Cooling Pad suggestion for XPS 15

Hey!
I have a L502X.. which I use intensively for gaming.. As you know, it gets a little hot, and the fan starts to run at a higher power..

To reduce this I was considering getting a cooling pad.. While I've read many of the reviews and the buyers guide in the accesories forum, I still can't get a clear idea..

These are my options, so if you guys could help buy suggesting which would fit my model, I would really appreciate it!!

Belkin F5L055 Cooling Pad


Cooler Master Notepal X2 Cooling Pad


Cooler Master Notepal Ax Cooling Pad


Cooler Master Notepal U2 Cooling Pad


Cooler Master Notepal Infinite Cooling Pad


Targus Laptop Chill Mat Cooling Pad



Thanks for any help guys!

 

I have the U2, one of the greatest cooling pads ever!!! (I recommand you to buy the U3)

 

thanks for the feedback...my onlcy concern is, if its possible to place it on your lap? Cause the ergonomics look little off..

 

I have the U2 for my XPS 1330. Microcenter had it on sale a year ago may still be on sale. Aluminum construction and the muffin fans can be mounted anywhere. Very quiet.

 

Thanks for the feedback!

Im strongly considering the U2..but my only concern is mine is a 15.6 inch..so it will overhang.. so would that be a problem with the fans being able to reach the side vents?

 

I use a Zalman. It's very quiet and works well: Zalman ZM-NC1500-B Notebook Cooler

 

Thanks!! I went and checked it out in store.. I ordered the X2 since the size fits my needs and it doesnt look too bad.. I really liked the U2 and the reviews but it was a little too small for my laptop.. The guy didnt have the U3 in stock and isnt sure when he would get it.. Hopefully I won't regret the X2..

 

I think you'll be happy. I've got the x2 for my 502 and it fits/looks/works great. I did find that I had to remove the black mesh from the two centre vents to get a cooling improvement with it; there seems to be a lot of turbulence there otherwise that blocked most of the forced air from entering my laptop. Enjoy!

 

since the exhaust is int the side ... does these pads have any effect ?
can any one who have bought it can post some records ? with/without cooling pad under heavy stress .. may be one or two hours into gaming ? how much temperature reduction does it produce ?

I am also planning to get one , but since there is no exhaust or minimal heat on the under surface , i was just thinking " do i need a cooling pad ?"

 

Hey.. So I got it about a day back and I've been testing it out.. So i'll give you a a small unbiased review..

Size:
My first preference was the Cooler Master U2, but after seeing pictures of slightly bigger laptops hanging out of the side, I decided to go against it.

The X2, however, is big and my laptop (15.6 inch, L502x) fits just right. There is absolutely no over hang.

Cooling:
The main reason I purchased this is for gaming and application development. For the gaming, I was hoping to reduce the heat produced by the GPU fan on the left vent. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Before measuring the temperature, I felt there was really no drastic change! It was quite disappointing cause it was still as hot and the fan speed was as intense.

To get an accurate measure, I downloaded RealTemp and ran a few tests. I played NFS World.

With the cooling pad on full RPM: The temperature was around 75 C to 76 C
With out the cooling pad: The temperature was around 79 C

While the stats do tell me there is a considerable difference, it's not apparent by its own.

I would recommend the U3, though I've never seen it, as the main source of heat is on my left vent as the cooling from the X2 doesn't reach there as effectively. However the U3 has the option to choose where to keep the fans, which I assume is a huge advantage!

If you guys want any more feedback please let me know!

And the blue LEDs look good btw!

 

Your initial experience seems pretty similar to mine. Again, I didn't notice any real effect until I removed that mesh from the vents. I don't think the X2 blows with enough force to go through. I noticed a massive difference just blowing on the vent piece with my mouth when it was remove.

I can't comment on dust effects yet, but I've made it through the "yellow dust" season in Korea without it melting so far.

 

How did you remove the vent? You mean the mesh of the cooling pad? Is detachable?

 

The Zalman NC2000 is great extremely quiet most of the time i don't know its on

 

Nah, the mesh inside the cooling vents of the XPS itself. I just removed the access panel and carefully pulled the mesh off. I tried to keep it undamaged so I could glue it back in if dust turned out to be a problem. It really restricts the air entering the computer.

You could also remove the mesh where the fan intake is, but it seemed like considerable effort to disassemble the entire machine, so I left that for later.