Cooler Master SF-19 Strike Force

Zitat: Pro: + : + USB 3.0-poorten + Kabelmanagement + LEDs + Ventilatoren eenvoudig te vervangen Contra: - : - Temperatuurverschil niet groot - Hoge geluidsproductie - Duur De Cooler Master Storm SF-19 Strike Force laat gemengde gevoelens achter. De temperatuurverschillen zijn niet echt indrukwekkend, terwijl de geluidsproductie flink toeneemt. De ventilatoren hoef je niet te gebruiken, maar dan wordt het een duur grapje. Er is duidelijk heel goed nagedacht over dit product. De laptopstandaard heeft bijvoorbeeld kabelmanagementmogelijkheden, vier USB 3.0-poorten en LEDs in veel verschillende kleuren. Al met al is het een leuke gadget, maar niet nodig voor de gemiddelde laptop. Een USB 3.0-hub heb je immers al voor 30 euro, daarvoor hoef je \’m dus niet te kopen. Een laptopstandaard zonder koeling kost slechts 10 euro. Er is ook een goedkopere versie, met USB 2.0 in plaats van 3.0. Die kost rond de 63 euro en heeft productcode SGA-4000-KKNF1, deze versie kost 91 euro en heeft productcode SGA-6000-KKYF1.

Zitat: The Cooler Master Storm SF-19 is a competent notebook cooler. However, we can’t help but get the feeling that it is overkill for most consumers. For one, it is simply too big for most notebooks, even 15-inch ones, to seat properly on. Furthermore, notebooks with USB 3.0 ports are still few and far between, but on the bright side, at least this notebook cooler is future-proof. The way we see it, this notebook cooler is one for the desktop warriors or hardcore mobile gaming enthusiasts who frequent LAN parties with their behemoth 18.4-inch USB 3.0-ready desktop replacement systems. If you fit the above description and have S$129 to spare, the Cooler Master Storm SF-19 won’t disappoint.

Zitat: The Cooler Master Storm SF-19 Strike Force is a bit of an odd duck. It has the performance to back up its claims, but it does so at the cost of many things that people tend to associate with a more "typical" laptop cooler. And at a price of around $80 as we go to press (Newegg Link, Amazon Link), it is also quite a bit more expensive than a typical laptop cooler. At the same time, though, the people in the market for a cooler such as this don´t tend to have a "typical" laptop. In the end, we at ASE Labs can certainly recommend the Cooler Master Storm SF-19 Strike Force. However, just make sure that the equipment you are using it with justifies the extra costs.

Zitat: The Cooler Master SF-19 is the closest we have seen to a complete laptop cooler. Not only can you remove and replace the fans on the SF-19 but you also gain the benefits of having a four port USB 3.0 capable hub. And if these two features don’t do it for you the use of lighting to provide a little ambiance. When it comes to cooling ability though, there is none better than the SF-19. We saw larger temp decreases with this cooler than any other we have ever tested. The 10 degree plus temp drop on the CPU was a godsend since my laptop can get awfully warm while fragging for long periods of time. The SF-19 did a great job keeping things under control. Yes, the SF-19 is mammoth, but the size of the cooler really doesn’t matte. After all it is aimed at cooling some of the largest laptops on the market, and you can’t do that with a wimpy cooler. If you are worried about taking the cooler from one location to another, there is a handle to ease the transporting process. The SF-19 is also one of the most expensive laptop cooler we have tested at $90 MSRP. But if you want to save about $30 there is a model available without the USB 3.0 hub and is replaced with a USB 2.0 instead.

Zitat: At the beginning of this review I made the statement that over several years of testing various manufacturers notebook coolers I had yet to find one that impressed me. Most laptops are not designed to be gaming machines, they´re made for browsing the web, checking email and doing other general tasks that do not require a lot of processing or graphical power, and as such do not normally generate a lot of heat. While it´s true that using a notebook on your lap for an extended period of time can and probably will result in mild to moderately toasted thighs, a notebook cooler in these cases typically is as effective as simply placing a slab of plywood between you and your computer. It functions primarily as a buffer and actually does very little to make the laptop hardware run cooler. Using a notebook as a dedicated gaming rig as we´ve seen can have drastically different results. I have to admit this is the first time I have used this particular laptop for testing and in this particular manner, stressing both the CPU and GPU to their fullest. And this is not exactly cutting edge gaming hardware either; the P8700 and HD3650 are pretty old hat compared to more modern systems. However since the Cooler Master Storm line of products are targeted specifically for gamers we have to test it with that idea in mind. The Strike Force SF-19 cooler is not designed to be used on your lap at all. The fan intake placement, underneath lighting effect and the fact that it requires AC power to run the fans designates it as a desktop-only model. The overall good looks of the SF-19, coupled with Cooler Master´s usual product quality, nice features such as switchable LED lighting, fan control and USB3 hub, and solid-feeling construction make this one notebook cooler I wouldn´t mind owning. And as seen in testing, under severe conditions it actually does keep things running cooler, and can mean the difference between hours of gaming fun or having your system go into temperature throttling and/or even shut down. I´m not particularly crazy about the "breathing" effect of the lighting, the constant dimming and brightening of the LEDs in a darkened room seemed more distracting to me than any kind of cool factor they might convey, however there´s a switch to simply turn them off if it bothers you. The Strike Force SF-19 just released this week, and I found it listed at only one online retailer for the princely sum of $99.99 with a special $20 savings offered. Even at $80 however this is the most expensive notebook cooler I´ve ever come across, and despite all the good things the SF-19 has to offer that price is a little hard to swallow. Then again, if you´re willing to go out and plunk down upwards of $2,000 for a cutting edge gaming laptop, what´s another $100 for some added protection if it means the difference between fragging for hours on end or frustrating, thermal-induced drop-outs?