Home > Consumer Reviews > Zalman ZM-NC2000Black Notebook Cooler (Black)

My laptop came from Gateway through my college and always had been running next to scalding. Once I learned of the extreme hazards this could impose on my computer (and the frying of my monitor), I was quick to take action in attempting to cool it down some. This notebook is a 2 year old Gateway M685-E, 17", with a GeForce GO 7600 (unfortunately the 128 MB version, but I can upgrade to 256 at some point), 4 GB of RAM, and Dual Core 1.83 GHz processor. Like I said before, ever since day one it has had an appetite for energy and would heat up to 81-82 Celsius easily-- I would hang my laptop over the edge of my deskspace just to make sure the vents had easy access to air to prevent it from getting this high.

A year into its life, I had to use my forced $1000 warranty through my school to put a new monitor on because the heat generated by the processors and GPU caused several connections to fry, including the monitor and power supply areas.

After getting it back, I used a Targus cooling pad which broke within a few weeks, with no way to replace the fans, and well... it was just a huge disappointment. I was back to hanging it off the edge of my desk and having one of the fans in my room blow at high speed at the back of it (not fun since I wear contacts, dried them out pretty quick).

I learned online of a process known as undervolting, which I highly recommend to anybody who has a laptop that reaches beyond the 'danger level' in operating temperature. I was able to cool my laptop down 15 Celsius without... WITHOUT... sacrificing any performance. I read on the forums I perused to learn this technique that many people say it does take down performance, but the guide assured with posted benchmarks that it didn't do jack to performance, which is why I stressed 'without.' I ran benchmarks on 3DMark06 myself and noticed no change in performance either--not that my score was that high to begin with. : (

I then bought the Zalman NC2000 to couple cooling techniques, since I felt that 66 Celsius was still too high to be comfortable with. Online I had read mixed reviews about the product because the holes do not go up the entire length of the platform. Obviously, it makes sense that this would be a terrible choice for a cooler if your vents are all the way at the back of your laptop (like most gaming laptops) and would perform poorly-- with many reviewers having gaming laptops, just be aware that they simply bought the wrong cooler to begin with for where their vents are placed. My vents are towards the middle and bottom, so this cooler is perfect for my computer.

The construction of this product is solid and stable, I was immediately taken aback (in a good way) when I felt how cold the aluminum was, I wasn't expecting that deep a chill. The fans are placed along a lipped ridge that is angled in such a way that it faces the back where air would be coming in. Maximum air input comes with the cooler legs down raising it up to 9 degrees instead of the stock 7 degrees since more of the cooler is off the surface you are using it on. The fans are indeed very quiet (audible, but not annoying) and the blue LED power light is a nice touch to let you know it's on without having to feel. It uses your USB port to provide power but has a second USB port on it to compensate for the one it takes. If you want, like me, you can also head to the store and buy a USB to AC adaptor and just plug it into the wall (you will need a longer USB cable). Keep in mind plugging into the wall does nothing to improve cooling, I just prefer it. The aluminum surface is screwed on by four easy to access screws, so replacing fans or modding (keeping in mind your mod will disrupt the designed air flow and may make the cooler cool less, or if you are lucky, more) is easy. I plan on at least attempting a mod by adding a fan, just to see if it adds any effect but won't screw it in place until improvement is found.

Onto the performance:
I used CPUID HWMonitor to keep track of my temperatures and Orthos to perform stress tests. I only performed these tests on my already undervolted laptop because I would have no need to ever raise them back up so I am EXPECTING the improvements to be rather small because it's using the minimal amount of energy it needs to. If it were not undervolted, I would definitely expect my results to be about 8 to 10 Celsius cooler.

***All temperatures are in Celsius***

Room temperature is about 23 degrees Celsius and cooler sits at 9 degrees position

Idle: no cooler

Hard Drive: 32-35
GPU: 35
Processor Core 1: 35-42
Processor Core 2: 37-44
ACPI: 40

Idle: sitting on cooler (no fans) -- 10 minutes to equilibrate for all tests below

Hard Drive: 31-33
GPU: 34
Processor Core 1: 33-39
Processor Core 2: 36-44
ACPI: 39

Idle: fans on lowest setting

Hard Drive: 33-34
GPU: 33-34
Processor Core 1: 32-38
Processor Core 2: 36-42
ACPI: 39

Idle: fans on highest setting

Hard Drive: 32
GPU: 32
Processor Core 1: 28-33
Processor Core 2: 28-33
ACPI: 39

ORTHOS Stress Test, Computer set using RightMark CPUClock to be on Maximum x11 multiplier for my processors
Left for 10 minutes to equilibrate (keep in mind only Processor and ACPI temperatures rise with this test)

Test 1, no cooling, on table--- UNDERVOLTED LAPTOP for all tests

Hard Drive: 32-35
GPU: 35
Processor Core 1: 65-66
Processor Core 2: 64-66
ACPI: 60

Reached max temperature from hot start (having been on for awhile) in 30-45 seconds

Test 2, cooling pad, no fans

Hard Drive: 31-33
GPU: 34
Processor Core 1: 65-66
Processor Core 2: 64-66
ACPI: 60

Reached same max temperatures from hot start in 7 minutes 30 seconds

Test 3, cooling pad, low fans

Hard Drive: 33-34
GPU: 33-34
Processor Core 1: 63
Processor Core 2: 63
ACPI: 58

Reached these temperatures from hot start after 8 minutes

Test 4, cooling pad, high fans

Hard Drive: 32
GPU: 32
Processor Core 1: 59-63
Processor Core 2: 60-63
ACPI: 56

Both processors tend to hover around 61 most of the time, reached from hot start after 8 minutes as well

Conclusions:

Based on its performance, we see a slight drop in operating temperatures, even on my already undervolted laptop. These drops affect the processors and the ACPI by as much as 6 or 7 degrees Celsius, however, the average was around 3-4 degrees. The most dramatic effect the cooling pad implements is not in its ability to cool, but to prevent the system from heating quickly. As I indicated, using the cooling pad lengthened the amount of time it took for the system to reach its highest reported temperature for the 10 minute stress test, by adding fans, I simply made the maximum temperature less. Coupled with undervolting and adequate vent-to-air hole placement between your laptop and this cooler, you could experience tremendous cooling-- my processors were the hottest things in my computer and experienced a maximum 22 degrees Celsius drop in full load operating temperature and the time to reach the maximum temperature has grown 10-15 times longer than the original system did with undervolting alone.

Why no GPU temperature tests? My GPU consistently remains within 5 degrees Celsius (above and below) of my processor cores, so if I had performed a GPU stress test, you can probably expect roughly the same cooling effect the machine had on my processors. Also, CPUID does not detect my GPU, SpeedFan does and thus this is where I derived the above statement.

I highly recommend this cooler to those of you with massive, bulky laptops with vents located in the middle of the machine and towards the front of the machine as well. If your vents are towards the back of the machine (as with most gaming laptops) this cooler is not for you as your vents are not in an optimal position to work with this cooler.

I will edit the results in the future if any performance increases are made with my mods.

One mod I know works is placing a piece of cardboard on your laptop, drawing where your vents are, cutting the holes out and focusing all the air directly into your vents. I did not do this... so I don't know if it works to improve cooling effects.

I just got my cooler today. I think it's awesome. For one, it fits my 17" laptop perfectly, and it doesn't scoot and slide. I had bought a flimsy one and the laptop just about slid off the table! This cooler is very sturdy and it looks slick to boot.

It's also at a good angle, and it has flip-up feet so if you want it a little higher, it will accommodate you. It has a little compartment for your USB cable to hide in as well.

Another thing: it's almost silent! I have the fans up full blast right now and it's barely making a peep. And it keeps my laptop very cool. I'm actually running World of Warcraft in the background (for the last 20 minutes or so) right now on max settings and the laptop fans have yet to kick on, just the cooler fan.

So yes, it may be pricey, but if you're going to long-term game on your laptop then I think it's a perfect investment for you.

I wish I could find something con for your consideration, but I honestly can't think of one!

I spent quite a bit of time and put a lot of effort into finding a cooler for my Clevo based P4 notebook. With a 17" screen, this is one monster computer. The video cards are notorious for the amount of heat produced. I began having problems with thermal shutdowns despite my best efforts at keeping the inside of the computer clean and free of dust accumumlation.

I finally decided on the Zalman cooler and spent several days wondering if the reviews I read were from people who bought it, received it, and just thought it was pretty. Well, it is a nice looking piece of equipment and very light weight. There is nothing at all confusing about setting the cooler up for use. Any 45-year-old can do it without reading the directions!!

I have had zero shutdowns since I began using the cooler. My thermal monitoring program indicates a 40% drop in the operating temperatures that it monitors. There are no huge peaks in temperatures as I had before using the cooler.

My final analysis is that though the equipment is expensive, it is worth the price sinde it works as advertised. I have purchased some of the flimsy plastic products in the past that looked and felt cheap. This cooler is aluminum, posseses sleek looks, and is not flimsy.

Because of the priciness of the product, I have to deduct one star.

Own a Gateway FX 17Inch Laptop...but it gets too hot when running Crysis I&II @ Full-Screen@Highest Res., and when watching DVDs or YouTube Videos. Tried another "high-end" cooler but it didn't work--too many design flaws and poor quality...no names but its price is high$52-65.00. Anyways...found this Zalman cooler and I'm very happy! It's perfect for my FX 7805, but it seems right for any large laptop.
Here are the Pros:
1-Large enough to accommodate large laptops.
2-Ergonomically designed...almost perfect-- no sharp corners that tear you apart,no internal wires dangling&getting caught all-over-the-place, Power button, 2 USB ports,non skid surface top and bottom, and light as a feather.
3-Two medium sized fans with variable speed that blow enough air to cool my fire-breathing dragron-of-a-laptop. And last but not least: IT'S QUIET! Super quiet.
4-Made with great materials-Aluminum, very cool looking and cool to the touch...similar to that of expensive cookware. And yeah, the plastic underbelly seems good too.

Cons:
1-Could use an xtra fan...for those of us who like to overclock everything, or those lacking an air conditioner.


In conclusion...This thing is real KOOL! Worth every penny. Thank You Zalman. And Thank You Amazon...great products, great prices, and you make Returns&Credits, an easy process.

What a difference this Cooler has made. I have a 17" HP Notebook and used a Targus cooler. The keypad area always ran very hot. I have been using the Zalman NC2000 for several days now and cannot believe how cool my laptop runs and I only have it on half speed. The fans are really quiet and the risers make the angle perfect. Well worth the $$.