Laptop Accessory Review: Microsoft Notebook Cooling Base with Fan

Is your laptop on fire? Laptops are notorious for overheating, especially if they are running for hours at a time. An efficient way to avoid overheating while your laptop is on a desk or on your lap is to use a cooling base. My personal favorite laptop accessory to use is the Microsoft Notebook Cooling Base with Fan. As the name suggests, this cooling base has a fan that directs heat away from my laptop. This keeps my 17" HP laptop cool and helps my legs avoid burn marks.

There are a variety of reasons why a laptop may overheat, including dust particles blocking air flow, a bad fan, or the environment is too hot. Placing a notebook on your lap will also cause airflow issues, and you will most likely start feeling the heat on your legs. I once had a terrible burn mark on my leg from placing a notebook directly on my lap and not using a base. Not using a cooling base and allowing a laptop to constantly overheat can cause serious hardware damage. Your laptop can end up frying itself to death, which can result in hard drive and motherboard failures. An unexpected shutdown is a sign that your laptop is overheating, as well as if the unit feels hot to the touch.

Microsoft Cooling Base Portability
I really liked the fact that this cooling base is ready right out of the box. It plugged right into my laptop's USB port and started working immediately. There is no software or additional attachments to get the unit working. The cooling base works off the laptop and shuts off when I turn my laptop off. Of course, it also starts right up as soon as I turn the laptop on. To quit using the cooling base for a while I just unplug it from the USB port.

An additional portability feature is that the cooling base is super-slim. I can tuck the base in my laptop bag and have it with me anywhere I go.

Lap or Desk Use
The cooling base is lightweight; according to product specifications it weights less than 2 lbs. I found that the cooling base did not add much weight on my lap, which was great considering that my laptop screen is 17" wide and the laptop itself is a mammoth. The cooling base also has top and bottom rubber grippers, which is useful in avoiding accidents or slips.

On the desk, the base can be adjusted in two ways; it can sit flat or be propped up with a built-in stand. I preferred to use my cooling base propped up with the stand. It helped to make this product more ergonomic, especially when I had to type for long periods of time. Using the base flat is tougher on my wrists and hands, and is not as comfortable when typing all day.

Does the Microsoft Cooling Base Work?
I would say that the cooling base is effective, and works well to take heat and dust away from the laptop. I found a significant amount of dust pushed away from the laptop. The dust particles would usually be inside the fan or on my desk. My laptop remained exceptionally cool, and the keys did not feel as hot after hours of use. I stopped having overheating shutdowns with my laptop. Months later my laptop had a motherboard problem, so the cooling base does work to keep the heat away but it does not solve all hardware problems.

Microsoft Cooling Base has only one fan, located right in the middle of the base. I have a 17" HP notebook. I was initially worried that one fan would not be enough to keep the laptop cool. It seemed that one fan was enough, as it got the job done just fine.

I would suggest that this product be used by anyone with a laptop, even if you are not experiencing major heating problems. Allowing air to flow and keeping dust away will help you have an efficient notebook for years to come. Microsoft Cooling Base with Fan is available at most stores, including Target and costs less than $30. This product is efficient and affordable, especially considering the expense of laptop repairs or replacements.

Resources
Microsoft Notebook Cooling Base