Introduction:

Evercool NP-901 Royal Notebook Cooling Pad

   Here at VH, we seem to currently be on a little “notebook cooler pad kick” of sorts. Not that I’m complaining, especially after I received this next item up for review: the Royal Notebook Cooling Pad (Model: NP-901) from Acoustic PC. This sharp baby was created for laptops from 14” to 17” wide screen, has storage drawers for peripherals, and is fitted with USB 2.0 ports to mount externals. The Royal is made of 100% aluminum for maximum heatsink style cooling, and sports a smart, 8 cm silent fan that pulls exhaust air away from your laptop instead of pushing outside air into it, thus eliminating a significant amount of dirt and dust contamination and helping to prolong the life (and health) of your notebook.

    The sweetest aspect of the Royal Notebook Cooling Pad, however, is how it looks. The designers at Evercool spared no imaginative and creative abilities when they came up with this one. Evercool describes it as having an elegant, silver, shiny print finish with a royal totem design, created to achieve their vision of luxuriousness for the Royal. I describe it as just damn sexy.

    All right… let’s get moving with this review before I end up just staring at this darn thing all day.

Specifications and Features:

Features:

• 100% aluminum material for 17" wide screen NB design, and uses an 8 cm long-life-bearing and silent fan to provide the best way to solve the thermal problem for your laptop.

• Universal design is compatible with all sizes of laptop systems.

• The elegant silver shiny print finish with royal totem design to achieve the luxe vision in this cooling pad.

• Fits in with the ergonomics design to provide user the most comfortable position to use the laptop.

• Unique two storage drawer engineering allows for storing computer peripherals and accessories, which adds to its portability.

• Fitted with USB 2.0 ports, allowing you to mount external optical drives.

Specifications:

• Overall Dimensions: 400 x 300 x 40 mm.

• Fan Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 15 mm.

• Reated Voltage: 5 VDC (USB).

• Speed: 1500+/-10% RPM.

• Noise Level: < 13.8 dBA.

• Color: Silver.

Packaging:

Retail in plastic

Back view

Retail front

Retail rear

    The Royal Notebook Cooling Pad comes in a black box, about the size of an attaché case. It has a plastic carrying handle, which is totally usable even though the box is shrink-wrapped. Evercool cleverly solved the problem of not being able to use the carrying handle by cutting a hole in the shrink-wrap around the handle. The front of the box has a picture of the cooling pad, along with a basic rundown of the features. All 4 sides of the box have just the item name on them, while the backside has a more detailed description of the features and specifications of the Royal, complete with pictures and a performance graphic.

A Closer Look:

Open box	Sexy material	NP-901
Evercool logo	Vent openings	Royal treatment

    After removing the shrink wrap and opening up the box, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Royal Notebook Cooling Pad tucked away in some fancy red silk-like material, giving it an oriental or majestic feel. It's constructed from aluminum and some plastic. The main body is formed from aluminum and is large enough to support 17" wide screen notebooks. Along the bottom edge is a small lip to keep the laptop from sliding off. The face of the cooler has the royal totem design cut into the aluminum. These cutouts mask the 3 fans that lie underneath the aluminum base. Around the edges of the aluminum base is some black pin-striping to compliment the cutouts. 

Back side	1 of 3 80mm fans	USB and switch	Tray locks
Empty tray	USB tray	USB cable	Cable extended

    I mentioned some plastic, which is located on the underside of the aluminum base. The plastic frame is used to house the three 80mm fans, two storage drawers, and two USB2.0 ports. The one storage drawer is used to house the USB cable that will power the three 80mm fans. This USB cable is the retractable kind to keeps things neat and tangle-free. Either one of the USB ports can be used to power the fans, and a simple on/off switch with a green LED lets you know that the fans are on.

Testing:

Laptop installed

Side view

Fans in use

Nice fit

    I used this for several weeks in and around the house and out in the field. The NP-901 is a bit on the large size and may not fit into everyone's laptop bag. The Royal Notebook Cooling Pad was stable on all surfaces and held my laptop securely. On the bottom of the pad are what appear to be silicone or rubber feet, and these kept the pad from sliding around. 

Conclusion:

    As far as laptop stands or cooling pads go, the Royal Notebook Cooling Pad is a bit on the large size. This large size is a double-edged sword. On one side, it's a large, stable platform for larger laptops; on the other side, it's a large platform that may not conveniently fit into everyone's carrying case.

    I have larger-style laptops with 17" displays, and these laptops are big and heavy. The Royal Notebook Cooling Pad was large enough to hold the laptop securely with nothing hanging over the edges. The three 80mm fans are extremely quiet and move the air evenly. The two storage trays come in handy; although one has already been dedicated for the USB cable, the other one has plenty of room for several thumb drives. Overall, the design, function, and look are great, making this a nice addition to your laptop accessories. I would like to thank Acoustic PC for sending this item out for VH to review.

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