Thermaltake Massive TM Notebook Cooler Review

Introduction, Specifications and Pricing

We know there are various forms of similar software on the market, some with and some without on screen displays, but either way, within a few clicks, you can usually get a good idea of the thermal conditions of your notebook. However, what if you had a temperature display right out in the open, in easy view, offered in four zones with adjustable thermal probes, that is built directly into a notebook cooler? Well, this is where Thermaltake steps in.

An addition to the Massive series of notebook coolers, a few of which we have tested and given a thumbs up to, we thought we would try out this new "Temperature Monitor" version. This cooler offers attractive styling, and even while it's mostly covered, it is a strong selling point for most. Built in to the cooler is a pair of 120mm fans to do the cooling. Even with all of this in mind, there are still a couple of tricks we are hiding up our sleeves for now –feel free to continue on to see what those are.

This latest edition to the Thermaltake notebook cooler lineup is the Massive TM, where the TM obviously stands for "Temperature Monitor." At this point we don't have much to offer without giving it all away, so why don't we dive into the specifications and pricing so we can see what the Massive TM is all about.

The Massive TM is made for notebooks ranging in size anywhere from a ten inch net browser all the way up to, and including, seventeen inch models. We also see that the Massive TM, or CL-N002-PL12BL-A, is 390mm in width, 277.5mm from front to back, and stands 49.3mm tall in the back without the adjustable feet in play. This cooler also weighs in at 830 grams.

Inside of this cooler there is a pair of 120mm diameter by 18mm thick 5V fans that are capable of 1300 RPM, and 61.7 CFM in turbo mode, delivering 31 dBA of noise into the room.

On the outside we get a cooler made mostly of plastic. It is all molded in black, and offers an aluminum top plate to dress things up a bit. In the four corners (in adjustable rails that allow them to move side to side) there are four spring loaded thermal probes that can be set under various components to get a more accurate heat reading right out in the open. This is accomplished via a panel on the front edge that offers controls, as well as an LCD temperature readout, and you can manually cycle the four zones, or it can cycle them for you in a timed pattern. This is definitely a different idea of what a notebook cooler can be; there is no doubt about that.

By doing a bit of shopping ourselves, we can see that the Massive TM is very reasonably priced for all of its features and benefits. For virtually the cost of a good steak dinner, the Massive TM could be at your door, and soon under your notebook. We found the Massive TM was listed under $40 U.S. dollars just about everywhere. If this can actually cool the notebook, and the thermal probes adjust where you need them to, then the Massive TM is a really great idea, but let's put it all to the test before we give our opinion.

PRICING: You can find the THERMALTAKE MASSIVE TM NOTEBOOK COOLER for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The THERMALTAKE MASSIVE TM NOTEBOOK COOLER retails for $39.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The THERMALTAKE MASSIVE TM NOTEBOOK COOLER retails for CDN$45.70 at Amazon Canada.