TITLE SHOULD CONTAIN: " REVIEW for P-series notebooks"
I looked all over for laptop coolers and the Notepal U2 was the best one that I found. Since I am using the 9C.20 BIOS, I needed one that would have a fan blowing right into the GPU vent. This is the only one I could find that fit that description. Someone asked me for a review of it, so I decided to post it public.
Positives: Due to the two place-able fans, you can cool 2 of the 3: CPU, GPU, and HD very effectively. Temps dropped up to 10C for the GPU and 5C for the HD compared to an unraised laptop with no fans. I have an undervolted P8400 so no temps to report there.
-No USB ports are used up because the cooler has its own.
-The raised screen is nice.
-The raised keyboard is so nice that going back to a flat one feels like you are typing downhill.
-The fans in theory are quiet.
-Only $15.
Negatives:
-No fan control whatsoever.
-My fans went to pretty quickly where when started up cold they don't spin right and are super loud for a minute. I have yet to try to lube them.
-The $15 price tag is too cheap.
-Due the small holes in the grid the fans do not blow as strong as they could.
-For the first month or more the fans made a very annoying humming noise that drove me crazy. Tilting up the front of the cooler helped. The humming noise has been long gone for me now though.
Negatives specific to our laptop:
-You can't optimally cool the HD without either raising the front of the cooler or cutting slits into the HD case. But even with the fan barely covering the hard drive bay, the cooling is still decent.
-You can't optimally place the fans under the GPU and CPU because the holes do not extend all the way to the end of the cooler. However you could definitely still do it.
-The laptop slides down easily but never more than an inch so there is no need to worry about it falling off the table. And it really doesn't slide unless you are moving the cooler.
Other notes:
-I put a strip of folded paper to raise the cooler slightly and to let me easily push it across my desk. If you decide to raise it a lot the keyboard becomes much less ergonomic.
-The laptop fits snuggly in the cooler for portability when the fans are removed. The strap is too short though but you can put it around the laptop in the other fashion. (You will know what I mean when you buy it.)
Pictures:
Google Docs
Google Docs
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Ultimate Destruction Notebook Evangelist
Laptop Cooler Guide: Coolermaster Notepal U2
Discussion in 'Gateway and eMachines' started by Ultimate Destruction, Aug 13, 2010.