The Five Best Cooling Pads for Gaming Laptops

When you're playing video games on your laptop, it can get hot. Any gamer who has experienced a "burning lap" knows that keeping a gaming laptop cool is important not only for your lap, but for your computer as well. Games are the most intensive applications that your laptop will ever have to process, so keeping your computer cool is of utmost importance. For those looking to keep their gaming laptops, as well as their laps, cool, here are the top five laptop cooling pads.

5) Evercool NP-901 Royal Notebook Cooling Pad: Able to accommodate up to 17 inch laptops, this 100% aluminum cooling pad is both comfortable on the lap and provides excellent cooling. This cooling pad is also ingeniously designed to provide storage for computer peripherals like mice or headphones, adding to the portability of the unit. The fan is powered by your laptop via a USB port connection. This cooling pad retails for about $30-$40, and I found it for $29.99 at directron.com.

4) Thermaltake Massive 23T Notebook Cooler: While this is an excellent cooling pad, don't let the name fool you. It is not 23 inches. It does, however, cool notebooks up to 17 inches. It has an LED light, and lights on computer products are always cool for gamers. It also has an on/off switch, which is a nice feature, as the powerful fan isn't always necessary if you're not playing games. It is comfortable on the lap and helps keep your laptop cool even during intense gaming. It is powered by a USB port, and I found it for $36.99 at tigerdirect.com.

3) Rosewill 15.4"-17" Inch Notebook Cooler With 4-Port USB Hub Model RNA-7600W: While the vast majority of cooling pads that use fans are powered by your laptop via a USB connection, that means one less port for you to use for your laptop. If you have a mouse, speakers, or other devices attached to the laptop while gaming, this could be a problem. With this Rosewill cooler, the problem is solved, as it has four USB 2.0 ports in the cooler. This ensures that your webcam, microphone, or other gaming accessories will always have plenty of outlets. It also keeps your laptop from overheating with some of the quietest-running fans available. This premium cooling pad costs $59.99 at newegg.com.

2) Xpad: The only laptop cooler on the list that does not use fans, the Xpad instead relies on risers that elevate your laptop. This allows the heat that you would normally feel on your lap to flow out from underneath. Elegantly designed and able to keep your laptop running cool without the necessity of a USB plug, the Xpad is a good alternative to fan-based cooling pads. It can be purchased at their website, xpad4laptop.com, for $24.95.

1) Targus Laptop Chill Mat: This USB-powered, dual-fan cooling pad fits laptops up to 17 inches and has a unique wedge shape. The fans are located in the open area between the top and bottom layers of the wedge, enabling heat dispersion. The bottom of the pad has a layer of neoprene foam that is the most comfortable on the lap of any cooling pad I have used. The wedge shape also tilts your laptop towards you for an ergonomic typing position and viewing angle. It retails for about $40, but I found it for $30.59 at brandsplace.com.

With these well-constructed cooling pads, there is no need to worry about your laptop overheating during those lengthy gaming sessions. Pick up one of these pads and keep both your laptop and your lap cool.