Glossary - Q

Quiet PC

A quiet PC is a personal computer that makes less noise than the average computer. Common uses for quiet PCs include video editing, sound mixing, home servers, and home theater PCs. More and more people desire quiet PCs as their workstation in office or at home because it uses quiet cooling and storage devices and energy-efficient parts. Like noise, the term "quiet PC" is subjective and there is currently no standard definition for a "quiet PC". However, a general definition is that the sound emitted by such PCs should not exceed 30 dB, measured one meter away from the computer. The amount and type of other sound in the environment also affects how much sound will be noticed or masked, so a computer may be quiet with relation to a particular environment or set of users.