Antec Designer – Hardware Review
Antec has a broad selection of notebook coolers available with a distinction between their on-the-go models and work-and-play models. Here we have the Antec Designer, which is part of the work-and-play line of coolers. The name also gives a pretty good idea of whom the product is aimed at. With a main focus on style and performance, does the Designer live up to its name?
Design
The outer shell of the Antec Designer is made out of plastic but the top features a brushed aluminium-like finish. There’s also a grill here for airflow and a stylish silver Antec logo. The bottom is black with some routing options for the attached USB-cable, used to power the cooler. Thanks to these routing options you’ll be able to connect the cable to your laptop on either side or the back without any excess cable length. It also features 4 rubber feet to keep it in place when placed on a surface. You can also completely hide the cable which is helpful when travelling. The back houses the exhaust grill.
Comfort
Overall the design of the Antec Designer is triangular, meaning that when placed on a desk your laptop will stand at a slight angle. This is great because it reduces strain on your hands and wrists when typing for longer periods of time. It also means that this cooler can double as a notebook stand. Placed on your lap however, it’s fine for short amounts of time but won’t really feel comfortable after a longer while.
Specs
- 110mm fan running at 800rpm
- Powered by USB
- Lightweight
- Can take notebooks up to 15”
Overview
The fan/rpm setup works quite well for everyday use. In our testing the fan was able to offer enough airflow to really make a difference in a laptop’s temperature under heavy loads. It’s also pretty quiet and most likely won’t get louder than your laptop’s interior fans. Putting all those elements together, it’s quite clear that this cooler should be used on a desk and isn’t fit to take with you everywhere you go due to its sheer size. It’s a shame though there aren’t any extra features to really make this cooler also function like dock or stand. Some extra USB-ports, the option to use an external power source or any other I/O feel like a missed opportunity. Also some physical edges on the bottom of the cooler would’ve been nice to keep your laptop in place, even when it doesn’t have any anti-slip pads on the bottom.
Conclusion
The Antec Designer is a good-looking and great-performing notebook cooler. Its design however won’t hold all notebooks as securely as you might want them to be. Therefore the cooler is best suited to use on a desk with laptops up to 15”. There also aren’t any USB throughputs or any other I/O. Still the Antec Designer is a good option to look at when in the market for a solution to keep your notebook cool while working or gaming on a desk or other flat surface.
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