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[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
Everyone that has a laptop computer knows how hot it can be, especially if you are using it on your lap. Cooler Master has an all-aluminum laptop cooler, called NotePal, to cool down your machine. Let’s take a look at this laptop cooler.
NotePal can be found in two versions: for laptops using 4:3 displays and for laptops using 16:9 (widescreen) displays, and both can be found in two colors: silver or black. Cooler Master internal names are quite complex: R9-NBC-ADAS is the NotePal for 4:3-display laptops in silver, while R9-NBC-ADAK is the same product in black; and R9-NBC-AWBS is the silver version of NotePal for 16:9-display laptops, while R9-NBC-AWBK is the same product in black. We took a look at R9-NBC-ADAS model, i.e., for conventional laptops in silver.
Figure 1: NotePal box.
Figure 2: NotePal from Cooler Master (R9-NBC-ADAS model).
As we mentioned, the material used is aluminum, which helps a lot the heat dissipation by itself. NotePal uses two or three fans, depending on the model (4:3-display or 16:9-display, respectively). The fans are powered through the USB port. Since this device “kills” one of the laptop’s USB port, it provides one extra USB port, so in reality you won’t lose your USB port.
Figure 3: Power button and USB ports on NotePal.
[nextpage title=”Installation and Usage”]
The installation is quite simple: just connect one end of the A/A USB cable that comes with the product at one available USB port on your laptop and the other end at one of the device’s USB port, as you can see in Figure 4.
Figure 4: NotePal installation.
Using it on a desk in quite comfortable, since it has an ergonomic design. It puts your laptop in an angle that helps typing without tiring your wrists. This design also helps heat dissipation, since it creates a tunnel below your laptop for the fans to blow hot air, as you can see in Figure 6.
Figure 5: Using NotePal on a desk.
Figure 6: Side view of the product.
You can also use it on your lap, even though you may feel a little bit strange of having a “small table” on your laps. But after the benefits of having a laptop that doesn’t heat your lap anymore will compensate for this initial sensation.
Figure 7: Using it on your lap.
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
Cooler Master NotePal laptop cooler models R9-NBC-ADAS and R9-NBC-ADAK main specs include:
- Material: Aluminum.
- Available colors: black (R9-NBC-ADAK) and silver (R9-NBC-ADAS)
- Size: 12.6” x 11.8” x 1.65” (320 x 300 x 42 mm)
- Fan: Two 70 mm sleeve-bearing fans
- Fan Speed: 1,500 rpm ± 20%
- Fan Noise: 21 dBA
- Fan Life Expectance: 30,000 hours
- Power: 5 V driven from an USB port
- More Information: https://www.coolermaster.com
- Suggested price in the US: USD 39.99 and USD 44.99 (for the widescreen version, models R9-NBC-AWBK and R9-NBC-AWBS).
[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]
The idea of this product is really great. Even though we didn’t have a digital thermometer to make some temperature tests, we used it for sometime and the NotePal was always cold, and our notebook was always cool. For us, that is what a user is interested to know: the product works.
In fact, we’ve seen some notebook coolers before but they were made of plastic and, as so, not heat dissipation friendly. The material used on Cooler Master product is top notch.
We were quite impressed by the noise level of the product. In fact, we had to visually check if the fans were rotating, because we couldn’t hear any noise being produced. Cooler Master scored a three-point basket here.
We think this product will please many notebook owners, as it impressed us.