Pros:
- Appealing aesthetics
- Able to accommodate large laptops (up to 19")
- Simple and effective cable management system
- External power (may be a con/weakness to some)
- Powered USB 3.0 hub
- Stock fans push a lot of air
- Stock fan frames can accommodate both 140mm and 120mm fans
- Continuously variable fan speed
- Can accommodate up for 4 fans
- LED lighting can be turned off
- Decent out-of-box performance
Cons
- Bulky
- Extremely loud stock fans
- Proprietary USB cable
- Mediocre build quality considering the price (materials, fit & finish etc.)
- Mesh cooling surface too fine and restricts air flow
- Limited space for fan placement with stock/large fans
- Expensive
With the amount of power running under the hood of some laptops these days, a notebook cooler is fast becoming a must-have for laptop owners. The CM Storm SF-19 USB 3.0 is Cooler Master's newest offering to the notebook cooler market. Having a futuristic look and various coloured LED ambiance lighting, it's definitely designed with the laptop gamer in mind. With its relatively hefty price tag of about $90, it's probably THE most expensive notebook cooler on the market. So is it worth it? Hopefully this review will help you decide.
The good...
Perhaps the first thing one notices about the SF-19 is its angular, inorganic appearance. This gives it a very aesthetically pleasing, futuristic look. Being marketed towards the gaming crowd, it also has 4 different windows on the underside with LED lights. Having 7 different colour options, it's sure to provide the perfect ambiance for any game. The LED lights can also be turned off if the user so chooses for a more professional look.
The next thing to mention about the SF-19 is its size. The gap between desktops and laptops is growing smaller. As such, finding a laptop cooler to accommodate your mobile desktop is becoming increasingly harder. The SF-19 is able to fit laptops with screen sizes as big as 19"! This is seldom seen as most notebook coolers on the market are only designed for laptops up to 17", if not smaller.
Along the sides of the cooler are rubber feet that provide excellent grip on any tabletop. Integrated into the rubber feet is a simple yet effective cable management system, allowing you to neatly organize the various wires and cables for your many computer peripherals. Speaking of peripherals, the SF-19 boasts a powered, 4 port USB 3.0 hub, enabling you to connect a plethora of keyboards, external hard drives, flash drives and other USB devices. However, USB hubs are notorious for not providing enough power. Not a problem here with the SF-19's external power adapter. To some, this may be a downer but in my opinion, this is definitely a strong point.
All this talk and we still haven't covered the main feature of the cooler! Included with the cooler are two 140mm Cooler Master fans. These stock fans push a lot of air. On the highest setting, each fan is pushing 90+ CFM.
The bad...
As I mentioned before, the SF-19 is probably the most expensive notebook cooler on the market at the moment. However the build quality of the cooler is only mediocre and does not justify the hefty $90 price tag. While there is no flexing or deformations, there is quite a bit of creaking and groaning in the plastic when handling the cooler. The buttons that control the LED lights and the dial that controls the fan speed feel cheap and loose. The panel on the underside is relatively thin and will sometimes flex when replacing it in the cooler. The cooling surface is made of a metal mesh that is secure and does not give under pressure. However I have found that the holes in in the mesh are much too fine and restricts the air flow from the fans.
This brings me to the fans themselves. While they to push a very decent amount of air, they are unbearably loud. The constant droning coming from the fans start to become annoying at medium-low speed and becomes absolutely intolerable at the highest speed. While it's nice to be able to move the fans around, there really isn't much room for you to do so when using larger fans. For that reason, it may be more useful for some to use several smaller fans.
While the SF-19 is able to accommodate 19" laptops, this does make the cooler very large and bulky. Not only does this make the cooler take up a significant about of desk space, it also makes it difficult to bring around, even with its integrated carrying handle.
Another downer for the SF-19 is the fact that the USB cable connecting the USB hub to the computer has a proprietary head. This means that if you lose this cable, you're pretty much SOL and you won't be able to use the hub. This is the reason why I'm generally not a fan of proprietary parts.
The nutshell...
While there's still lots of room for improvement, the CM Storm SF-19 is a decent notebook cooler. With some modification, as I've done with mine, the SF-19 has the potential to be a very effective cooling solution for your laptop. Here's how I rate the SF-19:
Features: 4/5
Quality: 2/5
Value: 3/5
Out-of-box performance: 2.5/5
Modified performance: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
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