M17x R4 stock fans and Notepal X3 questions...

So Little Washu posted a few pics of his M17x R4 (THANK YOU!!!) ... and noticed there are 2 fans and a vent near the nameplate...

My questions are:

1) how well do the stock fans keep the M17x R3 cool? the R4 should be similar in design is why I ask about the R3

2) are there any other fans in the machine other than the two at the corners? Are there any in the front of the laptop to pull air in and flow across the machine?

3) has anyone used or have the NotePal X3 cooler from cooler master? if so, how do you like it?


I ask because I am going to use this machine mainly on my lap ... and with the new Ivy chipset and the monster 7970 video card ... I want to make sure I keep this monster as cool as I can.

While I do like the NotePal U3 with the moveable fans, the fact that it is open at the bottom (fans exposed to legs!) doesnt appeal to me and finding a comfortable lap desk that is not very tall has been a challenge.

With the U3 being about 1.5" tall, the lap desk I found 2" and the M17x R4 being, what ... 1-2" high ... that will sit pretty high in my lap ... I am thinking it would be awkeard using the keyboard. I could be wrong


Any way ... the X3 at least is all enclosed and is also about 1.5" high ...

the downside on that is that it only has the one (albeit HUGE) 220mm fan ...

BUT looking at the image of the bottom of the R4 ... with the one vent near that nameplate...maybe that one huge honken fan may be enough?

I dunno ..

Anyway ... any opinions? Answers?

Thanks in advance!!!

Dave

 

1. My R3, with a 2720QM and 460m, runs at about 50C and 55C, respectively. When running prime95, the cpu gets to about 80C. Gaming, such as BF3, gets to 70C cpu, 75-80C graphics card. (not exactly maxed settings, though) Yours should be cooler, as the ivy bridge chips are supposedly more power efficient, as is the 7970m.

2. Nope, just the two fans.

 

Thanks Dusk ..

 

I own the U3, and yes it gives your keyboard more of an angle than other notebook coolers out there. On the cooler, my old 2720QM CPU used to max out at around 77oC on load, without the cooler and just elevation of the back of the laptop (using erasers) it reached 83. The GPU temps are more or less the same around 73. I think the U3 would be better than the X3, I don't see any benefit of having one large fan in the center when the m17x vents are in the corners.

I actually quite like and got used to the angle that the U3 elevates the keyboard, keeping in mind that my m18x sits on my desk 24/7. Because the m17x/m18x palmrests are very elevated, it made my forearms quite uncomfortable, but the U3 solves that problem perfectly . I'd have to say that it wouldn't be comfortable for lap use though, just because there's no flat surface at the base of the cooler, and you'd have the front angle and back supporting "panel" of the thing on your legs. The fans sit quite high into the interior of the U3, it won't come close to your lap.

Can't really comment on the X3/m17x