Targus Chill Hub XC for Laptops Model AWE01US2

Pros: It fits my 17.3" Toshiba laptop, does some cooling, and elevates the back of the laptop to a comfortable angle. Hub is a nice touch. I don't have any numbers for the cooling but the machine is definitely getting more air with the fans on and the underside feels cooler to the touch.

Cons: Way overpriced, flimsy plastic construction, noisy fans. Fan switch is a real cheapo. A Seagate goflex portable drive gets power but is not recognized when plugged into the hub.
My major gripe regards the fans. Noisy little buggers; sometimes more than others. Forget about using the high setting. Too much noise. Must be cheap bearings. One fan (the right one) makes more noise than the other and seems to have more friction when spinning. Somtimes it gets stuck and won't spin and it is always the first to stop when powered down.

I finally got tired of the noise and decided to see if the fan blades were touching the case. They are not. The fans are just as noisy with the case apart. If you want to check out the insides: There are 5 screws and some plastic tabs holding it together. Each fan has an I.D. of 75mm but the screw holes match up with an APEVIA CF4SL-UBL-LED 80mm Blue LED Case Fan that I got from Newegg for a build. A 10mm thick version would fit.

Other Thoughts: My wife bought this for my birthday a few months ago. I would not have purchased it had I checked it out in a store. She got it from a techno-big-box store with Geeks-In-Black (the name of which we shall not utter here ~;^)> ).

Regarding disassembly: One screw is under the cable storage door and the others are under the four rubber feet (which are lightly glued on). After removing those I used a flat screw driver and started from the center top and bottom edges to gently pry the two halves apart. The plastic tabs are on the left and right sides in line with the vents. I am trying to find replacement fans but it is hard to find 10mm thick case fans. Each fan has an I.D. of 75mm but the screw holes match up with an APEVIA CF4SL-UBL-LED 80mm Blue LED Case Fan. Hey Newegg, how about stocking some quiet 75 x 75 x 10mm replacement fans?! Or a 10mm thick version of the APEVIA CF4SL-UBL-LED 80mm Blue LED Case Fan. The blue light would be cool looking for this Targus!

Pros: NONE!!!

Cons: DIED!! within one month of ownership.

Other Thoughts: I am stuck with this item. I live overseas & I bought while it I was in the States in March. New Egg doesn't ship overseas. So I have no way of 'returning this item' unless the manufactorer can assist me.

Pros: Works as a nice usb hub

Cons: Totally, completely, 100% INEFFECTIVE at providing any cooling. I ran several thermo testing cycles and processor monitoring programs and this unit did nothing. You could feel with your hand it was barely moving air, let alone in the correct place.

Other Thoughts: NO cooling, but a nice usb hub. Build quality was lame. Even if it did provide any cooling, this unit should be priced around 25$.

Pros: Thin and compact. Fits into my laptop case. Cools well. The 'raise feet' are a nice touch.

Cons: WAY, WAY over priced! All plastic, flimsy - must handle carefully, feels like you could break it easily. The box bends. The grate bars over the fans bend very easily. The fans rattle.

Other Thoughts: If I had found this in a store and been able to handle it, I would not have purchased it.

Pros: dual fans provide very good cooling. my asus gaming laptop used to shutdown randomly due to high thermals but this thing stopped that problem completely. it has 2 hinges that allow you to angle it off your table/surface for much better airflow.

Cons: every now and then when i start it up it makes an awful noise like the fans are dying but this thing is brand new. the noise goes away after i smack it (cause thats how men fix stuff). still runs fine even after this but I hate having to do it even if its only occasional.

Other Thoughts: Even with the occasional sound issue this cooler normally runs pretty quiet (even on its highest setting). Purchased at Best Buy only out of sheer necessity.

Pros: This cooling mat has two beefy fans with a high angle on the 10 or so blades for maximum airflow, a 4-port USB hub, adjustable fan speed powered by USB, incredible cooling power and is surprisingly quiet.

Cons: The USB hub has the plug for a 5 watt power cable, to provide extra power to the hub for high power usage devices such as game controllers with vibration and USB headsets, and did not come with the cable for that socket.

Other Thoughts: I have had two other cooling pads, both made a minor difference in my core temps, but with this laptop I have seen a 15-20 degree Celsius drop. My 3 year old HP Pavilion DV6T-1100 now idles at night at 30-34 degrees Celsius with the fans on the pad set at max speed.

Pros: sturdy
strong
usb POWER hub
usb powered
quiet
workes very well
very portable

Cons: Bought at Best Buy for $

Other Thoughts: Targus is a good company