| This is one of the few laptop coolers where the fan blows air directly on the computer instead of trying to suck the hot air away from the computer bottom, and it is highly effective! I have tried the Antec, Targus CoolPad (original model), and a couple of others, all of which suck the hot air instead of blowing directly on the computer bottom. Targus recently came out with a newer two-fan, non-suck (ie. direct blow) 4-port USB cooler which also cools great (bought that one too), BUT it sounds like a jet plane taking off. The noise is absolutely intolerable. I exchanged it for another, but the noise was the same. The Belkin F5L001 has one VERY quiet fan blowing directly onto the computer bottom, and does a great job. I have no complaint with the build quality, and the tilt door seems to work fine. One thing that MUST be noted (as a caution) is that if you do not use the built-in tilt stand (a little door that folds down from the cooler body), then the fan air intake will be blocked, thus possibly damaging the fan and/or preventing airflow for cooling. If you use the cooler on a flat surface, you MUST use the tilt stand. If you use it on your lap, use the tilt stand also, or position your legs/clothing in a way to allow good airflow to the fan intake. I was surprised this was not a caution item in the instructions, and I think failure to abide by this caution is probably the reason for some of the failures/complaints in the reviews on this product. I can't comment on the longevity of the cooler, but so far it seems to run in a relaxed fashion, IF you keep the fan intake clear. In summary, I have about $150 worth of various coolers, and the Belkin is the best by far. Whatever you do purchase, make sure it is a blow-cooler (blows air onto the bottom of the PC, rather than a suck type. After all, how do you cool a hot piece of food on your fork, or a hot liquid etc.? I dpn't suck the heat away, I blow it away. Thermal dynamics seems to confirm blowing is the most efficient, and I don't understand how the engineers decided on the suck type. The Belkin is Excellent! Good luck.
| | A Good Start, but a (Much Too) Quick Finish |
| I've had this Belkin laptop cooler exactly 3 1/2 months. And from day one until yesterday , it did a reasonable, although not perfect, job of keeping my laptop cooler.
However -
This is a noisy cooler, and, from time to time, the fan has stopped dead. But the real problem came when the port for the connector popped out. It is nowhere to be found, so this cooler must go back to Belkin. Meanwhile, I'm suffering a very hot laptop.
Now I realize that a $30 cooler is not the high-tech equipment that you expect to deliver outstanding performance.
But, really -- 3 1/2 months of use, and then Splat? Even from the least expensive peripheral, I would expect better performance.
On the positive side, the design allows for air circulation by lifting the laptop away from whatever surface you're using. And, when working, it does reduce the heat my laptops produce. So it's not entirely useless.
Two stars!
Update: January 18, 2007
Belkin's replacement cooler arrived today. While I was out the cost of shipping, the replacement itself was provided quickly and at no charge. So far, it is working well. We'll see how long this replacement lasts.
UPDATE: February 3, 2008
The fan on the new cooler has stopped --- dead. So, I've gotten approximately three weeks service from this new one.
Not a good omen.
I will return this one for a new one, but the shipping on these coolers is adding up to more than the actual cost of the product, so this will be my last try. If the third cooler fails, I will ask for a refund.
I really like the design of this cooler, so I am very disappointed that the quality is so poor. Amazon will not allow me to change the stars, but if I could I'd change my rating to one star!
| | For the price, a very effective solution! |
| I've had the Belkin laptop stand for about two weeks now, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how effective it has been at channeling the heat away from my laptop. When I opened the box and examined the stand, I thought it looked too flimsy to do any good. Now, I find that I use it all the time. True, the flip-out part does little good and I don't use that, but even when I forget to plug in the fan, this stand still keeps my laptop cooler than before.
My laptop's temperature sensor also tells me that the stand is effective. Prior to getting the stand, the sensor ranged from 44 to 51 degrees (Celsius), depending on what I was doing. With the stand, and with the fan running, the temperature usually stays in the high 30s.
I wish Belkin had recessed the plug and provided a channel for the wire, because I occasionally get it tangled with the laptop power cord. But for the price, it's a good investment.
| | Good Fan - Watch the smell |
| Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RYETCWMKT7ZZ9 I've tried a couple cooling fans, and I really like this one. I have a 17" laptop and it gets very hot. The fan has been able to keep my laptop cool even after the laptop has been running for hours. The keyboard area of my laptop used to get so hot it became uncomfortable to type. It's now much better.
I thought one fan wouldn't be enough to cool my laptop, but it does a very nice job. The fan is quieter than other stands I've tried.
There is no USB hub on this cooling stand like others have, but it is light and compact. It will fit easily into my laptop bag so I can take it with me when traveling.
The cooling pad has a pop-out stand that will help elevate the back of the laptop if you place the cooling pad on a desk. Just be careful of the stand because it's easy to push back in if you're picking up the cooling pad and moving it. It would have been nice if the prop-up stand had rubber feet so that the stand wouldn't be a scratching hazard when using on a wood desk.
I don't know if it's this way with all models, but after using it for a few hours, I could really smell the glue they used to adhere the pads to the plastic base. Perhaps it's the smell of the pads themselves. I expect it to go away after a while since I just purchased it. If it weren't for the smell, I'd give it five stars.
| | This cooling tray is not something you want to use when you're on the go, or if you ever plan to move it.
One, the vent is on the BOTTOM dead center, which if its on your lap you've got a fan whirring at your knees, or it's blocked (though the concave design does allow air to flow through the top vent if it's not obstructed.)
Now, the real dumb design flaw here is a combination effect....the little "foot" that puts it on an angle collapses rather easily, which is a pain in the butt. What makes it WORSE is the vent-fan's opening has NO PROTECTIVE GRATE around it. meaning you go to pick it up with it plugged in and your finger WILL go through. I just took a lovely little chunk out of my finger.
This is quite possibly one of the dumbest designs for one of these things. Invest in something else, it's worth it.
And to make it even worse, the tray doesn't cool my main vent that well anyhow.
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