A laptop cooling pad is an accessory of a laptop that is used to reduce or control the temperature of the laptop. This is made possible with the help of the fans in them, which is responsible to flow cool air to always keep your laptop cool.
It is mainly used when the laptop itself is unable to cool it efficiently. If the user is suffering from heat-related discomfort it can be easily resolved with the help of a cooling pad. In addition to it, overheating issue can also be easily tackled when you use a laptop cooling pad.
In the second place, the cooling pad may comprise active or passive coolers. Active coolers help to convect the heat away from the laptop by using small fans which generate an additional flow of air around the body of the laptop.
On the other hand, the passive cooler is made rely on conducting materials that allow cooling of the laptop without using any power consumption. It can be beneficial if it is used for a time of around 7-8 hours of cooling.
But you might think that do laptop coolers make a difference? If you think so, then here we have answered all your frequent questions that get raised in your mind while buying a laptop cooling pad.
Table of Contents
How does the cooling pad work for laptops?
Laptops cooling pads are like mini platforms for the laptops which consist of integrated fans into them. The cooling pad collects the cool air from the bottom of the laptop and blows it into the laptop which helps to keep the laptop cool.
But it doesn’t mean that it decreases the temperature of the laptop with a massive difference. For example, if you are playing a heavy game which tends to set the temperature to 90 degrees Celsius. When you equip the cooling pad it reduces the temperature from 90 degrees to just 80 – 85 degrees Celsius.
This concludes that it just makes the difference of just 5 – 10 degrees of temperature.
Additionally, if you are thinking of taking a cooling pad for your Chromebook, let me tell you Chromebooks do not require a cooling pad as it does not exhaust enough heat.
Do I need a cooling pad for my high-end laptop?
If you own a high-end laptop in which you execute high-level programs, hardware-intensive tasks such as compiling software and video editing or you might be gaming on your laptop for hours, then you may deal with the issue of overheating of your laptop.
This is because these tasks require a lot of CPU and GPU resources, resulting in a lot of heat generation.
This issue can be resolved using a cooling pad for your laptop which helps to maintain the temperature of your laptop even if it gets heated due to crossing the CPU limits.
Summing up all this, a conclusion can be drawn that cooling pads may help to lower the temperature and a slight noticeable performance can be increased.
But it is only recommended when you own a laptop with high-end performing tasks, not for the normal laptops because as of now laptops are designed to not overheat even if the processor reaches its maximum potential.
Does a laptop cooling pad improve performance?
Interestingly, laptop cooling pads can technically help to improve the performance to a small extent by facilitating better air circulation to keep the laptop cool without needing to open the laptop.
But if talking about improvising the gaming performance of your laptop, a couple of fans won’t improve your gaming experience.
Do laptop coolers make a difference?
Laptop coolers are meant to reduce the temperature and improve the performance of your laptop. For that, it should maintain a significant difference in the temperature of your laptop.
But as a genuine answer, laptop coolers generally do not make much difference in the temperature of your laptop. If you perform high-end gaming on your laptop and it easily gets heat up then laptop coolers barely make a temperature difference of 5 – 10 degrees Celsius.
Is the cooling pad worth it?
Usually, the built-in system of the laptop is not much capable of dissipating the heat and providing cool surroundings to the internal parts of the laptop. So, if your laptop does not dissipate much heat effectively, then the cooling pads can be easily worked out in that case.
It reduces the temperature of the laptop when you are keeping it on your lap while using it and increase their performance.
Collectively, if you use the laptop for high-end programming or for intensive gaming that overheats your laptop, then the cooling pads will surely be worth it.
Do laptop cooling pads work for gaming?
Gaming laptops with a cooling pad can barely make a difference of nearly 5-10 degrees Celsius. So if your laptop’s temperature reaches 90-100 degrees Celsius, then the cooling pads can help to lower the temperature to 80-85 degrees Celsius.
Intensive gaming brings up a lot of heat that needs to maintain. So, if you are an intensive gamer, then it would not be bad to invest in laptop cooling pads. It will be the cheaper way to boost your laptop’s performance to avoid overheating and to make a temperature difference by your laptop cooler.
Cooling pad temperature difference
Apparently, the cooling pad does not make much difference in temperature. With just 5-10 degrees of the temperature difference and that too during intense gaming is a bit worthless. At least a temperature difference of 15-20 degrees would help to maintain the laptop’s ability to perform wisely at a controlled temperature.
So according to me, this feature is about to an edge of the disadvantage of the cooling pad. Because the laptop cooling pad is a must-have accessory for an intensive gamer. And if it won’t make much temperature difference while gaming then it would not be effective enough.
Is a cooling pad bad for laptops?
No, we can’t state that the cooling pads are bad for laptops. But, there are some of the drawbacks of using a cooling pad for your laptop.
One of the major drawbacks is that it brings up the additional expenses to the user because cooling pads are not the must-have component without which the laptop will not work. Apart from this, even if you use cooling pads it is not effective that it cools down the laptop as per your desired result.
And further, some cooling pads even blow hot air out of it that resulting out to be disruptive. Moreover, some of the laptop coolers don’t even make a difference in case of performance.
Now let’s have a detailed look over the best laptop cooling pads…
Best laptop cooling pads
1. THERMALTAKE MASSIVE 20 RGB
SPECIFICATIONS –
Compatibility – For 10”-19” Notebook
Dimensions – 471 x 354.5 x 46.5 mm
Fan Dimension – 200 x 200 x 18 mm
Material – Mesh + Plastic
Rated current – 1.2 A
Rated voltage – 5 V
Fan Speed – 600-800 RPM
Weight – 1.52 Kg
Noise – 30 Dba
Airflow – 64 CFM
Air pressure – 0.4 mm-H2O
Thermaltake massive 20 RGB tops the list of the best laptop cooling pads with really a perfect slick look. The RGB lights it has been one of the most attractive stuff this cooling pad can have.
It has three levels of tilts which is more than enough to compete with the other cooling pads. The best part of this cooling pad is that it is massive enough that it can fit up to 19” laptops with ease.
It has a good cooling ability but in case if you are engaged in heavy gaming which requires a lot of CPU power consumption then it won’t be much effective for cooling. you can consider this cooling pad for graphic designing laptops if you work with high-quality video editing and if your laptop generates unnecessary heat.
PROS –
- Decent RGB lights
- Decent cooling
- Slick look
- Includes fan control
- Three levels of tilts
CONS –
- Its big size makes the portability difficult
- No USB passthrough
- Cooling ability lacks while playing heaving games
2. TOPMATE C5 COOLING PAD
SPECIFICATIONS –
Compatibility – For 10”-15.6”
Dimensions – 14.6” x 11.81” x 1.5”
Fan Dimension – 200 x 200 x 18 mm
Material – ABS Plastic and metal
Rated current – 0.24 A – 0.46 A
Rated voltage – 5 V
Fan Speed – Small fan – 2400 RPM, Big fan – 1200 RPM
Weight – 1 Kg
Airflow – 70 CFM
Air pressure – 0.4 mm-H2O
This cooling pad comes with an LCD screen that displays various wind speeds. Although, with a remarkable five average power coolers, it comprises cooling fans with blue LED lights that bring out be a more cosmic look. But its drawback is that you won’t be able to turn the blue light off.
In addition to this, it offers multiple kickers and angles to hold the laptop in a fixed place. The tilting feature of this cooling pad allows you to have a comfortable experience while playing games and it can be adjusted up to a height of five meters.
PROS –
- Laptop cooling fans with blue LED light
- Various windspeed displayable LCD screen
- Up to 5 height adjustments
- High speed and low sound
- Two extra USB ports
CONS –
- Speed control is difficult to adjust
- Flimsy body
- Can’t turn off LED lights
3. HAVIT HV-F2056 laptop cooling pad
SPECIFICATIONS –
- Compatibility – For 15.6” – 17”
- Dimensions – 40.5 x 29.0 x 3.6 cm
- Fan Dimension – 200 x 200 x 18 mm
- Material – HIPS and metal mesh
- Rated current – 0.24 A – 0.46 A
- Rated voltage – 5 V
- Fan Speed – 1100 +/- 200 RPM
- Weight – 0.996 Kg
- Airflow – 65 CFM
Compared among all the five laptop cooling pads, Havit HV-f2056 comes out to be more effective in case of reducing the temperature as it has superior cooling power.
Talking about the fans it consists of, they are much more likely to be noiseless that means it nearly tends to be undisturbed. It is compatible with 15” to 17” laptops but you will find it difficult while fitting it with a 17” laptop which is less likely to be fitted.
You will also find additional USB ports and an adjustable roller switch in it.
PROS –
- Superior cooling
- Ergonomic comfort
- Additional USB port
- Fans are noiseless
- Adjustable roller switch
CONS –
- Not much durable as expected
- Trouble in fitting 17” laptops
- Heavy
4. KOOTEK COOLER PAD
SPECIFICATIONS –
Compatibility – For 12” – 17”
Dimensions – 38.2 x 30.2 x 3.8 cm
Material – Metal mesh
Rated current – 1.2 A
Rated voltage – 5 V
Fan Speed – 600-800 RPM
Weight – 1.16 Kg
Airflow – 64 CFM
Air pressure – 0.4 mm-H2O
Kootek cooler pad is compatible with 12 – 17-inch laptops that provide good heat dissipation for the laptop. Its fans are super quiet creating a noise-free and interference-free environment.
It consists of a dual USB hub that allows multiple USB devices to connect. Further, it is also equipped with a six adjustable height setting in such a way that you can adjust the height according to your using situation for the best posture which can relieve neck fatigue.
PROS –
- Good cooling power
- Noiseless
- Built for large laptops
- Adjustable height
CONS –
- Lacks in design elements
- Flimsy plastic bar
5. TARGUS CHILL MAT
SPECIFICATIONS –
Compatibility – For 17” laptops
Dimensions – 15” x 1.0” x 11.75”
Material – Plastic
Rated current – 1.2 A
Rated voltage – 3 V
Fan Speed – 2400 RPM
Weight – 0.9 Kg
The Targus Chill Mat is equipped with two efficient fans that help to keep the laptop cool as it generates cool air and prevents overheating.
The ergonomic tilt allows you to be comfortable while typing and gaming with the best and comfortable sitting postures.
Furthermore, the minimal design allows fans to run smoothly and quietly stimulating constant airflow.
PROS –
- Minimal design
- Easy to use
- Comfortable titled design
CONS –
- No fan speed control
- Cooling is below average
Our Verdict:
If you have read the full blog then you must have known till now that Do I need a cooling pad for my laptop? or Do laptop coolers make a difference? have a simple answer that it varies from user to user, if I suggest yes then that would be for heavy users but not for the normal users who just use the laptop for business communication, word, excel, etc.
The works which is not much CPU or GPU intensive does not require a cooling pad because the laptop will not generate much heat but when you are a heavy gamer or you edit videos which is GPU intensive work then you may require a laptop cooling pad to dissipate the heat. Graphic designing laptops and engineering laptops may require a cooling pad if you use it for a long time for video editing or gaming, as it generates a lot of heat.
