Manufacturer: Cooler Master
MSRP: $29.99

When it comes to cooling laptops, my general rule has always been, “If the equipment can’t cool itself at room temperature, then it’s a piece of garbage.” Thus, I have always been a bit skeptical about third party laptop coolers. After all, it seems like a waste of hardware dollars that could be better spent on other things, like a laptop that can cool itself. When my editors sent me a Cooler Master, I was fully prepared to roll my eyes in bored frustration. Yet, it turns out that the joke is on me. Rather than using a pointless piece of hardware for a few weeks, it turns out that I have had the chance to review a well engineered device.

Cooler Master’s NotePal LapAir, like most laptop coolers, is one part cooler and one part cushion. Utilizing USB for power, the cooler connects to the laptop in one easy step and is ready to go. It doesn’t even tie up a USB slot, for it allows a USB connection to itself, replacing the slot to which is connects. The cushion is also plush enough to be comfortable, without being so bulky as to get in the way of normal operation.

The LapAir is very efficient at cooling hardware. I was surprised that it made a noticeable impact on my laptop’s temperature, especially considering how efficient my laptop normally is regarding heat. However, to really give it a good test, and to see its efficiency in real world situations, I decided to conduct a south Texas experiment. Now that the heat in south Texas is climbing past the 90s daily, I devised an experiment whereby I left the laptop in my car, with the windows closed tight, for several hours during the day. At the height of the day’s heat, I pulled the laptop out of my car and, without waiting for it to cool down to room temperature, fired it up. With it connected to the cooler, I determined that the laptop was down to normal operating temperatures within two to three minutes. Without the cooler, it took five to eight minutes to get the temperature down. (Note: Do not try this experiment at home; I cannot be held responsible for damage to your hardware!)

I measured its performance on a few different machines and found similar results on all of them, except for the Macs. Macs are much more enclosed, so the airflow generated by the cooler was not nearly as effective at circulating to where the heat was. This was as I expected and is in no way a complaint against the cooler’s performance. In another case of practicality equating with solid performance, the cooler is easy to disassemble (per the instructions it comes with) for cleaning the fan and wire mesh. For those who live in a house populated by cats, this is a vital feature; cat hair and dander can get everywhere and quickly choke up all fan components in desktops or laptop coolers. (I’ve had to use the vacuum cleaner on my desktop to get all the hair out before.) As an added bonus, the cooler is so quiet that I had to check multiple times to verify that it was actually on when I first used it.

I was genuinely impressed by the cooler’s performance. While I would never recommend laptop coolers generally, if you think you need one, get a good one. The NotePal LapAir is a solid piece of hardware that will keep your laptop at the proper temperature even during a Texas summer. Priced at an inexpensive $29.99, this should be all you need to keep your laptop cool!

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