Customer Reviews

Zalman ZM-NC2000Black Notebook Cooler (Black)

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I just got my cooler today. I think it's awesome. For one, it fits my 17" laptop perfectly, and it doesn't scoot and slide. I had bought a flimsy one and the laptop just about slid off the table! This cooler is very sturdy and it looks slick to boot.

It's also at a good angle, and it has flip-up feet so if you want it a little higher, it will accommodate you. It has a little compartment for your USB cable to hide in as well.

Another thing: it's almost silent! I have the fans up full blast right now and it's barely making a peep. And it keeps my laptop very cool. I'm actually running World of Warcraft in the background (for the last 20 minutes or so) right now on max settings and the laptop fans have yet to kick on, just the cooler fan.

So yes, it may be pricey, but if you're going to long-term game on your laptop then I think it's a perfect investment for you.

I wish I could find something con for your consideration, but I honestly can't think of one!

My laptop came from Gateway through my college and always had been running next to scalding. Once I learned of the extreme hazards this could impose on my computer (and the frying of my monitor), I was quick to take action in attempting to cool it down some. This notebook is a 2 year old Gateway M685-E, 17", with a GeForce GO 7600 (unfortunately the 128 MB version, but I can upgrade to 256 at some point), 4 GB of RAM, and Dual Core 1.83 GHz processor. Like I said before, ever since day one it has had an appetite for energy and would heat up to 81-82 Celsius easily-- I would hang my laptop over the edge of my deskspace just to make sure the vents had easy access to air to prevent it from getting this high.

A year into its life, I had to use my forced $1000 warranty through my school to put a new monitor on because the heat generated by the processors and GPU caused several connections to fry, including the monitor and power supply areas.

After getting it back, I used a Targus cooling pad which broke within a few weeks, with no way to replace the fans, and well... it was just a huge disappointment. I was back to hanging it off the edge of my desk and having one of the fans in my room blow at high speed at the back of it (not fun since I wear contacts, dried them out pretty quick).

I learned online of a process known as undervolting, which I highly recommend to anybody who has a laptop that reaches beyond the 'danger level' in operating temperature. I was able to cool my laptop down 15 Celsius without... WITHOUT... sacrificing any performance. I read on the forums I perused to learn this technique that many people say it does take down performance, but the guide assured with posted benchmarks that it didn't do jack to performance, which is why I stressed 'without.' I ran benchmarks on 3DMark06 myself and noticed no change in performance either--not that my score was that high to begin with. : (

I then bought the Zalman NC2000 to couple cooling techniques, since I felt that 66 Celsius was still too high to be comfortable with. Online I had read mixed reviews about the product because the holes do not go up the entire length of the platform. Obviously, it makes sense that this would be a terrible choice for a cooler if your vents are all the way at the back of your laptop (like most gaming laptops) and would perform poorly-- with many reviewers having gaming laptops, just be aware that they simply bought the wrong cooler to begin with for where their vents are placed. My vents are towards the middle and bottom, so this cooler is perfect for my computer.

The construction of this product is solid and stable, I was immediately taken aback (in a good way) when I felt how cold the aluminum was, I wasn't expecting that deep a chill. The fans are placed along a lipped ridge that is angled in such a way that it faces the back where air would be coming in. Maximum air input comes with the cooler legs down raising it up to 9 degrees instead of the stock 7 degrees since more of the cooler is off the surface you are using it on. The fans are indeed very quiet (audible, but not annoying) and the blue LED power light is a nice touch to let you know it's on without having to feel. It uses your USB port to provide power but has a second USB port on it to compensate for the one it takes. If you want, like me, you can also head to the store and buy a USB to AC adaptor and just plug it into the wall (you will need a longer USB cable). Keep in mind plugging into the wall does nothing to improve cooling, I just prefer it. The aluminum surface is screwed on by four easy to access screws, so replacing fans or modding (keeping in mind your mod will disrupt the designed air flow and may make the cooler cool less, or if you are lucky, more) is easy. I plan on at least attempting a mod by adding a fan, just to see if it adds any effect but won't screw it in place until improvement is found.

Onto the performance:
I used CPUID HWMonitor to keep track of my temperatures and Orthos to perform stress tests. I only performed these tests on my already undervolted laptop because I would have no need to ever raise them back up so I am EXPECTING the improvements to be rather small because it's using the minimal amount of energy it needs to. If it were not undervolted, I would definitely expect my results to be about 8 to 10 Celsius cooler.

***All temperatures are in Celsius***

Room temperature is about 23 degrees Celsius and cooler sits at 9 degrees position

Idle: no cooler

Hard Drive: 32-35
GPU: 35
Processor Core 1: 35-42
Processor Core 2: 37-44
ACPI: 40

Idle: sitting on cooler (no fans) -- 10 minutes to equilibrate for all tests below

Hard Drive: 31-33
GPU: 34
Processor Core 1: 33-39
Processor Core 2: 36-44
ACPI: 39

Idle: fans on lowest setting

Hard Drive: 33-34
GPU: 33-34
Processor Core 1: 32-38
Processor Core 2: 36-42
ACPI: 39

Idle: fans on highest setting

Hard Drive: 32
GPU: 32
Processor Core 1: 28-33
Processor Core 2: 28-33
ACPI: 39

ORTHOS Stress Test, Computer set using RightMark CPUClock to be on Maximum x11 multiplier for my processors
Left for 10 minutes to equilibrate (keep in mind only Processor and ACPI temperatures rise with this test)

Test 1, no cooling, on table--- UNDERVOLTED LAPTOP for all tests

Hard Drive: 32-35
GPU: 35
Processor Core 1: 65-66
Processor Core 2: 64-66
ACPI: 60

Reached max temperature from hot start (having been on for awhile) in 30-45 seconds

Test 2, cooling pad, no fans

Hard Drive: 31-33
GPU: 34
Processor Core 1: 65-66
Processor Core 2: 64-66
ACPI: 60

Reached same max temperatures from hot start in 7 minutes 30 seconds

Test 3, cooling pad, low fans

Hard Drive: 33-34
GPU: 33-34
Processor Core 1: 63
Processor Core 2: 63
ACPI: 58

Reached these temperatures from hot start after 8 minutes

Test 4, cooling pad, high fans

Hard Drive: 32
GPU: 32
Processor Core 1: 59-63
Processor Core 2: 60-63
ACPI: 56

Both processors tend to hover around 61 most of the time, reached from hot start after 8 minutes as well

Conclusions:

Based on its performance, we see a slight drop in operating temperatures, even on my already undervolted laptop. These drops affect the processors and the ACPI by as much as 6 or 7 degrees Celsius, however, the average was around 3-4 degrees. The most dramatic effect the cooling pad implements is not in its ability to cool, but to prevent the system from heating quickly. As I indicated, using the cooling pad lengthened the amount of time it took for the system to reach its highest reported temperature for the 10 minute stress test, by adding fans, I simply made the maximum temperature less. Coupled with undervolting and adequate vent-to-air hole placement between your laptop and this cooler, you could experience tremendous cooling-- my processors were the hottest things in my computer and experienced a maximum 22 degrees Celsius drop in full load operating temperature and the time to reach the maximum temperature has grown 10-15 times longer than the original system did with undervolting alone.

Why no GPU temperature tests? My GPU consistently remains within 5 degrees Celsius (above and below) of my processor cores, so if I had performed a GPU stress test, you can probably expect roughly the same cooling effect the machine had on my processors. Also, CPUID does not detect my GPU, SpeedFan does and thus this is where I derived the above statement.

I highly recommend this cooler to those of you with massive, bulky laptops with vents located in the middle of the machine and towards the front of the machine as well. If your vents are towards the back of the machine (as with most gaming laptops) this cooler is not for you as your vents are not in an optimal position to work with this cooler.



EDIT: May 15th, 2011...

The computer used in the initial tests has since fried (it was not undervolted after another repair). A new computer has been purchased, an ASUS something-or-other with an i3 family processor. This computer's specs will be tested now as well. My Zalman is still running, the LED still works, and it needs a good cleaning, but it's still spinning. This system has an exhaust vent on the left side of the machine, with several intake vents located across the bottom (the vent layout is not as optimal for use with the Zalman). I'm using CoreTemp 0.99.8 with Orthos again.


IDLE:

Test 1, no cooling, on table

Processor Core 1: 56-60
Processor Core 2: 56-60

Test 2, cooling pad, no fans

Processor Core 1: 56-60
Processor Core 2: 56-60

Test 3, cooling pad, low fans

Processor Core 1: n/a
Processor Core 2: n/a

Test 4, cooling pad, high fans

Processor Core 1: 46-49
Processor Core 2: 46-49


STRESSED: (see NOTE)

Test 1, no cooling, on table

Processor Core 1: 63-66
Processor Core 2: 63-66

Test 2, cooling pad, no fans

Processor Core 1: 63-66
Processor Core 2: 63-66

Test 3, cooling pad, low fans

Processor Core 1: n/a
Processor Core 2: n/a

Test 4, cooling pad, high fans

Processor Core 1: 50-53
Processor Core 2: 50-52

NOTE: Orthos stressed only one core to 100% (hyper-threading capabilities), second core sat at 10-30% load.

Did not perform idle or stress tests using fan setting at lowest. It behaves comparable to no fans at all on this computer.



SUPER STRESS TEST:

Same computer as the previous test, with Zalman at highest fan speed only versus no cooling pad at all. Room temperature is around 18-19 Celsius (~65 Fahrenheit). This test was conducted to see how well the Zalman cooled my dual core i3 processor when the load on all 4 virtual cores (2 physical... hyper-threading) was 100%. To do this, I ran a quantum mechanical calculation using the program Gaussian09 in parallel (%nproc = 4). I ran the same calculation with and without the cooler, chloride ion and a single water molecule.

Average temperatures without Zalman cooler:

Temperature = 73 Celsius with fluctuations as low as 70 and as high as 78 Celsius.

Average temperatures WITH Zalman cooler:

Temperature = 65 Celsius with fluctuations as low as 62 and as high as 70 Celsius


Conclusion: Even after ~2 years this thing is still cooling off my computers. Still recommend.

Double conclusion: When running extremely resource intensive programs (games don't even come close to being as taxing as Gaussian09), one may argue the cooler is not as effective. I would agree the cooler does lose some of it's effectiveness when running 100% on all four virtual cores, using 2-3 GB of RAM, and writing 100-400 GB files simultaneously... but then again, when was the last time you ran a program that expensive on your laptop? I'm honestly surprised I even saw a difference in the temperatures between not using and using the cooler!

First of all, this was by far the best notebook cooler I've ever used - for the short time it was used. I have a cheap and hot laptop, and with a small budget, I needed it to last. I tried a couple of other coolers, and they just didn't seem to help much.

So when I got this one, I was happy to find that my notebook stayed constantly cool with this cooler. UNFORTUNATELY, the fans in the cooler quit 43 days after purchasing it. Blue light still on, but no fans. I still use it just to set my laptop on, but it just doesn't cut it without the fans. My laptop is as hot as ever.

To make matters worse, I can't get any help from Zalman. I figured there must be a warranty or maybe some kind of fix for it, but after contacting them a few times, there has been no response. It's disappointing that they seem to talk about how great their products are, but don't stand behind them when they fail. I won't be buying another Zalman product.

I spent quite a bit of time and put a lot of effort into finding a cooler for my Clevo based P4 notebook. With a 17" screen, this is one monster computer. The video cards are notorious for the amount of heat produced. I began having problems with thermal shutdowns despite my best efforts at keeping the inside of the computer clean and free of dust accumumlation.

I finally decided on the Zalman cooler and spent several days wondering if the reviews I read were from people who bought it, received it, and just thought it was pretty. Well, it is a nice looking piece of equipment and very light weight. There is nothing at all confusing about setting the cooler up for use. Any 45-year-old can do it without reading the directions!!

I have had zero shutdowns since I began using the cooler. My thermal monitoring program indicates a 40% drop in the operating temperatures that it monitors. There are no huge peaks in temperatures as I had before using the cooler.

My final analysis is that though the equipment is expensive, it is worth the price sinde it works as advertised. I have purchased some of the flimsy plastic products in the past that looked and felt cheap. This cooler is aluminum, posseses sleek looks, and is not flimsy.

Because of the priciness of the product, I have to deduct one star.

Construction Quality: The cooler is made of a thick chunk of machined aluminum that has been processed to be scratch-proof. It's absolutely solid and feels substantial.

Cooling Effect: While I don't have the numbers in front of me, my HP HDX would heat up to be uncomfortable to the touch when handling high processor loads. With this cooler, even running the most taxing programs, my computer barely breaks a sweat!

Portability: The NC-2000 was built to handle larger notebooks like my 16-inch HDX. With my laptop sitting dead center, there is a half-inch clearance between the edge of my laptop and the edge of the cooler on both sides along with about an inch and a half of clearance total from front to back. Essentially, the cooler is quite large, and ends up being as much an inch and three quarters at its widest point. Assuming you have a laptop back or backpack that is large enough to carry your large laptop, you should have no problem fitting the cooler inside. However, if you're looking for a smaller, more portable model, you should look into the ZM-NC1000.

USB ports: The cooler is powered by a provided USB cord that plugs into your notebook. Zalman was nice enough to provide two USB ports on the cooler: one on the left and the other on the right. While one port is used to provide power to the cooler, the other USB port allows you to still have the same number of usable ports to connect your peripherals. It would have been nice of Zalman to incorporate a USB hub into the cooler, but the spare USB port works just fine.

Noise: With the variable fan speed dial on the side, it is possible to adjust the speed of the fans, thus controlling the noise level. My tip to you is to simply keep the cooler turned up to its maximum. Chances are, your own breathing and typing noises will be louder than the cooler itself. If you turn the fan speed down on the cooler, you can bet that the built-in case fans on your laptop would be louder.

Overall, this product is excellent. Of course, it is a bit more expensive than the other coolers that you might find, but Zalman really spared no expense in making sure this little number did the job right. 3mm thick aluminum, anodized and coated, near-silent operation, variable fan speed controls, and a pretty blue light that tells you when it's on (Trust me, you'll need it...you won't be able to hear the thing). You might be tempted to buy a cheaper product made of flimsy plastic, but you will definitely get what you pay for. I think of it as buying a five-dollar insurance policy for your thousand-dollar laptop. While the Zalman ZM-NC2000 costs more, you get much more than you pay for. It's solid, sturdy, efficient, and silent. I'm extremely happy with my purchase and I would recommend this product 100%!!

This cooler is just what my new 18" HP laptop requires (the beast that it is). Cools sufficiently by way of 4 fans - two facing down, and two facing up (to the bottom of the laptop). It has an extra USB port to replace the one used on the laptop for power as well as a power switch (and bright blue power light) and variable fan control (excellent features). The cooler itself is wedged shaped which allows for ergonomical typing and reduced eye strain. The price is a lofty $76, but it is made out of pure aluminum and has some heft to it. The box it was delivered in is the same size as my laptop box. I definately would not carry this cooler around with me unless I had a large enough bag (an old businessman's attache' or briefcase comes to mind), plus consumed two bottles of 5Hour Energy!

Update (1/15/10) The unit has only two fans and two extra embossings that looks like fans. I previously stated (above) that it has four. Still, it cools perfectly. It's always cold - even when it's not working.

My laptop had begun to get so hot I could feel the heat through an inch of oak (my desktop). I don't know what the temperature was but the colling fan exhaust port was incredibly hot. I set this up and the problem was immediately solved. I don't even need to run the fans most of the time.

UPDATE: 40 Days after purchase it stopped working. Tried switching USB ports, etc., etc., etc. I'm sure even without the fans it will help, but of course, that's not what I paid for. Can not under any circumstances recommend a product that only has a 40-day life span.

I don't care how great this is the first week if it dies after three months. If I had known that would happen, I would have bought a cheaper cooler- there's no lack of them. It worked yesterday. It doesn't work today - the blue "on" light does not go on, the fans do not go on. I checked out my usb ports - they still work fine with my other devices. Bad quality. I did not have it on every day all day, either. I live in a temperate place, so it didn't get too hot or cold. I have never dropped it. There's no reasonable explanation except poor quality - Planned Obsolescence for $[...] bucks. It's plugged into a 17 inch screen laptop, which still works fine but is now running hot again.

Own a Gateway FX 17Inch Laptop...but it gets too hot when running Crysis I&II @ Full-Screen@Highest Res., and when watching DVDs or YouTube Videos. Tried another "high-end" cooler but it didn't work--too many design flaws and poor quality...no names but its price is high$52-65.00. Anyways...found this Zalman cooler and I'm very happy! It's perfect for my FX 7805, but it seems right for any large laptop.
Here are the Pros:
1-Large enough to accommodate large laptops.
2-Ergonomically designed...almost perfect-- no sharp corners that tear you apart,no internal wires dangling&getting caught all-over-the-place, Power button, 2 USB ports,non skid surface top and bottom, and light as a feather.
3-Two medium sized fans with variable speed that blow enough air to cool my fire-breathing dragron-of-a-laptop. And last but not least: IT'S QUIET! Super quiet.
4-Made with great materials-Aluminum, very cool looking and cool to the touch...similar to that of expensive cookware. And yeah, the plastic underbelly seems good too.

Cons:
1-Could use an xtra fan...for those of us who like to overclock everything, or those lacking an air conditioner.


In conclusion...This thing is real KOOL! Worth every penny. Thank You Zalman. And Thank You Amazon...great products, great prices, and you make Returns&Credits, an easy process.

This cooling pad is everything it claims to be. I keep it on the highest setting for cooling, as my HP gets really hot. I do have to set the laptop arranged just so on the pad so the fans can reach the hot spots. Also put a piece of cardboard across the back bottom, (1)to keep my legs from choking out the fans and (2) the edges of the pad are uncomfortable straight on my legs. I consider these to be minor issues because I am more concerned about frying the computer. This cooler is more than capable for cooling and very quiet. I researched A LOT and so far I know I made the best choice.