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Cooler Master NotePal P1


Date
: 01/9/07 – 04:40:27 AM

Author
:

Category
: Cooling

Page 1 : Index

Manufacturer:
Cooler Master

Price:
$29.99 (Newegg)

Cooler Master is known for their numerous cooling products, ranging from to cases to watercooling devices to power supplies to notebook coolers. From previous experience, I've known Cooler Master's products to be very well-made, reliable, and value-oriented.

In this article, we will be taking a look at Cooler Master's latest addition to their line of notebook coolers, the
NotePal P1
. Hopefully, it will help cool down my laptop which tends to get very hot after extended use.

Page 2 : Package and Contents

The NotePal P1 arrived in a relatively large box emblazoned with Cooler Master's purple-and-white theme. It has a large clear window that allows us a sneak-peek at the P1's top surface which boasts two fans.

We see that the P1 is made of aluminum and it looks very classy.

The box has a nice carrying handle on the top.

Looking at the sides, we see some identifying information, serial numbers, and UPC codes.

Turning to the back, we find lots of information, from features to specifications and more.

Here are a couple of closer looks at the back:

Open the box and the NotePal P1, cradled in a plastic tray, can be taken out. There is also a small USB cable included.

The top of the NotePal P1 features two grills under each of which is a 70mm fan. Surrounding each grill is a silicone-like circular ring, probably to protect your laptop from scratches. Also, you will find Cooler Master's logo imprinted along the bottom.

The right and left profiles show the NotePal P1's smooth curves.

Looking at the right side, you can see two USB ports and the on/off switch. The on/off switch is concealed very well as the left side also features a metal protrusion but the actual switch is only the one on the right side.

Turning to the bottom reveals the vent at the back through which the NotePal draws its intake air. Also, the bottom has a special compartment that houses the USB cable when not in use (inset). Note that the bottom features numerous rubber feet to prevent slippage.

Altogether, the device seems very sturdy and well-built.

Before evaluating the performance, let us take a quick look at the features and specifications on the next page.

Page 3 : Features and Specifications

Here are the main selling points:

These descriptory icons can also be found on the package as we saw on the previous page.

Some specifications taken from Cooler Master's website:

And finally, a feature list, also taken from Cooler Master's website:

Everything looks good and we can now proceed to testing.

Page 4 : Testing and Performance

Because my laptop does not have a reliable temperature sensor, the testing is going to be purely subjective.

I will be testing the NotePal P1 with my Toshiba Satellite R25 tablet PC in notebook mode.

Here you can see how it looks with my laptop set up and connected. Be sure to connect the USB cable for power.

For testing, I ran SP2004 Orthos for an hour or so while browsing the internet. When using my laptop without the NotePal, my lap would get very warm in a matter of minutes. However, with the NotePal, I felt very comfortable. Also, after running the test, the bottom of the laptop felt cool to the touch as opposed to without the NotePal. It was also relatively silent; in fact, it was quieter than my laptop's built-in fan.

Page 5 : Conclusion

Many laptop users complain about heat issues. This is expected as there are so many components crammed into a tiny space. Cooler Master's new NotePal P1 tries to alleviate that issue, and succeeds.

Not only does it cool my laptop down, it raises it slightly when used on a desk. This allows me to type in a more ergonomically sound fashion and improves my posture. Also, unlike some other notebook coolers that my friends own, you don't have to connect it to an external power source; it runs off your laptop's USB and yet, you don't lose a port because the NotePal P1 actually has two USB ports: one to power itself and one for your use.

All in all, the Cooler Master NotePal P1 is a great product, unless you want to lug it along when you travel.

Advantages:

Cools silently
Built very well
Doesn't "waste" a USB port

Disadvantages:

Somewhat clunky so not very portable

Overclockers Online would like to thank Cooler Master for providing the review sample of the NotePal P1.