Most notebook and laptop computers have vents on the bottom where the computer’s internal fans pull air into the unit and discharge it out of side or rear vents. There’s an ongoing argument whether a fan-equipped USB notebook cooler should blow up towards the bottom of the computer or take the heat away from the base of the notebook (as most of them do). Taking the heat away from the underside of the notebook can (according to some) actually damage the computer as it’s working against the computer’s internal fan(s), and can actually cause them to work harder, not to mention draining the notebook’s battery even faster.

The Thermaltake Mobile Fan II External USB Cooling Fan proved to be a great solution for this particular problem, especially when used in conjunction with the reasonably priced iConcepts Notebook Cooling Station.

This excellent USB-powered fan is a superb piece of equipment that runs very quietly. It has a high-tech appearance, as it’s actually a PC fan, and it’s designed to run quietly and last a long time. There are protective fan grilles on the front and back, and it has an attached stand. There’s an excellent variable speed control on the upper left of the fan housing, and it has a slim one-touch retractable USB power cable which keeps it handy, safe and compact. Just plug it into any USB port and it’s ready to go.

I placed the Mobile Fan II on the left side of my warm notebook pulling the hot air out of the unit while it was sitting on the iConcepts Cooling Stand. Had installed monitoring software, and within minutes the temperature of the hard drive and CPU had dropped 8 to 12 degrees depending on the load, and soon the notebook wasn’t warm to the touch.

This turned out to be an excellent interim solution until a new fan is installed in the notebook. The Mobile Fan II was used days later to cool down the components of another computer, a tower PC and determine where another another fan should be permanently placed. For that system we ordered and installed a highly-rated Cyclo PCI Slot Blue Led Fan by Thermaltake, and the results were excellent.

The Mobile Fan II has turned out to be an excellent solution for notebook and desktop computers alike. Have used their products over the years, and with solutions like this it’s not hard to understand why Thermaltake has such a good reputation.

There are other companies that make interesting USB fans, but most of those are made to keep computer users cool, and not the equipment. This Thermaltake Mobile Fan II can do both.

When it’s too hot to handle, this is a true five-star solution.