We tried to find out how efficient a cooling product can be when you are using your portable PC in your typical daily tasks. The laptop we used in our test was an Asus A6JA with a 5400rpm HDD installed.

We run the 3D Mark '06 software three times and via the Everest Ultimate Edition we measured the temperature of the motherboard, the processor and of course the HDD. At the same time, the HDD was put under Everest's Ultimate Edition Burn-In Test in order to maximize the produced heat. Below is a table that illustrates the average/maximum temperatures of the various components of out notebook with the Akasa coolers installed and not installed.

For comparison, we have added the results of two other coolers by Thermaltake; the Ixoft Pad and the T200.

The test results are very interesting. Without any cooling solution installed, the Asus A6JA runs rather hot. The Akasa Libra seems to be the most efficient cooler on this test. It managed to reduce the overall temperature of the motherboard by 6.4 degrees Celcius. The overall gain at the raw CPU temperature is less (3.2 degrees Celcius), while at the VGA was kept cooler by 5.9 Celcius. In addition, the HDD temperature was 7.5 degrees Celcius lower with the Akasa coolers installed. On the other hand, the Akasa Gemini proved to be less efficient but still, it is a very good cooling solution.

To sum up, using any of the Akasa notebook coolers (Akasa Gemini/Libra) will reduce the overall temperature of your notebook. So both products do work. Especially if you are a hardcore gamer, the Akasa Libra seems to be the best solution. It feels more robust and its brushed aluminum surface make it look great. Priced at around €20 Euro both solutions look rather attractive purchases.