Cooler Master Notebook Cooling Model NotePal U2

Comment:
I've had my NotePal U2 for a shade under 4 months, and so far it's worked very well for me: it's relatively silent, keeps temperatures down, and acts as great protective plate for my notebook when tucked away in my pack.Regarding temperatures, it does a very good job for the price. I have an i7-720QM paired with an ATi/AMD Mobility Radeon HD 5730, which has been BIOS overclocked to 810/1067 (factory is 650/800). I have placed the 2 fans "strategically" such that they blow air directly into the 2 best intake vents on the bottom of my notebook. At idle CPUID HWMonitor shows both my CPU and GPU temperatures between 30-40C (40-50C without cooler); at load while playing games it shows my CPU between 50-60 and my GPU never goes higher than 64C (both ~70C without cooler). (Something to keep in mind: I re-applied my own thermal paste and re-seated the heat sinks in my notebook as soon as I got it. The new thermal paste dropped temperatures by about 5C right off the bat.) Before I used this notebook cooler, it was no surprise that either CPU and GPU were reaching 80C temperatures. Even without the fans, the aluminum frame on its own acts like a passive heat sink fin and helps dissipate the heat some.The fans are pretty quiet: they don't make that annoying whirring, droning sound that some coolers have, but they're not dead silent like some of the higher-end coolers like the Zalmanns. Simply put, the fans do their job without fuss (being loud) and wimping out (being weak).When traveling, the user can remove the fans and use the frame of the cooling pad as a protective shell for your notebook (it feels like it can handle even 17" models, though maybe not some thicker ASUSes, MSIs, Clevos, Sagers, or Alienwares. Thicker laptops should go for the U3 cooler). The frame can handle some pretty rough contact, and I feel that it can handle more should something fall on it, but I wouldn't want to test it.The only 2 gripes that I have are that the fans are not replaceable - should one of them break down, I don't know if the other one will still function due to the wiring - and that you cannot adjust the height. My notebook has a 9-cell battery so it props up the back, causing a very uncomfortable and highly unnatural angle on the keyboard. When on battery (I normally remove the battery for long-term use), I have to prop up the front of the cooling pad with a book to reduce the angle.All in all, this is a very good cooling pad. I would highly recommend it for the frequent traveler and those on a budget. My only wish is that the fans could be sold separately in case one or both included fans break. But for the $30 price tag I do not think you can go for anything better than this.

Comment:
I don't find that this blows a lot of air.. although the fan is adjustable, i couldn't find any temperature improvements.supposedly fits 17", but my 14.1 already fits perfectly. 17" will go over the edges. Feels cheap, but it's not like a NZXT Cryo.

Comment:
I don't know much about notebook temperatures because every computer is different but I know that Powerbooks get pretty hot according to google. According to iStat, I've noticed that without the U2 the temp can get as high as 68 when its working hard - 60ish when just running one app. With the U2 the temp hangs around 54-60. These temp readings are for the CPU (top) - the warmest temp recorded. I have no idea if 6-10 degrees really makes a difference on the inside but all I know is that the outside is cool/warm to the touch rather than blistering hot. I've seen some other products cool as much as 20 degrees but they cost $100+...and as far as I know, notebooks run comfortably at around 60 degrees...again, according to google. All in all, I don't regret the purchase. Even if it didn't cool at all, it makes a wonderful prop and puts the notebook at a good angle. Me likey. The adjustable fans are what sold me in the first place and it really is an awesome feature. Also, the portability is awesome, as it works as a shield. Well worth the $25. The only addition I'd make is a fan that could blow across the top of the Macbook/Powerbook at the base of the screen where the vent is. If there was airflow over that then I'm positive the temp would drop  at least another 5-10 degrees. I tried it with another USB fan and it seemed to help quite a bit - drop ping the temp to an average of 51.