Thermaltake T2000 Notebook Cooler - Printer Friendly version

1. Introduction

We recently reviewed Thermaltake's IXoft Pad, which is a silent, fanless cooling pad for laptops. The performance of the IXoft pad while good, may not be enough for some of the more "hot blooded" portables which can produce quite a good deal of heat. For such case, we'll be taking a look in this review, at another laptop cooling product, this time with two fans producing enough airflow for better cooling, we hope, of your newly bought laptop. Let's meet Thermaltake's T2000 notebook cooler.

- Thermaltake T2000 Notebook Cooler

Thermaltake Technologies cooling solutions has branched into the notebook market. The NBcool series of coolers is Thermaltake's latest innovation for cooling all kinds of notebooks. The T2000 series support up to 15” notebooks, utilizing fans starting from 70mm.

The NBCool T2000 is only half the size of an ordinary laptop but should be up to the task with two 70mm fans blowing onto the notebook. It is designed to elevate the notebook at an angle, increasing airflow and dispersing the heat from underneath, hence avoiding overheating. The NBCool series is powered from the computers USB port, avoiding the need to carry around any bulky AC adapters. The futuristic design is influenced by racing cars and a specially designed bright red vent on the sides contributes to it's sporty look. The design is very ergonomic and lets the wrists align more naturally when typing, increasing user comfort. Lightweight, portable, and stylish, this makes the NBCool series a perfect companion for your notebook when on the go or at home.

- Features

Supports most notebook dimensions
Supports all notebooks up to 15"
Ultra silent dual 7cm fans keep noise level to a minimum
Light weight for maximum portability
Black mirror finish look
Multi-vent design; more cool air intake for better cooling
USB Powered, eliminates bulky AC adapter

- Specifications

P/N	R14PF03
Application	For 12”~15” Notebook
Weight	492g
Dimension	330 x 186x 43.5 mm
Material	Plastic
Accessory	USB DC Jack cable

Fan
Dimension	Φ70mm
Voltage	5V
Current	0.18A
RPM	1200 ± 200RPM
Noise level	18dBA

2. The Retail Package

Thermaltake provided us with the retail package of their R14PF03. Users can buy it at the retail price of ~US$29 (+shipping). The product comes in a hard plastic shell.

After opening the retail package, we can finally see the T2000 cooler. The product can easily accommodate 12~15" laptops without problems. On the top surface are the model and company logos. Through the vents you can make out the two 70mm fans. The T2000 cooler is all-plastic but it is sturdy and of good quality.

Flipping the notebook cooler over, we can see the six rubber pads for extra stability.

The included USB cable which powers the cooler, incorporates an on/off switch.

And here it is connected on the right hand side:

More pictures of Thermaltake's laptop cooler:

3. Tests and Conclusion

The testing procedure for a notebook cooler is rather simple. We simply want to see how well it cools under normal use conditions. The laptop used in our test is an Asus A6JA with a 5400rpm HDD, which generates more heat than 4200rpm hard disks commonly found in laptops. We ran 3D Mark '06 3 times and with Everest Ultimate Edition, we measured temperatures for motherboard, processor and HDD. At the same time, the HDD was put through Everest's Ultimate Edition Burn-In Test, in order to maximize any heat produced. Below is a graph showing the average and maximum temperatures for the standalone portable, with the Thermaltake IXoft pad, and finally with the Thermaltake T2000.

The test results are very interesting. The most noticable effect is in the reduction of the HDD temperature, since the HDD in our laptop is just above the right fan. On the other hand, the CPU and motherboard temperatures are not affected and in the case of the CPU, the temperature increased. Thermaltek's Ixoft Pad seems better at cooling the CPU and motherboard temperatures.

Concluding this review, we found the Thermaltake T2000 not to perform as well as we would have liked or expected. We have a feeling that this product may be more suitable for laptops having a smoother bottom, since our Asus didn't make a perfect "fit" with the surface of the T2000 cooler, due to its bumpy under-side. It's possible that other laptops can benefit more from the T2000 notebook cooler. On the bright side, the two fans are very silent and you barely notice them. At a retail price of US$29, we would be more inclined to recommend the Ixoft Pad, which better suits our everyday notebook cooling needs.