I need recommendations for a cooling pad, I am planning to buy a notebook for gaming in an area that doesn't have internet. Maybe I will even finish my games without the distractions online.

How big is the laptop?
What's your price range?

The most powerful cooler is probably the ***NZXT*** for around $70. It also comes in ***black***. These are for 17" laptops. They are for heavy duty cooling with their large fans and are quiet.

***Zalman coolers*** are also good, come for 15" and 17" laptops, and come in black or silver.

There are certainly less expensive coolers. The main thing is to make sure you get a cooler that is blowing the same direction as your laptop fans. In other words, if your laptop blows air downwards, you don't want a cooler that is blowing air upwards, and vice versa.

There are neat devices called cooler balls.They look like a golf ball cut in half that you just stick on the bottom of the laptop.This gives an air-gap under the laptop to aid in cooling.An added bonus is that the front and back cooler balls are different sizes so the act of putting them on automatically gives a perfect angle for typing.They are under $10.

Jenny100 since I don't have it yet I don't know which way the fans blow, maybe I will wait til it comes. Here it is though. Asus laptop

Geo, those cooler balls sound good to me, I will have to do a search for them. I don't like the idea of having to carry a lot of stuff around or using too much power off the laptop either. Aside from being in a no internet area in our "cabin" we are also off the grid and will have solar for electricity with a backup generator.

Wow! That should be interesting.

Hi Hawka...

I actually made something like those "cooler balls". I glue-gunned two wine corks together...making a pair of them. I put them under the back legs of my laptop and place it on a lap desk when I play. The joint between the two corks makes a nice "groove" for the laptop feet. The corks elevate the back of the laptop to provide airflow when I game. The lap desk prevents me from getting too warm with the laptop on my lap. I have a 17 inch HP so I was having difficulty finding a cooling fan that fit...plus I, too, don't want to carry around too much stuff. It's always nice, too, to find something to do with all those wine corks!

Definitely stay away from those "cooling pads" that have the gel and claim to absorb the heat. I used one for a month and shortly thereafter got the blue screen of death with a video driver error. Somehow I think that the video card overheated. That pad is now used in my kitchen for pots!

JK

Thanks for the headsup on the gel stuff, the bad stuff I heard about some coolers is that the fans go bad, from the weight of the laptop maybe? I found this one that is off the desk but probably wouldn't be as good on the lap. transparent cooler

The transparent one looks good... But I'm just sort of grooving on the whole idea of the wine bottle corks. I mean, "...gee, my laptop needs a little space to stay cool. Darn the luck, I'm going to have to open up that other bottle of wine to get enough corks." Sounds like the perfect relationship to me!

Draclvr,I think you may have to replace those corks every day or so.They dont last all that long.Pity.

I love the idea of having a wine cooler!

Good one, Bernard!

I was thinking about buying a water cooler system for my desktop, guess I have to reconsider.

I knew, Drac, that you especially would appreciate the wine bottle cork solution.

Bernard...That wine cooler comment was priceless! I think I will refer to my little invention as such!

Cheers!

You guys crack me UP!!!...ok...I can see it now....

"please send all your wine corks to Gameboomers.com".....hahaha

JK, I think you may have a patent possibility here!!

Well...you know what they say: "Necessity is the mother of invention."

And I can use any excuse to open a bottle of wine!

Too bad there's no round slot in the casing of my desktop! Wouldn't it be marvellous to cool your bottle of wine in your PC?

And how much wine was consumed in the making of this thread?

I can only speak for myself, BillyBob. Not a drop...yet.

HIC....maybe a little

Just 2 or 3 bott..., no I mean glasses, very small glasses though!

Can I join the party, no spilling on my wine, I mean laptop, cooler.

Everybody is invited, as long as you bring your own glasses, some things to nibble are also welcome!

Does my Pinot Grigio I'm drinking as we speak count? I'll bring some nice slices of smoked white cheddar cheese to nibble on....

Oh, dear. I belive we've devolved in food and drink silliness in the Technical section! Jenny100 will have to come and set us back on the proper path ...

I was wondering, could the excess heat generated by the computer be used to make popcorn. Very environmental idea, isn't it? It's a tech question also!
By the way, I opened a few bottles of Alsace Riesling and sliced some carpaccio, together with the white cheddar, delicious.