Svalt Launches New Lineup of Cooling Stands and Docks for Macs

[PickUrPoison]

Are you saying that they have graphs on their website that show that their products work? Well, that's convinced me! 🤣

Something tells me you’re not the target market. Those who are will buy, and discover that fans do work, as I said.

You don’t have to believe it. By all means, feel free to disconnect the fans in your computer. Maybe make a temperature graph and show us how uninformative they can be 🙄

 

[SteveW928]

It plain old radiates to tabletop and air. The Al block probably weighs more than the Al Mini frame, so it sucks a lot of heat. It does get pretty warm, but passive diffusion and convection are enough to lower the Mini's case top temp by 20 or more degrees. Temp without Al block was about 95F on top. Now it runs 70-75F. ...

Hmm, that is interesting. I thought the base of the mini is plastic though, so how is the heat getting down into the block of aluminum? I have my mini on a table/desk and there is no warmth of the desk around the mini, except right in back due to the exhaust vent.

I have my Blackmagic eGPU on top of my mini, which I think helps a bit as there is some air draw across the mini and up through the eGPU. Interesting to consider putting something under it too.

 

[cerberusss]

Hmm, that is interesting. I thought the base of the mini is plastic though, so how is the heat getting down into the block of aluminum?

I'm guessing via thermal radiation. Since there's air on earth, heat is mainly transported through convection i.e. the fans. Let's say, 60-80%? (I dunno, just guessing here). The rest is radiated away into the infrared of the spectrum. Your desk may be transparent to the radiated heat, or simply reflect it, and thus you won't be able to feel it by touch alone. The block of aluminum doesn't reflect the radiated heat, it absorbs it.

But I'm no physicist, just worked with them annoying know-it-alls so I'm not sure I've correctly explained it.

 

[ckWTB]

Some details about how the new SVALT Cooling Stand increases cooling performance and what goes into designing the product:

COOLING for S Pro model
A high-quality, large and powerful 12-volt Noctua fan is positioned with open air space above and below, as well as fan screens moved away from fan blades to achieve more efficient operation with maximum airflow and minimum noise. The fan’s significant airflow is directed to the sides and back by the laptop’s angled position, and then again by the laptop support arm’s upward and outward angled design. Slim laptop support pads with a minimal contact patch combined with large cutout along the top edge of the laptop support arms allow air to move against the laptop enclosure and extract as much heat as possible. The hot air is exhausted to the back and away from the cooling fan’s underside intake vent to avoid hot air recycling.

COOLING for S Mini model
For users that choose to remove the Mac Mini’s bottom cover, then the padding system locks the Mini in place for the cooling fan to drive cooling air directly into the Mac Mini for immediate cooling of internal components, including the processor, as well as for flushing out built up heat.

COOLING SYSTEM for S Pro and S Mini models
The active cooling system has a user facing pushbutton switch to select from off for silent passive cooling, low-speed for standard quiet cooling, and high-speed for maximum cooling power. The Cooling Fan is part of the Cooling Stand’s modular system with a bolted connection for easy installation and removal, as well as for the ability to convert between the three model configurations (S, S Pro and S Mini). The Cooling Fan component’s use bolt and snap connections for easily access, servicing, replacement or upgrade. The speed control system uses a standard pin connection that works with 2, 3 and 4-pin fans. Both the speed control unit and fan have been designed to support replacement and upgrade.

BACKGROUND
My education and career background is in architecture. I studied sustainable architecture at the University of Oregon, specifically passive heat & cooling under the world’s leading professors and researchers at the time. I worked for 15 years within the industry, including working on early pilot LEED rating systems and doing a variety of volunteer work to help move sustainability into the mainstream. I moved from architecture to product design about a decade ago. Over the last three years I have worked 10-18 hour days to create the new SVALT Cooling Stand product line. I spent thousands of hours researching, designing, developing, testing (see website of extensive details), and working with local fabricators to make the Cooling Stand the best cooling solution available for current Mac laptops, as well as being compatible with all Mac and PC laptops.

COST
There are advantages to designing products for mass-consumption with off-shore mass-production, but there are also advantages to the approach I have chosen to use for SVALT in which I design products for those that need and/or desire to have the best performance with the most features, which means more of a niche product that in turns allows me to use local US fabricators to make custom parts for the products. It is more about the art, craft, performance and quality, than it is about making a product for mass-consumption. Cashflow goes into product development and paying local US fabricators. This means that I am able to provide personal attention to my fabrication team as well as customers. Reviews and videos should be coming out soon, which should help those that do not have a Cooling Stand in hand to understand what the product is all about.

Best wishes,
Chad

 

[SteveW928]

COOLING for S Mini model
For users that choose to remove the Mac Mini’s bottom cover, then the padding system locks the Mini in place for the cooling fan to drive cooling air directly into the Mac Mini for immediate cooling of internal components, including the processor, as well as for flushing out built up heat.

COOLING SYSTEM for S Pro and S Mini models
The active cooling system has a user facing pushbutton switch to select from off for silent passive cooling, low-speed for standard quiet cooling, and high-speed for maximum cooling power. The Cooling Fan is part of the Cooling Stand’s modular system with a bolted connection for easy installation and removal, as well as for the ability to convert between the three model configurations (S, S Pro and S Mini). The Cooling Fan component’s use bolt and snap connections for easily access, servicing, replacement or upgrade. The speed control system uses a standard pin connection that works with 2, 3 and 4-pin fans. Both the speed control unit and fan have been designed to support replacement and upgrade.

Thanks for the update! I've added it to my notes/todos in case I need to better cool my mini setup down the road.

 

[velocityg4]

Bah! Too expensive. I could accomplish the same by fashioning something out of cardboard and duct tape. Then use a $10 120mm desktop fan with a 12 volt ac/dc adapter.😜

 

[PickUrPoison]

Bah! Too expensive. I could accomplish the same by fashioning something out of cardboard and duct tape. Then use a $10 120mm desktop fan with a 12 volt ac/dc adapter.😜

Please post pics, some of us are in need of a good laugh! 🤣

 

[SteveW928]

Bah! Too expensive. I could accomplish the same by fashioning something out of cardboard and duct tape. Then use a $10 120mm desktop fan with a 12 volt ac/dc adapter.😜

Fair enough. I've also rigged stuff up in the past and I'm sure it wouldn't be all that hard to make something sturdy and workable. But, if you don't have the time, tools, shop-area, etc. or your hourly billable is into 3-digits, just buying something like this makes a lot of sense.

I'm curious about the fan, though. I've used some magnetic bearing fans Monoprice used to carry (maybe still do) that don't ever seem to go bad and are super-quiet. Not sure they would work in this application, but I love them.

 

[forrie]

SVALT has really nice designs; but, these don't really address scenarios where you just use the laptop, itself, without external peripherals. Macbooks have long had a heating issue, specifically in the upper portion of the unit, under the screen. What we need is active cooling on a pad or something that's both adjustable and USB-C compatible -- that fits in the design scheme. I've seen a lot of cooling pads, most of which looked like tricked-up UFOs, which really isn't something I want on my desk.

But, without really good options...