Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler
by Antec
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List Price: Our Price: $16.99 You Save: $27.00 (61%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $14.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler
Customer Review: Works to Perfection!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I want to preface by saying that my Toshiba L-305 is a problem computer. Specifically, it has overheating issues. I have two family members (including myself) who have one, and on both laptops, the fan is nearly always running, and the bottom is extremely hot. The wrist rests on the top even get very warm. On a whim, I decided to put a meat thermometer beneath the laptop just to see what kingdof heat the laptop was registering. Well, after simply starting the computer and running it for 10 minutes, it was at 80 degrees. At it's worst (with a few hours of computing running multiple apps, etc, it got up to 120 to 140 degrees. So when the Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler arrived I was excited to give it a go and see what it could do to cool down my notoriously hot-running laptop. I'm pleased to say that it blew all expectations out of the water. As a test, I started my computer up and worked on it until it hit 100 degrees. I then powered up the Antec cooler and within about 5-8 minutes, it dropped the temp from 100 down to about 80 degrees (it's normal startup temperature). I've been working now on it for the last four hours and it seems to have hit it's equilibrium which is a very "cool" 72 degrees. So basically, we're talking about a drop in temperature between 50 to 68 degrees from normal computing temperatures, and it's been holding that 72 degrees for hours now.
I couldn't be more pleased, and that's coming from an owner of a very hot running laptop. The temperatures would also make my computer turn off (ostensibly to save the motherboard from frying in a self-preservation type of action). If it can do wonders on my computer, I'm guaranteeing that you will be pleased with the purchase of this product. I think I bought mine for around $25, but I see it's now at $18.99 on amazon. A true, true bargain for what it does. With the problems I've had with my laptop, and now knowing what this Antec can do, I think I would have had no problem paying $50 for this truly marvelous wonder of technology.
Customer Review: Better Than the Rest! (Based on My Tests)
Summary: 5 Stars
Most of laptop cooler/chill pads are made of PLASTIC and use fans that blow air TOWARDS the laptop. What impresses me about this product is that the cooling surface is made of ALUMINUM (just like the aluminum casing used to keep portable hard drives cool) and its fans PULL/SUCK HOT AIR AWAY from underneath the laptop. This method of REMOVING hot air is superior to blowing room temperature air at the laptop (it's also the same mechanism used by laptop/desktop internal fans).
MY TESTS: I compared the latest Targus high-speed chill mat (Model PA248U) to this one. After running the laptop for one hour on each, I noticed the surface of the laptop (keyboard, palm rest, touch pad, etc.) was the same in both cases (very cool). But there was a noticeable difference on left side of my laptop (where my Dell's internal fan exhausts warm air). With the Targus, there was noticeable amounts of warm air being exhausted by the laptop's internal fan. With the Antec, there was much less warm air being exhausted than the Targus. So the Antec does a superior job cooling the laptop since the laptop's internal fan was exhausting less hot air.
MINOR DETAILS: The Antec allows you to control the speed of the fan (high or low) while the Targus is fixed, presumably at high (and is rather noisy). The Targus does have a simple push on/off switch; the Antec does not (you have to unplug it for off). The Antec's USB cord is pass-through meaning Antec will NOT take us one USB slot (the Targus did not have this feature). The Antec has a very strong Blue LED light to indicate it is on (it could be helpful as an on/off indicator, but it is very annoying in low-light condition because it is very bright).
BOTTOM LINE: Because the cooling surface is made of aluminum and because the fans work to draw hot air away from the laptop (much like your laptop's internal fan), Antec is a superior product. Also, my simple tests showed that the laptop was cooler using Antec.
Customer Review: COOLEST COOLER EVER *UPDATE-FINDING REPLACEMENT USB CORD
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the VERY best laptop fan on the market! Take it from me don't waste your money on any other brand no matter what you read, how much it costs etc! My laptop fan broke, it doesn't even have a working fan at all yet all I need is this Antec fan. My laptop runs cooler, runs longer, never overheats...it's awesome!
****UPDATE-HOW TO FIND REPLACEMENT CORD****
I still LOVE this laptop cooler and would suggest it to anyone! But the cord on mine recently broke nd it was a little difficult for me to find another so I thought I'd write an update for those out there experiencing this same problem. I found in my research that this is a common 'issue' with these coolers. I read that some people contacted the company through the website and were successful at getting them to send out a new one. I tried but got no response. Without the cooler my laptop is completely useless and since I run an online eBay clothing store this was not something I could wait a few days to fix. I ended up going to my local Radio Shack & buying a $30 adaptable ac/dc cord that came with the proper size fitting for the fan. They did not have a USB cord that fit & yes, it was kind of a pain having to plug the fan into the wall but it sufficed until found new usb. The ONLY aftermarket usb cord I could find for this fan was on eBay by a company called ehoya. (I found it by searching 'antec laptop cooler replacement cord') The company (which by the way I have absolutely no affiliation with) sent me out a brand new usb cord within a few days and then because of Radio Shacks 30 day return policy I was able to return the other and get my money back. Ultimately I wish Antec would either provide an additional cord or would make a separate cord available for purchase but I doubt this will happen since the coolers are so inexpensive most people probably just purchase another one. Good Luck!
Customer Review: Provides Ample Air Flow & Great Design
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been looking around for a laptop cooler for a while. Looking throughout the internet, each was bombarded with reasons as to why I should and shouldn't buy that specific laptop cooler. After finding this one, I finally took the plunge and bought it. I immediately loved it! After two months of use, here's what I've found
Pros:
-Provides great space for airflow in between that laptop and the cooler. It even has little rubber pegs. So, if your laptop doesn't have any rubber feet on the bottom anymore, this provides a convenient way to prop up that laptop. (If you do buy the cooler, the rubber pegs won't be on the product. Look inside the directions bag and you'll see them!)
-It sucks the air from its side! Definitely better than coolers which use the bottom get cool air.
-Has two speeds. I love this. I always keep it on low and can barely hear it. Although, if I don't use the fan, but I've been using the laptop for a while the high speeds provide fairly fast heat relief. You can definitely tell when it's on high.
-Cord is short. If you need it to be long, get a USB extender.
-It has two fans side-by-side which is much better than most with just one fan.
Cons:
-That light is BRIGHT! I would really get a piece of duct tape or something.
-The controls can be a bit hard to reach with the laptop on top of it, but that's not to big of a problem.
-The fans are in the middle of the cooler. This is fine for my processor, but since my HDD (hard drive) is on the front corner of the laptop, it doesn't keep it much cooler.
Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons. If you can't decide which laptop cooler is the best, go for this one!
By the way, if this helps, I use an Acer Aspire 3680-2633.
Customer Review: Cool Cooler
Summary: 5 Stars
I put off buying one of these things for a year and a bit more, though my sister insisted I get one a cooler so that my laptop could work better. I treat my laptop as if it were a desktop computer, so it was on for many many many hours. I could hear the vents from the laptop trying to cool off and I also felt my keyboard kinda warm, so I finally decided to buy this cooler. There were others I had my eyes on, but I also think on my pocket (though they had really good reviews/stars they were very expensive) this one on the other hand had good reviews and relatively good # of stars.
I really like the way this cooler works, it has definitely minimized the warmness (if that's a word) of my keyboard. It's not what I would call noisy, you can obviously listen that the vents are working but not to the point where I cannot concentrate b/c of the noise, I think that when I type I make about the same amount of noise. I actually use it on "low" speed and works very well; but I assume that you'd use it in high in case your laptop gets hot very easily. In terms of size, it really works great with my 17 wide in laptop, I just have to position my laptop correctly. Another good thing that you'll find in this cooler is that although you need a USB connector, you can still use it for other applications, so that's good too. The only thing that well, really will depend on how you work, is that the cooler has this blue light that lets you know it's on, since I leave mine on all day, it's on all day long (I guess it's good in case you leave it on at night as a reminder to turn it off if you do so, otherwise I'd recommend you get something to cover the light).
Overall, I like this product and I'm glad I bought it.