Targus AWE01US - AVOID THIS!

Just as a warning to you all - do NOT buy this product. This is the newer Targus Notebook Cooler, aka, the ChillPad/Chillhub that is in a darker grey/black plastic with "Up to 28% improved cooling". These things are REALLY noisy - they *literally* do sound like jet engines!

I was hoping to find another cooler for my T60 as I use it at home whenever I am not at school - I have the Antec Notebook Cooler which is great but the feet on my T60 do not raise it very high - the centrifrugal fans therefore get choked and therefore get a little noisier as they struggle to bring in air to blast out the sides and back.

Oh well... I guess I"ll find some other way to put up space in between the cooler and the T60...

Just letting you all know how bad this product is... /returning tomorrow.

 

Thanks for the heads up!

I have the Vantec Lapcool 2, and it's very silent. It's a bit expensive, but worth it IMO.

 

Yeah my Antec Notebook Cooler is pretty quiet (A cooler can never be silent unless its passive with no moving parts ). Built very well too.

I have always been wary of Vantec products... but I may give one of their LapCools a spin.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I was actually considering this.

I'm back to Vantec (only because it has a 4-port USB hub), or Zalman (which I hear isn't great for the MBP).

Thinking about waiting for the CoolerMaster Notepal Infinity to hit stores (same design principle as the Zalman), but...ah well

 

I actually heard the opposite about the Zalman being good for the MBP (see a few posts above I think).

I remember the older, slimmer Targus coolers with the lighter silver plastic wasn't so bad. It was kinda cheapo and flimsy though... but it was quiet though!

 

Thank you for posting this. I'm disappointed to hear that it got noisier . . . the Chillmat is virtually silent. They are a bit on the cheap side quality-wise but do a good job cooling the notebook and are easy to transport.

 

Yeah, I was surprised that it got a lot noisier. I believe that they switched from low speed fans to high speed fans. While this newer one seems a lot more sturdy and solidly built, again the noise is just unbearable. While I"m sure if you popped it open and did some tinkering with the wires you could get it to be silent, that isn't exactly what I'd want to do.

I think I may go get the Zalman one everybody's raving about. People still haven't answered my question as to why it looks as if Zalman was going to put 4 instead of 2 fans in it though... (if you look in the underside pics, there are stencil outlines for 2 more fans). Great design though. Kinda pricey... but should be well worth it. Still need to hear opinions on fan noise / airflow though from people that have it (I posted in a thread..)

EDIT: Found more info, definitely getting one (Best 15.4" Cooler thread - thanks!)

 

the new one isn't that noisy, you wouldn't really notice it unless you have no background noise at all

it works really well though

 

I am quite sure that it is much louder than the previous model - even with some background noise it is too loud to be used.

Everybody has their own perception of what is considered noisy, but again I believe this model is too loud for most common households.

 

I know this is bringing up an old thread but I'm devastated I bought this thing lol (targus chillmat), now pay me a little le way here ok.. I just finished working the graveyard shift at my casual hotel job last night and I couldn't (and still have not been able to) get to sleep so stupid me went shopping in my dulled state I purchased this product and WOW sounds like I've got a fighter jet warming up in my bedroom, even funnier is my Hard drive (below left palm rest) is getting HOTTER like the fans are pushing the air back into the notebook and it can't get out (poor circulation? I dunno) theres only 2 fans on this thing also, I think I need 4 for this notebook and an aluminium hub to so I guess I'll buy the new notepal when its released here in AUS in a week or 2.

what a waste of 50 bucks (USD $40) I could have spent that on beer, this thing HAS to go in the bin now.

 

I've had my Vantec Lapcool2 for two years. For me it's Vantec or Zalman, but the Vantec moves more air I believe. Neither are cheap.