User Review: Zalman ZM NC2000 Laptop Cooler

[TexasEx7]

Hi everyone! This is my first review, so feel free to ask questions about things I missed, or ask for additional pictures/video of the unit. For the pictures I have currently, please see the "Zalman ZM-NC2000 Cooler Pictures" photo album on this site. Enjoy the review! I am having trouble inserting them into this post, so just go to this link to see them http://forum.notebookreview.com/gall...php?photo=2029

Design and Build
First Impression
The Zalman ZM-NC2000 came highly recommended, so I expected it to not only do its cooling job, but also to be built well and look somewhat stylish. It did not disappoint me. The first thing I noticed was the weight of the cooler. The factory weight is listed at 3 lbs, which feels about right. Its close to the weight of my Dell Mini 10v with a 6 cell battery. The unit is built very solidly, with an anodized aluminum surface covering the top, and thin, lightweight plastic casing on the bottom. It definitely gets some points for style, being available in either silver or black. The top surface is resistant to scratching, is cool to the touch, and very smooth. Its not at all flimsy, and all my attempts to bend and deform the unit were met with failure.

Size
The dimensions of the machine are 318 (L) x 400 (W) x 42.5 (H) mm, or for those who still resist the metric system, 12.5 (L) x 15.75 (W) x 1.6 (H) inches. My Dell Studio XPS 16 sits on it perfectly with a little less than a centimeter overhanging on either the left or the right side. My SXPS 16 is, obviously, less than 16 inches wide, so any laptop smaller than this would certainly fit without any problems. Larger laptops might overhang just a small amount, but I think this unit could still be effective for them. The product claims it will fit notebooks up to 20 inches (and then gives dimensions in millimeters, make up your mind, Zalman!).

Features
The top is layered with hundreds of holes for the cool air to flow out of, and has rubber trimming on the top corners and bottom edge to hold the notebook in place. My machine was very stable sitting on the surface, barely even able to wiggle. The bottom features a storage compartment for the USB cable, which powers the machine directly from your computer. There is a 2.0 USB port on the left side of the cooling pad, and a 1.0 USB on the right side. This leaves no need for a long power cord and gives you the freedom to put the cooler anywhere you like. Also, two retractable 'feet' on the bottom of the cooler make it possible to get even more of an incline, in the addition to the 1.5 inches already given by the sloped pad.

Functionality
For those of you looking to use this on your laps, I have mostly good news. The unit sits on laps fairly well, and doesn't poke or protrude anywhere on my legs. I sat with it on my couch and typed some of this review on it, and it did a great job of keeping my lap cool while staying comfortable. I never felt warm on my legs, and the fans blowing actually cooled them off more by pulling some of the air up and keeping it circulating underneath the cooler. I have used some lap-pads before, and one of my least favorite things were they eventually made my lap warm because the air wouldn't circulate. I think this works better than the ones I've used. My only caveat is that if you put your knees together you might block the fans, which could possibly affect the fans cooling capabilies. I haven't had this problem, however I will say that it probably works best on a flat desk surface for maximum effectiveness (but putting it on your lap is okay from time to time).

Noise
As advertised, this is a very quiet notebook cooler. The noise of the two fans running at 1500 RPM's (highest setting) is barely audible to my ears. At worst, it is a dull hum that is still much lower than my computer's fan during high stress. At half speed, I am not able to hear anything. In fact, the cooling fans are only audible to me at the highest setting, unless I lay my head near the keyboard and listen. For those who would like something more 'solid', the packaging lists the highest noise at 25.5 dBA (+/- 10%). I haven't taken physics in years, but I'm sure theres a way to figure out how far you must be in order to discern a noise of that decibel level.

Also, I would note that my computer's fan never became audible during testing while using the NC2000. The fan on the cooling pad was the only one I was ever able to hear, thanks to keeping my system fan at its low speed. This means you probably shouldn't see any net increase in noise from your current computer, and you might even get a quieter computing experience with this cooler.

Now that we have established the notebook cooler is worth using, lets see if it was actually worth buying!

Heat Results
Note: All temperatures without the NC2000 fan on are recorded while the laptop has been raised up approximately 1 inch in the back. This is to determine if the fan adds any extra benefit than simply allowing air underneath the machine.

My Computer:
Dell Studio XPS 16
P8700 Processor
4GB of DDR3 RAM
500 GB Western Digital 5400 RPM HDD
ATI Radeon HD 3670 Video Card

My idle temperatures were recorded after just turning on my machine and doing nothing but browse the internet (NBR Forums) for about 5 minutes. As expected, they are pretty low. The bottom of the machine was not warm after 5 minutes either.

After this, I placed the laptop on top of the Zalman NC2000 and turned the fan speed as high as it would go. I played games for about 30 minutes (some MMORPG’s with settings turned up). Usually this is the amount of time it takes before I notice warm palm rests, especially around the touchpad area, which is known to get almost hot by most SXPS 16 users due to its proximity to the computer’s southbridge. I then ran back to back benchmarks for my system to make sure everything was being ‘run’. I used the latest versions BenchGeek and Passmark Performance Test, which tests GPU, CPU, HDD, and CD speeds). I noticed during this time that the palm rests did not become uncomfortably warm, and the part of my laptop that is normally the hottest, like a car out in the sun for an hour, was only lukewarm. Furthermore, the underside of the notebook was cool to the touch.

Then I turned my notebook off completely for 1 hour. Upon restarting, I switched to my old method of cooling, which consisted of a dinner table item that I use to prop the back of the machine up. I had noticed previously that this helps the touchpads somewhat, and keeps fan speeds lower, but the touchpad area still got just as hot even with this technique. I performed the same process as I did before, stressing the machine with the same games and benchmarks. The bottom was cooler than sitting on my lap, but after an hour of gaming it was still warm. The same could be said for the touchpad, which got characteristically hot.

Summary:

Internal Temperatures:
GPU Temp when...
Idle: 45 C/ 113 F
Stress no Fan: 51 C/ 123 F
Stress w/ Fan: 49 C/ 120 F

CPU Temp when...
Idle: 44 C/111 F
Stress no Fan: 50 C/ 122 F
Stress w/ Fan: 45 C/113 F

HDD Temp when...
Idle: 33 C/91 F
Stress no Fan: 46 C/ 114 F
Stress w/ Fan: 39 C/102 F

As you can see, temperatures decreased by anywhere from 3-12 degrees on internal components. With even more stressing, the impact is probably more noticeable. However, I lacked the time to go on two different 3 hour gaming binges! I don't know if this will prolong hardware lifespans, but it certainly can't hurt. The 10-20 degrees can possibly mean the difference between an FPS drop or smooth play at a crucial point in your gaming experience, as it could prevent an overly hot GPU from downclocking due to heat. However, I think the real benefit is how it improves usability of machines that tend to get warm externally on the chassis.

External Temperatures:
Unfortunately, I had no way of measuring chassis temperatures aside from my own judgement. Like I said before, the touchpad and palmrests get especially warm when I use my SXPS 16, even with the back raised up. The bottom is usually somewhat warm as well, though the heat is focused on the top/front end of the machine.

When using the NC2000, this temperature was much more comfortable. The palmrests became less warm (not cool to the touch, but easier to deal with), and touchpad area as well. The bottom of the notebook gets cool to the touch with just 10-15 minutes on top of the cooling pad. The best part is they stay cool even through a 1 hour long stretch of gaming and benchmarks. I was very satisfied with the job it did in keeping my chassis cool.

Verdict and Price
The Zalman NC2000 is priced currently anywhere from $50-60 new or used, though I have seen it much lower on eBay. I think this might be a little on the expensive side, seeing as Walmart sells cheap cooling pads for $10-15, and there are other viable alternatives to this product, such as a nice lap pad. However, the product works as advertised. It makes good on its claims of being quiet, as well as the cooling performance it promises.

Most lap pads and cheap cooling pads I have seen are more aimed at keeping the heat from reaching you and not reducing the heat, while this system does both. The only possible criticism is the weight, which prevents it from being suitable for anywhere computing. Take it on vacation with ease, maybe on an airplane, but I don't see myself fitting this in a backpack for classes (at least, not with my SXPS 16). If you are desk-bound, however, this could be a great choice.

[nacholambre]

Put in some pictures mate!

[fmac]

Very nice review! thank you for sharing

[TexasEx7]

Nacho, just click the link at the beginning of the post. Im having trouble getting images to load.

[hwa1201]

I got question about nc2000. I got XPS m1530 with 9 cell battery. So do u think I could still use nc2000 with 9cell? (u know how the laptop is elevated with 9cell battery)

[TexasEx7]

The laptop will be elevated but I don't see a problem with using the NC2000 with it. The back has two rubber squares and a strip along the front will keep the laptop from being unstable. The incline of the machine will be increased, since the cooler naturally rises at a slight angle (see the pictures I link at the beginning of the post). If you are fine with typing at an angle (most people like it) then it will be a good fit for you.

[SideSwipe5]

i got a question about the nc2000. i just ordered a SXPS and i was just wondering during your test you noted that the laptop was raised one inch. was this raised one inch while on the cooler and if so how did you do it? with a 9-cell battery?

[TexasEx7]

When I say it was raised one inch, I mean it was raised with a textbook sitting underneath the back of the machine (I use a 6 cell battery). While it was on the cooler, it sat flat on the cooler.

Perhaps this picture gallery will help you understand what it looks like better.

[comrade_commissar7]

I want to see some pictures, dude. I'm now using Thermaltake Massive 23 ST and I'm really not contented with the results. Thanks

[TexasEx7]

There is a link to the photo gallery in the post before yours. It should give you a pretty good idea of how it looks/works.