Review - Zalman ZM-NC1000 laptop cooler

As promised, here is my review of the Zalman laptop cooler.

Packaging
I was really impressed with the quality of the packaging; i was under the impression I was leaving the store with a nice 19" LCD panel. The box is sturdy and very appealing with tons of marketing infos.

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First impression
The build quality, as with other Zalman products I used, is amazing. The cooler feels really solid and the aluminum top is perfect. As soon as you hold it you know you made a good buy.

Installation
Pretty straightforward. You put it on a table, use the included USB cable (A-A type) to get juice from one laptop USB port or from one USB port of a self-powered USB hub and voila. Switch the cooler ON and adjust desired flow with the knob.

One thing you'll notice is that indeed that thing is silent. From the medium recommended airflow setting you can barely here it. I'd say it's quieter than the regular CPU fan on the 5760. At full throttle, you can hear it, but it's barely louder than the CPU fan. Anyway it's not an annoying sound like the RAM cooler.

I was right with my first measurements in my other post. The rubber feet of the 5760 fits perfectly on the cooler pad. Of course the 5760 is wider than the cooler, but I was affraid the pad would fit inside the laptop feet when I first look at it. Happy to report that this pad and the 5760 are made for each other .

Slideshow!

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Real life usage
To get my 5760 perfectly solid on the pad I just put it in the middle and slide it towards the front, until the front feet meet the rubber band on the cooler. This way I know the 5760 won't slide any lower. It's not that this is required as the rubber feet on the 5760 are pretty solid on the pad even without that strip. It's just that I found that this is the perfect position to use it.

One word of caution though (I have to put one, no?). The feet on the 5760 already give an angle to the laptop so it makes it comfortable to type on the keyboard. As you can see on the pics, the pad give a substanciable height addition to the laptop. To be honest, a little more than I expected. But, to my surprise, I got used pretty quickly to the new height and my palms rest more easily on the laptop. Plus, the increased screen height is a lot beneficial to me as it's now at a perfect position.

And an other thing to add; From Zalman's doc, it's a good thing that there's a little gap between the laptop and the cooling pad. It allows a better flow of air troughtout the whole bottom of the laptop.

Performance
Well, it's hard to give real world proven data (and I don't have the time and equipement to ) so i'll go with what I can see using this pad.

As soon as you turn the cooler on you can feel a flow of fresh air trough all the vent holes on the surface. So the cooler is doing what the marketing guys are saying it does. The flow is not directed to one spot under the surface. So you can be certain all intake vents will get fresh air. As aluminium is almost always pretty cold to the touch, the air passign trough it is astonishingly cold! It's like having a mini A/C under the laptop ! Even on medium setting if you put your hands on the sides of the laptop you can feel the constant flow of fresh air. All I say is good job Zalman on that one .

Now my observations

• The pad won't prevent the CPU main fan from turning on; Anyway I wouldn't wanted that and this fan is far from annoying to me. Best case it will start a little later than without the pad.
• The pad won't prevent the RAM fan (the annoying one) from starting when playing a game. Same thing, I would'nt want that. Not really disturbing me while I'm playing.
• What the cooler will do, though, is preventing the occasional RAM fan startups when doing nothing more than web surfing or office application work. THIS, in my opinion is the real benefit.

So I'll close this section saying that I'd rather have my laptop sitting on a constant flow of fresh air when playing GuildWars @ 1920x1200 than on a wood table .

Summary

Pros:

• Incredible build quality
• Low noise
• Adjustable
• Included USB hub
• Noticeable performance gains

Cons:

• Increased height - considerable with the 5760

The laptop cooler can be found at online retailers for around 55$us or 80$cdn. It's available in Canada, but ask your preferred computer parts store for a special order.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

(to mods: As english is not my native langage I invite you to fix all bad grammar and typos)

 

Good review! Interesting cooler design.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience. This is definitely an intriguing laptop cooler. Perhaps the only one I'd consider buying myself.

 

Excellent review, and thanks for sharing. I'm going to move this to the News & Reviews section for you so you'll be in the limelight.

The PhotoBucket slideshow thing is neat.

I could not have guessed that you were not a native speaker. The article both looks and sounds great.

 

Im sorry maybe I missed it but which brand laptop did you say you tested this on?

 

It's a Sager NP5760.

 

Does this support 17 inch laptops?

 

Good review. I was considering this cooler but the placement of the usb has made me think twice since the MB has usbs on the left while this has them on the right.

 

The 5760 is a 17" laptop. But the feets are well inside the laptop borders and fits perfectly on the cooler. Just check dimension first .

@phungy
Nothing a little extension cable can't fix. There is enough clearance under the cooler in the back to route a cable from the right to the left.

 

Can you please post the size of the notebook cooler, I want to be sure that it is compatible with a 17" widescreen laptop.

And how is the cooling, can you post any temps?

Charlie

 

Thanks, what do you think of the G-Pad by Giga-Byte as seen here:
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/News/ThermalSolution/News_List.aspx?NewsID=1302

Is it better than this cooling solution? Your thoughts please

 

How is the front of the notebook around the touchpad and front (especially on the bottom of the notebook). I found the 5760 cooling is sufficient for most of the notebook BUT the only part that gets hot is the front. Are there fan vents on the cooler near there and is there a significant difference of heat at the front of the notebook using the cooler?

Thanks

 

can you post some table with temperatures , like with and without cooler

 

awesome man, I was also planning to pick on up. Thanks for the review.

 

Nice review!
Since I have the same laptop and was looking for a cooler, I posted my questions here.
In Greece available are the Zalman, the Akasa at 50+ euro, and the Coolermaster, which is about 10euro cheaper than the others.
Designwise I prefer the Zalman, but is it meant for a 17'er? It is only 30cm long, whereas the 5760 is 42cm.

Since you've tested it, and took pictures, is there any picture of how it looks from the front and the back on the Zalman?
Also do the little holes on the aluminum surface go through the whole pads width, so even without the fan on there would still be airflowto the laptops base?
Thanks

 

I know this is a little late on the reply, but the Sager 5760 he's using this with is a 17" widescreen. And it's one of the most powerful gaming laptops out there.

I have one too (see sig) and just dropped the $ on the black version of this cooler. Gotta be ready to LAN next weekend.

 

just an update, for all,
about 3 months now, I have the zalman black under my sager.

Apart from the cable being on the side instead of back, I feel its ok.
Sometimes, the fan does some funny noise though, like hickups...
If I turn it off and on a few times it stops the noise.
Maybe it needs lubricating or cleaning soon.

 

Weird... why is this review on the front page? I thought like hmm I remember this review...

 

Ditto on the charts, I'd love to see the actual temperature shifts involved. Also perhaps a few benchmarks are in order (since it was mentioned that gaming improved).

Or to steal a farkism: This thread is useless without charts.

 

When I get mine I will do some temp evals and post the findings. Should have it on Monday.

And yeah... why is this on the front page again?

 

The Zalman cooler lowered my CPU and HDD temps 11C with the fans on the high setting. I have a dv9000t with a T5600 CPU, 7600 GO and 100Gb 7,200rpm HDD. Right now my CPU is at 21C.

 

can you post your sager's dimensions?

i've been looking for a laptop cooler for my e1705 since forever but i couldn't find one that is big enough for my laptop. even some of the advertised 17-inch coolers are too small, and the laptop would of ended up sticking over the cooler....

i was considering the targus podium but i think it just elevates the laptop and does not have any fans or any sort.

 

Clevo M570U (a.k.a. Sager 5760, Rock Xtreme CTX, etc...) size:

15.6" x 11.5" x 1~1.8"

 

is it possible to get a few clearer screenshots that show how much the laptop hangs off the cooler?

for the e1705, the measurement is almost the same as the sager at: 15.5x11.3x1.6 in

the zalman measurement is: 308(L) X 330(W) X 40(H) mm which translates to like 12.12 x 13 x 1.57 inches. it would be hanging off like a good 1.25 inch off on each side which worries it

 

where can this be bought?

 

yeah...thats what i was thinking...hi, could someone PLEASE measure the FEET of the notebook....not the size...cos thats unimportant. as long as the thing SITS comfortably on all four feet. all is good...any ideas? im using an xi1546 and its JUST about big..maan..its really annoying...its 340mm.....and i REALLY want the zalman.. any ideas anyone?

 

just got mine today. very nice indeed. it's a bit big for my 13.3" notebook, but i love the fact that the air is dispersed toward the front and middle of the pad. albeit, i wish the fans pushed a bit more air. anyway, it's pretty... goes well with my black notebook.

 

John can you please post some temperatures. Fxxron those temperatures are very nice, can you post us some screenshots?

According to this website the hard drive is just cooled with 5 degrees Celsius, which isnt spectacular at all. So could you please confirm that? http://www.bcchardware.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=3360&Itemid=40&limit=1&limitstart=1

 

my temps are actually pretty much the same. cpu is 50C to 60C depending on the load. hdd hovers around 50C. the reason why i got the cooler is because i use my notebook about 14 hours per day and it helps dissipate the heat a bit.

 

Use a good notebook for the review [of an enthusiast notebook cooler], not just a basic Intel GMA950 notebook by itself... geez.

most of these sites suck at showing the important temp readings [for notebooks]... ummm wheres the GPU temp readings?!?

Is it that hard to monitor GPU temps and post the results?!?

The HDD temp... who cares (especially in a gaming notebook), its not that important [since it never gets into dangerous temps anyway].

The CPU temp... lets face it, most notebooks have more than adequate cooling for the CPUs, they never seem to get past 60-70C degrees [at full load] from all of the highest-end notebooks that I have rigorously tested.

The GPU temp, however, is VERY important to monitor, since the thermal designs for videocards are different from notebook to notebook.

... AND the notebook cooler is usually purchased for mainstream-enthusiasts notebooks [and by notebook enthusiasts].... which could care less about HDD temps and to a point, CPU temps.

I'll have to go and do another review to show these guys how its done... and show the GPU temps, which can float up to 90C degrees [like in my notebook].

Anyone have a spare ZM-NC1000 for me to borrow? Or am I going to have to just purchase one?

-Gophn

 

Thank you very much for your reply John, because if the Zalman was supposed to cool 12 degrees for CPU and HD I would buy one now.

I am planning to buy one for a review Gophn. This review is nice but it doesn't have any results. Time to contact Andrew I think.

 

Just to notify the pictures in the article are down.

 

Very nice cooler from Zalman. Perhaps I better buy one

Thanks for the review.

You shouldn't really have any problems. The sager 5760 is a 17" widescreen laptop which is quite large.

The info is from Zalman's site, hopefully it is useful.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=224&code=030

 

Would this be comfortable on your lap?

 

i don't think so. though the cooler has a flat bottom, it was definitely made for use on a flat surface.

 

I own that cooler and have used him in the train. I had no problems with working on my feet.
I like that cooler. I have lost one hdd bevore that. It got too hot and dies. I lost some data i had not backuped.
No i do not problems like that any more.

 

Out of curiosity has anyone tested how much quicker a notebook battery drains while using the cooler as opposed to when not using the cooler? (Since it is powered from the notebook's USB port). (I suspect it would vary from system to system).

(Most people may use it while the notebook is plugged into an electrical outlet, but for those that might want to run in while on battery power it might be worthwhile to know).

 

USB power is like 5V per line.... but the coolers barely pull 3 watts.

 

Does anyone know where I can get a Zalman? I ordered my sager 2090 two weeks ago, and its still on pre-order, I would much more comfortable just buying a Zalman ZM-NC 1000 from a store. I live in Queens, New York City, but I have access to all of NYC and LI...does anyone know of a retailer that sells these in my area?



________________________________________________________________________
Sager 2090
160gb hd 7200rpm
2.2ghz
nvidia 8600
2048 ram
pretty much pawns

 

These guys are based in NY.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5...uiet_Notebook_Cooler_-_Black_ZM-NC1000-B.html

 

I am glad that I came across this thread! That was a well done review and helped with some questions that I had with the Zalman NC-1000.

 

I am considering on buying the Zalman ZM-NC1000 laptop cooler. I currently own an HP pavillion dv6265us -15.4" widescreen Notebook. Does anyone have an HP 6000 series notebook similar to mine that have tried the Zalman cooler on? if so, How well does it fit? and does the notebook have any overhang? ...........your advice and any comments will determine if I buy this cooler or not

 

I currently have an Inspiron 9400 that I use 12-14 hours a day doing programming, graphic design, as well as heavy gaming. I use it on a desk often as well as my lap. Does anyone use this on their lap? Right now I use the laptop itself on my lap but it gets hot as my legs and such block the fans at times. I figure if my laptop sits fine in my lap, this or the ZM-NC2000 would as well?

 

It is not a good idea to use a laptop on your lap if the vents are underneath. AFAIK only macbooks have them at the rear.

The Zalman will not feel comfortable on your lap and its own fans are looking down, so it won't be wise to use its own fans if you have iton your lap.

 

Yes I realize that but sometimes I have no choice. Wife needs > laptop's needs.

Lap aside, I spend most of my time on a wooden desk or a granite top table.

 

Hi!
I was wondering if this is a good cooling option for Apple's notebooks (since I've seen they can get quite hot and/or noisy). I don't see any vents on the underside of these laptops...
Thanks in advance!

 

Hi Boucher,

Great Review and loved the PhotoBucket posts. BTW, your SlideShow does not initialize for me.

Boucher ... just curious Why you picked the Zalman 1000 and not the 2000!?!?

Thanks,

G!