Page 3 - Testing and Conclusion
I'll be testing the Cooler Master NotePal LapAir with my Lenovo ThinkPad T410 laptop. For those who are curious, here are the specifications:
- Intel Core i7-620M @ 2.66GHz
- 4GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 1066 MHz (7-7-7-20)
- ThinkPad Display 14.1 inch @ 1440x900
- NVIDIA Quadro NVS 3100M
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 x64
Using Prime95, I'll be running in-place large FFTs test with four worker threads, which will ensure my laptop is going to be sweating. The first test will simply be on a wooden desk without the cooler, just to give a reference to how it runs with the Cooler Master NotePal LapAir in our subsequent tests. For the other tests, I'll be running it on my desk with the NotePal LapAir, followed by the LapAir on my laptop. Since the only setting is on or off, I will be running the tests with the NotePal LapAir turned on, haha.
The above graph shows temperature against time at one minute intervals during the Prime95 test. As can be seen from the graph, having the NotePal LapAir on a desk or on my lap made a negligible differences in CPU cooling. While the cooler doesn't prevent the laptop's processor from hitting its maximum temperature, it does delay the inevitable. My Intel Core i7-620M starts at a bit cooler of a temperature compared to being on a wooden surface. Of course, the Cooler Master NotePal NotePal Lapair cools mainly the bottom of the laptop, and not just the processor, so please do keep that in mind as you interpret our graph -- just because there is little difference in the recorded CPU temperature value above, this does not mean the LapAir is not doing its job.
When evaluating the acoustic qualities of the Cooler Master NotePal LapAir, I was glad to find the fan reasonably quieter than the NotePal X-Slim. Other the other hand, it was a bit disappointing that the fan made a slight buzzing noise -- fortunately, the noise is quiet and not irritating. On the APH Networks sound rating scale ranging from 0.0 to 10.0, where 0.0 is completely silent and 10.0 is the loudest acoustically, the cooler came out to at 3.5 in my personal opinion. The fan is a bit louder than the one in my laptop, but certainly doesn't roar above it. This product is marketed as silent, which I don't fully agree with, but I am happy to say the word 'quiet' is a probably reasonable description.
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Overall, the Cooler Master NotePal LapAir isn't as good as a lap dance, but can you really be surprised? The laptop cooler market is is quite a stiffly competed market. The NotePal LapAir proved to be very comfortable while I was using it, and made it significantly more bearable to have my laptop on my lap. Considering I hate putting a laptop on my lap, that is a pretty bold statement. The cooler only worked reasonably well in drawing heat away from the bottom of my laptop, but despite having a relatively small fan, the performance is actually very competitive. Having a bit larger of a size it isn't something I would want to carry around, but to use around the house would certainly not be an issue. Being constructed out a plastic shell means the LapAir is lightweight, but at the same time, it makes it feel slightly flimsy. At the end of the day, I'm actually impressed at how much airflow the little fan can produce, and at the same time, it's also not annoyingly loud. The buzzing noise that comes with the fan is not something to be overly concerned about -- unless you use your laptop in a dead silent room. Carrying a price tag of $29.99 USD at press time, the Cooler Master NotePal LapAir certainly offers good value. In the event you need a cooler to use on your lap, this one will certainly get the job done.
Cooler Master provided this product to APH Network for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.0/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The Cooler Master NotePal LapAir will cool your laptop without discomforting your lap for everyday computing tasks.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look, Usage
3. Testing and Conclusion
