Evercool Hawk 1 Review

Propane - 2010-07-13 17:25:35 in Cooling
Category: Cooling
Reviewed by: Propane   
Reviewed on: August 30, 2010
Price: $16.50

Introduction:

Many laptops these days are comparable to some high-end desktop PCs and packing that much high-end hardware into such a small area can really generate a large amount of heat. As you most likely know, heat is a computer's enemy, and getting rid of it can provide a more stable experience and allow you to even get a little extra out of it. While you typically can't add fans directly to a laptop, there are things you can do to try to whisk away some of that heat. One of those things is to get a laptop cooler, a device that your laptop can sit on, which usually has fans inside it to increase airflow around the laptop's chassis. The Evercool Hawk 1 is one of these coolers and is fairly unique in how it is designed to be ultra thin.

 

Closer Look:

The packaging that the Evercool Hawk 1 comes in is the fairly standard cardboard box that is covered by a protective plastic shrink wrap. On the front of the box is an image of the product and a few features. The back has a larger image and also describes several of the features in greater detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opening the box shows the cooler wrapped in another piece of plastic and a single piece of paper which comes with it. The USB power for the fan in the cooler is connected directly to the cooler and attaches to channels in the back. This is a great design feature as you'll never lose the cable. The top of the Evercool Hawk 1 is perforated, allowing cooling air from the fan on the bottom side of this cooler to blow through the top providing airflow onto the bottom of the laptop when in use. There is a 'v'-shaped indention on the top side of the cooler that make a reference to the wings of a Hawk. In this 'v' there are a series of ribs on the right and left sides that can be used to hold your notebook computer in place. While some laptop coolers tilt up for use as a laptop stand, the Hawk's main goal is cooling. Because of this, the tilt of the cooler is minimal, but the laptop still can fit comfortably on it while providing some ergonomic benefit.

 

 

 

Specifications:

Overall Dimension: 300 x 264 x 28 mm
Fan Speed: 2000~2500±15% RPM
Noise Level: < 23.1 dBA
Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
Weight: 0.65 kg

 

Features:

 

All information courtesy of Evercool @ http://www.evercool.com.tw/products/np-511.html

Testing:

To test the Evercool Hawk 1, I used it in conjunction to help cool my Macbook Pro. I will be letting the laptop run in an idle state while running a temperature monitoring application (iStat Pro) to get both my CPU and GPU temperatures. Then I will repeat the test with the cooler and with the laptop straight on my desk. To get load temperatures, I chose to run Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, which stresses the hardware of my Macbook Pro, generating heat. Again, this was repeated on the cooler and on the desk. The results from this testing will be specific to a Macbook Pro, but other laptops should provide similar results.

Testing Setup:

 

Comparison Coolers:

 

The results below show that the Evercool Hawk 1 does a decent job at cooling off my MacBook Pro.

 

 

Lower numbers are better.

 

The Hawk cooled my MacBook Pro up to 11 degrees cooler at idle on the CPU  than when it is was laying flat on my desk. This is a substantial improvement over the desk only results for just a small outlay of dough. The GPU results are equally impressive at idle and both results show improvement.

Conclusion:

The Evercool Hawk 1 is a fairly nice cooler, but not the greatest. It did provide decent cooling results, and I did really like how the USB cable used to power the cooler was able to be stored in the underside very easily. There is almost no rubber on the cooler anywhere, which allows the laptop to rather easily slide off the top. This is somewhat concerning, but this didn't happen much. Also, with the lower incline, there isn't much of a chance to receive any ergonomic benefits from the keyboard being at an increased angle. The one thing that really separates this cooler from most though, is how it looks professional. Since most coolers are geared towards gamers, this provided a nice contrast with the other coolers that have LEDs all over. On the whole, the Hawk is a very decent cooler and is worth considering if you are in the market for one.

 

Pros:

 

Cons: