Thank you to all our readers for your patience!

Specifications

Packaging

Like the Quasar the Helix comes packaged in a sleek white box displaying the cooler, its specifications and features. Included in the box is the Helix, a USB to DC adapter and a quick start manual.

Design, Build and Functionality

From a design standpoint the Akasa Helix wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Its simple metal design with bits of black rubber and plastic came off as cheap, but we soon found out that this is no reason to be turned off from the cooler.

Taking a closer look you begin to see the details which demonstrate the thought and effort Akasa put into the Helix reflecting many of the features that we liked about the Quasar. For example, like the Quasar the Helix has handles on either side of the cooler. Both handles are not simply cut out of the metal but also reinforced for grip and cleanliness with a plastic bezel. Usually we find similar plastic additions to be glued but Akasa took the extra step of using screws which give the cooler a better finish.

Looking at the shape of the body, the Helix makes a relatively flat impression though it still has its curves. The front of the cooler embraces an angled edge that curves into the top of the cooler. In the middle, where the fan is located, is a slight dip. This dip is not only about aesthetics but also for better cooling “power”. If the fan is blowing too much air, the dip gives the air some space to flow where there are no vents.

As we get to the rear we find that it is once again a bit higher than many coolers but this makes the cooler somewhat more practical, at least in some aspects. Basically, the high back does what the feet do on most other coolers, it increases airflow and creates a more comfortable angle. Importantly, it does so without the possibility of it “falling” half an inch as it frequently happens with unstable feet. Feet are usually great to improve the mobility of the cooler, but at the same time the feet at instability; in our experience when reaching for stuff behind the notebook or trying to just slide it a few inches across the desk, the feet fall down.

While the higher back should be a positive aspect of the Helix, at least for the less mobile users, we found that the design had some minor drawbacks in terms of control and input port locations. Already with the Akasa Quasar we found that the controls and input ports were too difficult to reach, and the Helix has a similar issue. Located at the right side of the cooler, the ports and switches are on the inside of the handle. The design keeps them out of the way but make it difficult to change the fan speed with a laptop on the cooler.

All in all the design and build of the cooler grows on you quickly as you begin to appreciate the details of the cooler. From a design point of view, the Helix works for “gamers” or “professional” users alike while generally blending into nearly any user type due it its minimalistic design and its machined aluminum surface.

Cooling Performance and Noise

With the cooling surface of the Akasa Helix a bit on the constrained side due to the space between the holes being filled we expected our test results to be worse than the results of the Quasar. Though, to our surprise this wasn’t the case. The Akasa Helix actually performed noticeably better than the Quasar and pumped out some impressive numbers. (note: all testing was done with the “high” setting)

The reasoning behind the difference is that although Akasa labels the fans as having the same 500 RPM on the low setting and 800 RPM on the high setting the Helix appeared to be running at a higher RPM and thus more airflow.

In terms of noise the Helix is louder than its sibling, the Quasar, due to the higher quantity of airflow and a faster spinning fan. However when compared to other cooler’s we have tested the Helix is still a tad on the quiet side.

Conclusion

Being as simple as it is, the Akasa Helix seems to be a relatively “generic” product at first, but there is truly more to the cooler than that. Just like the Quasar, the Helix left us with good impressions. It is well designed to optimize performance while not sacrificing any details in craftsmanship or practicality.

First of all, thank you to our loyal readers who have been sending in questions and who have been checking in on us.

We have a few reviews coming up in the next month and a half including the Akasa Helix. We also just got word from CoolerMaster that the recently updated NotePal Infinite Evo is on its way to us along with the NotePal U Stand.

Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for our latest articles and reviews!

Specifications

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Unboxing

The Razer Onza TE came packaged like a collectable. The majority of the box is constructed out of matte black cardboard and adequately showcases the Onza’s key features. Specifically, the front of the box has been replaced with clear plastic displaying the top surface of the controller.

Inside the box we find the controller as well as an USB adapter cable, a black envelope with a manual, warranty information, the Razer guarantee and a pair of Razer stickers. A CD with drivers is not included as the Onza TE uses the same drivers as Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller for PC which are available online.

Build, Design and Comfort

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Build

Right from the get go we felt that the Razer Onza TE was truly well-built including, among others, a nearly undetectable seam. No doubt, if you are looking for it you will find it, but the seam is tight enough to be considered basically non-existent. Moreover, there is no rattling, no flex, and no sounds from the controller apart from the satisfying clicking of the buttons.

In fact we felt comfortable enough with the build quality to put it to the test. We got our strongest staff member to twist the controller as well as to lightly step on it. Though, we do not recommend doing this – evidently results will vary –, but in our case the Onza TE faired remarkably well. It held its ground showing no sign of abuse after the test.

Design

The Razer Onza TE has seen its share of changes since its original appearance back in early 2010. One of the few things that did remain, however, was the design of its body. Keeping in tune with Razer’s typical product design the Onza TE consists of prominent curves and aggressive styling while retaining the general shape of an Xbox 360 controller.

There are hints of Razer’s design all over the controller but among the most obvious is the front area of the controller. Basically, the front of the controller appears similar to the left and right buttons of the Razer Mamba – at least if looked at from the top.

Besides, taking a closer look at other parts of the Onza TE, we found that the center area between the grips appears larger than on most other controllers. This is caused by the area being flatter and the edges beveled rather than curved.

One thing that the Onza TE does not come with is “typical gaming lights” which are a common feature on many of Razer’s input devices. As some of you may remember, the original Onza concept had a green glowing band around the middle seam of the controller, the final product, on the other hand, only comes with a lit up Xbox logo and ABXY buttons. In our eyes, this is a great compromise. Simply speaking, Razer has been conservative with its use of lights on the Onza TE ensuring that the lights are not overdone potentially enough to attract both the light-fanatics and the light-skeptics among PC gamers.

Comfort

Turning from design to comfort we were more than positively surprised. One of the most common complaints with some of the more popular gaming controllers for PC is the weight. For 20 or 30 minutes the controller is fine but then we find our wrists sore and our hands sweaty. The controller drops down and rests on the table, frequently, negatively affecting our gaming performance. The Onza TE, however, is surprisingly light. From our estimates it may be a third lighter than the Xbox 360 controller for PC. That is an impressive feat by Razer.

Besides, aiding the battle against fatigue are the rubberized coating and the smart curvature of the controller. Similar to the coating on Razer’s mice, the coat of the Razer Onza TE keeps your hands cooler while providing you with a better grip. Though, we would like to add that the amount of grip added seemed too little to us, especially compared to Razer’s other coated products. To improve the Razer Onza TE even more it would be great to see this feature improved.

Aside from the light weight and rubberized coating, the final touch of comfort comes from the prominent curves of the controller. The contour of the curves fit both large and small hands alike while providing a soft but steady grip. One area that caught our eye in particular was the area behind the trigger. The dip of the Onza behind the trigger is deeper than we expected creating a better grip to the handles of the controller.

Buttons and Layout

Razer often uses the phrase "for gamers by gamers" and the Onza TE may be an example of them putting this phrase to work. Throughout the development of the controller Razer worked alongside gamers to get their input on the device. Further, they have looked at the complaints of gamers regarding other controllers, specifically the Xbox 360 controller. The result of this cooperation is unmatched, at least in the gaming controller market and from our perspective.

ABXY Buttons

The ABXY buttons are standard on any controller that is based on the design of an Xbox 360 controller the Onza included. As already noted, Razer has fitted the Tournament Edition’s ABXY buttons with backlighting, though this is by no means the greatest feature added to the ABXY buttons by Razer. Outstanding are, above all, the "hyperesponse action buttons".

Controllers such as the Xbox 360 controller for PC use rubber membrane switches; however, Razer has opted mechanical switches for the buttons. The mechanical switches make the buttons significantly more responsive and resemble the click of a mouse. Basically, each button does not have to be pushed as deep to actuate and makes rapid clicking easy and effective.

Start and Back Buttons

When compared to other Xbox controllers from Microsoft and Madcatz the start and back buttons of the Razer Onza TE have been relocated to the area beneath the Dpad and the right joystick. At first we were puzzled by this idea but we soon came to realize that it was a beneficial move.

To put it shortly, the "new" location of the buttons allows you to reach over with your thumb and press them. At their "default" location on either side of the Xbox button you were required to loosen your grip on the controller and partially let go of it. This may not be a major inconvenience but Razer’s solution can still make a difference because a steady grip on the controller is, in the very end, what matters most.

The Dpad

The Dpad on the Razer Onza is one of the primary examples of how Razer implemented its slogan of "for gamers by gamers." Among the most common complaints regarding the traditional Xbox 360 controller has always been that the Dpad was designed as a circle that can be pushed down in four directions leading to a low accuracy rate. For example, from our experience when clicking left or right on the Dpad of a traditional Xbox 360 controller didn’t mean that it would actually follow the command. Instead it would often read the input as up or down.

Razer’s approach was to this problem was simple and genius alike: they split the circular Dpad into four separate buttons making the Dpad far more accurate Though, while this is a pretty major upgrade, it will unlikely satisfy those gamers who plan to use the pad for fighting games because even this improvement does not come to par with Nintendo’s Dpad design.

Joysticks

Regardless of what you are using the controller for, if you’re racing, shooting or browsing through the menu, the joy sticks are indispensible. The joysticks are literally the arms and legs of the controller and Razer has made these virtual arms and legs adjustable with resistance knobs which allow you to tweak the tension of the joysticks to your preference.

Adjustment is as simple as turning the knobs on each joy stick clock wise to tighten it and counter clockwise to loosen it. Additionally, Razer has increased the height of the joysticks improving their precision. While these slight tweaks may appear gimmicky, they can mean the difference of a few seconds in lap times or a more accurate shot.

Having extensively tested the controller with two dozen PC games and half a dozen genres over a period of a couple months, we have a few examples of where this feature showed its value. In racing games such as NFS Shift 2 and Dirt 3 we were able to drop three seconds or more on lap times with specific cars by tightening the joy stick to prevent oversteering. On the other hand, by leaving it loose in Borderlands, we were able to turn and aim quicker as well as to handle recoil more easily.

Triggers, Bumpers and Multi-Functional Buttons (MFB)

The front of the Onza is where we see some of the biggest changes compared to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 controller for PC and other controllers. The triggers have been tweaked with soft springs allowing for better actuation control. In racing games this means that you have more control over the throttle and braking. With shooting games firing semi automatic weapons doesn’t require the trigger to be fully depressed to fire which makes shooting multiple rounds quicker.

The bumpers are right above the triggers and are a tad smaller than one would expect. This is to facilitate the multi-functional buttons (MFB) which were again adjusted “for gamers by gamers.” One of the most popular mods behind the Xbox 360 controller was the "rapid fire mod", and Razer has taken this hint to integrate the feature from the beginning.

Besides, any non directional button can be programmed to the MFB’s by holding down a button on the bottom of the Onza TE and pressing the button you would like to have it react as. There is also a light up panel at the Onza’s bottom which indicates which button is assigned to either MFB. If you decide to use the MFB for an ABXY button this means you could throw a grenade or reload without ever having to take your thumb off the joystick.

Ports, Drivers and Cables

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning some more on the Onza’s ports, drivers and cables. As already noted above, the Razer Onza and Onza TE use standard Xbox 360 controller for PC drivers which are available from Microsoft’s site. This is likely due to Microsoft licensing which is probably also the reason why the Onza hasn’t gone wireless yet. To make up for this Razer has fixed the Onza with a 15 foot braided cable! This is over double the length of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Controller for PC!

Conclusion

Being the first console oriented product from Razer the Onza and Onza TE will set Razer’s position in the console market and, from our perspective, they have put themselves into a good starting position. Essentially, Razer has managed to meet most of the requirements to build the next evolution in controller gaming.

The Onza TE is a well-built and merges comfort and performance almost perfectly. Upgrading aspects such as tension adjustable joysticks, mechanical and back lit ABXY buttons, MFBs and a split Dpad for both comfort and performance is not an easy feat to reach and Razer has clearly put some effort into achieving these improvements…

For this reason, the Razer Onza TE has earned our Editors Choice award as well. There is no question that we would recommend this controller over similar products and for serious gamers we would even suggest replacing your current controller with the Onza TE.

Specifications

The Packaging

The Quasar came packaged in conventional form: a clean white box bedecked in images of the cooler along with its features and specifications. Inside was the same simple story, the cooler was held between a pair of Styrofoam blocks. Also included was a USB to DC adapter and a quick start manual which works for both the Quasar and the Helix.

Design, Build and Functionality

Out of the box the cooler impressed instantly. Plastic is often looked at as the cheaper option because it is not as solid as metal and does not appear as “clean”. Fortunately, the Quasar has nothing in common with this presumption beyond the simple fact that it is made of plastic.

With many plastic coolers we find at least a few blemishes due to the molding process. However, in the case of the Quasar it appears as if Akasa has gone out of their way to ensure perfection. As it should be the visible surfaces were clean of any markings, and the plastic was smooth and textured. Looking at the underside it was the same as the visible surfaces: spotless. Considering that we usually come across an imperfection or two whenever we flip over a cooler, the molding of the Quasar was both surprising and impressive

Moreover, we have never seen this sort of rigidity from a plastic cooler. Before we were able to get our hands on the Quasar we really questioned to what extent it would be safe to carry our notebook on any plastic-based cooler (e.g. from our desk to the living room table). The Quasar, however, makes it possible! Equipped with a pair of integrated plastic handles, the cooler turned out to be just as stable as a metal cooler but without the weight. Even when we gripped the handles and forcefully tried to twist the Quasar it responded positively still holding its shape without a struggle. To put things bluntly, the Quasar is built like a rock, but considerably lighter!

The top

Carrying on to the aesthetic design of the cooler the Quasar has interesting design cues and a somewhat unique shape. The top of the cooler is a pleasant contrast between plastic and metal mesh. The metal mesh dominates the surface but blends right in with its solid feel and glossy black paint job which is accented by a polished Akasa logo.

On either side of the as-good-as-unbendable mesh are the handles mentioned in the previous paragraphs. The handles are integrated to help make the cooler along with your notebook easier to carry around the house and they are relatively easy to use: grab the handles with your fingers and hold the notebook to the cooler with your thumbs and palms. Reiterating what we said earlier the cooler feels stable while carrying the notebook around.

Below the mesh we find three additional holes spanning the width of the cooler. These are designed to increase airflow to the front part of the notebook where hard drives are often located. At the very front we find an integrated lip designed to hold the notebook from sliding forwards. Basically, we find that it does the job it is supposed to do while it manages to fit in at the same time.

The side

The sides are rather bare and the only thing for us to mention is the cooler angle. Like most coolers the Quasar has a slightly elevated rear to create a forward slanting “ergonomic” angle.

The back

The back of the cooler appears rather blank but hidden in the center is the 5v DC input and a trigger to set “high -low” fan speeds. It appears clean but at the cost of practicality. To change the fan’s speed we had to get up and reach over the notebook or close the lid.

Cooling Performance and Noise

The Quasar features a 200mm single fan which is often chosen for decent air output and low operational noise. In terms of noise the Quasar is near silent at both high and low settings. It is one of the quietest and least vibrating coolers that we have seen.

To benchmark the cooler we ran it on the “high” setting.

Conclusion

The Akasa Quasar doesn’t lead the pack in terms of cooling performance but holds itself in the acceptable middle. What leaves us impressed and makes the cooler a great option for anyone with no high-performance cooling-needs is its solid build and its silence. The cooler is arguably the best built plastic cooler that we’ve seen and we are still a bit blown away by it. Moreover, its silent performance and portability around the house makes it a great family friendly option.

The original Razer Goliathus was released back in 2009 but since then the family has grown. The Fragged edition came out featuring a large artistic rendering of Razer’s three snakes logo and not too long ago the most recent Goliathus, the Extended which is intended to be used with both the keyboard and the mouse placed on it was released. Going back to the roots though, the models featured in today’s review are the speed editions of the original mid-sized design (new) as well as the space-efficient design (2 Yr. old – not photographed).

Specifications

Razer Goliathus Gaming Mouse Pad

Dimensions:
Oversized 17.5” x 24” x 0.17” (444mm x 355mm x 4.3mm)
Standard 14” x 10” x 0.16” (355mm x 254mm x 4mm)
Space-efficient 10.6” x 8.5” x 0.16” (270mm x 215mm x 4mm)

Weight: N/A
Material: Cloth, Foam, Rubber
Color: Black, green/white logos

A Closer Look

There isn’t much to say about the packaging as only the mouse pad was included. It’s not a surprise as everything should be self explanatory, simply open and layout the mouse pad. Though on the box as well as on the mouse pad there is a dedicated logo for the Goliathus. Basically, the O is replaced by a beetle. The beetle isn’t a random decision: the name “Goliathus” comes from the Goliathus/Goliath beetles which are considered to be amongst the largest insects in the world.

Carrying on from entomology and name origin, the mouse pad itself features typical Razer aesthetics. The surface of the pad bears two logos, a Goliathus one on the bottom left and a Razer one on the top right; the rest of the cloth is a sleek yet slightly glistening black. Unlike some other manufacturers the logos are in the weave rather than stuck on which avoids it from coming off too easily.

The weave of the cloth is impressively tight and even at close distances it can be tricky to decipher. What is interesting is that even after two years of rigors use with our smaller sized Goliathus, it continued to maintain its tightness and the cloth did not expand. The only wear that we have seen is fraying of the edges. This was the case with both the new and the old pad. The edges with heavy use curl up and fray within a couple weeks while the unused areas only fray. We should note that unless you forcefully pull at the cloth it does not come off and even thought it frays the threads don’t just tear apart so it is more of a cosmetic nuisance rather than a performance issue.

Another cosmetic concern may be that the mouse pad begins to “turn white”. It is a problem with cloth pads that is well spread, and it is caused by dust and other miniscule particles entering the weave. It is impossible to fully prevent it but giving it a wash can help. Larger particles such as sugar, salt and pepper do not fit through the weave so there should be no worries about little bits of food getting caught. You can wash the pad either by using a damp cloth or if you have patience and are willing to take the risk you can chuck it in with the laundry during a cold water wash. Our smaller pad has been through the laundry machine about half a dozen times with no negative effects besides the long drying time.

Comfort and Performance

Unlike many peripherals such as notebook coolers, external hard drives and other storage media, there is no possible way to benchmark a mouse pad aside from touch and go. We used three separate mice to test out the mouse pad: one gaming mouse (Razer DeathAdder), one “office” mouse (Logitech M705), and a budget mouse (Logitech Optical Notebook Mouse Plus).

We used each mouse on various surfaces which include a wooden table, paper, generic mouse pad, a phone book, and the mouse pads we are testing while conducting various everyday tasks such as web browsing, file moving (drag and drop), spreadsheets and photo editing. Moreover, as this is a “gaming” mouse pad we went ahead and tried some games in the RPG, FPS, RTS and Simulation genres.

As expected all mice benefited from the generic mouse pad and the Razer Goliathus in both daily life and gaming scenarios. Where the Goliathus showed its worth was exactly in what people look for in a mouse pad: accuracy, smoothness and comfort.

Comfort is of personal taste but in our case we found that the thicker rubberized foam used in the Goliathus provided superior cushioning without giving too much give. Additionally the rubber base of the mouse pad keeps it stuck to the table; regardless of what we did we could not get it to budge while in use.

In terms of accuracy we have to emphasize that both models that we tried were the speed edition of the Goliathus and, therefore, accuracy is not considered a key feature. Still, it did surprisingly well especially compared to the average mouse pad and other pad-like surfaces. We found it very difficult miss or even overshoot buttons and targets and we are convinced that the sheer smoothness of the mouse pad is playing a role in this.

Overall, the Goliathus gives a sense of controlled smoothness. You can slide the mouse around with little to no effort, but if you stop the mouse stops as well. It isn’t like ice where once you go you have to force it to stop.

Simply speaking, the Goliathus does what it is supposed to do!

Conclusion

If you are in the market for an entry level “gaming” mouse pad, the Goliathus is worth a look but for your own sake check out other mouse pads too as everyone has a different sense in comfort. Though from our experience with the Goliathus, we can assure you that it does exactly what it is designed for at the entry level price point and even for a regular user/gamer with a standard mouse pad it would be a significant upgrade.

McDonalds has the golden arches, Razer has the 3 Snakes, and now Tt eSPORTS has a dragon. The double T logo (Tt) makes sense but as Tt eSPORTS rep Andrew said “We aren’t doing this half assed” and that Tt simply isn’t “gamer”. That’s where the dragon comes in, it isn’t all mystical or medieval but it’s a great combination of what gamers as a whole can enjoy.

Carrying on to the actual products, we started off by taking a look at Tt eSPORTS new flagship mouse, the Black Element gaming mouse. Keeping in tone with the Black gaming mouse the Black Element plays host to both sharp edges and smooth curves while the majority of the exterior is the same rubberized material and does feature customizable onboard lighting. As their new flagship mouse it has a 6500 DPI engine which is the highest in their collection and can be adjust all the way down to 100DPI.

Where this mouse is expected to shine is in its software capabilities. It has a 128KB chip to store 5 game profiles, and thanks to the combination with the software it will be able to store 45 macro keys within those profiles. As for other attributes they include a braided cable, gold plated USB connector and they are adjustable as well.

As we stated in the second paragraph, Tt eSPORTS has begun to add a sub logo, the dragon, and the freshly launched Azurues Mini is the first mouse christened with it. The Azurues Mini is pretty much a smaller Azurues. Its shape is very similar but does have a bit of a rounder mold to it while other characteristics such as the optical engine, weight system, 3-level resolution (DPI) adjustment and lighting remain the same.

On the keyboard front Tt eSPORTS has released the MEKA mechanical keyboard which will join the ranks of the MEKA G1. The MEKA isn’t a full size keyboard, but the terminology of “10-Keyless” which is used by other shorter boards made by Filco, PFU, Topre or Leopold doesn’t work in this case. The MEKA integrates the 10-keys as there are gamers who need them and also managed to fit the arrow keys and other important keys such as insert and delete in a layout similar to that of a 17″ notebook.

Why the shorter layout? It fits more centered so your arms aren’t as skewed using it. As for the key-switch type it uses Cherry Black switches meaning you’re good for 50 million strokes. Additional features include 2 built-in USB ports, 100Hz (1ms) polling rate, anti-ghosting capabilities and of course a braided cable.

Want even more MEKA? Well there is the MEKA G1 Unit which has all that the MEKA G1 has to offer but comes with even more features. It comes with Black Cherry switches, audio ports, 1000 Hz polling rate, etc just like the G1 but it gets 12 fixed and 8 unfixed macro keys, 3 profiles to store your macro key setup, dedicated media control buttons, and illuminated keys, specifically the WASD keys, and other important keys for the standard gamer.

Expect all of these to be released to consumers very soon.

The Vertex 3 line made their North American debut at CES 2011 and has now been unleashed on Europe at CeBIT 2011. Aiming to be the first SSDs to ship with SandForce SF 2000, the Vertex 3 drives are expected to be released to consumers any day now. They feature the latest SATA III interface capable of 6Gb/s, thus, double of SATA II while being backwards compatible with SATA II ports. Besides, the Vertex 3 uses the SandForce SF-2281 processor capable of a whopping 550MB/s read and 525MB/s write (both max) and claims to be 10K IOPS (4K random write) more than the previous Vertex 2. Capacities will include 120GB and 240GB. As for benchmarks we have them direct from OCZ’s CeBIT 2011 bench mule.

Prices will be higher than the Vertex 2 line by approximately 25% but you get what you pay for: the performance is higher in the newer model. As for the enterprise-class, Vertex 3 Pro gets the SandForce’s premium SF-2500 SATA III processor which is also used in their Deneva line and is currently limited to enterprise solutions.

The final two Vertex 3 drives are 3.5″ and 1.8″ versions of the drive. Specifications are the same as the regular Vertex 3 2.5″ SSD but the 3.5″ version does not require an adapter (included with the 2.5″ one) and has “ultra-slim” housing.

Usually we do not get a chance to talk to the actual creators behind the coolers but now our feedback is passed on to them. Being able to talk directly to the designer was quite the honor as we gave the N14 a positive review. In fact it won our Editor’s Choice award due to the clear effort put into the cooler and being able to tell her face to face what an amazing job she did was a great feeling.

Besides, she also gave us a first look of what we would call the third generation of the original Aeolus: the Aeolus Premium (CP003). At first there was the CP001 followed b the CP001G. Both coolers looked almost identical except for the size of its body. What the Aeolus Premium brings to the table is refinement.

A common complaint about the previous CP001’s were that the front palm rest, though useful, ended up blocking ports such as headphone and microphone jacks. With the Premium the palm rest of the cooler is toned down to be only a few millimeters high and rounding out the palm rest. This leaves the ports on the front of a notebook open.

Enermax has also cleaned up the control area of the cooler by replacing switches with dials. The large dial doubles as a power and step-less fan speed controller, while the other dial is to turn the 15 blue LED lights on or off. The fan is the same as the one used for the previous models but why change it? It is one of the most silent fans on the market since its release.

Lastly, we had a chance to have a look at the younger but larger brother of the Jazzmate, the Jazzmate 3.5″ and the new additions to the Brick line. The Jazzmate 3.5″ should be coming out in the near future and features SATA I and II compatibility and connects via USB 2.0 or eSATA. As for the Brick, there is a new 2.5″ and 3.5″ model coming both once again compatible with SATA I and II with USB 3.0 connectivity.

CoolerMaster NotePal Infinite EVO

The NotePal Infinite has been one of the longest coolers in production and has been a popular choice for most of the time it has been around but it is no surprise that it is being replaced by a more modern version, the Infinite EVO.

Taking only a few queues from the original Infinite, the EVO styles a similar shape with a new concept. The general shape of the cooler is a “U” featuring an aluminum surface. On the rear of the cooler, or on the “top” of the U there are intake vents where two 80mm fans push the air out on the inside of both stems. Complicated yes, but the Infinite EVO keeps the best of the old with usability on soft surfaces while using a more unique cooling design.

Other upgrades to the new model include stepless speed control, a larger surface, and better controller and port locations which in turn lead to better cable management. Expect the Infinite EVO to reach the market in the few months at a similar price to the original Infinite.

CoolerMaster NotePal P2

CoolerMaster first introduced the P1 over half a decade ago but it was lost along the way. Now they have revived the P-series with the launch of the ultra portable NotePal P2. Taking transportation to the next level the P2 is practically a Transformer. As you can see the cooler looks pretty normal, slim, with two 60mm fans, and with two holes to screw in some risers on top. On the side there is a power switch as well as a USB 2.0/1.1 port for power in. Furthermore, there are a good amount of rubber feet and a pair of feet which are designated to raise the cooler from the surface.

What you do not see is where the cable and risers are hidden. Making use of what is often left as hollow space there is a location for stowing away the two risers as well as for the cable.

Adding to this clever use of space, you can simply fold the cooler in half once the feet are tucked away and the risers and cable are stowed. Snap you got something that fits in one hand. In its portable state the P2 will become arguably the most portable notebook cooler on the market.

CoolerMaster NotePal L1

The L1 is the first of its line and is designated as a simple yet somewhat portable notebook cooler. Its chassis consists of plastic and its cooler surface of metal mesh. Powering its cooling abilities is a single speed 1200 RPM 160mm fan. In a way we would say it is a simpler, cleaner and less aggressive NotePal X-Slim. It is nothing special but why does it have to be? In our opinion the L1 would be a great office or entry level cooler for someone weary of spending too much money on their cooler.