I suffer from ME and this makes me very chemically sensitive. I am bothered by the air issuing from computers and it takes me about two years before I am really comfortable using a new machine. Are there any PCs (particularly laptops) that do not suck air over all the components and spew it out? Mark Savill
There is a lot of interest in PCs that use liquid cooling and/or heat pipes instead of (but sometimes as well as) fans. The market is driven mainly by gamers who want to "overclock" their machines: running the processor at a higher clock speed means it generates more heat.
There is also some interest from people who want silent PCs, eg for use in music studios. Searching Google for [silent PC] will provide some leads.
When it comes to notebook PCs, things have improved in the past few years thanks partly to the arrival of low-power Transmeta and Intel Pentium M processors. These were designed mainly for thin-and-light notebooks where heat can be a problem, but they have also been used in fanless desktop PCs such as the Tranquil T2eMP Media Center PC. In my experience, Centrino notebooks usually run without using the fan, but when the processor is used heavily, the fan spins up and blasts of hot air come out.
You can reduce the chances of this happening by making sure there is clear air around the notebook (so don't use it on your lap) and that ventilation points are not blocked. You can also buy laptop coolers - stands that often have their own fans. When it comes to mainstream suppliers, the only fanless notebook I can think of is Sony's high-tech VAIO VGN-X505, which takes thin-and-light to extremes (see http://products.sony.co.uk/article_11.asp). It was launched in May last year but was too expensive and is no longer on the market.
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