Alienware M15x Owners need expert advice on BEST cooling system!

Hello guys


Been reading many reviews online and also some on the NBR forums about notebook coolers and I'm still a bit confused on which is the best for the M15x. I heard that for some people their M15x downclocked when they put it on a zalman cooler because a few of them said it had a little tilt on it. Now I asked an offical Alienware Tech support guy a few questions:

"" Originally Posted by firstn20 View Post
Alienware-Frank could you also let us know if tilting the system a little bit, like using a Zalman cooler will effect the system in anyway? I heard of peoples system downclocking when their system was tilted a little bit ebcause it was on top a notebook cooler, would like an offical response so we all know whether to buy a cooler or not.""

And he replied:

""Update: April 17, 2008
The m15x’s thermals were designed to work with the system placed on a hard and flat surface such as a desk. Any material or items that block the air intakes will affect the flow of air and increase the temperature of the system. If you are using or planning to use a cooler, make sure you don’t block any of the intakes on the bottom of the m15x and that the cooler’s fans are blowing air into the intakes, not away from the them. The m15x does not require any additional cooling devices to work at peak performance.
-Frank""


So is it true that the tilt might affect performance? Here are a few questions I have as well as all the other M15x owners:

1. Whats the best notebook cooler for the M15x and for the design of the system? A flat cooler and also a cooler that has the tilt.

2. Can someone explain which cooler is better? A cooler who circulates the hot air underneeth? Or a cooler that pushing air up into the air intake? Or does a cooler do both?

3. What if the vents are not aligned directly under the air intake of the notebook, will air still be flowing up into the vent?

4. What do you guys think this cooler will be good for the system? because I'm willing to purchase it,

http://www.enermax.fr/fr/aeolus-cp00...ad/86-2-c.html

Does this cooler have an aluminum surface? Or a surface thats made up of good materials?


5. Last question, is Zalman really the best notebook cooler? most people talk about it but I did a seach on coolers, and FOUND a lot of reviews., so I dunno. The zalmans air vents are too far away from the air intake of the M15x beause air intake is at the back of the notebook from what it looks like, so I dunno if air will be pushing up.

Thanks for reading the long post, before Alienware-Frank posted about the notebook cooler, we thought the Zalman 1000 or 2000 was the best cooler, but according to him the M15x was designed to be on a flat surface, and he also said we needed a cooler that pushes air up the air intake instead of having air pushing away from the air intake.


Will give rep to everyone who help us M15x owners whats the best cooler for the system Need some experts now!

 

Only use it in a meat locker.

 

Why would you ask alienware tech support such things? They usually tell you non-sense. They probably dont even own an Alienware notebook.

Aslong as its blowing air into beneath the laptop at a good flow rate. Its better if its getting blown directly into the intake vents. Cooler air and more flow into the notebook fans = cooler

 

Can I get some answers for my questions please, ty

 

First of all I highly doubt a tilt really doesnt work as well. Scientifically it should work better seeing as heat rises, thus if there is a tilt it would let heat go one way. And tilt affecting performance your making me laught , I have friends/family who mount their laptops on a wall bottom right on it. Currently the best cooler is the Zalman NC2000 if you are looking for performance but silence (review in sig) it blows air up in a balanced manner.

If the cooler doesnt alight right on it its fine. The Zalman uses a system to equally vent through every hole and will cool your whole laptop regardless if its on the vents or not. While looking at the cooler you posted it looks kinda cheap IMO as it just has a fan with a grill it may not circulate air aswell as say the Zalman or Belkin coolers even though it may have a larger fan.

The zalman will cool your entirelaptop once the cool air comes up it comes out ever side of the bottom of your notbook. I get the same temps if you move my intake away from the vent holes or on them.

alienware frank as flipfire pointed out probably A) doesnt own one B) lives in india. But that is riduculous that he claims it wont run well on a tilted surface. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

X2P thanks for the awesome info, that really helped a lot, Zalman seems like it had all great reviews.

1. As for the cooler that I put in my first link, if the fan is that huge, wouldn't the laptop get massive air in every direction? It seems really powerful also. Can you give me more info on this and the theory behind it?

2. You mentioned a Belkin cooler, can you tell me which you recommend?

3. If it was any other Alienware tech representative then I wouldn't believe him when he said the tilt may affect performance. Alienware-Frank is part of the MAIN tech support on the roswell team, and he came on the forums to release the X30 bios and now the new X32 bios that fixed the downclocking issues. He seems to know his stuff but I agree with you about the coolers tilt design and how its suppose to work. Can you look at this link and check the post comments that alienware-frank posted about coolers and tell me if he was indeed NOT telling the truth?

4. And finally, if there is a flat notebook cooler without a tilt, which one do you recommend?


Thanks a lot for your feedback so far


EDIT: And you can find Alienware-Frank's comments when I asked about the cooler:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=228872&page=60

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=228872&page=61

 

1. If you look at the zoomed in image the holes are kind of like older computer speakers. appear not to let much air flow in as they are tiny. meaning less cool air up and more heat trapped. It also appears to have only 2 speeds instead of for example the Zalman ( or other coolers ) that have knobs so the speed is quite variable. You also loose one usb port on your computer without gaining any. I DO NOT OWN THIS COOLER, nor have I tried it, I am talking with intermediate knowledge of physics and common sense.

2 the Belkin cooler is the F5L001. It appears to be a good cooler if you are not ready to dish out cash for a Zalman.

3 I will not go as far to post but, the only moving part besides a fan is a hard drive. Look at many possibly even most external hard drives run sideways, heat could be an issue if your laptop was sideways but with a slight tilt no. And you know what you could do to test. Just find a way to tilt your notbooks slightly (raise the back about a centimetre and a half then see if you have any performance issues). MOST if not all notebooks actually gain with a tilt without a fan seeing as it helps intake ALOT having space below.

4. i would buy a tilt cooler and toss somthing underneath to make it flat if you are that worried.

 

Actually measured Zalman tilt. Without lifiting up legs the backend lifts about 0.5 CM so its not even a tilt

 

Its better with a tilt, just buy it at try it for yourself

There is no plausible way a notebook cooler can affect a notebooks performance. Even if you play with your notebook upside down it will still perform the same. Of course if you block the vents it will overheat and could force the GPU to downclock, thus affecting performance

Its a good idea to give the notebooks intake vents a fair bit of space so it can suck in ambient air. Its even better if air is actually being forcely blown into the vents. Instead of the system fan trying to suck in air, a good air flow is being directly fed to it

 

Thanks I gave you guys rep.Got a few mroe questions thanks

1. I have a Zalman 1000 cooler I used for my dell 1530, and I can hardly feel the air, it seems really weak compared to my brothers Targus Chill hub (bad cooler just because its made out of plastic). Is the Zalmans strong enough to give enough air to cool the system? I'm new at this and this is my first notebook cooler so I dunno, to me it feels really weak .

2. As what flipfire said, he said its good if the notebook cooler is actually blowing air to the air intake. With the current speed of the fans on the zalman, is it strong enough that its actually pushing air into the air intake of the notebook? Because it feels really weak to me, I expected a crap load of Air from this cooler

3. And last issue is, as most notebooks now, the air intake is located more towards the back of the system. And the zalman cooler has its air holes towards the front, so its not directly under the air holes, its 1-2 inches away from it. You think the Zalman cooler is strong enough to reach the air intake of the laptop and still able to blow air INTO the air intake of the notebook?

4. I checked the slope, tilt angle etc... or whatever you want to call it on my Zalman 1000, and it seems in order to make it a flat surface, I measured it, and it seemed that I had to lift the front side of the cooler by 1.3" inches to get it flat. I know X2P said it was .5 cm's. But a 1.3" inch slope, is taht a lot of tilt that it would affect the notebook?

Thanks guys for your patients, I'm a big noob with coolers and I'm just concerned because I'll be spending a lot for an alienware M15x.

 

1. Yes you barely do feel air but it makes quite a big difference. Its because of the system that zalman uses and for a xps 1530 a NC2000 would do a better job of cooling. Here is a picture of the system of air flow.



The idea is to equally distribute the airflow instead of jam it up one area.

2. There is another reason its weak. If the air is really that strong some notebooks have issues with the actual notebook fan being to slow and too much air being pushed through breaking it. There is for sure enough cool air getting up.

3.Yes bmy vostro fits pefectly ( the bottom ) to where the holes are. The only thing that doesnt fit is the battery. If yours doesnt fit you could just move it down the cooler a little bit but it doesnt really make sense as zalmans airflow system ensures that the airflow goes through the whole bottom side of the notebook.

4. I measured with the legs down. Also just lifting the front of the laptop will to make it equal will give you easiest measurement. Once again TILTS should not affect a laptop unless there is a fault with design which in that case you were jipped.

If you dont like the cooler just return it

 

The zalmans intake and outtake does look a little constricting.

I can feel air comming out of all 4 sides of the notebook. Thats how i know everything below is being cooled

Theres a 6mm fan sitting below my HDD vent. I modified my notebook stand so it gets full intake, now i get 34c HDD idle compared to 37c