MALIBAL Lotus P150HM Review

Our review unit of the MALIBAL Lotus P150HM (Clevo P150HM) features the following technical specs:

• 15.6" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit GlassView Display
• Intel Core i7-2920XM, 2.5GHz, 8MB L3 Cache
• 16GB PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 4 SO-DIMM
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 485M 2GB GDDR5 graphics card
• 80GB Intel X25-M SATA2 SSD
• 6X Blu-ray Burner 8X DVD+/-R DL Super-Multi Drive
• Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium; 64-bit
• Intel 6300 Ultimate-N 802.11A/B/G/N Wireless LAN Card
• Warranty: 3-Year Ltd. Labor and 1 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 USA-Based Support
• Integrated 2.0 Megapixel Web Camera
• Integrated 9-in-1 Card Reader
• Integrated Fingerprint Reader
• Standard Black Carrying Case
• Weight: 7.0 lbs.
• Dimensions: 14.75 x 10.1 x 1.25-1.8 inches
• Price: $3,554.00 (Other configurations available at MALIBAL.com starting at $1,374.00 with Windows 7)

Build and Design
If the MALIBAL Lotus P150HM looks familiar to you that's because it is actually a customized version of the Clevo P150HM gaming notebook, which is available from various custom notebook resellers in a variety of configurations. Like most Clevo-based gaming notebooks the P150HM is a boxy and heavy beast that tips the scales at seven pounds. The unassuming exterior doesn't have the multi-colored LEDs or stylized lid found on most gaming notebooks, but the durable chassis holds some impressive high-performance components for playing any game on the market.

If you don't want to carry a 17-inch monster gaming notebook then this massive 15-inch system might be the perfect solution.

The screen lid and chassis are made of thick plastics with an internal metal support structure that feels quite durable. The lid and the top half of the main chassis are covered in a matte rubberized paint similar to what you find on a premium-level ThinkPad. The color is a mix between charcoal and coffee but looks nicer than just a glossy exterior. Again, the design of the P150HM is more than a little plain for a premium gaming notebook, but you can't judge a gaming rig by its cover ... the insides are what counts.

Speaking of the insides, if you want to open up this notebook and upgrade the RAM or hard drive yourself, then you'll find plenty of access panels to do it. Keep in mind that one of the main reasons to buy a Clevo-based gaming rig is to pay professional custom shops to build your notebook exactly the way you want it. However, Clevo makes it easy enough for anyone to get inside these notebooks. The team at MALIBAL was kind enough to outfit our test system with a full 16GB of RAM and a fast 80GB solid state drive (SSD), but if you decide to handle these upgrades yourself, the only thing you'll need is a screwdriver.

Ports and Features
Port selection on the P150HM is extremely good for a modern 15-inch gaming notebook. The system has two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port, one FireWire port, audio jacks, DVI output, HDMI output, Ethernet, and a media card reader. MALIBAL gives you several choices for an optical drive and our system came with a 6X Blu-ray Burner and 8X DVD+/-R DL Super-Multi Drive. Most importantly, I didn't get the feeling that the ports were "squeezed" into the notebook (a common problem with notebooks that have so many ports).

Front: No ports	Rear: eSATA, HDMI, DVI and power jack
Left: Optional CATV in, LAN, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, FireWire and media card reader.	Right: Optical drive, audio jacks, one USB 2.0 port, Kensington Lock slot