Malibal. Which one to get?

Hey nbr community. My second post

I haven't bought a laptop since '08 and computer since '09, and from doing some basic research I am quite behind the times. I plan on selling my Dell XPS m1530, but in the meantime I have my eyes on a couple nice machines.

Malibal Lotus P150HM

Specs.

Display: 15.6" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit Glossy Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.0-2.9GHz
Memory: (16GB) 16384MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 4 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 485M 2GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Optical Drive Bay: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Wireless: Intel® 6230 Advanced-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU

Malibal Satori P170HM

Specs.

Display: 17.3" 1920 x 1080 FHD LED Backlit 120Hz 3D 72% NTSC Matte Display
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.2-3.3GHz
Memory: (16GB) 16384MB, PC3-10660/1333MHz DDR3 - 4 SO-DIMM
Graphics Card: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M 1.5GB GDDR5
Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm 2.5" SATA 300
Optical Drive Bay: 8X Multi DVD+/-R/RW RAM Dual-Layer Drive
Wireless: Intel® 6230 Advanced-N 802.11A/B/G/N LAN and Bluetooth Card
Cooling: IC Diamond 7 Thermal Compound, CPU & GPU
Warranty: 4 Year Ltd. Labor and 1 Year Parts Warranty with 24/7 Support (USA)


Main difference between the two (as important to me)

Lotus - Intel® Core™ i7-2630QM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 485M 2GB GDDR5, 1 hdd bay
Satori - Intel® Core™ i7-2720QM, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M 1.5GB GDDR5, 2 hdd bay

What I will use this for

Really, I am just looking for a super future proof system. I don't plan on upgrading for the next 4-5 years, and I wanted to get away from Dell. Portability is not an issue. I've carried both sizes around before and while I do notice the difference, it isn't a big deal. I will be playing certain games like DEUS EX (looking forward to purchasing it). I will be doing some video editing, music editing, and note taking for class.

My questions to the gallery.

Which combination is the better? i7-2630QM with NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 485M? or i7-2720QM with NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 560M? My guess would be the latter for my case since video gaming isn't a priority, but I would like to hear other opinions on the subject.

Thank you. And while I have done some reading on the subject, faster processor vs better gpu, I haven't read a conclusive answer. And most of the threads were from 2009. With the power of recent hardware, I wonder how they compare.

 

Unless you plan on running multiple VMs on your laptop, the 2630QM + 485M is more futureproof than 2720QM + 560M.

 

Thanks for responding. In your opinion, would it be worth it to just upgrade to the 580m at this point? I see in your signature that it is what your set up has.

Also, I wasn't considering upgrading to the Bigfoot Networks Killer Wireless-N 1103, but how much more performance can you expect over basic card?

Sorry for all the questions. Being a college student getting married this December, money isn't the easiest situation. This is an investment and I would like to be well informed. Thank you

 

The 6990m would be a wiser choice (unless your going for a 3D screen or need CUDA/Physx), roughly the same performance and costs $250 less than the 580M. As for the bigfoot card, you can read Anandtech's review of the 1102 (two antennas vs 3 with the 1103) and decide for yourself. AnandTech - Bigfoot?s Killer-N 1102 Wireless Networking vs. the World

 

if you want future prove for 4-5 years. go with ati 6990 or 580.

 

After doing some more reading the ATI 6990 does seem to be the better choice. I've always used nvidia however, but nothing is really preventing me from changing that.

And big thanks for the detailed review of the bigfoot.

 

Just received my P150HM with the 6990M this morning and so far I'm loving it, it's my first laptop ever so I might be a little bias lol. The weight is perfect I feel if it was any heavier/larger it wouldn't be very portable. The power supply is a monster though and the P170HM comes with a 220 Watt power supply which is even bigger, can't really imagine that.

 

It still much smaller than a 360 power supply, that thing is too big!

Congrats on receiving your notebook!

 

Sweet man! Got to love user reviews. Congrats on the new purchase!
Did you stick with the optical drive or go with the caddy? I can't decide if I want future extra storage space or an optical drive (basically only for dvd movies at this point).

I used to love the power rangers man! My name "Tommy" was inspired by the White ranger. I was 5 years old and my mom told me I can pick a name. We're from Vietnam so most teachers/students couldn't pronounce my real name Quoc so I chose Tommy. hehe.

 

When I was 5 I would have picked something much stupider then Tommy. I would have gone with Firetruck, or Laser, or Truckasarus.

 

The first power rangers was the best and It didn't really look like a kid show, bring back lot of nostalgia. That and Barney was my childhood in a nutshell when it came to the media.

 

Sounds like we lived in the same times

Power Rangers are on Netflix. I watched a few episodes from the first and second seasons with my fiancee. I have to say. Much better with 5 year old eyes.

On a separate note. Anyone can comment on Malibal compatibility with Linux distributions on Clevo machines? On my potential list of notebooks are System76 machines. They appear to be Clevo machines or something similar, and if so, I would suspect that it would be very similar to Malibal/sager.

Reason I ask is because I do some minor Android development stuff and mainly work on Ubuntu or Fedora (whichever I am in the mood for).

 

I believe that Linux does work with Malibal notebook because I remember someone asking about that before.

 

Thanks for confirmation. Turns out System76 does use Clevo as their builder.

98% sure this will be mine

I opted out of the optical drive and went with the caddy instead. The plain is to purchase a SSD in the future when I save up more money ($1,677 is deep, hehe) and move the 750gb 7200rpm one to the optical bay.

I'm kinda excited

 

Yep, Linux works fine out of the box. See the thread below for more detail though:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sag...6-sager-np8150-clevo-p150hm-linux-thread.html

Either way, the machine is also powerful enough to run quite a few VM's as well

 

Thank you. You're the man. I look forward to my purchase and future conversations with other Malibal/clevo users.

 

Another question for the gallery.

This one concerns the optical drive bay. If I chose to keep the drive as an optical drive, can u request the hard drive caddy on the side? I perused the main site but did find the caddy under accessories. Or can I purchase any generic caddy that will fit?

I am curious because I might consider expanding storage in the future, but right now the optical dvd drive might be more useful for me.

Thanks gang.

 

any 12mm caddy will fit.

 

Great! Thank you. I've been guilty about not searching before posting. I just want to be well informed before purchasing. My only concern would be how it will look. All the generic brands I found don't look good. Should i take the faceplate off the optical drive if/when I do this?

 

Ok. Last question I think. This one is about processor/max memory. I did Google this one and came up with mixed results.

Intel® Core? i7-2630QM Processor (6M Cache, 2.00 GHz)

That data sheet tells me the core I7-2630qm supports up to 8gb of RAM. Furthermore it only supports 1333mhz speed. My configurations support 16gb in both 1333 and 1600 flavors. These are standard in the s-1 configs. Not that i will ever need more than 8gig, but if my system has more I would like it to be able to use it. From research I find that up to 8gb memory is dual channeled. If system uses more than 8 then it is single channeled. So should i stick with 8gb? Or is it worth to upgrade to 2720-qm? From Google search I could not find conclusive answer, but i am inclined to believe Intel document or Malibal official.

Thanks.

 

The Intel sheet has had that spec incorrect for a while. You can safely run 16GB with that machine at 1333. However, the 2630 will not run 1600mhz RAM. Also, While 1600mhz is available, it's not technically certified to run at that speed for all four slots. It can work though, as it's been tested and verified. It just didn't meet the criteria for official certifications. Quite a few retailers offer 1600mhz in all four slots because of this. You do need the 2720qm or better to run it.

(Technically speaking, these laptops can run up to 32GB RAM- but 8GB sticks are prohibitively expensive)

Also, 1600mhz is a nominal upgrade compared to CPU/GPU/SSD which will have a pretty decent effect on your machine out of the box.

 

Dude get the 17 inch. Way better haha

 

Thanks for confirming. That's what I gathered but i needed a more official answer. Thanks again

 

I'm pretty torn.

 

I recommend the 15 inches.

 

After a whole weekend of thinking and asking questions. I did it

Lotus P150HM.

Went with:
i7 2630QM ($160 was too much for upgrade to 2720QM)
AMD Radeon HD 6990M 2GB GDDR5
Bigfoot Killer
Hard drive caddy

Build Final

 

Very good build mate! It is very sexy when you get it especially with the rubberize finish. I thought it would look like an 80's to 90's IBM machine (old and cheap) but instead it look sexier than a MBP and look expensive as well.

 

I'm pretty excited!

On another note. There has been some posts and threads regarding the new Sandy Bridge CPUs. Maybe Malibal or Malibal #2 can chime in. Is it possible to have the notebook shipped with the updated 2760QM? I restrained from upgrading to the 2720QM for $160, but if it is same price it might be considered. Thanks.

 

Same price? Go for it, if the temps are low enough. Otherwise, you're golden. The 2630qm is no slouch, trust me.

Mr. Mysterious

 

I ran out of rep bumps. I'll have to get you tomorrow.

I was pretty sold on the 2630qm until I read the spec sheets. Intel states it only supports 8gb ram and 1333mhz, but Malibal #2 said that was wrong. So I guess I will stick with it.

 

Lol np. I doubt you'd need more than 8GB unless you are running multpile VM's on your laptop.

Mr. Mysterious

 

I agree, either get the 2630qm or the 2760qm, and I believe the updated 2760m should be the same price.

 

Thank you. That is what i wanted to hear.

 

Congrats on your new laptop, that's a great build!

You shouldn't be too worried about the "future-proof" aspect. To put it into context, the best card 4 years ago (8800m GTX) can play most modern games at mid/high with great framerates and resolution. I have no doubts that even in a couple of years, the 6990m will be able to hold its own, given the history of past high-end graphics cards.

 

Thank you Sir. I'm excited. And thanks for chiming in about the gpu. I feel good about it now.

 

I notice you no longer opts for the SSD?

 

Well I got the optical bay hd caddy. I'll stick with the 750gb 7200rpm for now. I will switch to ssd for sure, but i don't know when. Prices are looking decent now but still a wee bit higher than I'd like. In a couple months I will get an ssd and move the 750gb one to the optical bay as storage/test hd. For what I do right now the 7200rpm is plenty of performance.

 

Definitely. SSD prices seem to be dropping a bit