14 DAY TRIAL // Laptop coolers may not be necessary to the operation of a notebook, but they can sure make it a lot more comfortable to use them as, well, laptops. It kind of defeats the purpose of them having the word “lap” in their name if their undersides are too hot.
Not that makers of mobile computers allow their systems to reach beyond the painful threshold. That would qualify as overheating, which is never fun for anyone.
However, it can still be quite uncomfortable for owners, especially if it is summer. That is where laptop cooling stands come in.
Stands like the ErgoStand III released by Cooler Master just now, and featuring a surface area large enough for all but the biggest mobile workstations.
More specifically, the ErgoStand III supports laptops with screen diagonals of up to 17 inches. Tablets and 2-in-1 devices are also included.
The specs of the Cooler Master ErgoStand III
Colored black and featuring a diamond-patterned mesh top surface, the stand has six height settings, allowing you to choose the viewing angle.
This is not such a big deal, since the laptop screen can be itself adjusted, but it can still be useful to angle the keyboard half comfortably.
A fan with a diameter of 230 mm provides 72 cubic feet, or 2 cubic meters, of airflow per minute.
That means that the head leeching out through the laptop underside, whether or not there are vents there or if they are set in the edge of the notebook, will never accumulate. All the while, noise never goes above 21 dBA.
A Loop Dynamic Bearing and the exclusive cooling fan blade design contribute to all this, as does the aluminum fan speed controller.
Other features include a removable front panel and anti-slip holders for the mobile PC or tablet you set on it (they can be slid together for small devices, or folded into the front panel for storage and support).
Availability
Cooler Master ErgoStand III should be up for order in Europe for the price of €37 / $43, though sales may not begin everywhere at once. If you're undecided on whether or not to buy this versus other stands, consider that there are four USB ports included, plus one to make the link to the PC. Many other stands have Universal Serial Bus of course, but it bears mentioning.
