Quiet Low Power Computer?

[Autumn]

I'm looking to replace my desktop system. One of the main considerations I have, besides price (I'm broke) is noise and energy use. Partly becuase I do audio work, but mostly becuase I sit here next to my tower, which has a power supply fan, CPU fan, vent fan, graphic card fan, four hard drives, and two CRT monitors, and it just seems ridiculous to me these days, especially when my wife's laptop is more powerful than this system, runs on a battery and doesn't make a peep.

I considered going with a laptop and docking station for just that reason. But I'd rather not pay for portability when tha'ts not real important to me. Does anyone know of systems which are quiet, well built and have a low power usage profile? I knwo there's high end systems, and I know I could build my own, but I'm not looking to go either route (I really need to spend between 500 and 900 probably).

I haven't had a lot of luck finding such a thing, since energy use and noise aren't ratings most places keep track of.

[flere-imsaho]

These guys review quiet systems and components, so that might help.

You could also look into a refurbished iMac. We got a 24" refurb (you'd need to get a 20" to stay in your budget) and it's almost silent, runs on low power and basically 0 power when sleeping (and actually wakes from sleep successfully!).