Laptop Coolers: Reccomend me one

Corvus

So, I have a laptop that I primarily use at home, and when gaming, it can get a little warm. I'd like to get some sort of cooler and/or stand type thing for it to sit on to help with cooling and take the load of its fan.

There seem to be a wide range of things sort of like this:



Then there's Thermaltake's magical blanket thingy:



Or something that looks like abstract art:




So, if you've got one you've used that you either love or hate, I'd like to hear about it. Since I don't lug this thing around much, I'm not totally concerned about portability for a cooling mat.

NovaRev

You could always try what I do: grab a couple of 1"ish thick paperback books or similar items and put them under the two back corners of your laptop to prop it up if you're using it on a desk. This gives my laptop enough clearance for airflow that it runs somewhat cooler and it's more than stable enough. Obviously it's not stylish, but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a specialized product and it's worth a try before you plunk down $20+ on something. I think that, unless your fans have become clogged with dust, they should be able to handle the heat reasonably well without the external fans that you see in some of these products if you just prop the machine up to give it some more airflow.

For using it on a lap, though, I have tried this Belkin Cushtop thing and liked it quite a bit. It's a lot more firm than it looks so your laptop doesn't sink into it and get its intake fans completely blocked like it would on a pillow, and it has a pocket going all the way through it which is nice for keeping odds and ends close at hand. The biggest downside is that it is quite large, although that's not really a problem if you don't plan on lugging your laptop around a lot. Another option is the Lapinator which comes with some user-placeable standoffs for propping your machine up a little bit. Apparently it also comes in a larger version and versions with space for an external mouse if you want to use your machine on a couch and still have room for a mouse.

Cycophant

Corvus wrote: »

I've used this thing for a bit. I bought it when NCIX had a sale on it one day for pretty cheap, not expecting much really.

It's obviously not as good as one of those fan-based coolers, but I find it does work quite well at simply isolating the heat of the laptop from your lap itself, or whatever else it's sitting on. And the state change from solid to liquid as it absorbs the heat is pretty neat, I will admit.

My only complaint is that although the bottom is a suede-like material which stops it from slipping, the top is a vinyl-like material, so my laptop tends to slip around on it at times.

If you're looking for something to improve performance on your laptop or something, I'd look elsewhere. But if the heat is mostly a comfort issue, it works quite well. And it's nice and simple - nothing to break or die.

Corvus

Hmm, yeah, the IXoft looks like it might be a good mobile solution sort of thing, but thats probably it.

This Zalman cooler looks pretty nice, though its a bit pricy. Given that its all aluminum as opposed the the rather cheap looking plastic of that Targus one and some others I've seen, I suppose its justified. I'm going to see if I can find a deal on it in the boxing-week sales.

smallmouth

Cycophant wrote: »

Corvus wrote: »

I've used this thing for a bit. I bought it when NCIX had a sale on it one day for pretty cheap, not expecting much really.

It's obviously not as good as one of those fan-based coolers, but I find it does work quite well at simply isolating the heat of the laptop from your lap itself, or whatever else it's sitting on. And the state change from solid to liquid as it absorbs the heat is pretty neat, I will admit.

My only complaint is that although the bottom is a suede-like material which stops it from slipping, the top is a vinyl-like material, so my laptop tends to slip around on it at times.

If you're looking for something to improve performance on your laptop or something, I'd look elsewhere. But if the heat is mostly a comfort issue, it works quite well. And it's nice and simple - nothing to break or die.

I use the iXoft too. It doesn't cool your laptop as much as distribute the heat and prevent it from concentrating too much. I've been happy with it—my laptop's fan runs cooler when I use it. But after a few hours' use you have to let it rest so the crystals can reform. And like Cycophant said, it's probably doesn't work as well as a fan-based cooler.

theparttime

resurrecting an old thread, but its exactly what i'm asking. just got a laptop and it runs a little hot. i wanna swing by walmart tomorrow and pick something up. i'm interested if anyone has any opinions on the fan coolers.