Quad 4 Fan/Evercool EC-NP-101 Review

Heat, the bane of laptop owners and ice-cream lovers alike. Today I am reviewing the Quad 4 Fan Laptop Cooler ( http://quadcooler.com/products/coolers/quadcooler.htm) which is a rebranded Evercool EC-NP-101.

Reasons for buying
When I first looked into getting a laptop, I realized I would also likely need to look into getting a laptop cooler, if only for the sake of having a safe barrier between myself and the laptop base. I still wasn't sure what laptop I was going to get, but at the time I started looking there were a number of cooling pads on sale. I found the Evercool EC-NP-101 4 fan cooler for sale for $15 at nexfan.com, and I figured I'd give it a shot, hoping that 4 fans would provide a greater surface area to help out with cooling for whatever laptop I ended up getting. At the very least it would be a learning experience.

Specifications
1900-2600 RPM speed (Speed adjustable via switch)
24 dBA noise level
5V DC voltage
2W power consumption
.4A current
fan size: 60x60x10mm x 4
dimension size: 325x263x18mm
dimension size(in inches) 12.75 x 10.25 x 1 inch thick
Air flow: 40 cfm
Weight:660g

Initial impressions
To be honest, it isn't much to look at. The cooler is made out of plastic with a metallic finish. While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it feels cheap, it doesn't immediately impress. The cooler is powered via a usb cable and provides no extra usb ports. It is quite small, however, and easily fits in a backpack, or perhaps a larger laptop case.

Usage
Upon running the cooler, it became apparent that it was a "pull" cooler, in that it pulls air down and out the sides. Not the best choice for the C90S, as this model pushes all the air out the back of the laptop. There is about an inch of of overlap on the left and right, and if the front of the laptop is flush with the front of the cooler, the exhaust system on the back hangs out over the edge. All the rubber grips on the bottom of the laptop fit on the cooler, however, and stays in place fairly firmly. On low speeds, the fan on the cooler is barely audible. When set to high, the cooler makes a noticeable spinning noise, though it is still not as loud as my desktop (my desktop is about 6 years old now, so that's probably not a good basis for comparison).

Performance
All temperature readings were taken using speedfan in Vista. All idle/low usage readings were taken at least 10 minutes after system startup. Under load
temperatures and graphs were obtained while running 3dmark06.

No cooling pad, standard mode:
Idle/light usage:
Core 0: 53
Core 1: 54

Under load max:
Core 0: 72C
Core 1: 72C



Fan set on low, standard mode:
Idle/light usage:
Core 0: 53C
Core 1: 54C

Under load max:
Core 0: 71C
Core 1: 71C



Fan set on high, standard mode:
Idle/light usage:
Core 0: 52 C
Core 1: 53 C

Under Load Max:
Core 0: 71C
Core 1: 71C



Given the air-movement design on the cooler, I was rather surprised to see it make any difference at all, but there it is. While I didn't obtain any temperature readings for any of the other components, I would also like to note that on my second day of using the C90S with the cooling pad, I have not had a problem with the left palm rest above the hard drive being uncomfortably hot as other C90S owners with 7200 rpm hard drives have reported.

Conclusion
Marginally recommended. I wasn't expecting much for $15, so I am reasonably satisfied with this cooling pad. It does appear to make a small difference, and with its small stature it's no problem transporting it. If you can find it for around what I got it for, it might be worth giving it a shot. At $30, however, there are much more appealing options at that price point.

Pros:
Very light, portable
Does actually appear to make a difference
Fairly cheap, depending on where you look
Reasonable noise level

Cons:
Requires one usb port, does not provide any to compensate
Mediocre build quality
Barely holds a 15.4" laptop
Uses "pull method"

I will try to update with some pictures of the cooler actually in use. I might also try out the pad on another laptop I have in the house. Hmmm... maybe if I get bored I'll take the pad apart and see if I can flip the fans around...