Notebook Coolers : A Buyers Guide

If there are any mistakes or things I have missed or things you would like to see included please notify me or post. Furthermore sorry for the delay it was due to a family emergency. Also commentary would be great, this is my first guide so sorry if it is not up to par with other guides Thanks.

Also a Thanks to Gophn for inspiration.

Updates will be done regularly


Every week there appear to be more and more threads on which cooler should Mr X buy. This thread is intended to help those searching for a cooler without having to create a new thread.

What is a notebook Cooler?

A notebook cooler is a device used to help regulate a notebooks temperature. (Basically cool your notebook hence Notebook Cooler)

Why bother using one?

There are MANY people who criticize notebook coolers as a “fancy accessory”. Many claim it is a complete waste of money and that money can be spent else where.

Although the criticism exists many people are still searching for a notebook cooler and are buying them. But why one may ask? Notebook coolers are a great investment for your notebook. Heat is the enemy of any electronic device, including notebooks, more commonly though gaming notebooks (or notebooks that have very high performance parts for CAD etc.) which are a rather recent innovation. Notebook coolers provide extra cooling to notebooks allowing them to run cooler, thus lengthening the potential life of your notebook.

Furthermore many NBR members are enthusiastic about overclocking their graphics cards and at times their processors. The result of overclocking is more heat, the higher the clocks are pushed the higher the temperatures rise (note this is not the case for all overclocks it is a general statistic). Some members such as my self only overclock for benchmarking purposes while others do not overclock at all, but that does not rule out that fact that if your system runs hot you want it to. Notebook coolers specific models can and do run quieter than your notebook fan making it quite handy being able to have a constant low hum versus a on/off/on/off blast from the side of your notebook. As well as being able to regulate your temperatures.

In general it is recommended that you have a notebook cooler or at least a passive cooler if you game with your notebook.

In my opinion it is a great investment for your notebook and for me the best accessory I have bought to date.

Is my notebook compatible?

Currently there appears to be only 1 notebook that sees little difference with most coolers in regard temperatures. The Macbook Pro; It facilitates zero vents on the under side of the notebook making cooling from that aspect useless. The Zalman also seems to be a poor competitor with the Dell XPS 1530 (PLEASE PM WITH YOUR EXPIERENCE ASAP)

Things to know before you buy

1) When buying a notebook cooler figure out where the vents and fans are on the underside of your notebook and make sure they align with the fans or vent holes of the notebook cooler you are looking at. Models such as the Zalman series or the Notepal Infinite are easier to align then models using fans instead of a special air flow system.

2) Avoid knockoffs or generic brands if you want full performance from a cooler. They are a cheaper solution but you get what you pay for.

So what should you buy?


I have compiled a list of notebook coolers which have been reviewed and posted about on NBR. I will be only providing NBR sources as anything else you would like to find can be found with your trusted friend google. I will be only including notebook coolers that have been posted about as of 2007 onwards. If there are any models YOU would like to see added please post ASAP.

Zalman NC1000/2000 (B)


The Zalman NC2000/1000(B) are the current royal couple for notebook coolers. They appear to be currently the most silent, effective, and popular coolers on NBR. The NC2000 is meant to support 17” and but IMO it should be used for 15.4” widescreen and up (this has been debated and is still being debated. Although the NC1000 has a higher CFM it may be too small for larger 15.4” notebooks such as the Vostro 1500 and not reach components on the outer areas of the notebook). The NC1000 is a great model for 15” standard and smaller. It uses a special airflow system that makes it more effective.

Prices : Zalman NC1000 42$ and up (CDN and USD)
Zalman NC2000 56$ CDN or 57$ USD

Here is a review of the Zalman NC2000 which includes a comparison with the NC1000. (Written by my self)

Other Resources :

Zalman NC1000 Review By Nexs

Zalman NC 1000 Review by P_boucher

Poll results of an Antec Notebook Cooler vs Zalman Notebook Cooler

Zalman NC2000 Before and After by Jmanrob

MacBook Pro and the Zalman by taelrack
IF YOU OWN A ZALMAN NC1000 or 20000 (B) PLEASE SEND PICS WITH YOUR NOTEBOOK ON IT ASWELL AS BEFORE AND AFTER IDLE AND LOAD TEMPS TO [email protected] THANKS (I am compiling a Zalman resource thread)

Cooler Master Notepal Infinite

If you don’t like Zalman for any reason then go with the Cooler Master Notepal Infinite. It may not have as strong of an effect at the Zalman but it is still a good alternative. It has larger cooling real state next to the Zalman as well as the ability to be used on beds, sofas, and carpets. It is built of a plastic chassis which is not the most stable base and also has a few minor build quality issues as well as irritable fans when on max speed.

Price : Cooler Master Notepal Infinite 35$ USD

Here is a review of the Cooler Master Notepal Infinite (Written by Johnny T)

Other Resources: I am sorry but I was not able to find any other sources on NBR. If anyone finds anything please PM me ASAP

Belkin F5L001

If you are on a budget this appears to be the notebook cooler for you. It is an interesting new design but has some proportion issues. It has a feature which is a downside and an upside at the same time. It has one fan in the middle, for heavy cooling it is not the best location for a gpu no is it as effective as 2 but it is great if you are a lap user, open your legs and your set. There appear to be major quality build issue for some users as some have rattling fans which require hitting the cooler to get it to stop and others find it flimsy and hard to carry due it its shape.

Price : Belkin F5L001 around 30$

Here is a review of the Belkin cooler (written by Tiffiny Boggs)

Other Resources:
This thread contains mini reviews and general disccusion about the Belkin F5L001

NZXT Cryo LX

This beast of a cooler boasts a hefty 3 fans. It weighs in like a beast at 3 pounds and sure as heck looks like a monster. It appears to be pretty decent as a cooler at the very least. But there are minor build quality issues such as rubber feat prone to falling off. But the biggest issue of this cooler is not the cooler its self but its riducoulus UNJUSTIFIABLE high high price. 75$, yes that is 75$. With that much you could go buy a new bike at Walmart, 4gb of ram, or go grab a Zalman and a Razer or Logitech gaming mouse.

Price : NZXT Cryo LX a WHOPPIN 75$

Here is a review of the NZXT Cryo LX (written by Garetjax)

Other Resources:

A mini review by Diablo85

Vantec LapCool 5

This is a nifty portable cooler which appears to yield minor temperature differences. It seems like it would appeal to the non-gaming/enthusiast consumers who would like a cooler as it is also available in red, black and blue. It has minor build quality issues such as feet being prone to falling off (which DID happen during the review). A let down is that it really has to align to your notebooks fans which would be quite a hassle for many notebooks.

Price : Vantec LapCool 5 About 20$

Here is a review of the Vantec cooler (written by Kevin)

Other Resources: I am sorry but I was not able to find any other sources on NBR. If anyone finds anything please PM me ASAP

Targus Notebook Chill Mat

This is known to be a failure since the beginning including the newest one. Chill mats are better as a stand then a cooler. If you are willing to shed out the doe for one save up a little more and buy one of the other listed ones. It has also been written on the box of the older model that “This product contains chemicals, including lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING”. If a company produces something that requires that tag I would avoid them regardless if they changed as that was last sighted only in 2006 which isn’t that long ago.

Price : Targus Chill Pad 20$-40$

Please PM if you can find a NBR Review of the NEW Targus Chill mat

Other Resources:
Why to stay away from a performance stand point

Lead poisoning and cancer hazard basically DANGER!

(if there are any others that you believe should be posted here please send me a pm Thank you)

Need a temporary solution? Or a solution for when your not at your desk?


Tape a couple of these bad boys(erasers, bottle caps as an alternative) together chuck them under the rear feet on the underside of your notebook and you have a temporary cooler for when your in need of a temporary solution or on the go. It is great for when you are in class gaming or at work.



Anything to avoid?

1) The NZXT aluminum notebook cooler has drawn many people in with its “amazing” 3 fan cooling system. Its price tag at 75$ is more than upgrading to 4Gb of ram, or buying multiple other things. It is just too much for a notebook cooler.

2) The Xion notebook cooling pad (is actually identical to other models that look similar) appears quite modern and cool but it is like a cheese grader and is not worth the money. Once again many user complaints

3) Targus Chill Mats have been known for ineffectiveness in the notebook community. Some argue this fact but fact is fact.

4) Bytecc notebook coolers are knockoffs of other models such as the Zalman series and are not worth the 10$ discount for loud ineffectiveness.

5) Coolers such as the Evercool NB-MA1 which attach the the output of your vent on the side or back of your notebook. It is known to be hard to attach and once attached it will often heat your notebook up more then cool it. It is a worse waste of money then buying a thumbtack for 10$ (IF IT IS FASTER THAN YOUR STOCK FAN YOU WILL NOTICE A FAIR DIFFERENCE)

The passive notebook cooler is it of any use?

Generally it is great if you are on your bed. It will yield slight decreases at times and with specific models will actually cause temperature rises rather then loss. I would only recommend this for users who use their notebooks on their bed. Personally I just grab a large book (VERY LARGE) that I have taken out from the library and constantly renew and toss my cooler on that as I get more cooling.

Extra cooling resources:

Guide to Cooling Down Your Notebook (slightly outdated but worth a look none the less

If you have a Dell notebook (XPS support not comfirmed) I8KFan

Undervolting your CPU

If there are any others you believe should be here please feel free to notify me

 

Nice guide dude.

yay something that I can link people to.

You can add some of the Zalman user reviews in this guide, for people to read.

 

On it will be up within minutes

EDIT: IT IS UP

 

Good job !

 

here are more zalman reviews that should be put together:
- .... ahem, your review
- http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=248015
- http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=152125

more if I can find them through all the sub-forums

 

Thanks!

Added a number 5 to the list of things to avoid

Added other links thanks Gophn (also my link is also posted under as the main review for the zalman section)

 

Nice work...I like it. Hopefully this will be stickied to avoid the numerous "Help me pick a cooler" or "is this cooler good" threads.

Rep+

 

Thanks Yup I have been typing zalman on seveal threads a day

 

i dont type, I CTRL+C , then CTRL+V.

look at my number of post...

 

laziness is killer... points at the raise of heart attacks

 

Nice list, only gripe is the font you decided to use for your gifs is absolutely horrible. Otherwise, nice work

 

Ok Ill change within a few hours ( currently in the middle of a TF2 match )

EDIT: Changed

 

5) Coolers such as the Evercool NB-MA1 which attach the the output of your vent on the side or back of your notebook. It is known to be hard to attach and once attached it will often heat your notebook up more then cool it. It is a worse waste of money then buying a thumbtack for 10$

i'm currently using this type of cooler and it works for my old asus m2c. Mounting this on my grill vent is a breeze and this cooler always run at max speed of 3800 rpm more than what my fan is running in moderate load. Yup agreed that this will heat up a notebook if the notebook fan is running more than this cooler fan thus creating a positive pressure. this positive air pressure prevents the hot air from going out efficiently.
but in my case my cooler fan is always faster than my notebook fan thus creating a vacuum like condition ( negative air pressure ) and this effectively suck out all the hot air.

 

BlueLounge CoolFeet

http://www.bluelounge.com/coolfeet.php

I started using these after getting zero difference from my Zalman (1-2 C). I think one thing people fail to say in their review for Zalman(and all coolers for that matter) is that your temperature dropping is going to depend on the fan location of your laptop. On my old Dell and on current Dells, the fan is at the top of the notebook and doesnt touch the area where air is being pushed out through the Zalman. That means its sitting flat against the aluminum and no air is being allowed to enter.

Thats what made me switch to the coolfeet, simply elevating the laptop off a flat surface allows for air to pass through and gave me cooler temps (5-6 C)

 

Ill edit in the fact that if it is faster than your stock fan it is worth it. But from the expierence of several people I know and online reviews they have caused more issues than anything

 

Actually you fail to notice most Dells are able to reach the fan vents with ease, there are MANY dell users that yield great resaults due to the Zalman. Its also posted in my guide that the fan should align to vents etc.

as for those feet it is far easier and cheaper to use old erasers laying around and taping them together.

 

Sorry but that is wrong. My old Inspiron and current m1530 fan dont touch the vents unless you put the bottom of the laptop on the desk. And most Dells have the fan in the same position

 

I own a vostro 1500 no issues reaching the vents on the Zalman NC2000 it sits around the bottom rubber stopper

 

Hey! Nice guide there!

btw i was wondering whether NC2000 will work with my sager or not!!

My HDD temps r ultra high @ 55C after gaming!!! nd i seriously need a cooler to prevent future failure!!!

 

Should work. for best resaults you may have to have it sitting a little more to the left than the right ( i believe that is where the vents are on that specific model). HDD temps drop quite nicely with a cooler.

 

What other brands/models of coolers are there like this?

 

Im googling right now. I actually found a page several months back with quite a few of these but currently no shot at finding.

Evercool I believe makes two models

 

Many owners of the same notebook are using this cooler.

 

The exhaust on my W3J is on the right side and it easily heats up my hand. The Evercool seems like a great idea, but since it has mixed reviews, I like to see what else there is on the market.

Ya, I tried googling as well and found only Evercools.

 

I am looking to purchase the Zalman 2000. But wanted to know if there is a difference between NC2000 and NC200B. Newegg is selling the NC2000 and Zipzoom is selling the NC200B. I couldnt tell difference, please which one is better.

Here are the links

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10007401&prodlist=froogle

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834998686

 

ones black, the other is silver

 

Exactly choose the color you prefer

 

Very awesome review, and sweet, thanks for quoting me X2P!!

So here are a few pics I took a little while ago comparing my 13.3" XPS M1330 with my NC1000.. This will definitely prove that at 15.4" would be more comfortable on an NC2000. You will notice a large amount of free space in the rear, but at least the entire notebook covers the holes on the NC1000:








.. thanks to X2P for tempting me to purchase the Zalman.. it doesn't just feel cool.. it is cool ha

+rep for you

 

This should be made a sticky. Great post! +rep.

I'm thinking of the NC2000 but am concerned about fan placement in relation to the M1530. Also thinking of the Thermaltake NBcool or Rocketfish Cooling Pad.

 

what is that black thing on top of your keyboard? looks like a screen protector when your lid is closed? where did you bought that?

 

you can follow this link http://www.connectland.com.hk/

 

You're right, it's a screen protector I purchased when I noticed that my keyboard would directly touch my screen.. and you can use it as a screen wipe too!

I have the 13.3" shaggymac ( http://www.shaggymac.com) but there is also the Lappymat ( http://www.lappymats.com) ... both do the same thing, and are worthwhile investments! Keeps dust and other articles away from the keyboard when I'm not typing on it.

 

I would pass because like I said earlier, the fan doesnt get any of the flowing air and is just covered by the flat aluminum. Here is a review that echoes what I said and has pictures to show you exactly where the 1530 fan will lay on the cooler

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=208650

 

Thank you for the pics. I've been contemplating this and your pics really helped with the decision making.

 

No problem.. I decided to "bite the bullet" and purchase the NC1000 without any comparison pics to my size notebook, so once it arrived I decided to take pics for future purchasers.. Luckily for me, they fit together perfectly. Hope to see you join the Zalman NC1000/2000 family! ha.

 

Great comments so far guys.

I Will be compiling a list with pictures and effectiveness users are having with the Zalman NC series, it would be great if you could send basic with and without idle and load temps aswell as a picture of your computer on the zalman and your computer model.

Preferably to my email : [email protected]

Cheers

 

Thanks Gophn!!

I'll go buy one right away!!
btw which one (silver or black) will look nice with my lappy??

Wow! awesome initiative man!!

i'll email u my temps nd pics once i get my cooler!!

 

Thanks for the link. However that model just looks like a rebranded version of the Evercool...guess there isn't many other designs out there.

 

I prefer black IMO, i guess it depends on the colour of your notebook and things around. Here's some pictures of mine with a 14" Asus W3J on a black Zalman NC1000. Hopefully this will help people with sizing issues.

 

Great guide!
It's better than I thought it'd be.

 

Thanks Raunzel

 

Still no pictures or temperatures received for the zalman project>.<

 

Shouldnt you be taking temps for all the coolers if you are going to to do a buyers guide/FAQ? Without comparing other brands/makes/models to the Zalman its essentially a thread on why you should buy a Zalman

 

x2.. I do agree it should expand to everyone with notebook coolers. I'm very curious to see who has what.

...but then again a majority of these notebook cooler threads end up pointing towards the Zalman anyways. It's probably the best selling cooler... on these boards, at least.

 

Look at reviews it gives a link to a review per cooler and in comparison the zalman won. From what people have posted most wanted more info on zalman on the guide so thats what I added to provide the people what they want. Originally it was only 1 link to zalman

IF ANYONE CAN PROVIDE LINKS/ETC ABOUT THE OTHER COOLERS PLEASE DO AND ALSO RECOMMENDATIONS. OF WHAT YOU WANT ADDED

 

they actually pretty much all do

 

In the case of the M1530 you are incorrect. The air intake for the CPU/GPU is located at the top where the Zalmans do not have any vents. The Zalmans do a good job at cooling the components they can reach, in the M1530 that would be the RAM, HD and wireless card(s)

One important thing missing from your review of the Zalman is the Room Temperature at the time of each test.

And as I mentionned to you in a previous post...

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=246329&page=2

When cooling notebooks all the way to 15.4 the 1000 is most likely better than the 2000 because the 1000 has a higher air flow CFM.

Both Zalman coolers use the same fans turning at the same speed. So since the 1000 has less vents it will have a higher air flow CFM per vents than the 2000 quite possibly resulting in better cooling.

Let's say the fans push 15CFM. The 1000 would have a higher CFM (0.022) per vent than the 2000 (0.016). So any air intake (and components behind them) getting hit by the vents would get more airflow (higher CFM) from the 1000 than from the 2000.

Higher air flow CFM usually results in better cooling...

 

>Added 1530 incompatibility to zalman series and similar coolers

>Actually no take a look under statistics it was even bolded.

>Only problem is with the over hang if you have alot like with the Vostro 1500 it will miss HDD, GPU and part of the fan. In that sort of case (common) it is best to cover as much space as you can with equal less forceful flow than forceful flow in a specific area

I Will be adding more coolers to the lists and even out the playing field after one users request. It is important to me to keep as many people satisfied as possible. The updated version will be hopefully up within 24 hours.

 

I think you may also have to factor in the surface area cooled along with the cfm output across the differing holes numbers on the two zalman coolers, with the total cooling effect rather than just plain air output velocity. I say a test of the cooling efficiency to the two should be conducted to see if your theory holds up to be true.

 

So would you say that since I have an M1530, I should opt for the NotePal Infinite instead of the Zalman?
The NotePal Infinite thread has a link to a website that sells them in the US, so I can try that if I have to. I just want to make sure I get a good cooler (would've liked the Zalman though).