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CES 2015: SVALT Launches Stylish Cooling Dock for Apple MacBooks

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Apr 12, 2001
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SVALT today announced the launch of a new cooling dock designed for Apple MacBooks and select PC laptops, which the company promises offers a 12x improvement in cooling, 129 percent improvement in CPU power, and 53 percent improvement in CPU Turbo Boost by eliminating CPU throttling due to heat issues.

Created from solid aluminum and designed to match up with the style of Apple's MacBooks, the two-pound SVALT D is compact and holds a closed MacBook vertically in a dedicated ledge. A 12-volt fan sends air through the laptop's closed screen to reduce system temperatures while allowing GPU resources to be used for an external display.

svalt-800x546.jpg
Transform your laptop with a level of performance and functionality previously limited to the highest-end desktop computers. Heat buildup in the laptop negatively impacts performance and long term durability. Anchored by the passive cooling capacity of a highly engineered 2 pounds of aluminum, SVALT D enhances cooling with a 12-volt 80x25mm fan to drive airflow through the laptop's closed screen position air vent. Airflow is directed over the internal electronic components and bottom panel, feeding cool air into one or more of the laptop's fans and driving waste exhaust air out vents, flushing out heat.
Click to expand...
The company says that real world results using the SVALT D will depend on the laptop used, the workload, and ambient temperatures, but it detailed testing on a 2012 11-inch MacBook Air:
- Fan: Red 1600-1700RPM
- Environment: 21 Celsius +/-1 and 50dB +/-5 office standards
- Cooling: 13C increase without SVALTTM D verses 1C increase with SVALTTM D
- Power: 0.748W increase with SVALTTM D verses -2.616W reduction without SVALTTM D
- Turbo Boost: 1.000GHz increase and sustained max Turbo Boost with SVALTTM D verses a throttled 0.653GHz increase without SVALTTM D
- Noise observation: slightly louder than background noise at 2ft from front
Click to expand...
svalt2-800x527.jpg
The dock ships with a power supply and it can be used with the fan on or off. There are two fan options -- a higher-powered red fan that runs at 1700RPM/15 dBA and a quieter Yellow fan that runs at 1200RPM/12 dBA.

The SVALT D works with current-generation MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro computers, including 11, 13, and 15-inch models. The SVALT D is currently in production, and the company plans to begin taking orders in February. The dock will be priced between $130 and $150.

Article Link: CES 2015: SVALT Launches Stylish Cooling Dock for Apple MacBooks
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/01/08/ces-2015-svalt-d-for-macbook/
This looks awesome, but I wonder if placing the laptop vents *downward* is the best way to go...
 
Operated in clamshell mode

The MacBook can be used while docked--the MacBook operates in clamshell mode, with external monitor and peripherals. See http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201834 for instructions regarding use in clamshell mode.

*disclosure, I'm a consultant to SVALT, so not disinterested.
 
This is a pretty good idea. My quad core MBP just about lights my pants on fire when I use it on my lap, and with the lid closed sitting on a desk I'm always afraid it's going to burn the varnish.
 
You swap out the entire fan just change its RPM? Why couldn't they have just included a voltage switch?

Also, unless I'm imagining things, the exhaust heat comes out the back of the MacBook air.
 
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Hmm, the space in the screen hinge is usually an EXHAUST but this stand is using it as an INTAKE? It blows air into the exhaust of the Macbooks? What did i miss?
 
JesperA said:
Hmm, the space in the screen hinge is usually an EXHAUST but this stand is using it as an INTAKE? It blows air into the exhaust of the Macbooks? What did i miss?
Click to expand...

The central area of that hinge vent is an intake, the outer edges are where the fans exhaust heat (one on each side for a 15", just one on one side for smaller MacBooks).

Huge Image Warning:
15" rMBP
13" MBA
 
penter said:
This looks awesome, but I wonder if placing the laptop vents *downward* is the best way to go...
Click to expand...

It obviously is. Note how the Apple Logo is oriented correctly with this configuration. :D

My question is, will the plastic piece covering the hinge assembly be damaged by supporting up to 6.5 pounds (cMBP 17") for prolonged periods of time?

cosminsel said:
So you can't use your laptop while it's docked?
Click to expand...

Clamshell mode. Attach a display, keyboard, and mouse, plug in the notebook (not sure if this is required) and close the lid. Not sure what you do after that, 'cause I've never actually done it :mad:
 
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I would think the market for these would be somewhat small. How many people regularly use their notebook with an external display? I guess you hardcore gamers.
 
c1phr said:
The central area of that hinge vent is an intake, the outer edges are where the fans exhaust heat (one on each side for a 15", just one on one side for smaller MacBooks).

Huge Image Warning:
15" rMBP
13" MBA
Click to expand...
Ok great ;) I thought the vents was just used as an exhaust.


b0nd18t said:
I would think the market for these would be somewhat small. How many people regularly use their notebook with an external display? I guess you hardcore gamers.
Click to expand...
Me and a lot of other people use external monitors regularly. Gamers? There is 1 billion other reasons to use an external monitor with your laptop, more screen realestate which is great for programming/development, photo editing, video editing, cad etc etc etc
 
cosminsel said:
So you can't use your laptop while it's docked?
Click to expand...

That was my thinking as well...when I use my MBP on the road, I use the whole laptop...screen and all. Wondering what the market is for people who use their laptop as a 'desktop' to connect it to another monitor, keyboard, and mouse...unless I'm missing something...

----------
legally said:
The MacBook can be used while docked--the MacBook operates in clamshell mode, with external monitor and peripherals. See http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201834 for instructions regarding use in clamshell mode.

*disclosure, I'm a consultant to SVALT, so not disinterested.
Click to expand...

So why not just get an iMac (especially if you're in the market for this item)?
 
RAD!! (finally...)

my first gen 15" MBP retina can really cook, but gets cooked when I'm doing CPU/GPU intensive activities like high res rendering and video processing. If I can shave 5% off my output time, this thing would pay for itself several times over in the first use! Looking forward to putting it to the test. Also like the look. Obviously designed with mac in mind---looks sweet. Red fan is awesome. I see that it's designed to precisely align with the ACTUAL exhaust vents. Very nice.
 
JesperA said:
Me and a lot of other people use external monitors regularly. Gamers? There is 1 billion other reasons to use an external monitor with your laptop, more screen realestate which is great for programming/development, photo editing, video editing, cad etc etc etc
Click to expand...

Extra real estate is key (I'm a film editor so I've got my 27" iMac along with 2 external monitors), but you're not really gaining all that much real estate if you're not using the monitor that you paid for in the laptop...all you're doing is pushing the information over to another monitor...
 
I thought 15" rMBP sucked the air in from the sides (where there are vents) and blew it out the back.
 
b0nd18t said:
I would think the market for these would be somewhat small. How many people regularly use their notebook with an external display? I guess you hardcore gamers.
Click to expand...

Considering that Apple sells a display specifically geared towards Macbook owners, it can't be that small of a market.
 
BreuerEditor said:
Extra real estate is key (I'm a film editor so I've got my 27" iMac along with 2 external monitors), but you're not really gaining all that much real estate if you're not using the monitor that you paid for in the laptop...all you're doing is pushing the information over to another monitor...
Click to expand...

The display resolution for the Air is only 1366×768 for the 11.6" model and 1440 × 900 for the 13.3". Apples own Thunderbolt display is 2560x1440 pixels, which, at around 3.5 times the resolution of the 11.6", is quite a bit more real estate actually. Plus you get a physically larger screen, which can be a relief on the eyes, and some external monitors handle color reproduction much better than the ones built into the Airs, which is a big deal when editing photos.
 
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