Looking For A 17-Inch Laptop Cooler?

Having just invested a in a new Dell Studio 17 laptop I thought it might be a good idea to look after it. One of the biggest long-term problems with laptops is the build up of internal heat  and with the Studio 17 using an ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics card this was a big concern. So I decided I needed a 17-inch laptop cooler, but picking one wasn’t easy!

For a start it’s hard finding a laptop stand that will actually fit a 17-inch laptop and support it properly. Most are designed for 15-inches and below, and a lot don’t mention size at all so you have to track down their measurements to compare with your laptop. That narrowed down the list a lot but because I also wanted a laptop cooler it started to become an even harder task to find one.

However, after a lot of Googling and reading reviews on websites, in Amazon, Play and other retailers I found the Canyon Cooler laptop stand. It claimed to be able to support 12 to 17-inch laptops, had a built-in fan and also acted as a support to raise the screen level. It sounded ideal and the average review scores suggested it was a quality item.

When it arrived it was a simple case of unpacking it from the surprisingly slim box, setting the back rest at the desired height and plugging in the USB connector for the fan. The Studio 17 is far from the smallest of machines and it hangs over the sides of the stand by about 5cm on each side, but the Canyon Cooler holds it steady.

With the Dell perched comfortably on the stand it works a treat. The fan does a good job of keeping the base cool and I did notice the laptop’s internal fan kicking in less frequently as a result, even when gaming. The fan itself is fairly quiet, not exactly silent but a lot quieter than the Dell’s built-in fan. Think of it as a quiet background hum that’s easily drowned out when you start up iTunes.

The increase in height for the screen is great for a more comfortable working position, as is the angle on the keyboard. Without the stand I used to find myself leaning over the keyboard and looking down at the screen which could lead to back and neck pains after a long day, but this has improved as I can now sit with a more upright posture.

The only criticism of the Canyon Cooler is the lack of a built-in USB hub that some other stands offer, but this brings me to a handy tip. Make sure you plug the cooler into a powered USB hub rather than directly into your laptop as the increase in power gives the fan noticeably more speed, improving the cooling.

My Canyon cooler was bought from Amazon for £23, which makes it more expensive than some of the alternatives but then I do belive this is a better quality item. Amazon were also offering free delivery if you were prepared to wait a few days, and keen as ever to save a few quid I ticked the box. My parcel arrived just three days later, which is pretty good for free delivery.

If you are looking for a suitable stand and/or cooler for a 17-inch laptop then I can definitely recommend the Canyon.