Performance

**click to enlarge**

Before we get to its performance, I would like to comment on one minor design flaw.  There are only two USB ports on the NotePal P1 and they are on the right side of the unit.  This may be deceiving to some potential buyers who note that it does feature two USB ports.  While this is obviously true, one needs to be used to power the NotePal P1, leaving only with one additional port.  The other issue with having no ports on the right side is that it may be a problem for those with notebooks that have the USB ports near the front left, like the HP notebook used in this review.  The included USB cable was barely long enough to connect the NotePal.  This is quite a compact and light notebook so I definitely see an issue for those with slightly larger notebooks that have USB ports only on the left side.  Why they didn't implement a USB port near the rear compartment or on the left side is beyond me.  I was honestly quite irritated by this from the start.  It just doesn't make sense to me.

To capture cooling performance as accurately as possible, the laptop was run on battery power after a full charge and left running for at least 30 minutes before capturing any temperature readings found.  Temps were captured with and without the NotePal P1.  While nowhere near the heat generated from a number of Dell laptops I have configured in the past, our Turion 64 notebook with high RPM hard drive does generate enough heat to be slightly unpleasant when resting it on your lap for an extended period of time.  To capture temps, I used the excellent SpeedFan application, one that I highly recommend for the most accurate readings from a software-based program.

With our notebook, it was determined that Temp1 was our CPU temperature.  For those monitoring temps on notebooks and using SpeedFan, I highly recommend you install Everest to determine which sensor is which, as this will vary depending on its hardware. 

Now, I did a bit of research prior to writing this particular article.  What I will say is that you should not pay too much attention to at least a couple of reviews found online on this particular product.  While it is just a notebook cooler, they obviously did not take the time to test the product properly.  For one, the fan noise is not an issue.  They run practically silent, especially when you factor in the added noise from the notebook PC itself.  Second, this product does indeed aid in cooling your notebook.  Looking at the readings above, we see a fairly significant change in core temperature and a 2ºC drop in hard drive temperature.  The only number that did not seem to budge much was the CPU temperature.  However, while the lowest number recorded was 49ºC, it seemed to average in at exactly 50ºC. 

Conclusions

While I personally don't find these particular products of high interest, this latest notebook cooler from Coolermaster is without a doubt, one of the sexiest in terms of its design.  It is also extremely light and highly portable.  In all honestly, what you get here is added comfort and peace of mind.  The NotePal P1 will position your notebook at a very comfortable angle.  With that said, ergonomics is what I find is its main feature.  Despite what others claim, it does indeed aid in terms of cooling and the fans do run quite silent.  What you will not get here though are added features such as additional USB ports, card readers, network jacks, etc.  Also, I found it quite surprising that it only featured two USB ports, those of which are only located on the right side of the unit.  This will cause some compatibility issues with a number of laptops, primarily those larger that only feature USB ports on the left side.  In the end, the NotePal P1 is a step in the right direction purely in terms of a design standpoint.  However, for one to even consider purchasing one of these, I strongly feel you must offer additional features most would normally look for in a standard docking station or similar product.

More information on the Coolermaster NotePal P1 can be found on their Website.

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