NZXT CRYO LX Aluminum Notebook Cooler 15-Inch to 19-Inch with 120MM Adjustable Fans - Black (CRYO LX BLACK)
by NZXT Technologies
|
List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of NZXT CRYO LX Aluminum Notebook Cooler 15-Inch to 19-Inch with 120MM Adjustable Fans - Black (CRYO LX BLACK)
Customer Review: Excellent product, as advertised
Summary: 5 Stars
[Purchased on eBay]
Provided with: 1 USB to DC cable, 1 USB to USB cable, one wall-outlet DC adaptor
Pros:
* Large enough to accommodate 17' or 18.4" laptops/notebooks
* Generous amounts of rubber padding both above and below the unit, so it doesn't skid on the table and the computer doesn't skid on the unit (used to be a problem with my previous laptop cooler/base). STABLE and SOLID.
* Good angle for VERY comfortable typing (using it as I type this review)
* FOUR USB connectors
* Nice folding design, fits easily into a laptop/notebook backpack
* Nice big fans, very quiet even at top speed
* Variable speed fans, speed easily controlled with wheel on right side
* Optional wall-outlet DC adaptor so you won't tie up a second USB port on your notebook.
Cons:
* The provided cables might be a tad too short, depending on where the USB port(s) are located on your notebook
* IF YOU DON'T USE the provided AC adapter, this REQUIRES TWO USB PORTS on your laptop -- this is minor, since the unit provides you with FOUR fully functional USB ports. OR, you can use the wall-outlet AC adapter.
* Might be a tad heavy, but that's nitpicking
There are two cables provided:
* USB to DC: This goes from one of the USB ports on your laptop, to the DC connector on the base, and does nothing but provide power to the base
* USB to USB: This goes from another USB port on your laptop, to a FIFTH USB connector on the base to provide a USB data link to the other four USB ports on the base. You can't confuse this fifth one with the others, since it's located on the other side of the DC connector (from right to left there are 4 USB ports, one DC port, and the fifth USB port for data)
About portability: Bear in mind, this base is large because it's designed for large notebooks (17" or above), so unless your notebook bag is one of those slim satchels, it stands to reason that this base, when folded, should fit nicely in your bag. I use a notebok backpack, no problem fitting this base (folded) in it. Explaining it to airport security of course, is a different matter.
As with all cooling/fan bases, unless you're using AC on your notebook (or, in this case, on the cooling/fan base), your battery will drain fairly quickly.
Great product, definitely recommended to anyone who spends long periods of time working with a notebook in the same place with available wall-outlets.
Customer Review: Seemed a little loud, wasn't supposed to be that way
Summary: 3 Stars
When I first received the cooler, I was ecstatic. The thing was massive and I could see the huge fans in between the sleek grid casing. Personally I disagree with the idea that it is "made for transportation since it folds"- if you look at the dimensions posted, the cooler is 14 inches across, and it folds across the center, not down it. My other complaint with the folding mechanism is that there is no 'locked position' for it, which leaves it flailing if it tips off the edge of your desk, or in any position where it's not supported by some kind of surface. The inner edges to the folding piece are also pretty sharp- if you intend to move this thing at all, I see an injury coming. I personally see the folding mechanism as a nuisance / deathtrap, as if you want to pick it up, you must support it with one hand on the side of the main body, and one hand on the folding piece- this can be awkward if you are trying to carry it with the laptop still on it. Since it will sit on my desk forever, this will not be a problem for me, but the mobility on this beast is limited.
When I first plugged in the device, it made a high-frequency, very loud clicking noise. My roommate woke up and asked me what it was, and embarrassedly, I told him what it was and unplugged it, but later I realized that it was not supposed to make this sound. I read a lot of reviews that commented that the thing was noisy, so I figured that it was supposed to be like that, but after three minutes of sitting through the noise, I simply couldn't convince myself that the device was designed so that the fan would repeatedly and intentionally hit the casing when it was running.
I unscrewed the four black screws that were surrounding the fan, not completely, not with the intention to remove the casing. The screws seemed to be fastened in at a strange angle- though they appeared to be fastened straight down, as I unscrewed them, they wobbled about. They remained under high tension as they rose, so I guess they were not fastened into the case straight. With the added space from unscrewing just the section under the bad fan, the thing no longer makes a noise like a car with a broken axel (axle?).
A few complaints setting up, but now the device cools my computer to sub-arctic temperatures, and in my situation I pretty much will not need to perform any more maintenance on the device.
Customer Review: Great cooling ability
Summary: 4 Stars
This cooler is great...it is definitely the ultimate notebook cooler out there. I have an HP HDX 18t, with an intel q9000 (quad 2.0ghz) processor, 4gb ddr3 ram, and the thing has never had a heating problem. I want my laptop to last for a very long time, so I searched for countless days to make sure i was getting a good cooler. Given, this cooler is more expensive than most, but you get what you pay for. Here's some pros/cons about this cooler:
Pros:
-Awesome cooling ability-you won't find better
-very sturdy frame
-functions as a usb hub-it includes an additional 4 usb ports on the back
cons
-size-the thing is freaking huge, but it is made to cool laptops at 17" and above. I was looking for a cooler that cooled larger laptops, so this is fine for me. however, for transporting, the front part does fold in, so it's not horribly difficult to move around
-sometimes the fans hit something in the fan casing. this might be individual to just my model, but if im not careful when moving the cooler, it makes a very irritable sound while hitting the fan cage
-this cooler needs 2 usb ports to power this beast. It has a 4 port usb hub on the back to compensate, and it does function with just one...but it has the option to use 2, and i'd highly reccomend that you use 2 usb ports from your laptop to power this beast
additional notes:
-although the fan speed is adjustable, it is pretty loud all the time, whether it be on fast or slow...so just keep that in mind. i'd rather have a noisy cooler, than a fried laptop, so im okay with that. the noise isnt horribly loud-like when im listening to music, i can hardly notice it at all...but keep that in mind
also...i read somewhere that somebody used an ipod wall charger to power this...i tried it, and it works. if you dont intend on having your cooler very mobile, this is an option i would recommend.
Overall, i highly recommend this cooler to anybody who wants to make sure their laptop stays cool. it will not disappoint you-you get what you pay for, and you definitely are getting a great cooler when you get this one.
Customer Review: Best cooler on the market
Summary: 5 Stars
People will always tell you: "Don't buy expensive coolers when you can buy some $20 one that does the same thing." That is completely false. Well, if you have some little netbook then get something else. If you have at least a 15" laptop that gets hot, even if its not a gaming laptop like mine, get this one. My 15" HP G61 laptop gets up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (not kidding) on my desk without this cooler. Nothing running on the laptop at all, maybe my web browser. Now with this cooler, it stays around 120-125 degrees Fahrenheit (49-51 degrees Celsius). So this cooler definitely does the job. A little pricey, but I don't regret spending $69 (no tax or shipping... for me) at all. I rather spend $69 to save a $500+ laptop or even $1000+ laptop than to spend that much again to buy a new laptop due to overheating of my old one.
Only thing that worries me is that my temps I posted above was when I was using the highest setting on the fans. I'm not worried about the noise, its super silent. I just don't want to wear out the fans. But then again, I can get a new 120mm replacement fan for only $10 here on Amazon.
I give this a perfect rating. All I could ask more for is for the USB hub on the back to be a little more sturdy. It wiggles back and forth when you plug something in, otherwise its not a big deal. It powers my optical mouse, HD PVR and my external HDD. (I recommend plugging into a wall though, better results. Less stress on the laptop)
In conclusion, this is the best laptop cooler on the market. I recommend it to ANYONE who owns any type of notebook/laptop. I would choose it over ANY other cooler too including popular names like: Coolermaster, Antec, Zaleman, etc.
P.S.
I ordered the $45-50 Zalman cooler and quickly returned to buy this one. DO NOT buy a plastic one if you wish to own the best cooler possible. Get all aluminum, like this one. Why? It dissipates heat better. AKA. Makes your laptop colder/cooler.
Customer Review: All the Cool you need
Summary: 5 Stars
Slick, sturdy, made of metal (not plastic), with 3 fans, a speed control, AND a 4-port USB hub.
It also has detents in the surface to prevent the Laptop from sliding down the incline, and it is PLENTY wide enough so that my monster HP DV7 laptop with a 17.3" wide screen doesn't even hang over the edges.
It comes with an external wall-wart power supply, and all needed connector cables. As others have written, you may need to use several of your laptop's USB connections IF you want to run this thing purely off your laptop's battery, but as I use the wall wart, this is not an issue(in fact one of the reasons I selected THIS cooler was the external power option. I simply DON'T believe you can get adequate airflow if the fans can only run off USB power). The 3 fans have a speed control, so you can turn them down if your laptop gets too cold. As good as this cooler is, there are a couple of things that would make it better.
1) When running on external power, there is no indication that it is on! It is VERY easy to leave it running after you've shut off the Laptop because it's so quiet. There should be an LED or other visible indicator showing that power is still applied.
2) Related to #1 - there is no POWER SWITCH! So the only way to turn it off is to unplug the wall wart. That's tacky!
3) Another mechanism that might work is that when the cooler detects loss of power on the inbound USB connector - it might assume that the laptop had been powered down, and that cooling could stop as well. The user should be able to turn off this <Auto-Sense> mechanism so that cooling would continue even if there was no USB connection.
.
So far - have been quite pleased with this product.