Decided on a Sager NP8170, is a laptop cooler worth it?

Hi folks so just finalized the order for my NP8170:

Intel Core i7-2670QM 2.2Ghz
8GB RAM
500GB 7200RPM HDD
AMD Radeon HD 6990M
DVD Combo Drive

For right now I am wondering if investing in a laptop cooler makes sense. I have seen a lot of claims back and forth, but I am wondering if owners of this laptop have any real results in terms of dropping their temps.

No matter what I plan to raise the laptop off my desk with some type of stand, I'm just wondering if one from Coolermaster or Zalman would help. I am most worried about the air flow on the bottom, ensuring the fan intakes are either totally clear and raised off the desk or have air being funnelled into them.

I plan to not use the keyboard or touch pad on the laptop most of the time, this will be a desktop replacement, so I will be using a Saitek keyboard any my trusty Razor DeathAdder mouse. In that sense ergonomics really wont matter all that much.

I still plan to move it around from time to time, but that will be when I am programming or browsing the web, so temps should be a lot less.

Just wondering if any of you could chime in on the topic. Thanks.

 

I personally don't think laptop coolers are really worth it. Considering your laptop will be stationary for the times you plan to stress it, the best thing to do would be to prop it up so the vents aren't blocked and there is good air flow. Make sure the laptop is clean from the inside and nothing is blocking the vents and you can always do a repaste if you find your temps being upwards of 90c. Laptops from some companies have a horrendous paste job.

 

Not really. The P170HM (Sager P8170) stays incredible cool all the time. You could have added the IC Diamond (which isn't needed as well but I would prefer it much more over a laptop cooler).

You can check our reviews for the temps (e.g. mine: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...qm-3-5ghz-8gb-ram-gtx-560m-intel-510-ssd.html ).

 

I would wait to get one until you find out you actually need one. For most people, it's not the cooling that they need in the cooling pad, but rather just a hard surface to use when not at their desk. The temperatures in your machine will most be affected by thermal compound choice, whether or not you use it on a hard surface, and if you keep the back raised. The cooling fan won't make much of a difference if you do that much already.

 

I'd say it all depends on what you run in your system. If you plan to use it under heavy load over extended periods of time I'd suggest a cooler. It will help increase the air flow which keeps your components cooler, extending the life of your computer components.

Also not all coolers are great, check reviews before you buy.. a lot of crap out there being sold that hardly pushes any air.

The 8170/P170HM has a very solid cooling system so if you want to skip on it then go ahead. As others stated, replacing stock thermal paste with ICD7 will also improve the temperatures by a few degrees.

I have the cf-19 from coolermaster, I bought it before I purchased the P170HM. First I used it on a Gateway P-6831 FX and ran furmark on it to test the GPU... the cooler helped temperatures drop by 20 degrees Celsius.

Details here. Read the last 2 posts.

Now I use it on the Clevo machine and the computer is cool to the touch! No more messy, sticky sweat all over the laptop!

 

I've read that cooler can help and lower about ~5c. YMMV but I honestly don't think it's worth the price unless you push the machine like others have said.

 

Well, I decided to get a cooler. I need the laptop to be raised up anyways for better posture, found the Coolermaster NotePal U3 for $26 on amazon free shipping. Strangely price just jumped to $28. But what I like about this model is that it has 3 80MM fans that can be moved anywhere on the cooler, so I can align the fan right with the vents. And the aluminum is going to be much better for heat dissipation than a hard surface, so even if I don't use the fans it should still help a bit. I can post later if my temps go down. Thanks for the replies so far.

 

^^^^If you are one that always plays for long periods of time it is still a good idea to get a cooler for your laptop to sit on. imo.

That is for hours at a time gaming..
_

 

Or you can try what i did, no need for a cooling pad :]