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The Cooler Master U Stand arrives in a plainly coloured box with a high resolution image of the product on the front.
Inside is a USB cable for connection between cooler and laptop, literature on the product and two 100mm cooling fans.
The two Cooler Master fans are enclosed inside proprietary shells which attach to the main cooling surface from the underside. They are both hooked into the same header plug. Cooler Master are using two A10015-12CA-2EN-F1 fans.
The Cooler Master NotePal U Stand looks fantastic, very elegant in design, thanks to the subdued colour scheme. Cooler Master are using perforated hairline aluminum across the surface. We love the appearance.
It measures 410mm x 55.5-217mm x 310mm (WxHxD). It is significantly bigger than the ThermalTake Massive23 GT, which is quite ironic considering the name. It is also more substantial, weighing 1.37 kg, thanks to the primary metal construction.
At the bottom of the cooler are two raised holders which have rubber strips in place to ensure they won't mark the laptop. These can be lowered by pushing down.
Along the top is a rubber strip to hold the laptop in place.
Along the side is a power on/off button. the USB in port for power and three USB ports for additional connectivity.
Out of the box, the fans are not installed.
The Notepal U Stand has 5 different viewing heights to suit individual demands. The locking bar is thicker and feels stronger than the one used on the Thermaltake Massive23 GT. The holding ridges are also deeper and feel more secure.
The rear side of the I/O panel has a port for connecting the fans.
The single 2 pin header locks in here with a simple push.
Cooler Master supply a little guide sheet which indicates that the fans should be fitted in the central section otherwise the cooler can't be closed tightly.
Above, you should be able to make out a fine white dotted line which shows the central area of the cooler surface. If you mount fans outside this, then it can't close tightly for storage. With large laptops however, it means you can mount a fan directly underneath a hot surface area, even at the edges.
There is a button at the top of each fan. When this is pressed in, the fan can be locked into the holes (underside) on the main surface of the Notepal U.
Any area of the cooler can be used for fan mounting.
Each of the fans has a holding clip section in each of the corners. This allows for the cable to be routed in a variety of ways, depending on the fan positions.
We have mounted both fans above in a central position.
The anti slip holders feel stronger than those found on the ThermalTake Massive23 GT and held the massive Alienware M18X firmly in place.
This angle highlights the width of the Cooler Master NotePal U, which basically covers the whole surface of the 18 inch laptop. It is a much better width and would perfectly support a 17 inch laptop.
The images above show an angled view of the M18x resting on the NotePal U cooler.
It is a problem with thermaltake. They seem to use some really very poor materials. The fans on my frio were replaced after I bought it, due to the noise levels. I bought 2 noctua fans and attached them with rubber bungs.
Cooler Master product looks great doesnt it? the removable fans is a great idea as sometimes users dont even want them.
Good prices for both, but for £8 more, cooler master seems a win.
I really dont see the need for a laptop cooler, unless you end up with a mac with a closed bottom or another one like that. My own HP laptop is cool underneath as all the hot air is forced outsideways. might be a good idea for a big desktop style laptop as stated in review, but waste of money IMO