give other people the benefit of the doubt.

I don't have any issues with the way I am. I really love my life and am grateful for what I have. But it bothers me when people tell me I'm quiet. I generally try not to be overly concerned with what other people think of me, but this one comes up recurrently, and I'm honestly not sure if it's my problem or theirs. I go through my days feeling normal and happy and very engaged with the world and the people I meet, and then someone tells me I'm "so quiet", and it makes me feel like I'm not as engaged as I thought or I'm experiencing life in a lesser way. I also worry that this perception of me will affect my career in the future, because coworkers and potential employers may think I'm shy or timid (for clarification, I have not had issues with this yet; I have had an unusual level of success in finding decent employment and have yet to get a bad review from a manager).

I know there are a lot of other introverted mefites. Do you have this problem? Should I try to change some aspect of how I interact with others? Is this likely to be a significant problem in my life/career, or is this more one of those moderate annoyances that is only an issue if you let it be?

Thanks, Metafilter!

What? I can't hear you over the sound of the CPU fan!

jpolchlopek — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:54:41 -0800

The target: massive data-sets requiring week-long number crunching. The need: serious desktop processing power with fat memory pipelines. The catch: must be rigged for silent (or near-silent) running. For my brother, working on his PhD dissertation in economics:

I'm looking to build a stripped-down but potent system for some heavy compute tasks. This machine should have a quad core chip, probably Core i7 to get solid performance and reasonable TDP (thermal design point - the maximum amount of power the cooling system in a computer is required to dissipate.)

I don't need a graphics adapter beyond the onboard, bottom-of-the-line, please-just-let-me-see-my-desktop variety (I'm debating whether to run this machine headless or not). I'm hoping that my compute tasks will not be memory-intensive enough to require paging memory to disk, but there won't be a lot of IO.

The tasks that I'll be running are compute-bound statistical simulations and are likely to run for about a week at a time and peg all four cores for the duration. With that kind of CPU load, I'm guessing keeping air flowing is going to be important.

The trouble is that I live in a small apartment with my wife, and having a machine roaring like a jumbo jet for a week at a go is (dramatic pause) not going to work. So, I need to set up a machine that can run the tasks I need while being as close to whisper-quiet as I can get.

With a CPU that has 95W TDP , and no graphics adapter, this seems like it shouldn't be too difficult, but I've been wrong before.

Also, given the long compute times, is there anything I should be made aware of in regards to the longevity of this system?

Thanks for any ideas.