Pre-buy query - Fan/keyboard noise in Uni lectures

My wife is considering purchasing an Aspire 8G version with Linux.

The main use for this will be to take notes during lectures at uni. Does anyone else use it in this sort of environment? Is the fan or keyboard noise too much for this application?

I have some further questions but I'm splitting these into individual posts for simplicity.

Thanks,
RzB

 

If you search the forum, you will see that some people have had problems with noisy fans. This seems to have been an issue with a particular batch of fans used. Others have received really good, quiet fans. For myself, fan noise is almost unnoticeable. In fact, the first time I started it up, I don't think the fan came on for almost an hour, and even then it's a tiny noise for a few minutes. I can't see that being audible over the coughing, whispering, shuffling, etc of a lecture hall.

My advice would be to purchase from somewhere with a no-quibble return policy, and send it back for a swap if you're unlucky enough to get a noisy one.

I would say it is a great choice for lectures etc.

 

Mark,

Many thanks for your response. Yes I did see many post on the forum but it's difficult to know how noisy it really is. Hence my question to see if anyone else perhaps had a noisy one but was still ok in that environment.

That's a good point about purchasing from a no quibble retailer.

Many thanks,
RzB

 

If you're lucky enough to get one like I have, you'd have to literally hold the computer up near your ear to hear the fan. So using it in class, fan noise would not be an issue.

Cheers.

 

On the other hand if you DO get a noisy one, the noise is a very noticeable constant high pitched whine - loud enough to get you chucked out of class - fortunately there are fixes you can apply which stop the noise.

 

If you are getting the 8G Linux version with no hard drive, I don't think you will have a problem. Mine is quiet as a mouse. All of the complaints I've heard about fan noise come from Windows/Hard Drive versions. I could be wrong about that, so don't shoot me, but I can't recall a single example of a SSD model with excessive fan noise. Good luck!.....Jake

 

All,

Many thanks for your helpful responses.

I have read that the keyboard is a bit noisy. Didn't seem to bad when we looked in our local retailer but there was a lot of background noise.

Thoughts?

RzB

 

Perhaps a bit more rattle than some other keyboards, but probably still below average. If it seemed fine in the shop, then I wouldn't worry.