Performance

So how does the unit fare in terms of cooling?  Of course, any amount of airflow should help cool the underside of the laptop, but does this translate into lowering ambient or CPU temps?  It absolutely does.  Within 10 minutes, the chipset was 20 degrees cooler, the CPU was 21 desgrees cooler, and the GPU was 10 degrees cooler.  Under load there wasn't as big of a difference, but it does help.  The chipset was 6 degrees cooler under load, the CPU was 2 degrees cooler, and GPU was 7 degrees cooler.  The Aeolus did not appear to get warmer with use, even though it is metal.

	without cooling	with Aeolus
Chipset idle	154	134
CPU idle	136	115
GPU idle	145	135
Chipset load	145	139
CPU load	150	148
GPU load	180	173

My gripes about the back panel are that there is no power indicator, and only one USB port.  Some laptops only have two USB ports, and people are more likely to use them when sitting down for a while... which is the assumption of someone who would use a laptop cooler.  Laptop coolers that are powered by USB should have at least one additional USB port... period.  The cooling pad has no adjustable angle, which some users may look for.

On the plus side, this cooling pad has a very large cooling surface.  Some pads we've tested have limited cooling areas, which is making an assumption about which part of the laptop gets hot.  A large area like this ensures that all parts of your computer's underbelly gets airflow.  Another great plus about this cooling pad is its attractive finish and excellent feel.  The Aeolus has the same great sturdy feel as the Enermax Aurora keyboard (reviewed here), which gives you a longer wrist rest.

	REPORT CARD : Enermax Aeolus CP001 Aluminum Notebook Cooler category rating comments Quality 5 Great construction with diamond-cut edges and great finish.  Very sturdy Innovation 3 Controls should have a power LED and additional USB port at a minimum. Performance 4 Helps cool your laptop and is extremely silent. Installation 4 Plop your laptop down and the lip keeps it in place.  You have to plug up USB and do a reach-around maneuver Value 3 Not cheap at nearly $40, but better quality.    FINAL VERDICT:4 out of 5 stars

<< God of the Winds?

Page 2 of 2 1 : God of the Winds? 2 : Performance

Add Comments >>