Passive Cooling - Targus X-stand

i got bored and decided i wanted to check this particular product out. i ended up findin it for about $30 usd shipped so i said what the hay?

i was a little disappointed when i initially received the package and started unpackin it. i was like, "this lil thing for $30 bucks???" after a few adjustments and stuff, i have concluded that the x-stand is a pretty well thought out product.

it completely lifts yur notebook off the surface. the front 2 "legs" were designed with 2 stoppers. these plastic stoppers sit flush with the front of yur notebook and keeps it from slidin forward/off. on my initial setup, i found that the left, back leg, was sittin right under my GPU fan vent. i was a bit disappointed til i started to mess around with the x-stand a bit and found out the 2 rear "legs" were extendable. they extend an additional 4-5". this feature helps the x-stand to accommodate a wide range of notebooks, with different vent/fan locations, all the way up to 17 inches.

some pix to give u guys an idea of it's design and how it works:


my conclusion: this is a pretty well designed unit. pretty sturdy for what it is. it provides additional airflow by liftin the rear of the notebook up. the lift also helps to bring the monitor closer to natural eye level and helps typin comfort. it's legs are adjustable to accommodate different notebook sizes and vent locations (up to 17"). a major pro for many ppl is that this thing is super portable. it folds up to about the size of a giant sharpie. i would recommend this product to anyone thats lookin for a nice, simple passive cooler.

 

Does it help lower your temps at all?

 

i don't have a "before" shot available right now. my GPU temps hit about 76c-78c during gamin, without a cooler.

this screenshot was taken after the laptop has been on for 6 1/2 hours straight. during those 6 1/2 hours i was gaming for about 2-3 hours, had winamp on for 2-3 hours, and did lots of browsing and downloading: