Cables Unlimted FANNBCOOL3 MiniFit Slate Grey Metal Netbook Cooler with Fan

by Cables Unlimited

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 10 x 2 inches ; 13.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0026MBEIW
• Item model number: FANNBCOOL3
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2004

Product Description

Cables Unlimted FANNBCOOL3 MiniFit Slate Grey Metal Netbook Cooler with Fan

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Minimalistic, but it works, August 20, 2009

By 

S. Lionel (NH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cables Unlimted FANNBCOOL3 MiniFit Slate Grey Metal Netbook Cooler with Fan (Personal Computers)

I purchased the Cables Unlimited FANNBCOOL3 for my Dell Mini 9. The Mini 9 is fanless and it can get warm, depending on what it is doing. I had tried a couple of different "coolers" including one with a heat-absorbing material, but none of them worked particularly well. (The absorbing mat, in particular, worked great for about 10 minutes until it could no longer absorb more heat.)

The FANNBCOOL3 consists of the gray-painted aluminum stand with rubberized pads, a separate USB-powered fan, and a pack of two small stick-on rubber pads, whose purpose is left to the imagination. The paperboard wrap around the stand has no instructions. The fan's plastic housing has four pegs that fit into the stand's holes from the underside - you can position the fan where it makes the most sense for your netbook, assuming your netbook has vents on the bottom. I found the spacing of the pegs just slightly off so that I could not fully insert two of the four pegs. However, it held on well with just two. The fan's power connector has a pass-through for USB so you don't lose a port. There is also a speed control on the fan cable. The cable isn't very long, which is good in that it won't tangle in things. It is long enough to reach a USB port on most any netbook.

The Mini 9 fit perfectly and reasonably securely on the stand. The angle of the stand is such, though, that the display lid of the Mini 9 ends up nearly vertical, since it has a restricted rake. It wasn't as bad as some stands I had seen. A larger netbook might or might not fit well, depending on where its feet were. Note that the manufacturer says it is specifically designed for 8.9" netbooks (which the Mini 9 is.)

In use, the stand on its own noticeably lowered the CPU temperature of the Mini 9 - at least 10C, I'd say. The fan made very little difference no matter where I placed it so I just leave it off. Your situation may vary. In use, the fan was quiet except on its fastest setting where it made an audible, but not annoying whir.

The product description for the FANNBCOOL3 says that it "clamps on" to the netbook for carrying. Well, maybe some it does, but not the Mini 9. The opening is too small for the back edge and too big for the front edge. It does fit around the front edge, though, so you can carry it that way without adding much bulk. Of course, if you're going to use this feature, you must remove the fan first!

I have uploaded three photos showing the FANNBCOOL in use with the Mini 9.

I think the FANNBCOOL3 works well just on its own and is just the right size for me.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Does the job nicely, November 24, 2009

By 

SWA (Washington state) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cables Unlimted FANNBCOOL3 MiniFit Slate Grey Metal Netbook Cooler with Fan (Personal Computers)

My Asus netbook is no George Foreman grill but does get fairly warm, which could shorten the life of components inside. So, a cooling base seemed like a wise investment. The Cables Unlimited Fannbcool3 Minifit looked like a good, simple design. I liked that it's made of metal, both for drawing off heat and for durability. Note, though, that this cooling base is designed for smaller netbooks. Mine has an 8.9-inch screen and fits perfectly on the Minifit.

Setting it up, you must press plastic pegs on the tiny fan assembly into perforations in the base. This allows you to locate the fan wherever you think it will do the most good. Getting the pegs to fit requires filing one of them down just a little, because they're spaced a bit wide for lining up with the perforations. This only takes a few seocnds, and then the fan presses into place nicely.

In use, the unit raises and holds the netbook at a convenient height and angle. That provides a fair amount of cooling, even without the fan. The fan is powered out of a USB port. It generates a slight, steady breeze -- just enough to take the edge off of heat buildup. It's also blessedly quiet.

I've been using the Minifit for about a month and am very satisfied. It does the job and represents a good value for the price.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works great, November 17, 2009

By 

C. Graves - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cables Unlimted FANNBCOOL3 MiniFit Slate Grey Metal Netbook Cooler with Fan (Personal Computers)

I have ordered a 2nd one for my son and it works great, it is compact and travels well, if you need a fan to help cool you net book or laptop this is a good one to get.