I thought I would share my observations on the Targus "Chill Mat."
Targus Chill Mat
First, a little background. I've been processing hundreds of images from a recent wedding. My primary raw image processor is Capture NX2, which arguably does the best job with Nikon raw files, but it is very resource intensive. I review the images using Photo Mechanic, as it lets me review, select and tag the images very quickly, and then open them into Capture NX2. Every now and then I will work on a "problem" image in Photoshop too, and so will typically have all three programs open at once. I noticed that after about 45 minutes of intensive work, my computer (a high end Dell M6500 mobile workstation) would start to bog down, and initially I couldn't isolate the problem. Circumstantial evidence pointed to the Nikon Capture NX2 software as the culprit, so I even went so far as to completely uninstall the Nikon software, clean the registry and reinstall.
I also started monitoring my system more closely using SIV (System Information Viewer) which is a freeware program that enables me to take a peak at all of the low-level performance parameters within the computer. I saw that Capture NX2 was "pegging" all 8 processing cores in my laptop, especially when I was processing high-ISO 14-bit Nikon D7000 files with higher levels of noise reduction set on "better" quality. This work was so processor intensive that it would elevate my processor temperatures from a nominal 50 - 54 degrees Celsius all the way up into the high 80s and 90s. The heat radiating from the bottom of the laptop built up to intense levels and eventually made the surface of the table under the laptop almost too hot to touch, and the system fans sucked this hot air right back in to try to "cool" the system. After about 45 minutes of work the processor would reach the TjMax threshold of 100 C, and the system would start throttling down the processor to prevent a meltdown. The computer would slow to a crawl, and I found it was more efficient for me to take a break at that time and let the system cool down instead of trying to continue my image processing.
I had been considering the purchase of a dedicated laptop cooling pad, and this was the "break point" that finally got me over the inertia and over to Walmart to pick one up. My conclusion? It works! I wish I would have made this investment 18 months ago. The system will still heat up to the mid-80s with intensive processing, but quickly cools back down to normal operating temperatures between each file that I process. I never reach that "point of no return" where the system has to throttle down the processor in order to prevent meltdown.
The Chill Mat gets power from one of your USB ports to power two fans that continually pull fresh air in from the sides of the mat and blow that fresh air up against the bottom (fan intakes) of the laptop. Because it is constantly being cooled with fresh air, my laptop no longer gets into that situation where it will "super heat" the table top and start to draw hot air into the system.
If your laptop runs hot, and tends to "throttle down" after a heavy processing run, I would highly recommend the "Chill Mat."
http://www.amazon.com/Targus-Chill-AWE55US-Black-Gray/dp/B002NU5O9C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309188586&sr=8-1Keith
