Do laptop cooling trays work?

[Video Beagle]

So those trays with the fans built in to them that you put a laptop on....do they actually do any good? Keep your machine cool? Let you have more power? are they loud?

[YoFavRussian]

20 minutes ago, Video Beagle said:

So those trays with the fans built in to them that you put a laptop on....do they actually do any good? Keep your machine cool? Let you have more power? are they loud? 

They do good, they can keep your laptop cooler if your laptop has the vents for it. They won't give you a massive boost in performance or anything. They just let your laptop run cooler. And depending on which one you buy they can be loud.

[191x7]

I agree with @↨YoFavRussian + I'd like to add that such stands also improve the ergonomy by raising the screen a bit and also having a few degrees angle on the keyboard.

You'd just have to look at a one with a large fan (usually quieter) or two fairly-large fans, and preferably speed settings (off, low, full). Also, an integrated USB hub is nice to have.

How much the temperatures would fall depends on the laptop itself - like how much air can it intake from the bottom and where the heatpipes and fans are located.

If the laptop is overheating due to dust and dust bunnies, no such cooler would noticeably help.

[Super Spartan]

5 hours ago, Video Beagle said:

So those trays with the fans built in to them that you put a laptop on....do they actually do any good? Keep your machine cool? Let you have more power? are they loud?

I have always had one, mainly to keep the laptop at an elevated position which gives better airflow. They do help a bit as well. The best one is the Cooler Master Notepal U3 Plus. Its fans can be easily relocated to match the vents of your laptop.