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By Chester Chen
WITH so much electronics stuffed into the smallest possible space, notebooks are known to operate at high temperatures.
One way to keep them cool is to sit them on top of a notebook cooler. Here are 10 that we got our hands on.
The test was straightforward - compare the temperatures on the laptops before and after these coolers are added.
To show a worst case scenario, we taxed the laptops to the extreme by stressing their CPUs and hard disks, the two most common heat generators.
For the CPU, a processor-intensive application called SuperPI was run to gobble up computing horsepower and generate heat. To tax the hard disk, we ran disk defragmentation in the background, which forced the drive to spin up and produce heat.
Surprisingly, the simplest devices without relying on any electronics won out. And ironically, some coolers created more heat instead of helping to dissipate it.
Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad
$49, from Harvey Norman and Challenger |
Targus Podium Coolpad
$50.90, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
Thermaltake iXoft
$49.90, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
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| A simple but elegant design that tilts the notebook yet ensures that there is space between the notebook and the pad for good airflow.
The design also uses a fan that improves airflow to the underside of the notebook. This cools the bottom and increases the amount of available cool air to the notebook's own cooling system.
There are no extras like USB hubs or multi-speed fans. The plastic feels a bit cheap but the elegance of the white finish is appealing, even though it might get dirty. One more downside: there is no power switch, which means you have to run the fan all time. However, all in, it is a good deal.
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Of the three fan-less coolers here, this is the only one with a swivel base. The blocks at the back allow you to adjust the height at the rear. Raise the angle and you get more convection cooling. The warm air will rise towards the rear and by raising the underside of the notebook, you ensure adequate cool air for the notebook fan. An excellent choice. |
The iXoft is the only cooler that you can place on your lap. Like the Targus, it does not have a fan. Instead, the iXoft uses a crystal-like substance called sodium sulfate decahydrate, which absorbs heat and "melts" in the process. The problem is that the heat is stuck there.
Noticeably, the iXoft reduced the amount of space between notebook and pad so less cool air could be drawn into the notebook.
This resulted in the second highest temperature readings for exhaust, processor and hard disk drive. The only benefit of the iXoft is its portability.
With that much heat, I won't want to keep this on my lap for too long.
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Xigmatek Talisman
$59.00, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
Choiix Air-Through
$69.00, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
A.C. Ryan HushRush
$49.00, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
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| Made of black anodised aluminium, the Talisman resembles a product display stand you may find in an electronics store. On the right, there's an on/off switch and two USB ports.
One of the ports is used to power the fans by drawing power from the notebook. Officially, the unit will accommodate a 15.4-inch notebook.
However, when I placed a 14-inch notebook on it, the notebook was jutting out and it did not look good. Performance could be better.
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This looks a little flimsy because of the thin profile and gaping rectangular hole in the centre.
The hole serves to provide cooler air to the underside of the notebook via two fans at the rear. It works pretty well but would probably be even more effective if the air was deflected upwards at the notebook instead of depending on only the slant.
A USB hub is built in and there is also a power switch to disable the cooling when it is not necessary. The design is simple and functional and appeals to users with equally slim notebooks.
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The design lacks polish. Perhaps that was due to the acrylic material and what I would call 'chicken wire mesh'.
The mesh has a lot of sharp and pointy parts, which users have to be careful with. The cooling fans are 120mm in diameter and lit by blue LEDs. This adds a surreal effect especially when used in dimly lit rooms.
However, there was no rush of air even when the HushRush was set on Rush mode, because the logo reduces the airflow.
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Choiix Ergonomic Metal Sleeve
Price to be announced |
CoolerMaster NotePal Infinite
$69, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
Silverstone Noble Breeze
$85, from Sim Lim Square shops |
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| My first impression of this is a notebook carrier that can be converted into a sturdy rest for a notebook.
The fact that the sturdy portion is made of aluminium does not mean it transfers heat well.
The performance is no better than if you had placed the notebook on a desk. In fact, the tests indicate that the performance was worse than the baseline. This is probably due to additional air restrictions around the edges.
If you need style and a sturdy place to rest a notebook while on the road, this is it. But do not expect any dramatic drop in temperatures.
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The design looks impressive, with an attractive molded plastic finish combined with a perforated metal plate.
The holes are tiny, like that of a strainer. The NotePal features an on/off switch, three fan speeds, and a four-port USB hub.
I do not believe you will use any other fan speed setting other than the highest. Even at the highest speeds, the results were not impressive.
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Made of aluminium and sporting wire mesh at the sides and bottom, this feels like one
of the heaviest units here. The mesh construction provides enough ventilation for the three fans to blow air at the bottom of the notebook. The fans are arranged in a straight line concentrating cooling in only one area. If they were staggered, the cooler may have better performance. Also, the notebook tested was not large enough to allow the notebook's back end to sit on the raised lip at rear of the cooler. This would have provided additional height and room for the warm air to escape. The Noble Breeze looks more suitable for larger 14- and 15-inch notebooks.
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Antec Notebook Cooler
$69, from Sim Lim Square and Funan IT Mall shops |
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| Antec uses two fans with a high or low speed setting. The cooler pulls air from the upper surface and blows it out from the sides. However, the unit is made of plastic and feels flimsy. A notebook rests on four rubber pads that raise it approximately 1cm away from the cooler surface. It tends to starve the built-in notebook cooling system from cooler fresher air. |
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This article was first published in Digital Life, The Straits Times on Oct 22, 2008.
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