When a laptop fan kicks into high gear, expect some noise, especially if you have a gaming laptop and things are getting pretty heavy. That’s why some laptop owners prefer to get a laptop cooling pad. 

There are all kinds of designs, from the crazy RGB light-up variations to the more subtle, streamlined designs. Some pads come with single fans, dual fans, triple fans, or even four fans. Some are simply overkill, marketing their cooling pads with lights and more fans than are useful. 

Plastic and metal are the primary design materials and some cooling pads give you the option of controlling the level of cooling you want. No matter what you choose to go with, there is the potential for noise.

Are Laptop Cooling Pads Loud?

Laptop cooling pads can be loud. Some are louder than others. They market and sell these things just like box fans. Some come with various controls while emitting enough noise to drown out jet engines while some are very effective and eerily quiet. 

The best cooling pads offer an immense level of customization, including changing the lighting colors, changing the fan speeds for various cooling levels, lifting and reducing the angle of the fans and therefore the laptop, and extra grip to hold your laptop in place. 

For whatever reason, most brands don’t focus too much on noise. Maybe they figure that fan noise for high-end laptops and PCs is just a given and customers won’t be bothered by it. Some brands are slicker than others, carving out a niche of consumers who prefer quiet cooling pads. 

The thing is since a lot of brands don’t overtly advertise the noise their cooling pads emit, it’s often difficult to make a choice based on how noisy a cooling pad is. After all, how cool is RGB lighting, ergonomic control and comfort, style, and fan speed modes if the thing sounds like a rocket engine on take-off? 

If you happen to have a laptop cooling pad that has your neighbors calling the cops over the local noise ordinance, you can at least rest easy in the knowledge that cooling pads help extend the life of your laptop. But what if you just want something a little quieter?

Related Article: Top 16 Great Reasons To Use A Laptop Stand

How to Choose a Quiet Laptop Cooling Pad?

When looking for a laptop cooling pad that can be effective without making too much noise, it’s important to remember that differently designed pads can be as quiet as one another, as long as they are well-designed.

For example, pads with just one large fan, like the Cooler Master NotePal X3, can operate quietly because the bigger fan blades don’t have to rotate at full power to move a good amount of air.

The Cooler Master NotePal X3 has a silent 200mm fan that can enhance cooling by 20%.

But laptop coolers that incorporate lots of small fans into their design, like the TopMate C5, can also be quiet while moving lots of air.

The TopMate C5 Cooling Pad has 5 reasonably quiet fans that can generate lots of airflow.

First things first. Check where the vents are on your laptop. You don’t want to buy a cooling pad that blasts air into the bottom of your laptop if your laptop doesn’t have any vents on the bottom.

Choosing from reputable brands is also a good idea. Amazon probably has a thousand pages full of laptop cooling pads that sport weird, all-capitalized brand names like GENTCHO or OVIRADE. No, those aren’t really brand names, but you get the point. 

Ignore that trash because that’s usually where those cooling pads belong. You want something that’s quiet but also something that does its job, which is cooling your laptop down. 

  • Look for metal mesh that has plenty of space in each hole (better circulation)
  • Large, slow-moving fans to go with the mesh mentioned above
  • Multiple settings
  • 750RPM or lower
  • Fans that are assisted by other cooling methods, such as meticulously designed airflow and heat dissipation measures
  • Klim Cool+ for side-vent laptops

Large fans at slower RPMs might seem counterintuitive but those big blades slap more air in the right direction without the motor having to go crazy to spin it. Look for mesh that has large diameter holes so the air from the fan can actually blow through it easily. 

Look for innovative airflow designs that assist the fans, requiring lower RPMs. Something like the Kim Cool+ is great for side ventilation laptops. It’s small and has a quiet operation mode.

Conclusion

Laptop cooling pads can be loud but not all of them are. The ones that are loud can understandably grate on your nerves, especially if you’re watching a movie or gaming. 

Be careful in your selection and stay away from those crazy, off-brand names.