With many of the top gaming notebooks on the market boasting a 17” form factor, the market for notebook coolers supporting 17” notebooks is clearly there, though there are only a handful of coolers to fill this void. In this Top 3 article we’ll round up the three best 17” notebook coolers, introducing their top features and benefits and eventually letting you decide which is best.
To understand how to select the best cooler, read our Notebook Coolers Buyers’ Guide
Thermaltake Massive23 CS
The Massive23 is the flagship of Thermaltake’s lineup. It bolsters a large 200mm fan emitting only 17db while pushing close to 60CFM. It measures nearly 15” wide and 12” deep which is large enough to hold up most 17” notebooks with little or no overhang. Although the fan does not cover the entire cooler but only the center area, the aluminum mesh continues to the sides of the fan allowing more airflow through to the notebook overall. To give it a gaming feel, the fan is loaded with LEDs, allowing you to shift between red, blue, and green.
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Specifications
Dimensions: 14.17 (L) x 12.56 (W) x 2.05 (H) inches
Material(s): Aluminum
Fan Dimension: 200 mm
Fan Speed: 600 ± 200 RPM
Price: $50
Zalman NC2000
Although one of the older notebook coolers on the market, the NC2000 still offers great bang for the buck. Unlike the majority of the coolers the NC2000 silently and evenly pushes air through its grille. Even though the cooling system creates a low CFM environment, it allows for a large cooling surface, which in turn allows more airflow through to the notebook making cooling effective. To hit the fans of some notebooks, the notebook will have to be slid down on the cooler as the majority of the cooling surface is towards the front of the cooler.
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Specifications
Dimensions: 15.7 (L) x 12.5 (W) x 1.6 (H) inches
Material(s): Aluminum
Fan Dimension: 60 mm
Fan Speed: 1,100 ~ 1,500rpm ± 10 %
Price: $50
NZXT Cryo LX
Available in July/August of 2010, there were problems on the production line so it has been temporarily stopped.
The Cryo LX is the “big boy” among notebook coolers. Its cooling system is comprised of three 120mm fans lining the rear of the cooler. Moreover the fans are so powerful that the cooler requires its own ac adapter to run at full strength. If you connect the cooler to the notebook via USB as well, you can get access to an additional 4 port USB 2.0 hub built into the rear of the cooler. Importantly, its large aluminum body is enough to support any 17” notebook with ease.
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Specifications
Dimensions: 16.6 (L) x 11.6 (W) x 4.1 (H) inches
Material(s): Aluminum
Fan Dimension: 120mm
Fan Speed: N/A
Price: $70
Now its up to you to find a cooler that matches your notebook! (If you need some hints or a little help feel free to visit our forums)
May 8th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Seeing as this was published on April 24, 2010 – can you tell me where I might be able to actually find the NZXT Cryo LX. Having been looking since mid-April, most, if not all retail channels have this cooler out-of-stock or listed as discontinued now. And to include it as a top-3 notebook cooler (although I do not doubt it’s cooling power and potential to be number 1 even), would be a little counter-intuitive since it is no longer available.
May 8th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
If you have a friend in Canada you can get him to order it through NCIX. They currently still have one in stock on their Canadian site.
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=33495&vpn=ACC-NT-CRYO-B&manufacture=NZXT
Another option is to look for it used. Although slowly seeping its way off the market it is still unbeatable in some cases and it is worth snagging a used one then settling for the next best cooler in that case.
Check auction sites as well as forums such as notebookreview.com and look in the market place sections of those forums.
June 6th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
I have read everything on your site and I feel even more confused now. I use a 17″ MacBook Pro. My notebook is an older MBP; I believe I purchased it in late ‘06. Has the Intel Core Duo Processor, speed is 2.16 GHz. 100 GB hard drive. From those specs, is it possible for you to recommend a cooling stand for me? I read on your site that you would ONLY recommend the Rosewill for a MBP. However, I could not find the Rosewill mentioned on the site. Does that sole recommendation stand for a 2006 model MBP? Is there a particular Rosewill model for which I should look? I also read the very detailed explanation of fans and exhaust but I have to tell you, it was technically over my head. I want to buy a stand with fans or a cooling mechanism in the right place. I am completely overwhelmed by what is on the market and by the lack of cooling stands specifically made for a 17 inch MBP. My office gets very hot in the summer and I’d like to upgrade my stand. Since I purchased my notebook, I have always using a Rain aluminum stand (with padded feet, no fans.) If you could advise me, I would be most appreciative. Also, if you have additional questions about my machine, I’d be happy to answer any questions. Thanks very much, in advance.
June 9th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Welcome to the site Heidi!
There is no “best” cooler for the MBP though there are some that may work better than others.
A thing about the majority if not all macbooks ever made is that they have no vents on the underside, air intake is through the keyboard. The casing is used as a passive (non active) method of releasing heat from the notebook.
The best way to cool would be to cool the chassis. Airflow underneath the notebook would be the best way to do this. Keep it raised above the surface you are working on and a notebook cooler like the Antec Notebook Cooler to Go (http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=NzM=) is your best bet for passive cooling.
I hope that helped a bit. If you have any more questions please feel free to comment again or visit our forums!
Alexander
June 9th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Thanks, Alexander! Great advice. Regarding the Antec — is there a particular model that works best with a 17 inch MBP. The Antec website has so many different products!
Thanks again.
June 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
I just received my ZALMAN NC2000 today.
However, I am wondering if I am able to replace the fans on that NC2000. Please let me know because I am afraid that they will be broken in the future! Thanks!
June 26th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Hi David, the fans in the Zalman cooler are unique and un-changeable. The cheapest and easiest method would be to just buy a new cooler when the time comes.
June 26th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Hi Alex! thanks for responding! I am wondering I want a laptop cooler which is able to change fans. Which one would you recommend to buy?!? I Thanks for your help!
June 28th, 2010 at 9:13 am
There are very few coolers with changeable fans. The only few I can think of are the NZXT Cryo series coolers, and possibly coolers with one single large fan. In the end it is easier and the price difference is negligible to just purchase a new cooler when the time comes.
November 30th, 2010 at 9:21 am
i replaced my cryos lx with -cooler master sf-19 as this IS the best thats out there .2 large strong fans.got it from newegg the only con is the price
December 23rd, 2010 at 6:43 am
the cooler master sf-19 out performs the cryso lx so why would any one not get it?
January 22nd, 2011 at 5:21 am
Not exactly, if you read the notebook coolers buyers’ guide as well as our top 10 notebook cooler myths it explains how there is no “best” notebook cooler. In this case teh SF-19 puts its fans in the middle which for notebooks such as the Sager 9262 isnt the best placement, while the CRYO LX puts its fans in the rear. Placement is different just like every notebook has a different fan vent layout.
July 16th, 2011 at 5:40 pm
great post WE are interested in another