Tawainese fan and cooling specialists Evercool have sent us their recently released ultra-small portable notebook cooler the Evercool FIT to test. Click the link to check it out.
Product on Review: Evercool FIT NB-FT1 Notebook Cooler
Manufacturer and Sponsor: Evercool Thermal Co Ltd
MSRP: $19.99
Street Price: $14.99
Since 1992 Evercool Thermal Co Ltd have been specializing in producing thermal solutions for the computer and telecomms industries. They have an extensive product range covering the following main fields:
1.CPU Cooler
2.Water Cooler
3.DC Fan
4.Heat Pipe
5.HDD Cooler
6.System Blower
7.Peripherals
Evercool provides the very best products of the highest quality which are cost effective and incorporate the latest in technology and technical design. And backed by first class service and support.
We would like to emphasize that we put our entire strengths on the research and improvement of our innovative “PC Thermal Solutions” and ensure you that we do our best to meet the needs of our customers.
We would like to emphasize that we put our entire strengths on the research and improvement of our innovative “PC Thermal Solutions” and ensure you that we do our best to meet the needs of our customers.
Today we take a look at the Evercool FIT, an ultra-small USB-powered notebook cooler designed to be taken anywhere and everywhere that your notebook goes.
Evercool FIT
Notebook cooling has always traditionally been rather poor due of course to having so many hot components crammed into such a small space, and the demand for ever more compact and faster machines has pushed the limits of cooling technology such that there is now quite a market for additional notebook coolers. Most of these devices have been deisgned around the basic principle that blowing cool air against the bottom of the notebook casing will improve the overall situation, assisting the inbuilt cooling solution by keeping the entire device that bit colder, and they have been remarkably successful in doing so. These devices are ‘Notebook Cooling Pads’ and there are any number of them available – we recently reviewed the excellent Arctic Cooling NC.
Evercool have bucked this trend with the FIT by producing something which is firstly a portable device and secondly is designed to enhance the inbuilt notebook cooling. The Evercool FIT is basically an additional fan which assits in exhausting hot air out of the notebook faster thus making for cooler internal components.
Features and Specifications
• To take out the heat inside the laptop, keep the smooth operation and langthen the laptop’s lifetime.
• Unique multi-angles adjustment design enlarges its compatibility for all 9” – 18” size laptops.
• Easy to use and no assembling process.
• Simple and small for easy carry.
• Modelling style integrates technics and aesthetics.
• Evercool exclusive patent design.
• To be able to use alone or collocate with notebook cooling pad.
• Unique multi-angles adjustment design enlarges its compatibility for all 9” – 18” size laptops.
• Easy to use and no assembling process.
• Simple and small for easy carry.
• Modelling style integrates technics and aesthetics.
• Evercool exclusive patent design.
• To be able to use alone or collocate with notebook cooling pad.
• Dimensions: 55 x 85.3 x 25mm
• Rated Voltage: 5v DC (USB)
• Fan Speed: 3500 rpm (+/- 15%)
• Noise Level: <25 dBA
• Weight: 60.5g
• Bearing type: Ever Lubricate long life bearing
• USB power cable included (on retractable spool)
At only 60g it is certainly the smallest and lightest notebook cooler that we have ever tested, it also claims to be compatible with just about any netbook, notebook or laptop from 9” to 18” due to it’s clever mounting system and included accessories – but how will it perform?
Read on to find out.
Packaging and Contents
The Evercool FIT comes in a fairly small cardboard box with a cut-away showing the actual unit sitting snugly in it’s protective plastic bubble. The box has lots of information on just about every panel showing pretty standard fare such as performance graphs, features and specifications, box contents, and mounting instructions for a variety of positions depending on your particular laptop’s existing cooling vents.
The design of the FIT allows it to be mounted to just about any notebook or laptop out there – in order from the top the pictures show mountings for an air outlet to the rear of a notebook, to the side, for a smaller netbook type device, and finally how it can be used in conjunction with a pad type cooler.
Another clever feature of the design of the FIT is it’s double-hinged base which allows a snug fit even when the air outlet vent of a notebook is at an awkward height. The base can be set at a large range of positions and angles to accommodate pretty much any notebook from what I can tell. The action is also ratcheted by having plastic ‘teeth’ in both sets of hinges so should be pretty secure.
You get the FIT itself, a USB power cable on a retractable spool, 3 rubber spacers to allow for a snug fit against varying angles of vent, and a nice little velvet effect bag to keep it all safe in. The retractable cable spool and bag are nice touches and show the attention to detail that Evercool have put into making this product truly portable.
A Closer Look
On closer inspection of the FIT you will see that there is a small opening in one side which is the fan exhaust and in the side is the jack socket for the USB power. Underneath there is simply the double-hinged base plate which has it’s entire surface on both sides covered in a textured rubber to give good grip regardless of how it is positioned.
The exhaust port is at the left hand end of the main unit as shown above.
The power socket is at the right hand end of the unit as in the picture above.
The Evercool FIT in place on my notebook – an HP Compaq 6715b. Unfortunately on this notebook the exhaust port is at the left hand side meaning that when in place the Evercool FIT is blowing hot air back down towards me as I sit at the laptop. It’s not a big deal, and due to the FIT being able to be positioned in so many different ways, it was always going to happen to someone! If the exhaust had been to the rear of the unit as it is in the image above then anyone who’s notebook exhausts to the right would find themselves in the same predicament.
As already said, the retractable spool makes for a tidy cable! You will of course lose a USB port to other devices whilst using the FIT, but seeing as it is really designed for the travellers amongst us I don’t think that should be too much of an issue – if you are carrying loads of external USB devices then the chances are you could afford to carry a mini-hub for them too!
Performance and Conclusion
To test the effectiveness of the cooling provided by the Evercool FIT I will be testing with my HP notebook using Everest Ultimate to monitor temperatures and Prime95 to load the CPU.
HP Compaq 6715b Notebook
Processor AMD Turion 64 X2 (2 GHz Dual-Core)
Memory 2048MB DDR2
HDD 30GB OCZ Vertex SSD
Screen 15.4” WSXGA TFT
At idle the notebook was left for 1 hour before temperatures for Motherboard and CPU were measured and recorded from Everest.
At load Prime95 was left to run for 1 hour before the same readings were taken as for the idle temps.
Results
Idle temperatures
Load temperatures
As can be seen the temperatures with the Evercool FIT are at best a couple of degrees better than without it, whether at idle or under load. The FIT is designed to work in tandem with the existing cooling and hence there will be variations between idle and load (as there will between different notebooks) based on the cooling profiles of the inbuilt fans etc. In the case of my notebook as shown in the results above if we look only at the motherboard temps then it can clearly be seen that when idle the additional exhaust capability of the FIT does play a part, but when under load the internal fan ramps up to full speed and it then clearly becomes the defining factor in this case – it appears to simply overpower the FIT! The CPU temps show a similar drop at idle and under load when the FIT is used, suggesting that here at least the FIT is providing some additional cooling.
When running the Evercool FIT has no visible indication but unfortunately that\’s not really needed anyway as you can quite clearly hear the fan running – it\’s not overbearingly loud by any means, I would say it is about the same as my notebook\’s internal fan when that is running on full, but that is the problem – the FIT is that loud when the internal fan is merely idling… it\’s always that loud!
Conclusion
Whilst it is obvious that the Evercool FIT has contributed some additional cooling to my notebook I would have to question the benefit of losing only a few degrees at best for the hassle of carrying (and using) additional cooling around with me – however small and light it might be! Perhaps my notebook is a particularly hot running one? Perhaps the average traveller who this device is really aimed at would have a smaller, lower powered notebook? Personally I\’m not so sure. Given the claims to be compatible with notebooks from 9” to 18” I think my 15” dual-core should sit squarely in the middle of Evercool\’s target market. Whatever the reason, in my tests the Evercool FIT seemed to lack some of the expected performance.
It does nonetheless have many redeeming features – it is uniquely configurable and for such a small device to be able to adapt to such a huge range of notebooks and still to reduce temps, even if just by a degree or two is no mean feat! It is very small and light, and is also extremely inexpensive and so should be considered for tucking away in any travellers laptop bag. And on that thought, perhaps it\’s performance would fare better when used in warmer climes than it has done here at the tail end of an uncharacteristically long and cold British winter! (Ok boss, you can send me abroad to test it if you insist!)
The Evercool FIT is a deserving winner of Vortez Hardware\’s Bronze Award!
Pros
• Tiny Size
• Low Weight
• Low cost
• Ease of installation
• Adaptability of mounting
• Retractable Spool USB power cable
Cons
• Fan noise
• Lack of performance (in our test)
• Tiny Size
• Low Weight
• Low cost
• Ease of installation
• Adaptability of mounting
• Retractable Spool USB power cable
Cons
• Fan noise
• Lack of performance (in our test)
We would like to thank Evercool for this sample. Discuss this review on our forums.
