MacBook Pro Notebook Coolers

Hi, guys.
I've seen the MacBook Pro does not have any kind of ventilations (or air intakes, for that matter) in its chassis' bottom. What coolers do you guys use and/or recommend?
(I wonder if having an active cooler like the Zalman ZM-NC1000 Notebook Cooler, which is highly appreciated on these forums, makes any difference, temperature wise, when compared to passive ones...).
Thanks in advance!

 

The MBP uses the spaces between the keyboard for ventiltion, why what kind of temperatures are you getting? Even whilst gaming my MBP barely gets hot

 

I just ordered the Antec notebook cooler. It's like $10 after rebate at CompUSA.

 

If you're getting too paranoid go ahead and buy the Zalman. You won't regret your decision, it does its job well and does it quietly. Plus it doesn't exactly burn a hole in your pocket

I on the other hand would rather have Intel/AMD develop cooler running processors

 

What about the Thermaltake iXoft fanless pad? Anyone have any experience with these?

 

I've learned that if you crank up your fans to 6k RPM, with SMC, gaming in say Oblivion (which is quite demanding) stays really cool @ max 40 degrees Celsius

 

It does have vents on the backside. Its a little difficult to see but its there. I would suggest you play with the fan speed settings using SMC Fan control before you go further. I don't game but for my uses i keep the fans running at 3k RPM and it works well for me, default is 2k RPM.

 

As for passive cooling, I've been pleased with the iLap, by Rain. I don't know the physics behind it, but the aluminum seems to dissipate the heat very well. They're a little pricy, but I picked up a used one on-line for a decent price.

 

The iLap looks great. Just ordered one. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

, 6000 RPM, gaming, 40 C? Wow, that is really cool...

 

Yeah I know, I've been very lucky with my MBP. I got one of the first ones, in the first two weeks, and had no problems with yellow tinted screen, uneven lid, excessive heat etc.

I love my Mac

 

Very nice, cdnalsi!

 

No problem. I just got an external WD Passport drive and attached it under the iLap with Velcro. It's a great combination that allows me to keep a year's worth of photos at hand without eating up all the MBP's space.

 

That is an excellent idea. I will have to buy some velcro to do the same with my Passport. It is always a pain having a bunch of peripherals surrounding you on the couch. Does the iLap fit well in a standard backpack?

 

I haven't tried it in a backpack. Mine is for a 17" MBP (even though I have a 15"), and appears too large for most backpacks.

 

Thank you all for your answers. I really value your time and patience.
I actually don't have a MacBook Pro (yet). But I'm a bit on the OCD side of being extra careful (specially since it's an investement not to be taken lightly) and appreciate reduced heat and noise.
I didn't see the vents and that's why I was asking about the Zalman ZM-NC1000 Notebook Cooler. It moves air into the bottom of the notebook and maybe, since I thought there were no vents there in the MacBook Pro, it wouldn't be of much use. What do you guys think? I'm looking for cool noiseless operation during gaming (one of the most intensive tasks I'll stress on the laptop), which by the way I know is utopic. The question is: how far from Utopia are we?

 

40 degrees is really really cool

at 6k rpm fans, back propped up, playing WC3 TFT i run at about 55 C

 

Whats "SMC"?

 

System Management Control

 

Does that mean you can change the MBP's fan to 6k RPM to make it cooler?

 

Yeah you can, it goes up automatically depending on system heat. But you can set it to what you want. Good way to monitor your system to keep it cool

 

Okay, Thanks

 

I run games on WIN XP, how do I control my fan speed on that OS

 

Set the fan speed to MAX when you game and set it to normal for general use.