The link for the post is directed to monoprice.com where I purchased this product labeled as "NB-1600 Xtreme Notebook Cooling Pad". After a tiny amount of research (read: "googling") I found that this product is actually from the Shenzhen Century Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. in, of course, great mother China. Here in the states the common branding is "Just Cooler". The same product can be found on various other websites, including Amazon.com. Prices vary from ~$10 to ~$20. At monoprice it's $9.33 + s&h.
I bought this cooler because I was buying some cables from monoprice and I wanted to make the shipping count. Plus, my archaic laptop has always had heat issues and it was time to cut the poor old lady a break.
My actual review can be brief. Basically, I've had this cooler for a couple months and I've already gotten my $10 worth out of it. The fan is ample size and power to move air. The air is directed out towards the back of the computer instead of downward at the desk like some idiotic coolers.
I'll note here that I've made a slight alteration to the pad since it arrived. I noticed that the rubber bumpers that are used to create a channel for the air to flow underneath the computer weren't quite sufficient so I glued some "feet" onto the top of the pad to open the channel by ~1/2in. This resulted in more airflow instantly, and thus, a more chilly computing experience. I've had the pad running for days on end a couple of times and it hasn't failed me yet. It still cools like the day I busted it out of the blister pack.
To make things more scientific, here are some numbers:
HD Temp. Avg. (30 min. continuous cpu usage):
1) no cooler: 116
2) cooler: 114
Time built-in laptop fans running (30 min. continuous cpu usage):
1) no cooler: 24 minutes
2) cooler: 4 minutes
So yeah, those aren't particularly stunning results or anything, but I can tell you that my old slab of dell has been much happier and more spry with the new cooler on.
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The skinny:
* Pros: cheap, light, easy
* Cons: will probably break soon, doesn't cool lappy by tens of degrees
Make an Assessment:
Overall I would say that this cooler has been worth the $10 I put into it. If there's anything else that you need from monoprice I'd say go for it. Even if the pad doesn't work perfectly with your laptop you'll still have a pretty sweet USB powered $10 drink cooling coaster.
Overall Review Score (I haven't figured out how I want to do this yet):
* Grade: B
* Score: 82%
* If it were a movie: ★★★½
* My Feelings: ☺
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