Introduction

Looking at a few different concepts of how companies are approaching cooling today's laptops, I have gotten a grasp of what seems to work out and what doesn't do more than keep your legs cooler. While that is one concern when looking to buy a notebook cooler of any sort, cooling the components inside is more important, especially with my Lenovo. There is also a third factor, and that is styling. If this stand is going to sit in the open while you are out with your laptop, you may also be concerned with how it looks on the desk while you are away.

The sample I just received from Cooler Master promises to do all of those three things. Raising the notebook off of your legs is going to keep your legs cooler and with the use of multi-position fans it should be able to spot cool many components inside. All of this is done while still delivering a simple, yet elegant look to the unit with the use of black anodized aluminum and grey rubber. There are also a couple other tricks built into this notebook cooler, but I don't want to ruin the surprise yet.

Today we are going to get a look at the NotePal U3 from Cooler Master. The NotePal naming covers a few offerings other than the U3. Shopping for Cooler Master notebook coolers will bring you to three versions of the "U" series; an "A" series, an "X" series, and the Infinite. All are USB powered in some form, have various fan concepts to cool them, and most notably, have styling differences. The lower end models are made from plastic and don't tend to have the options the U3 brings to the table.

Let's take a deeper look at the NotePal U3 and see what Cooler Master offers for your money.