Bytecc Aluminum Notebook Cooler

Reviews: Cooling

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
CyberHwy
Aug. 18, 2003

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Taking a Closer Look

First I would like to comment on the box... The Bytecc box that this notebook cooler shipped in is an attractive one. I very much like that they put actual size pictures of the product on the sides and put an image detailing features on the back along with the specifications.

The notebook cooler itself is very attractive. The silver paint is great looking, and the Bytecc logo is painted on, which looks a lot better than a sticker would. On the surface of the cooler there are eight (8) surgical rubber pads. This is somewhat strange because you would think that the notebook would need to touch the aluminum to get the full benefit of the cooler. However, as testing has proven, the cooler still manages to get the job done. There are also five (5) cooling slots cut into the cooler. I can't really say how effective they are, but they look cool. If you look closely at the cooler, near the cooling slots, you can see a black rubber pad. This pad is to prevent your notebook from sliding off the cooler. The last thing to note on this side of the cooler is, you guessed it, the 60mm fans! Above the fans are slots cut into the cooler that mimic the cooling slots. Now flip "er over!

On the underside of the cooler you have the five cooling slots, of course, as well as the butt-end of the rubber plugs, as well as the fans. On this side of the fans there are actual grills for obvious reasons. Clothing + fan blade isn't a good thing. You can also see the cables coming from the fans that go to the control switch in the back, and then to the PS2 connector. The cables have neatly been placed in tubing and heat shrink, and have also been glue-tied to the cooler. Let's take a quick look at the back of the cooler where the switch and PS2 adapter cable are located.

As mentioned, on the back of controller is where you will find the switch and PS2 adapter cable. The switch has two settings, On and Off. There is a sticker under the switch to let you know where the switch should be for which setting. The PS/2 adapter cable is just around 12. long, and there is an included PS2 to USB adapter. For some reason, next to the PS2 adapter cable, there is a hole that measures 3/4" in diameter. It seems that Bytecc may have originally planned to have a different type of switch or something, who knows.

Testing

For testing I used my Sony VAIO GRX560. This notebook has a 16" LCD which means it is bigger than most. Fear not, however, it still fit on the cooler perfectly, it just had to be moved forward a little to keep it from tipping backwards. With the notebook moved forward it sits firmly in place. I taped a thermal probe to the bottom of the laptop and left it in place for all temperature readings. For load temperature testing I used Prime95 for 3 hours to let the notebook heat up to its peak temperatures. The room ambient during testing was 23.0C.

Laptop Temperatures
(Show All Graphs)

Idle

Load

Cooler: Fans Off

Cooler: Fans On

Stand-Alone

46.6

35.2

50.1

Temperature ( °C )

Idle

Load

Cooler: Fans Off

Cooler: Fans On

Stand-Alone

48.3

37.1

55.2

Temperature ( °C )

As you can see from the results, the notebook cooler really works well. Somehow it managed to cool the notebook over 3C @ idle without the fans even being turned on. This is most likely due to the space between the bottom of the laptop and the surface it is on. The gap allows air to transfer heat better than a tabletop would. You can also see that with the fans turned on, the cooler shaves just a hair under 15C off of the notebook temperature. Under load conditions this cooler performs even better, only letting the notebook get 2C warmer than @ idle temps.

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Taking a Closer Look & Testing
Page 3: Quality Check & Conclusion

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5 User Comments

1 - Posted by m[X] on August 18, 2003 - 9:17 am

sounds like a preety good investment if i had a laptop..and $20 for that matter

2 - Posted by Guest on October 4, 2004 - 1:51 pm

Excellent review. Detail high enough to really be of value.

3 - Posted by Guest on November 3, 2004 - 8:16 am

I just bought one (total price $21 dollars after UPS... Thanks for the great review, I have heard many good things about this product and I feel its better then even the new coolers.

4 - Posted by Guest on May 27, 2005 - 10:55 pm

I have owned the Bytecc cooler for some time now. I would like to point out two things. First of all, from the pictures you show of your Sony on the cooler, you have the bottom of the notebook sitting on the front lip of the cooler, which is meant to be used as a positioning aid as well as a stop to prevent the notebook from slipping down the incline. This would also raise the bottom of the computer further from the cooler, and therefore provide less cooling than if it were positioned normally. The other observation is that one size does NOT fit all. I have a Fujitsu N5010, which is a monster of a notebook as far as size goes. Therefore, when I position the notebook properly with its front up against the lip of the cooler, it will actually tip backward as soon as I open the computer to normal viewing position.

The cooler does seem to work well in spite of my less than ideal fit.

5 - Posted by Izrac on January 2, 2007 - 12:55 am

I have been using the Bytec Notebook Cooler for my laptop 3 years and have not had any problem. It works very well and has kept heat away from my laptop. Even in the summer when it gets a little warm inside the Laptop stays cool. I have had no fan burnout and I have used it continously for 8 hours or more without a break. I sincerely recommend this product. if I need another cooler I woud again buy a Bytec with no hesitations. In fact I have just purchased one to give to someone as a gift.

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