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Cooler Master SF 19 - pics/review
I was debating between a laptop docking station and a high-power cooling pad rigged as a docking station. Well, after some searching, I found the Cooler Master SF 19 with USB 3.0, and decided to get it. I've already noticed huge temperature drops while gaming. Whereas my Sandy Bridge i7 would hit 68-70C while gaming, it's now only hitting 58-62C while gaming.
Anyway, here are some pics with a storyline review.
The box itself was a testament to the word "massive", which is what I would use to describe this cooling pad.
Opening the lid of the box, I noticed there are three velcro "tabs," as if the box is meant to be used over and over? Hmmm.. Maybe the words "arming the gaming revolution" were meant to actually mean something?
The cooling surface itself is massive, measuring about 16 inches across. The entire cooling pad, at it's widest, is just over 19 inches wide. The lights, though you can change the color, are more annoying than cool, if you ask me, because they "pulse" and there is no setting for a steady on. Despite weighing over 8lbs, this thing feels extraordinarily flimsy when you're holding it (though I am sure it's actually well-constructed). The raised grey areas are rubber, the mesh is some sort of metal, and the rest is plastic. Off to the right you see the included USB 3.0 A to micro B cable in it's bag.
The SF 19 makes use of two 140mm fans with a stepless speed controller to run them anywhere from 1200rpm to 2600rpm. While it's running hard, it does generate a lot of noise, so I wouldn't recommend running it hard late at night if you have roommates who are sleeping. However, the fans are fully replaceable and moveable. Also, there are hookups for up to 4 fans, so I'm sure that if you were absolutely determined, you could perform mad scientist surgery and somehow squeeze four 80mm fans in there (not sure if you would want to, though). I'm thinking of getting quieter fans that have LEDs built in, for some cooler lighting effects, but I'm not sure if I would be compromising cooling power to do so..
The SF 19 includes a built-in 4-port USB 3.0 hub, with a micro B-cable port for going between the laptop and the hub.
Now I'm ready to set it up like the docking station I want it to be.
Setting the laptop on the pad, I start to hook up cables.
I had a 7-port USB 2.0 hub left over from a while back that I decided to incorporate into my design, just for sake of finding a use for the hub.
Here, the "dock" is complete (at least for now). This totals 5 ports USB 3.0 available, and 8 ports USB 2.0 available. I may include a HDMI splitter at some point, but since I have nothing to hook the HDMI up to, I'm fine for now.
All in all, I'm impressed by the SF 19 so far. I'll see how well it holds up in the long run, but considering it's going to be sitting on my desk permanently, I doubt anything will happen to it. The SF 19 comes in two options: USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. I got USB 3.0, which costs a fair amount extra, because my laptop has USB 3.0 and I wanted to maximize the use of it. Behind the laptop I have a plug strip for powering the cooling pad, laptop, and 7-port USB 2.0 hub. The SF 19 uses a 12V AC adapter that plugs into your wall or plug strip. I find that it elevates the laptop in such a way that is more erganomic for typing as well. Anyway, feel free to add in your own comments to this thread, ask questions, etc.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a great cooling pad for at home, something they're intending to leave set up in one place. For anyone who is a hardcore gamer, this is your cooler.. and if you don't mind hauling around a beast of a cooling pad to gaming conventions, then this is for you. This won't fit in a messenger bag or backpack unless you go to bigbadbags.com and pay a rather exorbitant amount for one of theirs. If you do get this for home use, I'd recommend also having a smaller cooling pad that you can take with you on the go. (That's what I use my Thermaltake Massive 23 LX for).
Cheers!
Also, if you found this review helpful, please say thanks!
Last edited by kbronski; 21 May 2011 at 03:51.