I have an Alienware M11x R2 that I use for a lot of fairly intense games. For anyone not familiar, this is an 11 inch laptop with the ability to play fairly good games. As a side effect, it can run very hot, and it doesn't have great ventilation. To exasperate the issue, I overclock both the processor and GPU consistently.
When my GPU temperature hits about 80C my framerate plummets as me computer cuts down the voltage to the GPU to protect itself. Therefore, to keep my computer running well, I want to stay away from this temperature.
I had tried to just set the computer on different things to keep it cool--surprisingly setting it on top of a small pot proved to work quite well actually, but it wasn't convenient for using on my lap--but I decided to finally buy something to do the job for me. I looked at a lot of different options, but this is the only one I have tried so I can't speak for or against other products.
For me, this is excellent. I'll start with my minor complaints. My laptop doesnt have the little pads to keep it from sliding around, so at too steep an angle it will just slide down. As I use it on my lap this is not a big deal, and at the angle formed when it is on a desk I doubt it would be a problem, but the surface is a metallic screen that is not sticky in any way.
In addition, since it is a fan blowing air up from the bottom, its effectiveness decreases if you block the airflow. This means that if I am in my sleeping bag, and place the pad flat on my lap, the cooling will be less effective, and I will have to resituate after half an hour or so to allow more air in to cool it back down.
Now to the good stuff. The pad feels sturdy, but also very light. The controls are simple, and it only adds one cord, which wraps around from the back of the pad to wherever the USB port is on your computer. It is absolutely a plug it in and forget device. There are no drivers, adjustments or anything else.
While in operation, the pad is quite quiet, even at the highest fan setting, which I use very often. At this setting, the cooling is terrific. The metallic screen surface does a great job of conducting heat across the entire surface so it doesn't get too hot in any one place, allowing it to constantly siphon the heat away from your computer, which is precisely what you want. In addition, since the fan is large, and the surface is big enough for a laptop much larger than my own (it has probably an inch and a half of free space in every direction) it cools down the entire surface efficiently.
For me, I am able to run my computer on full overclocking (beyond bios settings) indefinitely without overheating if I am leaving an area for air to come through the bottom. The temperature caps at about 68-70C which is a tremendous improvement.
One other thing I was concerned about when I was shopping other brands and products was where the cooling would be delivered to. The most effective zone is the middle, but my computer has its only v ventilation in the back left of the base. This has not been an issue for me. I purchased the large sized pad so that if necessary I could move the laptop around on it to optimize the cooling for my specific rig. This has not been necessary and I presume that the cooling is adequate across most of the surface, however I can't speak to its effectiveness when dealing with a larger hot laptop with cooling far from the center.
Finally, I am very happy with the comfort of it. I was concerned that it wouldn't work well sitting on my lap,a nd that it might dig into my legs or something. This has absolutely been a non issue. As I mentioned it is extremely light, and the bottom is flat without the little legs flipped out (like a keyboard).
I hope this has offered some insight as to whether or not this is the right product for you. I have had it for about a month and i am very happy with my purchase.
| Standing screen display size | 12 Inches |
|---|
