Everyone's hearing is different and, as a result, sensitivity to noise can be vastly different among individuals. Environment can play a huge factor in this, as well. A 50 dB sound would not be considered a distraction in an office with ~60 dB ambient levels, but could be a major annoyance in your 35 dB ambient home office. Even then, that same fan would likely be perfectly fine during a BF4 campaign, but not so much while relaxing with some music. With that in mind, there are distinctly going to be some very different needs for different people and environments.

After a foray into the vacuum cleaner-like noise levels of CLCs, we are now seeing a bigger push into silence. While we have seen this push previously, it is becoming far more effective thanks to more energy efficient CPUs producing better performance with lower heat. This makes it possible for even enthusiast level CPUs to be cooled with zero noise. When I say ?zero noise?, I am referring to passive cooling. The same passive cooling concept that has monumentally failed on enthusiast CPUs in the past is now completely viable thanks to the aforementioned CPU changes coupled with advances in cooling designs. With recent products we have seen, it is very obvious that air cooling engineers have not been asleep at their desks.