Best laptop cooler for 15.4" laptops

Hi guys,

I'm going to be getting the Asus G1S shortly and also wanted to purchase a laptop cooler to go along with it. From searching it looks like 3 brands are popular so I'd like to get your opinions.

Basically what is the best in terms of:
a) portability
b) fit (how well it holds a laptop),
c) style,
d) power consumption (will it drain a laptop power very quickly if power by USB, and
e) cooling factor (MOST Important!)

The 3 models I've been looking at are:

• Spire Pacific Breeze
• Zalman
• Antec

If you have any opinions/thoughts or even other coolers not listed, please let me know

Thanks!

 

i think i'll go with the zalman IF my C90s will be effectively cooled by it. I'm thinking now because of the back vents (same on G1s i believe), that the pacific breeze would be good. Also, Zalman is HOT looking, Spire not so much, so thats probably the deciding factor.

 

Depending on where your vents are I would probably get the Zalman.

 

zalman seems popular..
is there a specific zalman cooler you guys recommend?

 

Only one Zalman cooler know out there:

Zalman ZM-NC1000

 

I picked up the BYTECC for my C90S and it has worked wonders. With a 500/500 GPU overclock and a 20% CPU overclock while running a game with AIM in the background my temp doesn't go above 71.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834999336

 

Found that my Zalman NC-1000 doesn't fit in my booq messenger bag. The cooler size looks more suitable for bags that support non-widescreen bags.

 

I have the Spire pacific breeze - small, cheap, works.

Can't put it on your lap tho.

 

It looks like people at Notebookreview.com prefer Zalman, but I got the impression that those at Notebookforums.com seemed to like the Spire - or is that just me?

Chaz also has a nice post on laptop cooling where he suggests a Targus HERE - is there anyway of editing polls?

Redzapper, thanks for mentioning that the Spire can't be used on a lap - I would prefer a cooler that I could use even when sitting on the couch.

Geek94, what kind of messenger bag do you have (sizewise)? Just wondering because I have a crumpler and though I don't move my laptop too much, I do take it traveling every now and then and it would be nice to have a cooler that fit in my bag.

I was also considering the Bytecc, but the pictures make it come across as really cheaply built and I was concerned about it's quality/sturdiness.

 

I know what you mean...all I can say is that it is most definetly 100% aluminum. it comes with some nice bumpers on the top, and it keeps my laptop damn cool.

 

It looks like NB'ers favor the Zalman by far. I took a look at the Zalman homepage http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=224&code=030 (for some reason I only looked at newegg previously) and it looks pretty nice. It doesn't look like it's really intended for setting on one's lap, but I guess that when I'm gaming (which is primarily why I need a cooler) I would be on a flat surface.

Reckon I'll be getting the Zalman then.

 

I finally got my MBP and the Zalman is a nice looking cooler and the MBP sits nicely on it even if the notebook is wider than the cooler by about 1 inch. It's too early for me to say whether it actually cools the notebook but I will post something up after more use.

 

I just ordered the Zalman, can't wait to get it from dell. Estimated ship date is SEPTEMBER 12TH!!!!!!

Edit: All i ordered was that and a Kensington lock

 

I've JUST ordered the G1S this morning and will also order the Zalman for it. However if you could give your thoughts on how well it cools your machine, that would be great I know that design-wise the MBP is probably totally different from the G1S, but it will still be nice to hear your thoughts.


@BuckeyeFan:
You ordered the Zalman from Dell?? I didn't know they even offered it, but regardless, why not from a place like Newegg? Or is it part of your computer bundle? Still... September (over a month away! ) is pretty long... what's the holdup?

Edit: just saw the specs for your computer - pretty nice AND for an awesome price! Hope you didn't forget to toss in a warranty as well

 

I want to ask if it matters where the fans on the cooler are, versus the fans on your notebook? If so how do you determine what kind of cooler to get?

It seems like the heat on my notebook blows directly out of the back, I also have vents on the bottom middle, bottom front, and bottom right. Iv'e never noticed them getting rid of hot air, It all seems to be blowing directly out of the back. I did notice that the coolers however either have fans in the four corners, or the fans are in the middle. How do you, or how can I determine which one to use, thanks?

 

I wanted the dell travel remote, and thought it would come standard. It didn't, I called about it, they just gave me a $50 coupon to buy it. Waited a few days and emailed them, no response. Called sales dept and asked about it, wanted to see if i could buy it with the coupon even though i didn't actually have the number. They said no, but then said that it was $3.99, and i decided that i would just buy it and not worry about the coupon. Then 3 days later, got an email with my coupon number, so i decided to just get the Kensington lock, but i had to spend more than $50 to use the coupon, so i tossed in the Zalman. Got both for <$30 shipped.

Yea i got the 3 year warranty, accidental, and lojack included in that price.

Edit: And after the $150 back from the remote and graphics card($100 back to my credit card) it was actually only $1450

 

Can anyone comment on the Zalman cooler in terms of noise and airflow? I am considering getting one of these in place of my Antec Notebook Cooler. Also, does anyone know why it looks as if Zalman decided to just put only 2 fans in there? (You can see the stencil outlines for 2 more fans if you look on the underside pics) Perhaps is Zalman coming out with one that has /gasp FOUR fans in it?

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5...uiet_Notebook_Cooler_-_Black_ZM-NC1000-B.html

 

you have to look at the patented design to understand this amazing and unique cooler.


- Two centrifugal fans for consistent high air pressure and fast cooling performance.
- 679 high capacity vent holes evenly distribute the flow of cold air to cool the entire notebook.

more info here:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=224

 

I say the Zalman is very quiet!

 

I understand that it's an awesome cooler, but I am still asking about the noise, airflow, and the fact that it appears as if Zalman had planned on putting 4 fans instead of 2 in there?

 

Read the reviews for this cooler, there are MANY out there.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3620
http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3360&Itemid=40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16834998051

 

I just got the Zalman (all black)... it's sleek and nice. The metal work is very nice, would prefer that they use allen key type screws than plain cross thou. But those are small details... now.. onto the heat test... back in an hour!

 

I made the best cooler the other day, it droped my temps by over 20c!!! its really cheap too like 10$ ^^

However its not very pretty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox2eaBjDfEg

so I say its the best since best is supjective, and this is the best performance.

I noticed almost all the coolers focus the air via different points so it probably depends on your notebook on wich will work the best.

the Asus C90 really only has one main vent area that needs area and thats the big vent where the southbridge and ram is. Air going in there will cool the SB/Ram then the airflow will move over the cpu heatpipes cooling them abit, then move thru the heatsink in the back cooling the cpu and gpu heatpipes down, and move out the back, where the fans are pulling air out.

So for the C90 you want something blowing air in that one spot the most.

 

Here you go guys, if you want the sleek black zalmans wich is my favorite for its form factor and looks, I found it a few dollars cheaper than newegg from a trusted site, but also free shipping wich saves you like 7$ more.

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=373526&prodlist=pricegrabber

 

!"£$%&&... I got it at the same price but in EUROS!
Well back to the conclusion... i got about 10 celcius dropped in cpu heat and 15 by gpu. Idles at 50 (which without cooler is at 60)

Edit: Might be better than i thought, it is idling at 46 celcius now (cooler 50% power)..

 

On the XPC M1330 right?

Thats pretty good.

I just looked at the c90 the vent I was talking about is at the center front side of the notebook about where the touchpad is.

Does the Zalmans give out even airflow thru all those holes or does it get prgressivly weaker the closer to the bottom you get since the fans are at the top?

In this case the air needs to be near the bottom.

 

No.. on a Samsung R65.. the sig. was a joke that dell made

And yupe.. the air gets weaker the closer to the bottom edge. but since ur notebook is sitting directly on top of it, i guess the air would split out more to other areas... now trying full cooling..

Edit: Got a pic up.. max out at 65celcius (very heavy load )

 

Oooo... glad to hear so many good things about this... definitely now will consider getting one! Now to think about if i want silver or black for my T60... black to match my T60... silver for contrast? haha

and thanks Gophn... I probably was still waking up when I was looking at this thread... it happens sometimes XD

 

So how do you add in the 2 optional fans?

 

^^^ = sounds like you had a somewhat confuddled shopping experience, but glad it worked out and that you got a good deal

@Vicious
Thanks for the link to Zipzoom - I've heard them recommended before, and have noticed that their prices are lower sometimes than Newegg, BUT they don't ship APO

I do like your cooler Actually, my current laptop (Z70Va) has a floor fan pointed at it whenever it's on since the humidity level in Japan is between 80-90% .... horrible since you basically just break into a sweat whenever you step outside >_< So a cooler is definitely something I will need for the G1S, and from what I've read (thanks Gophn too for the review links!) I think that I will be happy with the Zalman

 

You can do that?

 

Well I think I'm going to go with the Zalman, the only thing thats holding me back is the price. I mean I read the reviews, but im sure there has to be something cheaper that does an efficient job?

 

I'm sure that the other ones mentioned (Antec, Bytec, etc) also work, but I would imagine that with the Zalman you're paying for quality of build as well since it looks pretty solidly constructed (I say looks because I haven't gotten mine yet, but it is a point that many reviewers are commenting on).

If you're just looking for efficiency, you could always go with Vicious's product

 

Do those come in black?

 

That was funny after looking at the vid, hehe.

 

Well, that's *one* way to keep your laptop cool... @.@....

 

Hehe yeah, see I was at work and we had come up with a theory that we were crashing the c90 from temps and I had nothing to test it with.. then I noticed in the lost & found department we had a box fan from a guest room. I was like **idea** that would work! but knew sitting it flat on the floor would give it no room to pull air in from.

So then I saw the empty box that had printing paper in it. So I knew that would hold the fan off the floor and be perfect.

It worked likea charm too! on low it droped temps over 20c, I can only imagine what high would be like, and you know there are no "dead spots" where it wont get air.

So maybe it would be usefull for somebody going for suicide benchmarks. Or if you a notebook exclusive user and want max performance maybe build a cheap desk with the fan intergated into it. that has a metal overlay much like the zalmans. If you can picture what I mean, the desk area would have a metal plate with holes where the notebook sits, and under it is the fan intergrated as part of the desk, then you can go to radio shack and get yourself a pent to contrl the fan speed and mount it into the desk aswell

Thats something I would do

 

Does the Zalman fit a 17" laptop? Looks very nice

 

Judging by the comments from the Newegg reviewers (see page 3 for the link to Newegg reviews) it looks like it's first and foremost for 15.4" machines. However, it also looks like several people bought it for the 17" laptops and for the most part seemed satisfied (except for one Alienware owner) It appears that the edges of a 17"er WILL jut out slightly, so that's one thing to bear in mind. (might make the USB port on the cooler hard to reach?)

 

Your laptop, and your face!

 

I'm confused o.0....

 

About wat???

 

Oh, nothing. I got confused then figured it out.

 

From what I have seen, that seems the case...I was wondering how these offbranded ones work and/or if any others are decent choices other than 3 listed? Also what about this XION (antec clone)...is that just a rebranding?

I was trying to use the list here at http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2030260319+1276817102&name=Cooler (newegg laptop cooler list).

Also with an Asus C90 don't you want to grab out some of that air underneath or do you want to vent more of it?

 

i voted for the zalman..i have it for my 9260, and its great..