One of the original core values at the heart of MusicXPC remains quiet computing. If we developed the fastest computer in the world but it was a noisy bugger, we would never bring that to market. The noise levels on the combined components must be low. This is exactly what the Professional M4 is - a very quiet, high-performance laptop. Apart from the highly efficient Core 2 Duo and it's accompanying quieter supporting cast, this laptop loses most of its decibel count from the clever addition of a heat-pipe on the CPU.

THE HEAT PIPE

The heat-pipe is employed to keep the Core 2 Duo processor, the graphics circuits and the RAM cool. Here is how it works on the CPU. One end of the heat-pipe sits directly on top of the CPU socket. As the CPU heats up the heat-pipe, made of highly conductive copper, heats up too. The heat-pipe extends 4 inches beyond the CPU socket and fans are placed on the bottom of the M4 to funnel cool air from the outside and pass it over the heat-pipe to keep that end cool. The hot air is then dumped out the side of the machine through the air vents. As one side of the heat-pipe cools the heat 'travels' to this cooler side via passive convection - it's just Physics. This allows heat from the CPU to dissipate quietly. The alternative is to place a big, noise fan directly on the CPU. Instead the M4 employs smaller, quieter fans that result in much quieter operation. This also means that after lengthy sessions, your M4 is still a cool operator.

Intel Core 2 Duo [left] and Intel Core Duo. Despite delivering way more computing power, the Core 2 Duo is more energy efficient than the Core Duo. A big part of the extra quiet operation is the inclusion of the Core 2 Duo. Isn't progress wonderful?