Energy efficient or cool running notebook computer?

[anticitizen13.7]

My notebook computer is about 5 years old, and while it is still running fine, I am thinking about a replacement. Current system has an Intel Core i5 (Sandy Bridge generation) which has a TDP of 35W, but it has always seemed to run hot. Even just browsing the web can cause the fan to spin loudly and vent large amounts of hot air. Cleaning the heatsink/fan assembly did not make any difference.

Has anyone bought a computer recently that runs cool and fairly silently? I prefer Windows computers. I love my iPhone but I just don't like MacOS X.

 

[swaltner]

I know you said you don't like OS X, but stay with me.

I really like my MacBook Air. The base price on these is $899 now, but the config I have is $1,299 (13" display, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD). Being rated at 9-12 hours of runtime depending upon the model, they are great.

Now for the Windows preference, Apple includes a feature called Boot Camp that lets you dual-boot between Mac OS X and Windows (Windows license required). By using Boot Camp, you run Windows bare-metal on the Mac, using Apple supplied drivers for all the custom Apple hardware. During the installation, you would just shrink the Mac partition down to the smallest size possible (something like 16-32 GB) and could then install Windows on a new partition in the remaining disk space. While I've only used this feature for a day or two, just to see it in action, it's kind of fun to joke with Windows users that the best PC hardware to run Windows isn't a PC at all, it's a Mac.

Don't eliminate the Mac hardware just because the default OS is Mac OS X.

 

[anticitizen13.7]

13" MacBook Air has a base price of $999, and a Windows 10 Professional license from Amazon would be another $100. That's a bit expensive considering I paid $800 for my Dell notebook 5 years ago.

I can justify the Apple tax on an iPhone because it ensures timely security updates (most Android handsets outside of the Nexus series have languished from lack of OEM support and wireless carrier intransigence), but it's a lot tougher for me to justify on a computer.

 

[rEVhappy]

My Lenovo Yoga 11S with a Haswell i5 (mobile Y chip) 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM has been whisper quiet, power efficient, and gets about 5-6 hrs batt life for a little over 2+ years and is powerful enough for CAD, DAW, heavy web browsing, office, etc. It has a capacitive touch screen and a sturdy, flexible hinge so it can operate as a (fairly big) tablet. The ergonomics and wrist pads are comfy, much better than most laptops on the market.

All this for about half the price of a Macbook Air with the same specs. You can also get them in 13" with i7 ,8GB RAM, full HD display, etc and certainly get a better bang for your buck over a comparable MB Air. Get them from somewhere other than Amazon as many 3rd party sellers have jacked up the price on them, even if they're almost 3 year old specs (ebay is what I used)