Notebook computer pack an awful lot of electronics into a small space. As notebooks get more powerful, so does their heat output, and people who use their notebooks as a “desktop replacement” feel all of that power on their legs (please no dirty jokes). “Gaming-worthy” notebooks have more heat issues than an office-class laptop. The heat has to get out somehow, and manufacturers usually have very dinky (and loud) fans positioned in odd places of their notebooks to help dispell this heat.
These small vents and fans really do no good on carpets or beds. My wife loves to bring her laptop into bed to watch movies and play Facebook games, but the down comforter really clogs up all the air holes, which make for one unhappy and overheated computer.
Zalman has unleashed their latest notebook cooler to help alleviate our pain, dubbed the ZM-NC1500 Ultra Quiet Notebook Cooler. Like many of the other notebook coolers we’ve reviewed over the years, this one elevates the notebook from your work surface, offers additional ventilation and airflow. This edition not only comes with extra fans, but an extra USB port, as well. It is also large enough to accomodate today’s large 17″ laptops.
- Premium high quality 2mm thick aluminum treated with S.A. Surface Processing.
* S.A. (Sand Blasting, Anodizing) - Sleek design incorporating a high quality 2mm thick aluminum panel with a fine curvature and great cooling performance.
- Silicon “shoes” on feet to prevent slippage and provide cooler stability. The Rubber Grip Strip prevents the notebook from sliding.
- Two-body design that melds comforting simplicity with superior cooling function. Ergonomically designed to minimize user fatigue.
- Two centrifugal fans for consistent high air pressure and fast cooling performance. 724high capacity vent holes evenly distribute the flow of cold air to cool the entire notebook.
- Optimized ventilation structure and aerodynamic design provide excellent performance even during low noise level operation. Cools the notebook allowing its internal fan to operate quietly at low RPM, making it ideal for quiet environments such as libraries and offices.
- Powered by the notebook’s USB port, eliminating the need for a separate power adaptor. The cooler includes one available USB port, which can be used for indirectly connecting a USB device to the notebook computer.
Zalman ZM-NC1500 Specifications
| Dimensions | 345(L) x 299(W) x 52(H) mm |
| Weight | 789g |
| Base Material | pure AL, ABS, nylon, rubber synthetic, silicon |
| Noise | 18.0 – 23.5 dBA ± 10 % |
| Input Voltage | 5V(USB powered) |
| Coloer | Black |
| Type | Centrifugal Fan |
| Units | 2 units |
| Bearing Type | Hypro sleeve |
| RPM | 1,100 – 1,500rpm ± 10 % |
The unit is made mostly of black plastic, but has an aluminum ventillation grate positioned on the lower two-thirds of the top surface. There are three rubber pads which help keep your laptop in place. The unit is bulged so there is a decent hollow cavity on the inside to allow airflow from the fans, which are positioned on the underside. These fans don’t blow air down, but instead introduce cool air to the underside of your laptop. While the cooler will accomodate today’s large notebooks, anything over 15″ will hang over the sides slightly.
The back of the unit has several controls. There are two USB ports (one to power the fans, the other used as a passthrough), a power button, power LED, and a small black dial, which adjusts the fan’s RPM (and thus noise). It is good to see a traditional red power LED when the fans are switched on. Since the cooler’s fans are very quiet, it can be hard to tell if the unit is actually on.
Installation is rather simple. Basically all you do is plop your notebook onto the top of this cooler and insert a USB passthrough cable from one of your free USB ports to this cooler and turn on. The fans will start to whirr and you can adjust the fan’s speed to obtain a balance of noise and cooling.
Many notebook coolers like to use an extra USB cable, but these are easily lost. It would have been better if the cooler had a permanent USB dongle, or a retractable one to power the fans. The rubber pads do a good job of keeping your laptop snug, but there is no physical lip, which makes sure there is no slippage and provides additional wrist support like the Enermax Aeolus (reviewed here).
Another issue of this cooler is the lack of foldable feet. While the design makes sure there is plenty of room for the fans to gather air, it would have been nice to see a design that did not force an additional tilt to your laptop. The design of this cooler introduces air to the bottom of your notebook, which is where many laptops have their air intake vents. It is possible that expanding the airflow grate to the entire surface could help performance, but we’ll know for sure during testing.
At its lowest setting, the cooler introduces 21 dBA of noise, which is practically inaudible in an average room. At full setting, the cooler is slightly audible at 23 dBA, which is surely quieter than a typical laptop’s fan. Although it is very quiet, the ZM-NC1500 is slightly louder than the Enermax Aeolus.
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Regardless of my preconceived notions about the cooler’s position, it appears to cool just as well as the Enermax Aeolus. Zalman appears to produce just as much airflow as its competitors, although it uses two smaller fans compared to Enermax’s large 250mm fan.
We like that you don’t “lose” a USB port when using this cooler, but it would have been nice if a permanent or retractable cable were attached. It is very light since it is mostly plastic, but because of that it doesn’t feel as sturdy as an all-metal cool. Its light weight may tempt you to take this cooler with you to the library, but its permanently-extended feet may make snag in your laptop bag.
Overall there is a lot to like about this cooler, you just have to decide which features are important to you. The Zalman ZM-NC1500 Ultra-Quiet Notebook Cooler does have great performance, accomodates today’s large notebooks, and is practically silent.
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