Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Most effective active cooler for MBP?

Sesshi

Sesshi

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jun 3, 2006
8,113
1
One Nation Under Gordon
Sheesh... Having picked out for myself a couple of MBP's from the delivery we got and started to run them through their paces, it's a case of 'no change' from my previous FurnaceBook Pros. The best I can hope for, apart from running the fans at 4000+rpm all the time, is to use an external cooler.

The MBP's are no longer my transportable desktops, so I won't be using anything like an Elevator. Passive plates like the iLap do help, but from what I'm seeing it's still not enough - I still have to crank the internal fans to levels of noise way beyond my main desktops at home.

What is the most effective low-to-zero profile (since I've got the screen opened as far back as possible even when normally typing) active cooler which fits the MBP in terms of temperature lowering and quiet running?
 
Sesshi said:
Sheesh... Having picked out for myself a couple of MBP's from the delivery we got and started to run them through their paces, it's a case of 'no change' from my previous FurnaceBook Pros. The best I can hope for, apart from running the fans at 4000+rpm all the time, is to use an external cooler.

The MBP's are no longer my transportable desktops, so I won't be using anything like an Elevator. Passive plates like the iLap do help, but from what I'm seeing it's still not enough - I still have to crank the internal fans to levels of noise way beyond my main desktops at home.

What is the most effective low-to-zero profile (since I've got the screen opened as far back as possible even when normally typing) active cooler which fits the MBP in terms of temperature lowering and quiet running?
Click to expand...

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/prod...AFEED->PRODUCTS&cm_ite=1 PRODUCT&cm_keycode=4

I haven't ordered mine yet, but my brother has one he uses with his Dell XPS..if it can keep that reactor cool it should work with your macbook pro. Don't know about the profile..might want to stop by CC and look at one.
 
I use the Targus Chill pad, saw it at walmart and picked it up one day...works very well. Not only does it lower cpu temps under load but keeps the bottom of the notebook (not laptop ;) ) but it also makes it bearable to keep on you lap! USB powered fans. I belive I paid around $15 for it at walmart...maybe $20 though.

I havent tried any others however I have no complaints with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Targus-PA248U-Notebook-Chill-Pad/dp/B0000AKA8Y


*edit, its fairly quiet as well...though not as quiet as the MBP running at 1000rpms
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Has anyone tried the Targus Chill Hub (looks like the chill pad but with 4 usb connections)?
 
I just use a fan to blow air towards the back of my MBP 2.2 GHz :p Works really well. When encoding video my fan rpm drop to under 3000 rpm :)
 
Well - I bought a bunch of them. Antec, Zalman, Akasa, yada yada.

The only ones which work well are the flat ones, since any of the stands with a slight angle means that I can't see the screen properly thanks to the design compromise on the MBP. Thing is, I don't like any of the flat ones.

*eyes Elevator with a resigned sigh*
 
tmoney468 said:
I use the Thermaltake iXoft and it does really help with the heat dissapation of my MBP. It's passive which you said you didn't want, but it's also a lot more portable that other coolers and works about as well as them.
Click to expand...

Now that is a strange product. But intriguing.
 
It's an interesting idea, but the chemistry involved seems to be more about keeping you un-roasted than keeping the notebook cool - I'm not using it on a lap but on a surface and at higher CPU/GPU usage.

How much temp. reduction do you get in say Handbrake or Parallels usage?
 
Sesshi said:
It's an interesting idea, but the chemistry involved seems to be more about keeping you un-roasted than keeping the notebook cool - I'm not using it on a lap but on a surface and at higher CPU/GPU usage. How much temp. reduction do you get in say Handbrake or Parallels usage?
Click to expand...

They give a bunch of meaning less stats but no real information.

"Noise Level: 0 dBA"... duh! :p

Otherwise, it is 5-6 ℃ cooler than a book. Huh? :confused:

Whatever...
 
iXoft makes the computer on average 7 C cooler than with nothing:

http://www.bigbruin.com/2007/ttixoft_3

I'm at work so I can't do a comparison right now but it definitely works to cool the computer. The way it works is it acts as a heatsink, dissipating the heat from the hottest areas of your computer...so there is less heat built up inside the computer and cools the aluminum.
 
A friend of mine uses those freezer gel packs with the blue goo inside. Swaps them out from under his machine and he reports it draws the heat quite effectively. He has four of them and does a rotation when doing his "heavy computing" tasks. I think he just looks at porn. :rolleyes:

cool-gel-pack.gif
 
KingYaba said:
A friend of mine uses those freezer gel packs with the blue goo inside. Swaps them out from under his machine and he reports it draws the heat quite effectively. He has four of them and does a rotation when doing his "heavy computing" tasks. I think he just looks at porn. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

But wouldn't the condensation damage the bottom of the notebook? :confused:

I personally use a Griffin Elevator. It doesn't take up any USB ports, need a power plug and isn't noisy. It raises the notebook to eye level preventing neck and back pain and most importantly, it reduces temps by 7-10C.
 
vicious7 said:
I personally use a Griffin Elevator. It doesn't take up any USB ports, need a power plug and isn't noisy. It raises the notebook to eye level preventing neck and back pain and most importantly, it reduces temps by 7-10C.
Click to expand...

You know, all these active coolers use USB ports... doesn't that in itself make the computer hotter? :confused:
 
I use the iXoft, i like it for use on lap. It does keep my lap cooler. Not sure how much cooler the computer is cause i use SMC.
 
cobravap said:
I use the iXoft, i like it for use on lap. It does keep my lap cooler. Not sure how much cooler the computer is cause i use SMC.
Click to expand...

You can download the iStat widget... it has a temperature gauge in it.

You can run something hard, get the temp and then put the cooling pad under it to see how much it cools the inside of your Mac.
 
How do you deal with the angle? The Zalman I bought for example probably raises the laptop at the back about half as much as that stand but I already find that I have to crouch down to view the display thanks to the Macbook Pro's poorly engineered hinges.
 
Sesshi said:
...thanks to the Macbook Pro's poorly engineered hinges.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about?

The only thing I've noticed about the MBP, is that the Apple engineers must sit higher than I do because my face isn't centered in the camera when I adjust the screen for the perfect viewing angle.
 
I've been using a Targus Chill Mat on my PowerBook G4 for about a year and a half. My computer can get really hot while running games or multiple applications, and that accessory really improves the framerate on WoW and helped applications run faster. It's a cheaper alternative to upgrading RAM so I'd recommend it to pretty much any laptop owner.

The only thing is that dust can build up on the inside, making the fans run slower and louder. Every couple of months I take it apart and clean out the inside. This isn't very difficult to do - you just need a screwdriver and some Q-Tips. Takes about 15 minutes to take apart, dust out, and put back together. But, I guess that's annoying for some people.

As far as the Targus "Chill Hub" goes, I have a friend that bought one. It's a bit louder than mine, and doesn't seem to cool any better. It's got a USB hub, which isn't really necessary for most people's needs. So if I were you, I'd go with the regular Chill Mat.
 
majordude said:
Hmmm. The reviews on NewEgg are pretty poor on this accessory. :(
Click to expand...

I read them also. All I can tell you is that is mostly the negative person that posts on forums and reviews, and many people are bandwagoneers.

This cooler is very good quality and works very well for what it does. If you order it and dont like it, what did you waste? $18? other coolers costs double and dont work as well.

The angle on this cooler is actually an asset and is way more ergonomic that a flat laptop.... hinges are well engineered whats this other gu:cool:y talking about?
 
Sigh, just get this, Cooler Master Notepal

1082_1.jpg


I got it recently.

I like how it props my Macbook Pro up nicely, the fans are all right; it has 2 USB ports (uses 1), and it's made of aluminum which is nice for heat conduction.
 
majordude said:
What are you talking about?

The only thing I've noticed about the MBP, is that the Apple engineers must sit higher than I do because my face isn't centered in the camera when I adjust the screen for the perfect viewing angle.
Click to expand...


Dell XPS M1330


Dell Latitude D620


Apple Macbook "Pro"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back