Antec Notebook Coolers Triple Treat – Basic, Mini, and Designer Review

Cooler Performance

To test these coolers from Antec, we are using a MSI GX640 15.4″ gaming notebook which has an Intel Core i5-430M processor and a ATI Mobility Radeon 5850 graphics. In our tests, we will be comparing the three Antec coolers in addition to temperatures achieved while the notebook is laying flat on a desk, and while propped up on two DVD cases.

We have three tests: Idle temperature, temperature while the CPU is loaded, and temperature while the GPU is loaded. Temperature readings are taken after 10 minutes of activity, and the system is cooled back to idle temperatures before beginning the next test. CPU temperatures are an average of the two temperatures recorded by both cores on the Intel Core i5 CPU, and the exhaust temperature is recorded using a thermistor inserted into the exhaust vent of the notebook.

The room tests were run was air-conditioned to maintain a 76F temperature, but there will be some fluctuations between tests.

Idle


While idle, there isn’t much difference between the cooling schemes. What’s more important is how the coolers perform when the system heats up.

CPU


Under a full CPU load, the two passive schemes: the Antec Basic and our stacked DVDs come out on top by a slim margin. The Antec Designer, although outfitted with two fans, did manage to cool nearly as well as the passive coolers, but falls a little from what you would expect from an active cooler.

GPU


With a full GPU load, we can see that the Antec Designer manages to cool the system’s GPU more effectively than the other solutions. Surprisingly, the Antec Mini with an active fan seems to be as effective the passive Antec Basic.