Cheap n quiet Dell

In addition to my i9400, I'm thinking of getting another Dell for playing music/movies hooked up to my TV/stereo (the 9400 will be used for encoding and games).

Anyways, does anyone have a suggestion as to the smallest, quietest, cheapest computer from Dell. I can't decide if it's best to get a cheap i1300/b120 laptop, or one of the optiplex SFF pcs. The specs are rather immaterial, as long as it has a DVD reader. Ideally, I'd want something practically silent and under $700

Any opinions would be appreciated

 

wouldn't it be cheaper and more reliable just to get a dvd player if that's all you're gonna be using it for ?

 

Well, in addition to playing DivX movies, I want access to my complete audio collection (I have a 300GB external drive). And with all the different audio/video codecs floating around, it's hard to find a player that does it all (hence the needs for HTPC's).

 

i would say get a desktop. for the price, you'll get something that will last longer and be upgrade-friendly. dropping 700 for a bottom of the line dell (or any other machine) seems like a waste of $. the built in obsolescence is going to bite you in a couple years.

if you wanna go up to 1000-1500, you'll be better off, but with your budget, i'd say desktop.

 

Yeah, desktops are easily upgradable. That's what I have now. I just can't stand the noise and power they take. My new laptop will take care of my high-performance needs. After15 years of always building my own PC's and upgrading, I'm tired of the "big beige box" effect. There's something to be said about the simplicity of say a "mac mini".

It all seems to work out about the same in the long-run, whether you buy parts and upgrade over time, or just toss/sell the whole thing in a year or two and buy new.

I've got my eyes on the optiplex GX620 USFF at the moment. I've ruled out the i9300/b120 as they don't have DVI output.

 

Want something nice and quiet? Get a Sony VAIO TX2. Fanless technology for teh win! lol.. sorry couldn't resist. Seriously though, why are you getting a brand new laptop just for that reason? Terrible waste of money if you ask me. My suggestion? Go to Ebay and get something 2nd hand for cheap.

 

yeah... I've decided to hold off for now. I'll see how the lappie is with multitasking...