Page 2 - A Closer Look, Usage
When you hear a name like X-Slim, you can pretty much sum up the design from that alone. The shape of the cooler is sort of like an X that has been run over by a car and flattened out. No, I did not say I wanted to run over my ex; what were you thinking? The name boasts that it is slim, but I'm going to be pretty up front here. It is kind of slim at an inch thick, but at the same time, it's not very slim either. I have used a few laptop coolers before, and I will say an inch is pretty thin, but it really doesn't really appear that way for some reason. On the positive side, I still think it looks pretty good. The entire Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim is black, which I think works quite nicely with my Lenovo ThinkPad T410 laptop, which happens to be the exact same color. I have a feeling they had some top secret meeting late into the night to plan this intentionally, haha. However, the more probable answer is it just happens to be coincidence, because black is just too common of a color. Typically, you find rubber pads on the top of a cooler to elevate the laptop, and provide some traction in the meantime. Just like how wind blows up a girl's dress, it ensures good airflow underneath the laptop. (You really shouldn't be looking there all the time. – Editor 1) (Ugh, not another one of your skirt similes. - Editor 2) The X-Slim decided to be different and use the metal mesh over the entire top surface with a few depressions near the center. This creates a gap between the laptop and the X-Slim for even better airflow. It is an interesting design, and some good innovation ideas from Cooler Master. This design means it can accommodate small laptops, but will also quite handle monstrous 17 inch laptops nicely.
The top mesh is held down to the rest of the cooler via six metal extensions. These extensions fold down around the plastic edge with additional clips all along the edge of the mesh. If you decide to change the fan out, it would be a relatively uncomplicated task, but will involve some effort. It is not like you will ever really need to open it, so I don't see that as a big deal. At less than two pounds, the NotePal X-Slim is quite lightweight, which pretty much means it is designed with portability in mind. The size being 380 x 270 x 27.5-46.0 mm makes it compact, but certainly not tiny. It is almost too big to carry around, but if you have a 17 inch laptop, this cooler will seem like nothing.
The left side of the Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim is far from epic. This is where the USB power cable is set up by the manufacturer, with two wire hooks positioned for easy cable management during transport. This side, as well as the other side, has vents in them for ensuring good ventilation in providing more ways of getting the hot air out, and cool air in. The X-Slim is also very slim on features, because it has no fan speed control switches at all. This cooler is truly the definition of plug 'n' play. The USB connector has a port extender, which is a wonderful feature, since there are some laptops that only have two USB ports. However, here is the part that gets to me: The power consumption of the NotePal X-Slim itself is stated to be 380 mA, which leaves only 120 mA for anything else you plug into the extender. It is a good thing that non-powered devices like printers will still work, but if you have a gaming mouse or high end flash drive, then it won't be very useful.
On the right side, you can also see two wire hooks, in case you happen to have a laptop that would have a wiring job done on the left side. The Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim provides cable management on the underside as well, to allow it to be connected to either the left or right side of your computer. This is a handy little feature, I might add -- as it means you have the flexibility to plug it in to wherever it suites your laptop, and keep it securely attached as well as hidden from view. The lack of USB ports on the cooler itself is both a good and bad thing. Since the USB cable does come with an extender, it is almost as if the cooler doesn't take up a USB slot; however, many coolers come with at least two additional USB ports, making the cooler act almost as if it were a USB hub. On the other hand, considering the design goal was to be lightweight and slim, just having an extender is acceptable; not to mention the X-Slim is only about $20 at press time. The part that gets to me is the only way to turn off the cooler is to unplug it from the laptop, and regardless of how lightweight you are trying to make the cooler, this is just a downright annoyance. Any device that uses power should come with a switch -- you wouldn't build a computer that can only be turned off by pulling the plug, so why should a notebook cooler be any different? This wasn’t the best design choice, as anything being plugged into the USB extender must also be removed and reattached to your laptop when you want to turn off the NotePal X-Slim.
The underside is very well made in my opinion, as you would think that the plastic underside would be weak, but I have taken a look at the thickness of the plastic. The X-Slim isn't some cheap plastic cup from the dollar store -- it is meant to last. All the sides provide ventilation, as well as a unique spiral-like vent for the fan on the bottom. I am not a big fan of this kind of grille, since it restricts airflow. There are four rubber feet on the bottom side to not only prevent sliding, but lifts the cooler up to make sure the fan doesn't get smothered by something dangerous, like your you-know-what. (I am talking about your fluffy pillow. What were you thinking?) The 160mm fan is clearly visible from this side; whenever I look at the fan, I keep thinking why they didn't simply use a 180mm fan instead. They certainly gave the cooler enough room inside to accommodate for a larger, more powerful model; however, the choice to use plastic supports for the middle of the mesh forced them to cut down on the size of the fan.
The bottom has two main features; both sides of the back have a slot to securely hold the USB power plug. It snaps into place, but just enough so that when you pull on the cable, it lifts right out without putting any strain on the cable. If you loop the cable around both wire hooks and push the USB connector in, the whole cable stays right in place, making it perfect for traveling around with. The back side of the bottom has two additional risers that can rotate out to lift the back end of the cooler. The risers have a small spring to them, which ensures they do not flop around like a wet noodle, and has rubber feet along the length of the risers. With an easily accessible gap, the risers can be adjusted without any hassle. This part was well designed, and I am very impressed with the thought that went into this particular part.
I couldn't help my curiosity but to peek inside of the Cooler Master NotePal X-Slim. The metal mesh does take a little bit of work to get it off, as it was designed not to be easily removed. Once inside, I found a new feature: The fan cable on the inside is attached in a way that you can tighten or loosen it to match the needs of your laptop. It something not exactly advertised, but a subtle and unanticipated feature. The fan has wavy blades that are slightly different than what I normally encounter. This design is likely implemented to improve the aerodynamics of the fan, and increase its airflow to speed ratio. Looking at the fan while rotating, I noticed a moderate wobble, which is simply a clear sign of an inadequate design. After inspection of the metal mesh, I have come to the conclusion that it isn't overly durable. Due to the property of it being somewhat flexible, it can quite easily bend with enough force. Cooler Master tried to reduce this property with four plastic supports around the fan, but unfortunately it doesn't fully eliminate it. Mind you, the ability to cause minor warping of the mesh isn't something that I will knock down a product for; it is merely a side-effect of the material that was chosen.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look, Usage
3. Testing and Conclusion
