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Review Verdict
Pros & Cons
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Essential Specs & Stats
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| Store | Price | Availability |
| Dell Small Business | $25.99 | In stock |
| Amazon.com | $17.88 Lowest | In stock |
| Circuit City | $24.99 | In stock |
| PC Connection Express | $24.95 | In stock |
| OfficeMax | $28.99 | In stock |
| eBags | $31.99 | In stock |
Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad's DesignThe shape of the Laptop Cooling Pad is really rather clever: rather than muck around with a design that tries to draw heat from the base of the computer and force it out around the sides of the base, Belkin opted to go with a centrally-mounted fan that blows air out the sides. This system works by taking advantage of the Cooling Pad's wave-shaped design, which sets the laptop up on the no-slip rubber-coated front to back crests of the wave, leaving about three-quarters of an inch of height in the trough for the fan to do its work. The wave design is surprisingly well suited to the shape of your lap, making the Cooling Pad a useful support tray even when you're not using the fan, but if you'd like to work on a desk instead, Belkin built a plastic stand that not only steadies the pad when you're using it on a hard surface but raises the back of the computer an additional five or ten degrees for a more ergonomic typing angle. The stand snaps in and out of the base of the pad in a battery compartment-style arrangement, using small plastic tabs to keep it in place when not in use. I find these little tabs cause for concern; I get the feeling they'll start to break after enough use, and I wonder if Belkin couldn't use a more durable locking system instead. ![]() The Laptop Cooling Pad is pretty simple: a fan mounted in the middle of a piece of plastic. ![]() A close up of the Laptop Cooling Pad's solitary USB-powered fan. ![]() The Cooling Pad's wave-shaped design promotes cooling by forcing air out the sides. ![]() The Cooling Pad's stand clicks in and out of a compartment on the base of the pad. ![]() The Cooling Pad has a separate compartment for storing the power cable. ![]() The power cable has a USB head on one end and a DC 5V head on the other. Using the Belkin Laptop Cooling PadAlthough we'll be looking at some temperature data below to get a more scientific sense of exactly how well the Laptop Cooling Pad cools the computer, my experiences with the Cooling Pad were very pleasant. From a temperature standpoint, not only does the fan do a good job of keeping my lap cool, but the wave design also prevents heat from leaking through by keeping contact between the Cooling Pad and the computer at a minimum. ![]() Temperature TestsPerceived comfort is one thing, but how well does the Cooling Pad really work? To find out, I used an infrared non-contact thermometer with a -20° C to 320° C temperature range and a piece of software called Hardware Sensors Monitor 4.3 to measure the external and internal temperatures of my Dell Latitude X300 notebook. ![]() Hardware Sensors Monitor 4.3 provided all of the internal temperature readings. First I ran an external test, letting the computer sit in active but idle mode for 30 minutes with the cooling pad off, then active but idle for 30 minutes with the cooling pad on. At the end of each 30 minute period, I took a series of temperature readings, then averaged the results. Here's what I found:
As you can see, while the Cooling Pad does a good job cooling off the base of the computer, it does an even better job keeping heat from seeping through the plastic to your legs. Even better, that 12° F difference in temperature between bare computer and Cooling Pad base with fan does not include the added benefit of having the cooling fan blowing directly on your legs. After finding that the Laptop Cooling Pad makes using a laptop thirteen percent more comfortable, I was curious to see how much the fan affected temperatures inside the computer. While I'm not particularly concerned about overheating components, it would be nice to know whether or not that fan might make the difference between a malfunction and smooth operation on a warm day. First, I let the computer sit active but idle for half an hour without the fan, then sit active but idle for half an hour with the fan. After each thirty minute period, I measured the temperature of the process and the motherboard. Here's what I found:
That drop in motherboard temperature is particularly impressive, and indicates just how effective the wave pattern design of Cooling Pad can be over time. Finally, I measured the temperature of the hard drive under continuous load, by using Audacity to record thirty minutes of silence without running the fan, then thirty minutes of silence while running the fan. After each thirty-minute interval, I measured the temperature of the hard drive. Here's what I found:
A less significant result here, but even when the hard running is running full speed for a long period of time, the fan still has an effect on the temperature. RecapOverall, the Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad did an excellent job of destroying my skepticism - surprisingly enough, this product is really useful, both as a cooler and a laptop stand. While the plastic tabs on its storage compartments are a little flimsy, and it may not fit properly in everyone's laptop bag, its ability to save your legs from your computer's searing heat, save your wrists from some stress, and run quietly all in the bargain make it an excellent and highly recommended product. Reviewed by Eric B. Hanson, Contributing Editor |
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