Customer Reviews

Zalman Ultra-Quiet Notebook Cooler, Model ZM-NC1000 (Black)

5 star:		(95)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I recently purchased an HP dv9000 laptop with almost all of the bells and whistles. The problem, one common in this age of super-powered laptops, is that it could start to run very hot. It even shutdown at one point due to the heat. I knew I needed to do something to remedy the problem.

After doing some research, I decided to give the Zalman NC1000 a try. I'm amazed at the difference it's made. Even during the heaviest gaming session when every part of my system is running, the Zalman keeps the temperature in check. I have no more worries about my machine overheating.

Pros:
- Cools down notebooks as well as advertised
- Adjustable fan setting for your level of use
- USB powered with an extra USB port for an additional USB accessory such as a mouse
- Nice angle makes the laptop keyboard more comfortable
- Slick design looks great

Cons:
- A way to adjust how high the notebook sits over the cooler, especially in the back, would have been nice

If you are looking for an effective cooling pad for your laptop, I would definitely consider the Zalman NC1000. It's well worth the money.

The Zalman NC1000 notebook cooler has to be amongst the best out there right now. This thing actually cools along the ENTIRE top surface area of the cooler (as opposed to one or two spots MOST other coolers focus on) so it really cools, at even levels, the entire bottom-side of the notebook. This is a huge plus in and of its own. Although I didn't see a 30% drop in temps (thats rather unrealistic), this thing does keep me at adequately safe temperatures even during the most CPU and GPU-taxing processes (in some situations, I saw drops of 10-15 degrees C).

The cooler is truly "silent". I can barely hear the thing at all except when I have the fans going at the maximum level (and even then, I hear nothing more than a gentle "whirring" sound - usually, the sound of the notebook running completely drowns out the fans altogether). This brings up another "PRO": the fans have multiple levels. Most of the other units simply have "On/Off" functions or 2 different levels. This unit has a jog wheel with varying speeds (much like a volume wheel) so you can adjust it according to what you're doing with your notebook.

The build quality is pretty remarkable. Although it's not a very heavy piece, it FEELS substantial. I haven't dropped it, but I'm certain that if I actually did, it wouldn't suffer from the fall. Most of the other coolers I was contemplating purchasing were made of plastic and just felt "cheap". Granted, the Zalman is one of the more expensive units, but the build quality, design and overall excellent functionality makes it more than worth it. I have no regrets spending the extra $15-20 on this thing.

The ONLY "CON" I can possibly list is that it's pretty much made for 15" notebooks. I have a 15.4" machine, so this doesn't really concern me at all, but, when fully centered, my notebook sticks out about 1/2" on either side. If you have a larger notebook, you may want to take this into consideration.

Overall, I'm thrilled with this purchase. I didn't really see myself spending $50 on a notebook cooler, but after actually using it, I have no doubt I made the right choice.

This cooler tends to keep the CPU on my Asus G1S-B1 four degrees Celsius cooler than the bare tabletop. Importantly, when using the laptop on my lap, it keeps the air vents clear for the CPU and GPU fan on the laptop's excitingly chunky bottom, and provides stand-off distance so the hard drive doesn't warm up too much. I don't have metrics for hard drive temperatures, but I expect that to be much lower because of the placement of the output vents (toward the user, at the bottom of the wedge).

Good features:
- USB powered
- Variable speed control
- On-off switch with LED indicator
- Pass-through USB port (you don't lose a port)
- Comes with an 18" USB cable for laptops with hard-to-reach plugs--I could get by with a six inch on my Asus
- Rubber feet on the bottom stick well to most surfaces
- Rubber strips and pads hold laptops securely

Bad features:
- Unpadded back edge (mentioned in other reviews) which could cut into legs--or wooden table tops if you're not careful. No surface is actually sharp, but this won't pass any CPSC tests for suitability as a toddler toy.
- Its two fans can be choked if you're using it on pillows, blankets, loose clothes or other yielding surfaces
- A little smaller than the typical widescreen: a 15" laptop with a 1680x1050 screen will hang over the edges by about half an inch
- Placement of air output best when the CPU or hard drive is under the wrist rest, but not as good when batteries or removable media are there

I feel the notebook cooler was worth the cost in extending the life of my laptop's hard drive and that it would be potentially more useful with flat-bottomed metal laptops (like the MacBook Pro).

I like this cooler--it works well, very quiet, nice angle. My only objection is it is the back is not entirely closed-the top edge sticks out from the top and curls down to your lap, leaving the plastic edge to dig into your legs. Without that, it would be perfect. It's still usable on your lap, but not as comfy as it could be.

What's not to like? I've had this for about a month and I highly recommend it. Helps keep your laptop cool even without the fan on and does even better with the fan. You can barely hear the fan, anyone writing who complains about hearing the fan it is just plain nuts, too darn picky, works for a competitor or has a broken model.
The wedge design also make typing on your laptop more comfortabe, as though you had your computer propped up on a 3-ring binder.
I know you can buy other coolers for $20 or less, but this one is solid and sturdy.
What attracted me to this model is that the aluminum top doesn't have just two holes where the fans are, but a grate with hundreds of holes to allow the cooling action of the fans to directly affect a far greater percentage of the underside of the computer, and the holes help dissipate the heat better. It just makes more sense, it's a superior design worth the extra money.

This laptop cooler works extremely well. It's got an adjustable fan, on/off button and the aluminum really does stay very cold to the touch. The usb cord included is much higher quality than the cords that come with cheaper models (also seems to be more easily replaced since it's usb on both ends.) And of course, it comes w/ an extra USB port to make up for taking one on your laptop.

There are a few things to consider, however. First of all, you can't use it on a soft surface (like your lap or a blanket) or anything other than a hard surface (like a table or desk) w/o blocking the fans, which are on the bottom of the unit. It does have little legs which raise it up so that the fans can get air, but when on a soft surface, the legs don't help much. I took the box it came in and cut a piece of cardboard that I always set the cooler on when I use it on my lap. This provides a hard surface needed for the fans to work.

Second, the laptop cooler is rather big. Unfortunately, it does not fit in my laptop carrier so I have to carry it separately. I suppose if you had a large case it might fit, but I have a medium sized case and it doesn't even come close to fitting down in there.

Third, it is a little heavier than your typical cheap cooler from wal-mart or best buy, but it's also much better quality. It's not a huge problem - the cooler is not so heavy that it cuts off circulation in your legs or anything.

All things considered, I am very happy with this cooler. It works very well, even when I'm putting a lot of stress on my computer, running multiple games and programs at once.

I just love this cooler. I've owned several including the one from the Antec, which i consider pretty good. But this one tops them all.
PRO:
1. Cools the notebook very well - even in the lowest settings. I love it how i can control the speed of the fan which further enables me to lower what little noise it gives out. I fix computers for my clients and i've seen some hot notebooks which will turn itself off intermittenly because of critical heat. Other coolers lengthened the time between the shutdowns, but this one fixed it for good.
2. Nice design(very cool looking-no pun intended).

CONS:
1. Bad design: although it looks really nice, it has one flaw that would irk some users. Because the fans are underneath, you can't use it as a "Laptop" cooler. Your laps would block all or part of the fan exhaust. I, however don't mind it much. I just use the feet at the either end to rest on my laps and it works great.
2. Because it's thickness on the back-end, it's difficult for me to fit it in my laptop bag that i carry. This is also ymmv.

Overall, however these cons are negligible to me, so i gave it 5 stars

I purchased a Zelman Notebook Cooler to use with my Dell Latitude D630. The Latitude had been running quite hot, strangely enough not from the battery but rather from the area near the top of the keyboard. This area includes, but is not limited to, the fan. I was concerned that the heat would eventually damage the computer, so I researched every type of cooler I could find. My criteria was one that was well enough made to look like it would last, did the job, and was not ridiculously heavy. Price didn't much matter, since any cooler is a lot cheaper than a new computer.

The Zelman was the only one I found that met the criteria. I've had it several weeks now, and it has been doing a great job right from the beginning. Some people have complained that it is heavy. Well yes, it probably is a bit heavier than a piece of cheap plastic, but the weight is still only a fraction of that of the computer with a larger battery in it. I don't carry it very far, so weight has not been a problem at all.

One thing to note. I haven't priced them since I bought it, but at that time the unit in black was cheaper than the version in white. I have no idea why. They are absolutely identical except for the color.

I've had this Zalman ZM-NC1000B (black) a few months, and I like it a lot. I was afraid it wouldn't work on my lap very well because it sounded like it wasn't designed for laps, but I use it differently than it was designed - I use it "backwards", which puts the thick end at the front, and the cooling holes at the back of the notebook where they're needed, and it's comfortable sitting on my lap. When my lap gets hot, I just turn up the fan. However, my lap doesn't get nearly as hot as with a laptop sitting on it directly, and the laptop fan doesn't run as much, so it's much quieter overall.

And speaking of noise, the fan is relatively quiet, which is a real statement from me, since I'm one of those people that thinks any noise is objectionable.

One issue I have with it is the USB cables that go from the unit to the laptop - it seems like someone could make a cable with right angle connectors so the cable doesn't droop down when you're walking around with it connected, and so when the connector is on the back of the laptop that you can scoot it up against something like a wall. I'm sure this applies to any laptop.

My laptop with 15" diagonal wide screen monitor hangs off the edges left and right a little, but the feet stay on it, and it doesn't bother me.

I'm very happy with this model, and would buy it again!

This unit is built extremely sturdy, and most importantly, it is QUIET at maximum fan speed. It keeps my Dell XPS cooler by at least 5 degrees C lower then without it. It ever effective. This is mainly for moderate to smaller size notebooks, but they have a larger cooler (ZM-NC2000) for up to 18" screen size notebooks.