Which laptop cooler for T61P 14.1" ???

Hi to all,

i have been searching around the market for best notebook cooler for thinkpad t61p 14.1" SXGA+ model.

I came across zalman which alot of user recommended but still there are many brand and model out there like coolermaster, thermaltake etc.

As i not sure the architecture of t61p fan vent/inlet , so i cant really decide which cooler to get, something like blow air up or suck air down.

Can any thinkpad pros here give ur idea and decide one for me pls..

Thanks for valuable time.

 

Is your laptop overheating or something? Or is this for when you receive the laptop?

If it's the first, then I recommend reading this guide: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=60914

If it's the latter, then I recommend that you test out the notebook first because the cooling system/architecture of the ThinkPad is very well constructed. The only time it gets a hot (and that's only at the vents) is when you do CPU intensive activities such as gaming.

 

hi there, i got my unit this morning, will do some gaming with this comp tho so need a cooler ready. I just read the thread you mentioned above and decided to go for a cooler.

My question is,

is t61p 14.1" draw air from the side vent? can i use zalman cooler which blow air up to effectively cool down the notebook ?

any help would be very much appreciated.

 

All I know is that the only heat that airs out from the notebook is from the top left vents. Other than that, there's no other areas that forces air out.

 

Thanks !! i will go for zalman in this case.. not sure how passive cooler workout tho... anyone??

 

i have an antec cooler that i NEVER use...the thinkpad does an excellent job of cooling

 

Zalman is pretty good. I don't think passive coller is that good tho.

BTW, the other posters are correct about the cooling capability of
the Thinkpads without the cooler. I rarely hear anything out of the
R61i as well.

 

I recently did an informal testing borrowing a friend's Zalman cooler and tested it against a passive cooler (thermaltake IXoft). Seems performance is about the same ( about -4C max drop ) with either cooler. The somewhat low performance from either cooler is one indication of how efficient the Thinkpad's cooling system is.

Those results tell me that a cooling pad isn't really neccessary and for those who opt to go without one have good reason not to.

I decided an active cooling system isn't worth the performance. If I were to use a cooling pad it will have to be something with the least fuss and a passive one seems to fit the bill.

Pros and cons of passive pads.
Advantages: Its silent, doesn't draw power, saves a usb slot plus it's portable.
Disadvantages: Heat builds up on the pad after extended use which limits its effectiveness after some time. Not ideal for notebooks that have vents at the bottom.

Some points I considered when choosing a cooler for my T61p:
1. The only area that gets hot is the back left area next to the exhaust vents. The other areas are only slightly warm.
2. The exhaust and main intake are on the sides. One main reason why an active cooling pad might not be as efficient as it ought to be.
3. There appear to be tiny holes at the bottom ( aside from the drainage holes ) that might be for additional ventilation and/or intake.

With that in mind, I placed my pad in such a way that it only covers the back half instead of the entire bottom of the Thinkpad. The reasons for doing that are twofold:

1.To avoid blocking the holes and possibly restricting airflow.
2. During prolonged usage esp. heavy gaming, the bottom of the pad next to the exhaust does build up in heat. Its great as a heatsink but not so good at dissipation. That's when I'd rotate the pad so the cooler area of the pad that was previously unexposed to heat gets under direct contact with the hot corner of the Thinkpad while the hot part of the pad cools down.

I agree with the general consensus that the Thinkpad cooling system performs admirably on its own so much so that a cooling pad might well be unnecessary. If you have a 140M card a cooling pad is arguably overkill.

And 4C doesn't seem like much-but it doesn't hurt and may help prolong the life of your notebook in the long run esp if you game on it.

 

wow, that's a nice review, thanks.

I been looking at this thermaltake passive cooler, which i think suit the best.

http://www.thermaltake.com/product/Cooler/NBcooling/R14AN01/R14AN01.asp

 

I would go for a cooler if you are doing gaming. Newegg has a few on sale, you should take a look

 

Great !! I am still looking at one best fit for my t61p

 

do you need a cooler for T61p for real ??? .. cause my T61 with nVidia stays cool all the times. Only the HDD builds up a little heat, but far less than my HP notebook

 

i have an antec cooler that is getting no use!! stupid lenovo for making such a good cooling system

 

I noticed a lot of you aren't using the antec cooler. Dell has a deal today, $20 including shipping and I'm thinking of getting it.

Right now I use a rectangular textbook just so that notebook is not flush on the desk. I don't really need a cooler, but a cooler laptop won't hurt and will probably look better on the desk.

 

Hm... still not too sure if i need one to be honest... Just think it make no harm to use one.. What you guys think??

 

I ordered one today cause it's less than $7 after the rebate. I don't think it'll hurt and I don't think it uses a USB port cause you can connect something on top of it.

 

well i've had one for over 3 mo now and used it only once...you just don't need it for a thinkpad...(keep in mind, i dont have the p version)

 

I used this (link) cooler in the desert and it worked exceptionally well. I cant give you any degree changes but I can tell you that the top fins were usually warm, which meant that the heat did transfer through the pipes and up to the fins. Its light, looks clean and at minimum elevates the laptop on soft surfaces. I tried many powered coolers and most ended up being junk, sucking up USB power and most had noisy fans. just my .02

Nexus Heat Pipe Cooler

 

Yeah, I know I don't really need one, but I think it will help the CPU whine that I hear that I've been all over htis board complaining about I rather hear fans spinning than a high pitch sound.

 

i ended up getting zalman nc1000, works perfect !! Highly recommend

 

Have you done tests? I'd be fascinated to learn what temperature changes you get on the CPU and GPU at load and on idle.

 

I done the test somewhile ago. Drop about 5 degree celcius, in hard drive, cpu

 

Thanks for this.