The trouble with laptops is the confined space in which to cram hardware into. The lack of space means that ventilation (and the cooling it brings) takes a serious hit, and to top it off the average laptop user wants their machine to be quiet, so manufacturers choose to run the cooling fan as little as possible. There has been no end of times when using my laptop that I have had to stop using it as it has gotten so hot that it felt like it was burning my legs. I have tried using things in between the laptop and my legs (like a dinner placemat), but even these things heat up over time and the laptop became uncomfortable to use again.

Not only does this heat make using my laptop for long periods of time uncomfortable, it can also damage and shorten the life of computer components. So it is in my (and probably your) best interest to keep your laptop as cool as possible. Laptops don't generally have any way to control the fan speed on its cooling fan(s) so what other way of keeping the laptop cool is there? Well that is where things like Thermaltake's range of laptop coolers come in handy.

I had known about laptop coolers for some time, but wondered if they would have the capacity to cool my laptop (and legs!). I was happy to find that Thermaltake’s cooler was more than able to handle the heat of my laptop. I found that with the cooler’s fan on, my legs were actually cold and I had to turn it off a couple of times. The ability to turn the fan on and off at will is a great feature and one I was grateful for.

The fan on the T1000 cooler is very quiet, and can only be heard in near silent environments’. However when it could be heard, the fan almost sounded like it was at such a low voltage it was ready to stall and stop. It never did though. The volume level was less than my laptops fan running on slow. The decision to make the fan have LEDs is a strange one, as during normal use the user will never see the LED's, and they might only be seen by someone looking at the side or back of the cooler. Even in near darkness, the glow from the screen was enough to drown out the little glow given off by the blue LED's on the cooler that would have otherwise spilt onto the desk.

The build quality in the T1000 is pretty good, and there seems to be a good balance between sturdiness while at the same time keeping the unit lightweight (so that carrying it around is not a strain). The plastic on the cooler does bow slightly when pressure is applied, but it is nothing to cause concern, the only place I found that applying pressure could cause a problem (and I found this by accident) is on the very centre of the fan at the bottom, when enough pressure is applied (say for example holding the cooler and laptop by this point on one hand) it causes the fan to grate on the top of the unit making a nasty sound. However short of reinforcing this area with a strong metal I don't see how this could be fixed, and in doing so this way would add a lot of weight to the cooler, so I am happy to trade this one oversight, for the added portability factor it gives.

I was very pleased with the coolers ability to keep the heat of the laptop away from my legs, and keep the laptop cool. Even though my rough testing showed little difference in the temperature of the laptop's CPU, I felt a huge difference when it was used on my legs. The feet on the laptop make using the laptop on a desk that much more comfortable to use, so this cooler deserves our recommended award.

Pros
• Cool
• Quiet
• Lightweight

Cons
• Not built rock solid
• Blue LEDS that you the user can't see.

Reality Check: The Thermaltake T1000 laptop cooler is a nice piece of kit; it keeps good air circulation around the laptop and saves your lap from getting burnt from all the heat a laptop gives out. There is no noticeable drain on battery, so I would recommend this cooler to anyone who feels their laptop is too hot to use on their lap.

Reviewed by Dan

Thanks to Thermaltake for supplying the cooler for review