How to choose cooling for a laptop. Do you need a laptop stand with cooling? Additional functionality
The computer has long been a ubiquitous phenomenon. In recent years, the prevalence has reached maximum values. But if desktop PCs used to rule the roost, now portable models, namely laptops, are becoming more and more common. Modern models have become compact enough to be constantly with the owner, but at the same time powerful enough to replace a productive but bulky stationary system for most users.
Modern laptops are so compact that it is difficult to install a powerful cooling system inside. Even energy-efficient hardware does not save the situation. At high load- for example, in games - temperatures can reach high values, prolonged operation at which has an extremely negative impact on the service life of components. Also, the habit of users to place the laptop on a soft bed, which simply blocks the ventilation holes, can lead to overheating. Finally, lack of basic care—cleaning off dust and replacing thermal paste—can lead to increased temperatures.
Many of these problems can be overcome by changing your habits. But you can also take the simple route - purchase a cooling pad. In the rating, we have collected six models of various designs. Go!
Best Laptop Cooling Pads
6 Cooler Master NotePal U1
Passive cooling stand with the ability to install a cooler
Country: China
Average price: 840₽
Rating (2018): 4.5
Let's start with the most laconic design of the cooling pad. NotePal U1 is a curved metal plate with perforations across almost the entire surface. This allows for maximum passive flow of fresh air to the standard laptop coolers. Moreover, the metal itself excellent guide heat, which means the stand will help dissipate heat. Three large rubber inserts prevent slipping. The lower one, moreover, goes to the back side to prevent sliding on the table. The stand can also be used as additional protection for the laptop when carrying it - put it inside and bends and twists will no longer be a problem for expensive electronics.
If passive cooling is not enough, you can use the supplied fan. It's small, but thanks to the design of the stand, it can be mounted directly under the laptop's ventilation inlet. It remains to add that NotePal U1 is designed for use with laptops up to 14 inches diagonal.
5 Titan TTC-G25T/B4 Black
Largest number of USB ports
Country: China
Average price: 1999₽
Rating (2018): 4.5
The stand from Titan in black looks frankly boring: dull plastic base, perforated insert in the center - all this we have already seen a hundred times in other stands. The white version is much more fun. Plastic looks less elegant, but more practical, and the mesh is much finer than in the black version. The design does not depend on color. It is not foldable, and therefore it is inconvenient to carry it with a laptop. In addition, the angle of inclination is not adjustable in any way. There are 4 USB ports on the back side. One of them will always be occupied by the power cable. But the rest are provided to the user. Those. What we have in front of us is also a USB hub. If only there were more ports in a more convenient location...
Cooling is provided by a 200mm variable speed fan. The regulator is again located at the back. The cooling level is good. The noise due to low (600-750) revolutions is practically inaudible.
4 Espada 336
Stand-table. The most functional model
Country Russia
Average price: 999₽
Rating (2018): 4.6
Perhaps the most unusual model in the ranking. Despite the folding design and the manufacturer's statements, it is difficult to call the Espada 336 compact. The table can only be disassembled for storage in a cramped apartment. You can also find fault with the lack of any forced ventilation. Although there is an image of the cooler on the box. The tricks of the Illuminati, nothing less...
Seriously though, the table is quite comfortable. The height and tilt angle can be adjusted over a wide range, allowing you to work while sitting on the sofa or lying in bed. The laptop rests can also be adjusted depending on the size of the device and your preferences. The manufacturer has added a separate mouse pad, something no other stand can boast of. Finally, one of the main features is the retractable cup holder! The model is suitable for laptops up to 15 inches diagonal.
3 Crown CMLC-206T
Largest number of coolers
Country: China
Average price: 910₽
Rating (2018): 4.6
It won't take long to talk about the design of the bronze medalist. The only thing the user sees is a fine-mesh mesh with a edging made of simple-looking blue plastic. The side and front edges disappear and are therefore practically invisible. There are two USB ports at the back: one for powering the stand, the second for user needs. The power button is also located there. Below, in addition to the legs for adjusting the angle of inclination, there are seven (!) fans and many ventilation holes around the perimeter. The coolers are also visible from the front, but only if the backlight is turned on. The laptop looks good when installed on the stand.
There is also no fault with the cooling. The already mentioned 7 fans with a diameter of 70 mm cover almost the entire area, which means that regardless of the location of the ventilation holes on the laptop, they will be located above the cooler and will be well ventilated. There are also back side- noise. Small propellers need to spin faster to provide adequate airflow, which creates more noise.
2 DEEPCOOL N2000 IV
Better cooling with minimal noise
Country: China
Average price: 1999₽
Rating (2018): 4.7
The silver medalist should be given a medal for design. The base of the stand is a long curved tube with anti-slip rubber bands in some places. You can't put this on your lap, but it looks stylish on the table. The main part is represented by a plastic container for two 140 mm fans. Everything is covered on top with a fine-mesh mesh, through which the cooling system is clearly visible. Due to the relatively low speed - 1000 rpm - acoustic comfort is not compromised. The manufacturer claims that the noise level is 25.1 dB. For comparison, the volume of a normal conversation is 40 dB. The maximum diagonal of the installed laptop is 15.4 inches.
1 Deepcool MULTI CORE X6
The best combination of performance, convenience and value
Country: China
Average price: 1240₽
Rating (2018): 4.8
DeepCool clearly has a staff of creative designers. The leader of the rating is made in the shape of a butterfly. Each cooler is located in its own square, and there is a hollow in the center, which not only gives additional rigidity to the structure, but also allows you to pass the power cable to any USB port of the laptop. The base, of course, is plastic, the grilles are steel. There are legs that do not rise above the table. The stand when folded is quite compact, which allows you to easily carry it in a bag along with your laptop.
There are four fans at once: two 140mm and two 100mm. Each pair can be turned on independently of each other using a control on the side. Also, if necessary, all 4 coolers are turned on for maximum cooling. The noise from the system is no louder than the cooling system of the laptop itself.
All laptop manufacturers assume that their models provide adequate cooling internal components on one's own. Unfortunately, in many cases this is not the case: some models overheat on their own under load, others overheat due to use on soft surfaces. In addition, over time, the cooling elements located inside the laptop deteriorate. become polluted. It is in these cases that a special cooling pad will help, which will provide a flow of fresh air to the device body.
In addition, many people prefer to work with laptops located at an angle to the surface on which they stand - this makes it more convenient to type text on the keyboard. Special stands provide this opportunity as well.
In the next section we will talk about important characteristics laptop stands that should be taken into account when choosing, and at the end of the article we will tell you about several models worthy of your attention that can be bought from sellers in our catalog.
Key Features You Should Pay Attention to
Laptop screen size
A must when purchasing a stand for your laptop is checking the size. If the laptop is too big for specific model stand, its cooling may be ineffective and installation on the stand may be unstable. In many cases, a couple of inches can be neglected, but it is still better to choose an option that involves using a laptop with the appropriate screen diagonal size.
Stand type
The main type of pads is cooling pads. These laptop stands are equipped with one or more fans, which are usually powered by the device's USB port and provide improved cooling.
Ergonomic stands are primarily designed to ensure ease of use of the laptop - they raise the screen of the device higher than usual and can hold the laptop in a tilted position for more comfortable work with keyboard and touchpad.
Also on sale you can find stands designed for use “on the go” - these can be either small folding tables for laptops or rather bulky tables.
All these types can be combined - the stand can be both ergonomic and cooling. There really is no clear division between these types.
Cooling type
Stands equipped with fans use active cooling - blowing air around the laptop body. This best option for those who are worried about overheating.
Passive cooling (no fans) is provided by raising the device body above the surface on which it is located. In this case, the air flow is much less, but the cost of such models is much less. Plus, they don't require power, and no fans mean no extraneous noise. Such stands are recommended for purchase if the laptop does not overheat too much. Also stands with passive cooling used in the case of compact ultrabooks.
Some models with active cooling They can also boast of the ability to dissipate heat - their cases are made of special materials that help quickly dissipate the thermal energy generated by the laptop. In most cases, this is overkill, but such stands can be useful for owners of powerful and large gaming models.
Number of fans
In the vast majority of cases, one fan, even a small one, will be enough for normal cooling. But if the laptop overheats especially strongly (for example, in games), then buying a stand with two, three or even four fans will be justified. The cost will increase, but the quality of cooling will be much higher.
Fan locations
Typically, fans, if present, are located in the geometric center of the stand body, and this is considered the best option. But some laptop models can overheat very much in only one place. In this case, a stand with a special arrangement of fans - either along the edges or customizable - will come in handy.
Adjustable tilt
Very useful feature for those who spend a lot of time working on a laptop and typing texts. Such stands allow you to adjust the angle of inclination “to suit you”, thanks to which the level of comfort increases significantly - your fingers and hands will get tired much more slowly and will stop hurting.
Fixing the laptop
A useful feature for those who are afraid for the safety of their laptop. Its fixation on the stand means that the laptop will not slip anywhere - according to at least, with not too much of an inclination.
USB port
The presence of an additional USB port allows you not to “lose” the USB port through which the stand itself is connected to the laptop. If your laptop doesn't have many USB ports, a stand with an extra USB will come in handy.
The laptop is common today and indispensable assistant many. People buy this equipment because it is compact, mobile and in no way inferior to a stationary PC in terms of characteristics.
You can easily carry your laptop to business meetings, use it for studying, or work on it at home. But often, many owners of this type of equipment experience small “collapses”, which are caused by overheating, freezes and shutdown of the device. All this happens because dust gets into the laptop cooling system. To avoid this, many people use cooling pads for laptops.
Anyone can buy a cooling pad, but when purchasing there are a number of subtleties that are still worth paying attention to. This article describes information regarding the criteria for choosing a laptop stand.
There are two types of laptop stands on the market today. These are stands with passive cooling and active cooling.
Passively Cooled Stands
The main task of such stands is to ensure that the material used to make the stand body absorbs heat from the laptop. Such stands are not equipped with fans, they are compact and mobile, thanks to this, such a stand can be carried along with a laptop. The price for such models is usually low, but the efficiency of this type of cooling is minimal.
Active Cooling Stands
Stands with active type cooling systems have several coolers-fans in their design (mostly from one to four, but sometimes their number reaches six). Thanks to such fans, heat flow occurs much faster, and cooling is faster. in this case more efficient. But such stands are a bit heavy; moreover, such devices require power, and during operation, cooler fans create additional noise.
Selecting the required stand size
Sometimes appearance, the number of coolers and other little things in the stand, when choosing it, are completely satisfactory, but its size is significantly small in relation to the laptop being used. Therefore, of course, you should refuse such a choice, because this is an important factor.
The size of the laptop stand must match the size of the laptop being used. If you have the opportunity, and most importantly choice, you should pay attention to options with the ability to adjust the size of the stand. Some models have additional attachments in the form of a mouse pad, as well as a glass or cup.
Number of coolers-fans
A large number of coolers in a laptop cooling stand is not always good; for example, when a stand with four miniature coolers installed will produce more noise than a stand with one large cooler.
Ventilation power
When choosing a stand, it is worth considering the power of cooler fans, but given value significantly affects the noise level. The higher its power, the better, but this will make the operating volume much higher.
There are some models with additional “buns”, one of which is fan speed control. That is, the laptop stand has a fan speed regulator, thanks to which you can increase or decrease the rotation speed of the coolers.
Noise level
An important indicator when choosing a stand is the noise level. This indicator is measured in dB, look carefully specifications when choosing a particular model, and pay attention to this value. The lower this value, the better. The average noise level is 20-25 dB.
Stand weight
Not a particularly significant factor if your laptop and stand are used (installed) in only one place. If you are going to transport the stand with you, or choose a bed table altogether, then in this case the weight of the stands should be minimal, but in no case should you forget about stability.
Stand body material
Basically, laptop stands are made of plastic, or plastic with metal decorative parts. In this case, the heat transfer of plastic is much lower than that of stands made of metal. Among metal stands for laptops, aluminum stands are common; this is the best option due to its lightness.
Stand power
Stands with active cooling have two power supply options. The first is to supply power through the USB port of the laptop, and the second is to supply power from the power supply via a 220V network. Some laptops are equipped with a small number of USB ports; in this case, you will have to fork out to buy a USB splitter to connect to an additional USB port. Some stand manufacturers have provided this problem, and already placed a USB splitter for several ports in the case of their devices.
Design
An individual indicator that does not in any way affect the functional qualities of the stand. On modern market They produce cooling pads in various shapes and color variations. Models are produced from different materials manufacturing, with lighting and additional “bells and whistles”. Is it worth paying attention to? It's a matter of personal taste and choice, where each buyer can choose a stand for themselves.
Additional features stands
- Backlight
The presence of LED lighting will only create a more attractive appearance for the stand. This factor does not affect functionality, and will most likely be of interest only to connoisseurs of design and luxurious appearance.
- Additional “buns” in the design of the stands
When buying laptop stands, you can also take into account the presence of additional “goodies” - often these are built-in USB splitters, but there are models that have built-in speakers, card readers and other add-ons. These “buns”, if present, will be useful when operating the device.
- Tilt adjustment
Some models of stands have the ability to adjust the tilt level, this is very convenient additional function, since working on a laptop that is located at a slight slope is many times more convenient than working on a laptop that is at a right angle.If we consider more budget options stands, then often in such models the angle of inclination is fixed or absent. And in more expensive models of stands, the ability to adjust the angle of inclination prevails. If this is unimportant, then I advise you not to spend money on this function extra money and buy a simplified model of the stand.
Hello admin, two and a half years ago I bought a gaming laptop, during that time I naturally used it for its intended purpose, played all the famous shooters on it recent years and everything was fine, but recently I noticed that the laptop began to work with some noise and reboot frequently. Went to service center and there, after diagnostics, it turned out that I needed to change the cooling system and also the video card. When I asked why everything was so bad, the master said that the main purpose of the laptop is not games and if I want to play, then it’s easier for me to buy a simple system unit or at least buy a cooling pad for the laptop.Accordingly, the admin question for you is how to choose the right cooling pad for a laptop, and will it help? Those who say it is of any use, and those who say it is not. How many degrees can it reduce the temperature of the video card, processor and hard drive laptop under high load, for example in a modern game?
Hello friends! I know many hardcore gamers who play for several hours a day and nothing breaks on their laptop, but I also know sad cases like what happened to our reader. We are all familiar with the proverb - “If only I knew where to fall, I would have laid out a straw!” In our case, a straw in the form of a cooling pad, at a price of 1,500 rubles, can be very useful, and it won’t make a difference in our budget.
It is clear that if your laptop does not have the latest toys installed, then you do not need to buy anything; the cooling system built into the laptop will last you for the rest of its life; another thing is, if you use the laptop for games, then the cooling pad will undoubtedly extend its life devices of your laptop and its cooling system, but you need to purchase such a stand correctly, since a good half of similar products sold are absolutely unsuitable for the purposes stated by the manufacturer.
In our article, we will install our laptop on a cooling pad and conduct small tests, I will also show which stands it is better not to purchase, since there is practically no point in using them.
Quite recently, I also faced the choice of a cooling pad, although I don’t play games. computer games, the reason was different, the laptop given to me at work turned out to have a noisy cooling system. Having installed the laptop on the cooling pad, I immediately noticed that the laptop’s cooler almost immediately stopped reaching maximum speed and, accordingly, stopped making noise.
Despite the fact that our organization also sells such stands, we were unable to find anything suitable! I chose the stand from friends and they gave me five to choose from, so that I could slowly choose the one I needed. Having tried them all, I finally came to the conclusion that such a product should be quiet and from a well-known manufacturer of computer cooling systems, for example CoolerMaster, Zalman, Thermaltake. Secondly, the stand should be large and with good cooler, its surface should not be slippery and the laptop should even stick to it a little. The laptop must be completely on the stand and not hang from it. The cooling pad should not sag under the weight of the laptop and have an adjustable fan speed. Well, in the end I settled on the Zalman ZM-NC11 model, because she has all these qualities.
This stand with one large fan can accommodate 15-inch and 17-inch laptops. The fan size is quite large: 220x220 mm, width 445 mm, height 50 mm, material metal and plastic, connection type to USB laptop.
Laptop 15 inches, Toshiba SATELLITE L50-A-K3K on Zalman ZM-NC11 stand
Laptop 17 inches, HP Envy 17
Laptop 15 inches, Acer V5-552
Back view. There is a button to turn on/off and adjust the fan speed.
Side view.
Testing a laptop cooling pad
Let's check the laptop video card with FurMark.
Official website of the program http://www.ozone3d.net/benchmarks/fur/
The program is very simple, run it and click Burn - in test. .
FurMark powerfully strains the video card of our laptop with its “hairy donut” and the temperature of the video card begins to rise furiously and reaches beyond four minutes to 88 degrees, then the video card cooler switches to higher speeds and The video card temperature drops to 80 degrees and stays like this until the end of the test.
We install the laptop on the stand and perform the same test. During six minutes the video card temperature rises to 87 degrees and the video card cooler switches to higher speeds, t The video card temperature drops to 75 -76 degrees and stays like this until the end of the test.
It turns out that the cooling pad helped reduce the temperature of the video card by 4-5 degrees under a stressful load, yes, this is not much and you expected more, but it was still easier for your video card to work!
Let's check the laptop processor with AIDA64.
Service->System stability test.
This test loads all processor cores with a stress load of 100%, respectively, the temperature of the cores and motherboard will increase, and the temperature of the hard drive will also increase slightly.
The laptop works without a cooling pad
Click Start
As you can see in the screenshot, the temperature of the CPU cores increased and stopped at 69 degrees, the motherboard also heated up to 69 degrees, and the hard drive heated up to 29 degrees.
We install the laptop on a cooling pad and perform the same test. The processor temperature rises only to 64 degrees, the motherboard to 64 degrees, the hard drive temperature remains the same. Using a cooling pad, we gained back 4 degrees.
Conclusion:
If you have new laptop and you don’t play games, then you definitely don’t need a cooling pad.
If your laptop is 4-5 years old and you want it to live for another couple of years, then I would buy a cooling pad.
In other cases, friends decide for yourself, but I still bought a stand for the new laptop.
Oh, and I almost forgot, a cooling pad will not save you if the cooling system of your laptop is clogged with dust, you need to do it every two years, but you need to do this carefully, having first disconnected battery and after disassembling the laptop, if you don’t know how to do it yourself, contact a service center.
IN Lately Laptops are in great demand, and personal computers are fading into the background. Laptops are much more convenient than Personal Computer with a bulky system unit, they are lighter and can work without a network for a certain amount of time. But in almost all modern laptops, the cooling system is very weak. If a laptop works without rest for some time, it overheats and may turn off; not many people are happy with this option. If your laptop frequently overheats and thus shuts down unexpectedly, this may lead to battery failure. To prevent this from happening, you should purchase a cooling pad along with your laptop. But many are tormented by the question of how to choose a laptop stand so that it will serve you for a long time and also be combined with your laptop.
If laptop manufacturers installed a powerful laptop cooling system on their inventions, this would take up much more energy and charging on it, so this is not beneficial, not only for you (since the battery will drain faster), but also for the creators themselves. Therefore, before purchasing a laptop, you should think about how it will be cooled, because if not you, then who will take care of your friend. You should think through all the little things and details, the convenience and practicality of the stand, which will play a significant role in the future life of your laptop. Before purchasing, you should explore several stand options. Think about what kind of stand you need. If you most often keep your laptop on your lap, then you should think about a stand with a soft bottom; it will be both practical and rational for you. If you have a laptop on your desk, then you should purchase a rigid stand for this purpose. If you use a laptop for gaming or you just spend a lot of time on it, then you simply need a stand for it with a cooling effect. If you don’t use your laptop often, and most of the time you have it turned off, then you can easily do without a cooling pad. The size of the stand for your laptop is an undeniable positive point. You should choose a cooling pad based on the size of your laptop, that is, the diagonal of the laptop should correspond to the diagonal of the stand itself. If you purchase a stand that is larger than the laptop in size or, on the contrary, smaller, then your laptop will be unstable. There are also stands with a universal size; they can be adjusted in size according to the length and width of the laptop. Laptop stands are made of metal or plastic, but most often there are models made of combined materials. If you take into account a stand made of plastic, it will be much lighter than a metal stand. Plastic cooling pads have poor heat dissipation. An excellent way out of this situation would be to purchase an aluminum stand; it will have good heat dissipation and is also not heavy compared to other metals. There are two types of cooling in cooling pads, namely passive and active. Set-top boxes with active cooling have built-in from one to four cooler fans. Before purchasing, be sure to pay attention to the degree and level of noise that the stand makes during operation. If your stand has a large cooler-fan, then it will not be as loud as a smaller cooler. Therefore, if you want your stand to work less noisily, then you should choose it with one large fan, because if, say, there are 4 small ones in it, this will not mean that it will work better, but the noise from it will be quite loud. A passive cooling pad has no cooling fans at all. It cools the laptop by absorbing heat into the material itself from which the stand is made. We must agree that it is more convenient to work with a laptop that is located at a slight slope than one standing at a right angle. Some laptop models have special doors that, when opened, allow you to place the laptop at a slight angle. What to do if there are no such doors? Cheaper laptop stands have a fixed angle of inclination, while in more expensive models, this angle of inclination can be adjusted according to your desire. If you are satisfied with a fixed angle of inclination, on inexpensive cooling pads, then you should not overpay, but buy an inexpensive stand. It’s enough to just make a laptop stand with your own hands. You can do it the same way as from a store with fans, or without fans. If you don't use your laptop often or play games on it, then a homemade fanless stand will be fine for you. For such a stand you will need plastic pipes with a diameter of no more than 2 cm, connectors in the amount of 6 pcs. and paint for these plastic pipes, as well as self-adhesive silicone pads and a rubber hammer. The plastic pipe must be divided into 5 pieces, 2 of which should be equal to the width of your laptop (you need to cut it 3 cm longer than the width of the laptop), one piece along the length of the laptop and 2 pieces to raise the laptop at an angle. After cutting off the pipe sections, we begin assembling the stand using a rubber hammer and plastic connectors. After assembly, the stand should be painted, although if you do not want to do so, you can leave it in its original color. It is best to paint outside or, in extreme cases, on the balcony. To prevent the homemade stand from moving around on the table, we attach silicone pads; such pads will also protect the table from unwanted scratches. Thanks to this homemade stand, your laptop will not come into contact with the table, thereby not overheating, and the air will circulate under it.
How to make a laptop stand with your own hands