VGA & Other Cooling by stefan @ 2013-10-21
One of the most recent laptop coolers/pads is the NotePal XL which features a redesign compared to the NotePal A200 we have taken a look over previously, is equipped with a larger 230mm fan and for connecting low power devices we have the option of using the integrated 3-port USB fan which is more convenient placed than before.
At first we would like to thank Cooler Master for sending a sample of their NotePal XL Laptop Cooler for testing and reviewing.
"Vision
Enrich the user-experience of mobile devices by incorporating unique innovative design in accessories which increase quality of life.
Mission
Develop accessories constructed out of carbon and / or aluminum for mobile devices inspired by high-tech devices.
Pay-off
Embrace your mobile lifestyle"
Ergonomic design for best viewing / typing angle
NOTEPAL XL is ergonomically design for a better viewing and typing angle, allowing you to work or play on your laptop for prolonged periods without straining your neck, back and wrist. Great at home or in the office
Silent 230mm fan for laptop cooling
The silent 230 mm fan with optimized fan blades provides outstanding performance for laptop cooing.
3 USB adapters + fan controller
The 3 USB adapters allow you to extend your limited USB port from notebook.
Front Vent Assure Maximum Air Output
Front vent provides a smooth breeze keeping your hands cool and dry.
X-shape blue LED fan with optimum air flow
Quiet yet powerful 230 mm fan with neon a blue LED helps circulate excess heat from your laptop. Adjustable fan speed gives you the best balance between silence and performance.
In this article we will look upon another laptop cooler from Cooler Master which was recently launched, the Notepal XL. This one is shipped in a cardboard box with a larger footprint than the product itself and on the top side we will find a photo of the fan in operation:
The back side of the box contains some detailed shots of the cooler, along with the technical specifications:
Let’s open up the box to check out the inside contents; the product is held fixed with one cardboard piece at each side and on top of it we will find the documentation:
The small leaflet gives us more details regarding the laptop cooler:
The supplied USB 2.0 cable will power up the embedded fan, but will also provide functionality to the USB hub:
While the previous Notepal A200 cooler had dual fans, the Notepal XL comes with a single 230mm which is more silent and has a rotational speed between 600 and 1000RPM. The top side of the cooler is covered by a black metallic mesh which holds the Cooler Master logo in the middle:
The frontal ventilation area is meant to bring a smooth cool breeze to our hands:
The laterals of the cooler sport a futuristic design and are ideal when transporting the laptop from one place to another:
A secondary ventilation grill is to be found in the back:
On the left side of the cooler we will find the Power On/Off button, the fan controller dial and two USB power connectors:
The right side has the 3-port USB hub integrated:
Next we can take a look at the bottom side of the cooler, where we can see the central fan ventilation area:
Besides the feet which raise the cooler at an angle for optimal typing/viewing angle, the product is also equipped with some smaller linear rubber feet:
After connecting the cooler to our laptop, we will observe that the blue LED lights are kept on even when the fan is not operating:
For testing the cooler, we have used the ACER E1-531 laptop, which features a Pentium B960 CPU, 4GB of preinstalled RAM and the original 500GB drive was replaced with a OWC Mercury Extreme 120GB SSD. The laptop was first used one hour for office work and watching some movie clips and afterwards we have left it sit in IDLE for about 30 minutes. For heating up the internal components we have used the AIDA64 Stress Testing module and for monitoring, we have downloaded the latest version of HWiNFO64. The testing was conducted in 3 modes, each which had 30 minutes of IDLE time for cooling down.
During the time of testing, the temperature inside the room was kept at a steady 19.5 degrees Celsius.
We see the NotePal XL as an improvement over the A200 which we have tested previously since it comes with a single, larger fan which moves a lot of air without creating a lot of noise, redesigned ventilation path and also an extra USB port for connecting even more low-power devices to it. The USB hub is still 2.0 which may become a limitation when transferring data from high-speed USB 3.0 flash drives.
The cooler can be also placed at an angle for an optimal typing and viewing position and the laterals are designed in such a way so the laptop can be moved with ease from one place to another.
As with the A200, the fan speed can be customized on our liking and the fan efficiency is also dictated by the internal layout and the design of the laptop bottom cover; as we would expect, the biggest temperature impact will have laptops which have larger ventilation holes under their own cooling fans.
The Notepal XL cooling pad can be found online for about 24 Euros.
I would like to thank again to Cooler Master for making this review possible!