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brother337 · Apr 20, 2007, 06:16 AM

Just to repeat what I have in my sig, I have a C2D Macbook Pro, which I want to get a cooling pad for.

I have an old macmice iBreeze that worked perfectly for my old 12" iBook.

However, I've found that it doesn't effectively work for my MBP due to the fact that the hot spots on the bottom of my MBP are farther back, closer to the hinge, and the fans on the iBreeze completely miss it and are pretty ineffectual.

Can anyone recommend a good cooling pad that works well, in particular, with the new MBPs?

Randman · Apr 20, 2007, 06:24 AM

Have you tried an iCurve, or whatever they are called now? Nice elevation and it cools more than enough without extra stuff needed to be plugged in.

Another option is the X-T-Stand. Which is nice, looks great and is very portable.

Xisiqomelir · Apr 20, 2007, 05:15 PM

Do MBPs have heating problems bad enough to need one???

Thats one of the reasons I wanted to switch to mac, I'm sick of my PC killing its own sound card and shutting down because of overheating. Is a MCP going to do the same thing?

brother337 · Apr 20, 2007, 06:15 PM

Originally Posted by Randman

Have you tried an iCurve, or whatever they are called now? Nice elevation and it cools more than enough without extra stuff needed to be plugged in.

Another option is the X-T-Stand. Which is nice, looks great and is very portable.

Hey Randman,

Thanks for the suggestions! However, I'm more looking for a product that has active cooling (fans). Know of any good products like that? I liked the iBreeze just fine before for my iBook, and it even worked for my Powerbook 1.5Ghz, but it totally cools the wrong spot on my Macbook Pro.

brother337 · Apr 20, 2007, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Xisiqomelir

Do MBPs have heating problems bad enough to need one???

Thats one of the reasons I wanted to switch to mac, I'm sick of my PC killing its own sound card and shutting down because of overheating. Is a MCP going to do the same thing?

Well, the original MBP (Core Duo) got pretty hot, but they seem to be pretty reliable. At the expense of noise, you can get fan control utilities that will kick up the fan speed and keep your MBP even cooler.

However the more recent Core 2 Duo is far far cooler. It's cooler by far than the Powerbook 1.5Ghz had before it. The fans work pretty well too. When I do video editing and DVD authoring and have the CPU going at 100% (or 200% depending on your semantics), the bottom of my MBP is hot but not ridiculous, unlike my Powerbook which was painful to touch when it was going full blast.

However, since I do video stuff, I do hit my processor a lot, and while my internal fans will probably last me the life of my machine (hopefully 4-5 years), I'd rather buy a cooling pad with fans and take the strain off the internal ones. But I'm the kind of guy who would do this with *any* laptop, mac or pc.

anyhow, to answer your question, I feel that the new Core2Duo Macbook Pros (and Macbooks) are a pretty safe bet in regards to heat concerns.

chabig · Apr 20, 2007, 07:27 PM

I like the Roadtools Podium Pad. No fans needed.

Chris

wingdo · Apr 20, 2007, 08:36 PM

If you're looking for something to use as a desktop solution, I use a Bytecc NC-500. It's got 2 fans (not the quietest ones you can find) and they pump a lot of air. I run VmWare, Parallels, and play WoW on my MBP and this thing keeps it cool on the bottom.

For my lap i use a lapcool 3, but I am still looking for a better solution as the book still gets quite warm.

I highly recommendthe Bytecc though.

brother337 · Apr 20, 2007, 10:30 PM

Thanks Wingdo. The Bytecc looks good (especially if it's doing it for you on your MBP, while you're gaming.)

wingdo · Apr 21, 2007, 01:14 PM

I got mine through 2cool tek (ww.2cooltek.com). $14.95 plus shipping.

The fans are a bit noisey as they are real fans not some thin low airflow units. They are no louder than a desktop, but your laptop will not be silent with them. Somewhere in these forums someone else recommended the bytecc and mentioned tests showing at least a 10 degree drop in temp, I doubted the result but I am now convinced it's accurate.

(I don't work for any of the companies listed, I'm just very happy with my purchase)

aMackUzer · Apr 21, 2007, 09:01 PM

... just download and install the free Fan Control ('though he deserves at least a small donation for the excellent utility).

I set the lower and upper thresholds to their minimums and set the base speed to 1200. I currently have a Core 2 Duo and it normally runs at around 120 deg. F for both cores and it almost never gets above 150 deg. F, even with both processors maxed for an extended period. With my previous Core Duo, using Fan Control made it like a different machine! Without Fan Control, it would reach 190 deg. F with both processors maxed but only 170 deg. F with Fan Control.

The nice feature of Fan Control is that it only ramps up the fan speed when the temperature increases. This is the control that Apple should be delivering with the system ... maybe with a second configuration for use when running on battery.

Try it ... it blows the other solutions away! <pun intended>

iMacYouMac · Apr 22, 2007, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by Xisiqomelir

Do MBPs have heating problems bad enough to need one???

Thats one of the reasons I wanted to switch to mac, I'm sick of my PC killing its own sound card and shutting down because of overheating. Is a MCP going to do the same thing?

Some laptops will get hotter than others but no laptop will shutdown due to overheating unless you have not cleaned it well enough.

lepprd · Apr 23, 2007, 08:14 AM

In my home office, my MBP (core duo, 216 GHz) sits on a two-fan cooling stand which i bought years ago and has no brand name on it. It is not plugged in since there is no apparent need for it. I have never noticed that the MBR becomes warm enough to start its fans, i.e., I have never heard any fan noise from the MBP.

On the road, I use a "Road Tools" pad with small rubber-like pads that allow some air passage. It also allows for rotating the laptop.

Xisiqomelir · Apr 23, 2007, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by iMacYouMac

Some laptops will get hotter than others but no laptop will shutdown due to overheating unless you have not cleaned it well enough.

I'm not real comfortable popping open my laptops and cleaning them out. So yes, that could be the problem and its probably the problem all my friends have too.

My bf has a powerbook and its never overheated and he's had it for years - I guess thats one of the things I'm hoping to get in a mac - not overheating. And to me, I shouldn't have to be opening it up and cleaning it out either.

sieb · Apr 23, 2007, 11:39 AM

Newegg.com - VANTEC LapCool2 Notebook Cooler, with 4 USB2.0 ports Model LPC-305 - Retail

Vantec LapCool2, I use this model because it has USB ports I can keep my mouse and keyboard plugged into, ala docking station.

mfbernstein · Apr 23, 2007, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by Xisiqomelir

I'm not real comfortable popping open my laptops and cleaning them out. So yes, that could be the problem and its probably the problem all my friends have too.

My bf has a powerbook and its never overheated and he's had it for years - I guess thats one of the things I'm hoping to get in a mac - not overheating. And to me, I shouldn't have to be opening it up and cleaning it out either.

No, you should not need to open your machine to clean it out. In fact doing so may void your warranty. Macs do not as a rule overheat. Unfortunately there have been a number, especially the first revision MBPs, that had cooling problems.

Back to the original topic, I have stayed away from cooling pads primarily due to the issue of noise. It seems that they're either ineffective, or noisier than the original fan. Here's hoping that TDP continues to decrease with Intel's newer chips, making this less of an issue.

iMacYouMac · Apr 23, 2007, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by Xisiqomelir

I'm not real comfortable popping open my laptops and cleaning them out. So yes, that could be the problem and its probably the problem all my friends have too.

My bf has a powerbook and its never overheated and he's had it for years - I guess thats one of the things I'm hoping to get in a mac - not overheating. And to me, I shouldn't have to be opening it up and cleaning it out either.

Usually you don't need to open it up. All you do is remove the battery and use some canned air on the fans and through the heatsinks. Most of the time dust cakes onto the heatsinks and prevents heat from dissipating. Blowing some air in there usually resolves the problem. There are some laptops, however, that have too much heatsink compound from the factory and that would require opening the machine.

peeb · Apr 23, 2007, 01:54 PM

Some models of Macs can tend to run hot, but that's usually ok, no external solution is required.

brother337 · Apr 28, 2007, 07:21 PM

I ended up going with the Cooler Master NotePal, which I found randomly on Amazon.

Was going to go with the Bytecc, but decided to take a chance on this one. I'm very pleased with it. It's all aluminum, and the build quality is solid. The fans are placed high up on the pad, almost directly hitting the MBP hot spots.

Another nice touch is that the fans are low RPM (roughly 1500RPM) and *very* quiet. I actually mainly use it with the fans off; I only turn them on when I do processor intensive stuff. LIke I said, my MBP doens't have a heat problem, but I do like having an extra set of fans when I'm doing video stuff, especially now that summer is coming around.