Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: notebook, cooler, pads | Themes: Business Notebooks
9. Conclusion
If your notebook gets hot too easily, then you should consider buying one of these products.
The Coolermaster Coolpad is more efficient in terms of heat dissipation and battery saving. The big aluminum platform sinks heat from the bottom of the notepad, while two fans blow away the hot air, thus cooling down the unit.
In our insane test, the CM Coolpad helped our supercharged Acer Ferrari 3400 to stay alive for more than two hours in extreme conditions, while with the Vantec it lasted less than an hour.
The Coolpad's noise is almost unnoticeable, and you will have a more comfortable experience using your notebook, since the internal cooler will run at high speed less often. However, this unit is heavy, bulky and not so easy to transport. This "fashion accessory" for your office or home will set you back $40.
These pads are not suited for wide screen 15" notebooks
The Vantec Lapcool 2 is not bad at all. It has valuable features, like the useful 4 port USB 2 replicator (LPC 305 version) and the two compartments for safely storing cables and other little knick-knacks. The fan speed is adjustable, so you can set it according to your needs - but be warned, at maximum speed the noise level is high.
The cooling performance of this unit is inferior to the Coolpad, due to the material used - plastic cannot keep up with aluminum in terms of heat dissipation. However, the Lapcool 2 is more compact and easier to transport, fitting even in the smallest laptop bag. Remember though that to perform well, it must be placed on a flat surface.
Our final conclusion, however, is the same as it was when we started: if you can, buy a well-designed notebook!
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Here is my situation, I like to lay in bed at night and surf and play games. I have an Acer Aspire 5100 (which I think is a well designed laptop). I noticed a tiny spot on the top panel by the space bar, just above the power supply where the plastic had actually softened and began to melt a little. Yikes!!! Obviously it was from setting the laptop on the covers and blocking the air intakes. I think my solution will be to buy both the aluminum model for home use and the thin plastic model to carry in my bag. I also have fabricated a very thin an lightweight 1/8" piece of birch wood to set the cooling pads on. This should solve it. Now I just gotta go look around and find them and buy them.
Birch wood?
who are you grisley adams?