{mosjrheader R9-NBC-4WAK-GP|Laptop Cooler|}

Cooler Master NotePal X2 Review

Learning from the past has allowed Cooler Master to improve upon an already successful design. The NotePal X2 is a next generation cooler modeled after the NotePal X1. Like the X1 this new model (R9-NBC-4WAK-GP) uses a unique body shape and a large central fan as the heart of its design. In addition to looking stylish the 'X' shape of the cooler actually contributes to cooling performance. In this review Benchmark Reviews analyzes the performance of the NotePal X2 as well as the role played the unique body composition.

The NotePal X1 was literally shaped like an 'X' while the NotePal X2 is more 'H' shaped. But why such radical designs? At first I figured it was simply to look different than the competition. But as I tested the cooler I realized that the shape might have been purposely designed to enhance the cooling performance. Most laptops have heat generating components in the back and non heat generating components in the front. As such the laptop cooling systems are usually located in one of the back corners. Flowing air always follows the path of least resistance, so when you apply air to the back middle of the laptop most of the air will go to the nearest edges of the laptop. As a result the air circumvents the corners where cooling is most critical.

Cooler Master has either intentionally or inadvertently produced a design which combats this effect. Air can flow easily inside the body of the cooler until it reaches the edges where the body of the laptop creates pinch points. The 'X' shape creates large, low resistance paths to the corners of the laptop and tight high-resistance paths to the near edges of the laptop. In theory this should entice more air to flow to the corners producing better cooling uniformity. The X2 departs slightly from the X1 by allowing more air to reach the entire rear side of the laptop easier than the front.

About Cooler Master

Cooler Master was founded with the mission of providing the industry's best thermal solutions. Since its establishment a decade ago, the company has remained faithful to this mission, emerging as a world leader in products and services for companies dealing with devices where heat issues must be resolved.

In pursuing this mission, Cooler Master is absolutely committed to delivering solutions that precisely meet customer requirements for features, performance, and quality. Moreover, we strive to be a reliable long-term partner for our customers that they can truly depend on. Cooler Master aims to be the first and foremost name that comes to mind for companies around the world seeking thermal solutions, and seeks to build such a reputation through outstanding technology, sophisticated design, and superior service.

Cooler Master's current business encompasses a comprehensive lineup of thermal solutions for a full range of applications. Our products range from heat sinks and fans to component housing, chassis, and ducting for computers, industrial machinery, telecommunications equipment, and many other devices.

Laptop Cooler Features

• Ergonomic Design: Two different height settings for improved comfort.
• Specially designed bottom intake and thermally enhanced metal mesh allow for fast and efficient dissipation.
• Optimal Airflow: Built-in silent 140mm fan placed in strategic location creates optimal airflow for comprehensive cooling.
• Accommodates up to 17" notebooks.
• Fan speed control.
• Blue LED shines through the center mesh when notebook cooler is powered on.

NotePal X2 Specifications

Closer Look: Laptop Cooler

As with previous coolers the NotePal X2 came in a box with a handle. The front side is plain but shows the laptop size recommended for use with the cooler.

While the front was fairly typical if plain, the backside is what caught my attention.

There are several pictures showing how the cooler should work, a table of features and specifications, and a benchmark graph showing degrees of cooling for the CPU, memory and HDD in an ASUS S1300N laptop. This kind of information is usually not provided by the company, and the demonstrated performance and is a great selling point.

Cooler Master payed attention to the materials used in constructing the primary surfaces of the cooler. It seems everything on the laptop has some level of functionality. The metal grating on the top does more than just allow air to slip through. It was designed thin to act like a radiator fin and conduct heat to the edges where it can be cooled.

The bottom side shows the fan intake points. There are a few on the front, but most are contained on the bottom and back where the air will be cooler.

Compared to other coolers reviewed the profile of the NotePal X2 was very small. I could store this thing in places that other coolers would not fit. It also made it much easier to stow in a bag for mobility.

Here is a shot of the back showing the large intakes as well as the controls. Compared to the X1 this intake seems like it should allow more air flow with less resistance.

NotePal X2 Detailed Features

All the controls are drawn into the back right corner. For my small memory I'm glad that they put the RPM adjustment knob on the side rather than smashing it in the back with the rest of the controls.

I found that the fan was quiet enough on high that I never used the RPM dial. I suppose if you use the laptop in a super-quiet library study that you may use the RPM knob. There are also two USB ports, of which one is used to power the cooler.

The requisite USB cable is provided to power the NotePal X2. The cable was good quality and adequate length.

Similar to a keyboard the X2 has two plastic feet in the back that flip out to change the working angle of the cooler. I find this absolutely necessary on a keyboard, and occasionally helpful when using the notebook cooler. This cooler has the best traction of any of the coolers I tested. The large rubber feet provided excellent traction. I often avoided using the angle adjustment feet because they do not provide the same traction as the rubber feet.

The NotePal X2 uses a 140mm fan which is an upgrade from the 120mm fan used in the NotePal X1. This fan has 11 curved blades providing large volumes of quiet air flow.

The LED lighting was more subdued than other notebook coolers, but the effect was much more apparent even in good lighting.

Testing & Results

Testing Methodology

Power Consumption: To measure the power drawn by the laptop cooler the laptop was booted allowed to idle until CPU usage remained steady. Once a steady state was obtained the current, wattage and apparent power were measured using a Kill-A-Watt Model P4400. The fan was then plugged into the USB port and the fan and LEDs initiated. Once the system again reached a steady operating state additional readings were taken. The difference is due to the power drawn by the fan and lights.

Cooling Effectiveness: Similar to the current readings above, the laptop was turned on and allowed to reach a steady temperature without the laptop cooler. Internal temperature readings of the hard drive and both CPU cores were taken using SpeedFan. Surface temperatures were taken using an Exetech 42505 IR thermometer. The laptop cooler was then attached and run for 5 minutes. Internal and external temperatures were again recorded.

Test System

• Motherboard: Toshiba Satellite P105
• System Memory: 1014 MB RAM Samsung 266 MHz DDR2
• Processor: Intel Centrino Duo T2050 @ 1.60 GHz
• Video: NVidiaGeForce Go 7900 GS
• Disk Drive 1: 100GB Hitachi ATA SATA
• Optical Drive: LG Electronics ATAPI DVD
• Operating System: Windows XP SP3

Results

Since the specifications and features did not tout efficient operating power the measurements were taken strictly for comparison purposes. Despite this mindset the NotePalX2 was among the lowest consumers of power at around one watt. The table below shows the power draw of the notebook with and without the notebook cooler.

In this test the ambient temperature was higher than other tests for other notebook coolers reviewed by the site. The higer temperature means a lower temperature difference and thus a lower cooling rate. The temperature difference between components and the ambient air was higher than the benchmark listed on the back of the box, so we should expect better results than listed on the box. However, the laptop listed on the box is only 11" wide compared to my 15" Toshiba. Based on intuition I expected the results to be very close to or slightly less than the benchmark listed on the box. Actual results are listed in the table below.

The graph on the box shows CPU going from 40°C to 33°C, memory going from 52°C to 35°C and HDD going from 34°C to 31°C. My measurements showed lower performance than I expected. The difference between my numbers and the ones listed on the box can be explained by differences in test conditions and products. However the NotePal X2 did not produce performance comparable to the high performance notebook coolers previously reviewed on the site. This is probably because the NotePal X2 was designed for smaller laptops even if it can be used for larger laptops.

The thermal maps above are the final comparison for cooling performance. The image on the left shows external temperatures before using the NotePal X2 and the image on the right shows temperatures after enabling the cooler. There is not much difference before and after applying the laptop cooler. There was a small, uniform reduction across the entire laptop.

Laptop Cooler Final Thoughts

The unique design of the NotePal X2 certainly altered the air flow patterns I experienced with other laptop coolers. While using the cooler I noticed large amounts of air flowing from the sides of the laptop. I believe the 'H' shape is the cause of this unusual flow-rate. I think the NotePalX2 is exceptionally easy to transport. The profile is sleek without any protuberances making it easy to stuff in a bag, or sling along. With this in mind I also appreciated having a detachable USB cable. This is the one point likely to receive the most wear and tear. If the cable wears out it can simply be replaced.

As for the thin metal mesh on the front, there was no noticeablecontribution to cooling. My laptop has feet that raise the bottom surface up from the metal grate, and the temperatures involved aren't hot enough for radiation heat transfer to be a significant contributor to cooling. Perhaps a laptop without feet will experience measurable benefit.

NotePal X2 Conclusion

The degrees of cooling obtained in five minutes was lower than high performance notebook coolers. This could have been predicted by the physical size of the cooler, the diameter of the fan, and the data listed on the box. The box recommends for use with laptops up to 15", and the benchmarks numbers listed on the back are recorded using an 11" laptop. External temperature measurements show a more uniform amount of cooling across the laptop compared to other coolers.

A unique shape will probably result in mixed feelings about the product look. The metal grating across the entire surface allow the LED glow to have more impact and makes the cooler more noticeable despite the subdued brightness of the LEDs. The black on black color scheme is plain but will certainly pair well with any laptop.

The quality of construction on this unit is a mixed bag. The materials make for an extremely light unit at the expense of durability. The metal mesh on the front is thin and could be dented with even a small but sharp force. Likewise, the plastic used for the body is fairly soft and rigid. It would take a larger force to the case will result in cracking. On the other hand, the sleek shape will help this cooler avoid many scrapes, catches and blows.

The fan can be toggled on and off and the RPMs are adjustable from 700 to 1400 RPM. Most notebook coolers have only one or two fan speeds, but this one has an adjustable range. The LED is nice for flare, but it cannot be turned off. There is an extra USB port on the back which can be utilized without worry due to the low power consumption of the fan.

The performance and features put the NotePal X2 among the lower to mid range of active notebook coolers. You can find the NotePal X2 for $24.99 at NewEgg.com which puts it at the mid to low range for all notebook coolers both passive and active. As such it contains good value for the performance. The Benchmark Reviews price comparison tool can be used to find the NotePal X2 at other retailers.

The NotePal X2 has best value for those who need an active cooler to travel, or those with smaller notebooks. The performance is decent considering the size of the central fan and the design of the case.

Pros:

+ Sleek design.
+ Adjustable RPM Dial
+ Uniform cooling
+ Small
+ Light
+ Low power consumption

Cons:

- Low flow rate
- Small
- Susceptible to damage

Ratings:

• Performance: 7.75
• Appearance: 7.50
• Construction: 7.00
• Functionality: 7.25
• Value: 8.00

Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

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