Modern laptops are high-performance devices that can do a lot. Among them there are even copies for gamers. However, they are very noisy. But many users need the laptop to work very quietly, producing as little noise as possible. And there are such options. These are laptops with passive cooling. Their design completely lacks fans. Cooling is due to the radiator. Therefore, there is no noise. More recently, such laptops were very few. But now their number has increased. And there is plenty to choose from. We will consider the most interesting models.
Advantages and disadvantages of passive cooling
First, let's talk about the most passive cooling. Such a system is characterized by the fact that it completely lacks fans. Cooling takes place using heat sink tubes and radiators. Sometimes it’s effective. But only if the hardware component of the laptop is not very powerful. Let's take a closer look at passive cooling of a laptop. Pros and cons of it must be mentioned. Let's start with the benefits:
- No noise. Since there are no fans, there is absolutely no noise from such a cooling system. This has a positive effect on overall comfort when using a laptop.
- Reduced power consumption. Again, due to the lack of coolers, the laptop consumes less power. This can also be considered a plus, as the battery life of the device increases.
Now let's talk about the shortcomings:
- High probability of overheating. If you constantly load the laptop beyond measure, then the standard cooling system may not cope. As a result, overheating and component failure.
- Low maintainability. In general, repairing such a cooling system is very expensive. It is easier to replace one plastic fan than to spend money on a complex system of tubes and radiators.
Now think about whether you need such a laptop. Indeed, in the event of a breakdown, you will have to pay the astronomical amount for the repair of the cooling system. Especially when it comes to some MacBook from Apple. If you are sure that you need such a laptop, then we will go straight to the overview of the most interesting models.
Xiaomi Mi Book Air 12.5
Yes, this company produces not only smartphones. Their laptops look more like ultrabooks (as they are very thin) and are completely devoid of fans. That is why they work very quietly. And the Xiaomi laptop is very similar to the notorious MacBook. The specifically silent notebook with passive cooling from this company is based on a processor such as Intel Core M. It has good performance and consumes very little power. But the main thing is that it hardly warms up. Because it turned out to get along only with a radiator. As a drive, an M3 type SSD drive is used, which is characterized by a high data transfer rate. The video card is integrated Intel HD Graphics. There is no discrete adapter. But the laptop lives on a single charge for a long time. RAM - 4 gigabytes. This ultrabook has an excellent IPS matrix screen and boasts a very comfortable keyboard. It is one of the best laptops with passive cooling. And the price is not too burdensome. It’s just a little difficult to find it on sale. But the user will get a modern and high-tech device.
ASUS VivoBook Flip 14
This product from ASUS is distinguished by its classic design and good technical specifications. In addition, this laptop is a transformer. Its display can rotate 360 degrees. He also has a touch screen. But for us this is not the main thing. There is passive cooling of the laptop processor with a heat pipe and a radiator. An Intel Core i5 or M processor can be installed on board the laptop. The amount of RAM type DDR4 is 4 gigabytes. This is quite enough for all tasks. Also inside may be a high-speed solid-state drive and integrated Intel HD graphics. The volume of the internal drive is not very large - only 128 gigabytes. But the dignity of this laptop is passive cooling. Using it as a full-fledged workstation or for storing files will still fail. This ASUS transformer costs no more than our previous hero. And therefore many will be able to afford it. The main thing is to remember that after prolonged use, you may need a stand for a laptop with passive cooling. For ASUS has trouble with this.
DELL Inspiron 11A
This is a laptop from the American company DELL. It has a classic design and the fact that it is made in the form of a netbook. There is a screen with a diagonal of only 11 inches. Of course, this is not enough for full-fledged work. But for surfing the Internet is enough. Under the hood is an AMD Fusion A9 processor. And yes, this is a passive-cooled laptop. It does not shine with special characteristics, as it is designed for easy operation and traveling around the Internet. Also the advantage of this particular netbook is a good battery life. He is able to work about 10 hours on a single battery charge. This makes the device almost ideal for travel and trips. However, the small screen makes itself felt. Watching a movie or other content on it is not very convenient. But it works really silently. This is one of the few netbooks available, which is characterized by high quality performance and good reliability. Even laptops from ASUS cannot compete with DELL in this regard.
HP Chromebook x360
To call this product a full-fledged laptop language does not turn. Rather, it is something between an ultrabook and a netbook. Nevertheless, it is one of the best passive-cooled notebooks of 2019. To begin with, this device is controlled using a proprietary OS from Google called Chrome OS. It is quite trimmed, it supports installing applications exclusively from the store and does not want to work with programs written for Windows in any way. This limitation is an attempt to do something like a MacBook. But Apple's laptops are fully functional. And Google, apparently, was in a hurry. Under the hood of the laptop is an Intel Celeron processor and 8 gigabytes of RAM (what you need for Google Chrome).
The device really works silently. But there’s not much use from him. Those who had the misfortune to get this device for themselves note that the laptop is completely useless, since you can’t work normally on it. If you have that kind of money, it’s best to purchase something else, with a full Windows on board. Then there will be real work.
ASUS ZENBOOK UX305CA
Another attempt to release a "MacBook killer." Of course, this laptop is far from the brainchild of Apple, but the parallels can be seen very clearly. Nevertheless, it is one of the best laptops with passive cooling. At the disposal of this laptop is a 13-inch screen made on an IPS matrix, the sixth generation of Intel processors (there are even Core options), a decent amount of RAM, a good solid-state drive, a full set of necessary ports and an incredibly convenient keyboard. The device is very light and has decent battery life, which makes it indispensable for long trips. This laptop has only one advantage over the MacBook - the price is half as low. That is why it is in fairly steady demand. It’s easier to buy it than to save all your life on an Apple laptop. However, you should not rely on passive cooling in the case of ASUS. Better get a cooling pad in the appendage.
Macbook air
This laptop needs no introduction. He has long been a cult. Metal case, excellent quality screen and powerful hardware platform. What else does the average user need? This is probably the most expensive passive-cooled laptop. But in this case, the price is justified. An important role is also played by the operating system. Mac OS is optimally optimized specifically for these devices. And the laptop uses only the most modern components. It is worth noting that even the notorious Pro MacBooks are not very noisy. But if the user basically chooses a completely silent laptop, then it’s better to find nothing better than the Air model. However, he will have to pay a very tangible amount. Nothing to do about. The power of the brand and the magic of Apple. But this device will definitely work for a long time. This technique is incredibly reliable. And he definitely has enough power reserve for several years.
Conclusion
So, we examined the most interesting laptop models with a passive cooling system. However, the final choice is still to be made to users.