Do laptop cooling pads really work ?
Answers:
Any moving air current will transfer some heat from the laptop, which is always a good thing. Key point is:
Where is the "hot spot" on the PC? I have 2 running at the moment, and on checking , the Toshiba's base is completely cool, as heat is being vented out of the side. Left hand keys on the other hand (no pun) are warm to the touch. Using a cooling pad would not therefore make a great deal of difference.
The Dell however is noticeably warm underneath, indicating that a lot of heat transfer is taking place between the components and the case. A cooling pad here would help reduce internal temperatures by speeding up the heat transfer.
On the question of USB v mains, as others have pointed out, USB will allow you to cool on the move, but will reduce battery life whilst A/C will be more efficient and extend the battery. however, it follows that, if you are able to plug in your cooling pad, you can also plug in your laptop. So any situation in which you could use a mains unit would also allow you to use a USB unit without using the battery at all.
I would therefore go with the USB version, to give you more usability.
the ac type would be more effective i would think .. but yes they do work ..
The difference between the USB type and the electrical power point version is the price being the AC/DC one costs much more. Also, the USB one is convenient as you don't have to sit next to a power point and have the power cable all over you. But drawing power from the laptop is no good as it reduces battery power and you'll have less operating time without resorting to connecting it again to a power point for recharging.
You think about it. The bottom of a laptop is a piece of plastic cover and you're drawing fans over it. Will it cool? Some of the plastic cooling pads are useless because they don't conduct heat away. Unless you have air duct on the bottom of the laptop, you might be able to draw hot air out I just don't think it's going to work. Remember we have add-on fans that are seated underneath the 3.5 inch drives and this is placed in a pc case. I guess in theory every little bit of air is a plus, but when you blow air over a plastic bottom of a laptop, will it cool? I think those coolers should be suitable for those non-dual core laptops which hot up because the chip is not that efficient thus creating heat inside. Thats why laptops have such short lives because of overheating. Buy it if you must as a sense of relief, but I think it is of little benefit and it's another piece of equipment you have to take around.
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