The Cooler Master Storm SF-17 gaming notebook cooler had to live up to our expectations. A powerful 180mm fan can shift some serious air. Thus we expected great results in combination with the used MSI GT70 gaming notebook.

Even at the lowest fan setting we noticed an all-round temperature drop for both the processor and graphics core, the higher the Fan speed, the lower the load temperatures got. Maxing out at a solid 6°C temperature improvement versus the stock heat pipe cooling solution is a pretty good result. Though again we are reminding you the reader this test might have been run at optimal conditions, thanks to the massive ventilated backside of the GT70 notebook. With a mainstream laptop the temperature results might be far less impressive.

The Madshrimps testing crew opted not to test a more mainstream laptop solution as hardly anyone of that user base would invest in this Storm SF-17 or other bulky cooling solutions. The CM engineers had notebook gamers in mind and these will be the ones that would opt for a more powerful cooling solution. 

Build wise this FS-17 is great, sporting a super rigid look. The mechanism to achieve the variable tilting is so simple, yet well executed. The notebook stayed well in position, no matter the angle it was at, thanks to the anti slip rubber material and the two securing clips. The flipside of the coin for this SF-17 was the rattling noise observed at the minimum fan speed with our particular review sample. The implementation of the red light stripe was also not a stunning feature in our book.

The price of the SF-17 might be steep at around 45 Euros, though the massive 180mm fan is a far more powerful solution then most of the cheaper alternatives, albeit that the end-user's notebook will be a big determinating factor on how this SF-17 will actually perform. The measured temperature drops are quite good in our test case. The variable angle is a great concept and is truly boosting the ergonomics to a new level. For those that demand instant lower operating temperatures for their precious gaming notebook, then this Storm SF-17 has got a lot going for it. Great cooling performance combined with a solid fixation of your laptop and lets not forget about the improved ergonomics and extra connectivity this Storm SF-17 offers.

PROS:

• Variable angle
• Secure fix of the notebook
• Variable Fan speed
• Cooling performance at medium or higher setting
• Four extra USB2.0 ports

CONS:

• Fan noise at lowest setting
• Light stripe effect is far from impressive.

I wish to thank Ruben from Cooler Master for the SF-17 gaming notebook cooler sample.

and the crazy crew from Tones for all the other hardware being made available for testing purposes