In search of the best notebook cooler

I know this in some variation has been asked many times before but I'll ask anyway.
For those of who own a notebook cooler.....which one do you have and would recomend it or another for a future cooler buyer?

 

I believe the Targus Tornado chill pad is quite popular. See this excellent guide for more info.

 

How about a highly portable one? I'd like one I can stick into my laptop bag. I was looking at this one from Kingston: http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16834999236 but I don't know how portable it is.

 

If you don't need a portable one, and don't care about looks since the only time you'll look at it is when your laptop is sitting on it, then I would recommend the Bytecc aluminum cooler which should be available on newegg. You can check out my review in my sig.

 

so it would seem that the usual suspects are the popular choices.....given the choice between the spire pacific breeze, targus chill mate, and the bytecc aluminum cooler....which would yeild the best cooling ability?

 

I built my own cooling pad for my computer, that way the fans blow air the right directions and in the right areas. It works really well. It takes 5 C off the hard drive (no cooling system, just moving air over it), and drops the temp of the CPU and GPU by quite a bit. It needs a little more work though, the CPU fan isn't getting as much air flow as it should. It was cheap, and fun, but a good amount of work to design and build.

 

I have the Targus Tornado Chill Mat and it is excellent. When I don't have it turned on the bottom of my laptop gets quite hot and when it's on I don't notice the heat at all (and I have it in my lap all of the time, so it is easy to notice if there is heat). It is very light and when I first picked up the package I thought the Chill Mat was missing. It blows the air out of the back so it is very effective. I highly recommend it. Plus it is very inexpensive, I believe I purchased it for $20.

 

As far as which one is the best it all depends on what you are looking for. I have the Spire Pacific Breeze and I love it. Small and compact but cools excellently. I haven't used any of the others so I couldn't tell you if they are any better or worse.

 

Is the Targus Tornado Chill Mat available at walmart, bestbuy, circuitcity, office depot, ect.? If so, for how much?

 

I have been eyeing the spire pacific breeze but report of it being very noisy have made me question whether I should buy it or not....can anyone tell me if it's noisy or not?

 

Try this from Zalman
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=224&code=030

Or from Newegg.com, take your pick
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&SubCategory=319&N=2030260319

 

http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/...x=224&code=030

is this available in an acutual store or will I have to order online?

 

I have the NOTEPAL by Cooler Master (purchased off Amazon) and its AWESOME. Downside is that it's not portable. Material is very strong, has two fans and 2 USB ports.

 

The Valman NC-1000 smokes. Reduced my CPU and HDD temps by 10% c.

Ropn

 

that's nice..but do I have to order it online or can I go to some store and buy it that way?

 

The Targus Tornado Chill Mat can be purchased at Best Buy and Circuit City.

 

Phillip,
I got mine from my local store at USD$56.00. May be u can check this:
http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/wtb/cooperation_northam.asp

E-mail Zalman in USA or Canada, ask them if ordering online in available.
Hope this help

 

I'm using Targus ChillHub. It has two fans and 4USB ports, can be powered from your laptop or from the wall.
It has reduced my HDD temp. by 12 C.

 

So far I've only been able to find the targus chillmate....not the tornado and not the Chill hub.

 

It's not hard to find.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...1752&type=product&DCMP=KNC-TLC&ref=25&loc=MSY

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Targ...81511/catOid/-13027/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

 

LapCool 4

I don't like it because my laptop keeps sliding down.

I don't know if my laptop lacks sticky thingy or the cooler itself.

 

You cant go better than a Targus Chill Mat

 

Targus ChillHub can be bought from here, but the price seems to have gone up. I bought mine for 29$ something.
http://www.amazon.com/Targus-AWE01U...r_1/002-9420891-4710423?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

 

$50 is a little to steep for me but I would gladly buy it if it dropped to sub $30.

I'll ask again just to make shure nobody overlooked it from the last time I asked it:
For those of you who have the spire pacific breeze if there are any of you out there that is.....How loud is it?...is it louder or quieter than my notebooks fan on high (sounds like a hair dryer set on some where between low and medium)?

 

I just don't understand "notebook coolers." Does anyone really need one of them?

First, these "coolers" defeat what is, in my mind, the primary function of a laptop computer: portability. I've neither the time nor the inclination to be carting around some "cooler" for my supposed "portable" computer. Don't you have more important things to do with your bag or desk space?

Second, if you need so much computing/graphics power that your laptop requires a "cooler" -- why don't you have a desktop? For a lot less money, you could have much more computer, a fantastic monitor that blows away anything a laptop can offer, and no need for a "notebook cooler."

Third, if your notebook truly needs a "notebook cooler," what does that say about the notebook? The manufacturer didn't include sufficient cooling systems for your rig? Who the heck wants to deal with that?

If my laptop computer really needed a standalone "cooler" to function properly, or even optimally, that laptop would be on a one-way trip back to the manufacturer, along with my refund demand. I'll take a properly functioning laptop out of the box please -- without the need for cooling gimmicks.

 

Well, you can do the same thing with a large book, or a piece of stiff cardboard, heh. The idea is to allow the machine to sit flat while placed on the lap. They have feet to allow enough airflow underneath when on a hard surface, but one's legs can block the vents on the bottom.

 

Well, cooler just help to cool down your laptop a bit. It just a precaution to take "just in case" something happen. It not necessary to carry around, mine just sit at home seldom bring cooler pad out.

 

Normally I don't need one....but when my system is malufunftioning or I'm watching a DVD in my room....the cooler helps keep my laptop at optimum temps

 

Well, I guess.

That's the troubling part. Why is it malfunctioning? Laptops should work out of the box, without "malfunctions," period. If my laptop were "malfunctioning" -- right back to the manufacturer to fix it, or for a refund. And if they didn't fix or refund, I'd toss that malfunctioning POS right out my window and sue them.

Not trying to change the topic, but the good people here who spend honest money on portable computers should get exactly that -- a portable computer that boots, runs, and stays running. And stays running without the need for fans, mats, heat pastes, liquids, the flux capacitor, etc. etc.

 

Well.....I don't know about you but these types of errors would probalby not qualify for a return to the manufacuter....plus do you really think that a laptop will be perfect.....and I have yet to see dell give a refund with out some outrageos fee that follows.

Heres a question for you....does a car run perfectly forever?.....no.......will it even run for ever no.....do you have to mantainence to the car regularly......yes.....does the manufacturer refund you if a problem arises....9out of10 no.....does one buy products to help keep a computer from malfunctioning....if you're wise yes.....and many other questions....
The point is that there is no perfect machine out there and no amount of honest money can buy such a machine and that's what a laptop is....a machine.
Yes , good people should get a flawless computer but the flawless computer does not exist.... at least not yet anyways.

 

Considering every modern PC (portable or not) requires a fan and heat paste, I take it you're still using a 486DX50?

 

I think we all know I was referring to additional, aftermarket fans that are not original to the laptop. Given this entire thread concerns an aftermarket accessory fan, and my response was focused on the need for such aftermarket products, did I really need to state the obvious?

 

Practically every current laptop can function perfecly well without addtional products.
The thing is some of these porducts, though not necesary can improve the performance of the laptop.
The biggest reason that I can come up with for the need/want for such products is heat reduction.....heat is a deadlt enemy to all machines.....it slowly wears the parts and eventually leads to part failure......so keeping the parts cooler can effecitvely increase the longevity of them.

You can continue to believe that there is no need for coolers and aftermarket thermal paste, that's you right, but for those who want to do anything possible to extend the life of there systems, then it is there right to want to have coolers and other aftermarket accesories.

Your point was crystal clear, but like all thing is life not everyone agrees with everyone on everything.

 

It isn't a matter of the laptop needing a cooler it is more of a personal desire. It will just make it a little more comfortable if you sit it on your lap all of the time like I do.

 

I own a Coolermaster Coolpad. In my opinion I beleive that it is infact causing my laptop to overheat rather than cool it down. The Coolpad takes air away from the bottom of the laptop and ushers it away but the CPU fan wants to suck air in, so I beleive that by using a cooling pad that exhausts air from underneath your laptop causes some kind of 'powerstruggle' with the CPU fan, thus causing more heat related problems.

However this is still just a theroy, but to be safe I reccomend looking into a cooler like this one from Lian Li. It blows air into the underside of the laptop.

http://www.lian-li.com/Product/Accessories/Other_NoteBook_c_pad.htm

 

That's why I find that coolers that blow air under the laptop to be far superior to the ones that suck the air from underneith it.

 

Thats why I built a custom one, that way it can remove air from the hard drive, and give air to the CPU, giving a much more effective cooling solution for my laptop.

 

Custom what? cooler or computer?

 

I don't have one so I'm asking those who do: has anyone tried puting the targus chillmat behind your laptop so that it blows air underneith the laptop?.....does it prove effective?