The Clevo P151SM1 laptop is the least glamorous gadget in Spectre, and the most believable. It is a 15.6in gaming machine, dressed with stickers and tape to reflect Q’s character, and underneath the dressing it is exactly what it appears to be. That is the appeal: a working object rather than a gadget.
In the film
Q, played by Ben Whishaw, works on the laptop in his underground London lab and takes it with him to Sölden, Austria. There he uses it to establish the link between Mr White and the Spectre organisation. It appears in Spectre, the second film in which Q works alongside Daniel Craig’s Bond. Three laptops were used in filming; one was auctioned by Christie’s in February 2016, in working order with a spare battery pack and charger.
The Clevo P151SM1 laptop in detail
A gaming machine, not a spy’s. The P151SM1 is a performance laptop. Reseller listings give a 1920×1080 display and Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M graphics, hardware chosen for speed rather than discretion. It was sold by resellers under other names, including Prostar and Sager, so you will often find it listed that way.
Dressed, not designed. The stickers and tape were added for the film to say something about Q’s character. Twenty stickers on four sheets are now sold separately as an official set, which is the sensible way to get the look without hunting for the machine.
Proportions. The unit auctioned at Christie’s measured 10 x 14¾ in (25.4 x 37.5cm), with a 15.6in screen. It is a large, heavy laptop by current standards, which suits a man who works at a bench.
Built to be changed. The memory is DDR3-1600 SODIMM, with four sockets and a ceiling of 32GB. This is a machine made to be upgraded, and resellers list it in many different configurations.
Owning it now
The P151SM1 is discontinued, and we know of no current maker page for it. Used units turn up through resellers and on eBay, usually under the Sager or Prostar name, and the button on this page searches eBay for the P151SM1, and a seller’s configuration can differ from anything seen on screen. In 2015 it could be built to order from around US$1,150.
Our view. We would treat it as a desk piece, not a daily machine. It is a 2015-era gaming laptop, and a current one will be lighter and faster. If you want the idea of Q’s workspace, a plain, well-kept laptop with a restrained set of stickers does it better than a copy of the film unit. Add a desk lamp and a bench, and stop there.
Where it belongs. A study, a workshop, a garage. It is a working object that has been lived with, and the less polished it looks, the more convincing it is.
Specifications
| Model | Clevo P151SM1 (sold by resellers as Prostar and Sager; similar to the Sager NP8230) |
|---|---|
| Screen | 15.6in; reseller configurations list 1920×1080 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GTX 770M in reseller configurations |
| Memory | DDR3-1600 SODIMM, four sockets, up to 32GB |
| Dimensions | 10 x 14¾ in (25.4 x 37.5cm), as listed for the Christie’s film unit |
| Film dressing | Stickers and tape; a separate set of 20 stickers on four sheets is sold through the official 007 store |
| Status | Discontinued; no current RRP. Built to order from around US$1,150 in 2015 |
Questions
Is this the laptop Q uses in Spectre?
Yes, the model is the Clevo P151SM1. The film units were dressed with stickers and tape, and three were used in filming.
Can you still buy the Clevo P151SM1?
Not new. It is discontinued, and used units appear through resellers and on eBay, sometimes under the Sager or Prostar name. Check the configuration before you buy.
Were the stickers part of the laptop?
Not as sold. They were added for the film to reflect Q’s character. A set of 20 stickers on four sheets is sold separately through the official 007 store.
Is it a good laptop to use today?
As a daily machine, we would say no: it is a gaming laptop of an earlier generation. As a collector’s piece or desk companion it makes more sense.
For more of Q’s world, see our gadgets and electronics and the full list of Bond films.
