BOINC Atlantic Team Blog

Update: The bearings in one of the fans in the cooling stand are starting to go. When I start up the system, lots of groaning noises from the fan and I’m not sure how that’s loading the laptop’s power supply so I’ve had to stop using the fans.  I’m still using the stand though, since it still serves the purpose of creating open airspace under the laptop and tilting the keyboard towards me.

If you crunch BOINC projects you already know that CPU cooling considerations are a hot topic. Laptop users are not exempt from these issues and since most laptops rely on airflow from the bottom of the system, care needs to be taken to not block these vents.

For over a year, my solution has been an architect’s ruler along the back of the computer. The larger air gap at the bottom of the system effected a measurable drop in CPU temperature and it angled the keyboard for more natural typing.

Recently, I decided to go high-tech and started looking into laptop cooling stands. There is no shortage of these stands, and you can easily pay $60-80 for the premium models. After recent expenditures to upgrade the memory in two of my crunching computers, I didn’t have a lot of wiggle room in the budget so I took a very careful look at the less expensive models.

One specification that I held firm on was all aluminum construction. Most of the product literature I reviewed touted aluminum frames for their ability to dissipate heat. I agreed with this, so I wanted a laptop stand with an aluminum frame.

After browsing several websites, I decided to place the order with Newegg.com. I’ve ordered memory from them before and never had any issues. The Cooler Master Notepal U2 fit my budget and construction specifications. Newegg has a YouTube product video which revealed a very neat feature… the fans clip onto the frame exactly where you need them. This was a real selling point for me since my laptop has the fan up in a rear corner which puts it out of direct line of the fans on many other stands.

My laptop is an older model, so it’s not equipped with a surplus of USB ports. The Cooler Master plugs into the USB port with a connector that allows me to piggyback another USB device using the same outlet.

I continually monitor the temperature of my CPU and it is running cooler using the stand. The one thing I can’t measure is how much the internal variable speed fan is being used. The thermostat seems to kick it into high-speed when the temperature exceeds 70c, but it runs at a lower speed the rest of the time. If I could measure the fan speed, I could get a feel for the real effectiveness of the cooling stand. Although the temperature reduction seems modest, I feel that my internal cooling fan is now able to run at lower speeds, while maintaining an acceptable CPU temperature.

If you take a look at my site, you see that I don’t depend on ad revenue. I don’t give recommendations lightly, so if you need a cooling stand take a look at the Cooling Master. And for any computer component needs, be sure to visit Newegg.com and check their pricing. Their service is fast and dependable, and their prices meet or beat any other reliable competitor.