HP Z workstations are actually fairly quiet. It's one of the few computer lines that actually has published acoustic decibel ratings (19 dB for the low-end vers

HP Z workstations are actually fairly quiet. It's one of the few computer lines that actually has published acoustic decibel ratings (19 dB for the low-end version, 34 dB for the high-end, see https://www.bluechipit.com.au/media/product_spec/Z420_WORKSTATION_1.pdf https://www.bluechipit.com.au/media/product_spec/Z420_WORKST...). My main objection to the Z4xx series is that the cases are so bulky. I prefer the Z2xx small form factor models, or even better the Z2 (fastest computer I own, but also one of the smallest). One of the big advantages of a Xeon is that it will use ECC memory, and thus be more reliable.