13.3" Samsung NP900X3C with Ivy Bridge CPU

Sorry wrong thread

 

Thanks for that. It seems to have helped but every so often my finger movement still isn't detected. I had a play with a display model at a shop and it did the same thing.

Do you think it's a hardware or driver issue?

 

About 3 - 4 weeks into my NP900X3C ownership now. I haven't noticed any trackpad problems on mine. I'm blown away at how smooth the two finger scrolling is. I use a pretty expensive Dell Precision for work, and I've had a variety of other laptops--trackpad scrolling always seemed stuttery and clunky. This works like a dream. I did consider turning off the tap-and-move-to-drag to prevent accidents, but that's really just a nature of that function.

FYI, for anyone wondering how the performance is--I brought this to a 3 hour class, half charged the other night. On battery by default, two cores are parked and CPU is throttled to max at 50%. I downloaded and installed the entire Android dev environment (Eclipse, Android SDKs, Java), did some light programming, ran the AVD, etc. It all ran fine, and I even had battery left after.

Everyone who sees this thing is blown away. This laptop was worth every penny. BTW, I got it on NewEgg for $1250, free shipping, plus a free $100 gift card. I didn't really see any other deals on this out there, so you might want to check it out if you're in the market for it.

 

Anybody who feels like the trackpad is fidgety, or randomly does weird things should definitely turn off the tap-and-drag function. It took me a few days to find the source of my problems. For me, the trackpad is much better and more reliable with that functionality disabled. Maybe I just have clumsy fingers.

I haven't noticed an issue with any of the X3C or X3Bs I've used. In fact, I actually lowered the sensitivity on my X3C.

 

If you have a similar problem with two computers I would consider it to be normal. Neither the touchpad nor the driver are perfect but they are better than most out there. As suggested above, you might want to turn off some of the features. This will help the driver figure out the other things you want it to do.

John

 

Am I the only S9 owner who has left the plastic guard that came with the S9 on the wrist/touchpad and lid cover yet?
I actually don't mind having it on mine, and it hasn't even wanted to start p e e l i n g off yet.

 

I know people have complained about bad wifi connectivity before and I don't know if this is the same issue or at all related, but my download speeds are TERRIBLE. Like not usable at all. I can browse super fast all day long, and if I do a speed test I get like 50mbps down and a little less up (fiber in Japan). I can't do so much as download adobe reader however. I've tested other files and same thing. Sometimes it seems to work normally. It was bittorrenting like a champ last night. I also download some big attachments. Most of the time though it sucks. This is all since I installed Win 7 fresh on a 256GB drive. Any tips? Flies along just fine in Linux.

 

Do I understand that the same WiFi card works much better in Linux? That definitely points to the settings. Two things I can suggest: (i) Get the newest driver from Intel and (ii) in Windows power management put the WiFi power to maximum.

John

 

Double post:

I've just been reading an interesting article in the latest print edition of the PC Pro entitled "Inside the ultrabook factory". It will probably appear on-line in due course and relates to a tour of the Samsung Series 9 development facility. There's some interesting commentary about the development process involved in getting the Series 9 as thin as possible. The keyboard has an electroluminescent sheet for the backlighting because it's thinner than LED backlighting (that also explains why the backlighting is relatively dim). It also specifically mentions the plastic area behind the keyboard because they found that metal blocked the WiFi signal (one of the problems with the X3A). One point mentioned at the end is the likelihood of an FHD PLS panel for next year. Since the rest of the article features the 13" Series 9, I presume that comment applies to the 13" model. \keep an eye open for other press reports of the visit - it wasn't just someone from PC Pro.

John

 

I'm all for more PLS panels, but do we really need a 1920x1080 resolution PLS panel that is 13.3" ? The current 1600x900 is already pretty freaking awesome in my book. What we need is the 1600x900 or 1920x1080 PLS panel in the 15" model. Now that would sell like crazy I think. I would buy one TODAY.

 

I absolutely LOVED the screen on the UX32VD that I had. Better than this one IMHO (except for the light bleed of course). I'd pay more for one on this laptop.

 

I was going to buy the UX32VD for the upgradeable RAM but I decided not to because of the light bleed. IMO even if the screen is absolutely amazing, light bleed just kills it. The light bleed on my 24" LG desktop monitor (IPS also) annoys the crap outta me.

The screen on the NP900X3C may be a lower res but it has absolutely no light bleed (well mine doesn't) and I think the 1600x900 res is more than enough for a 13" laptop. Plus the colours and viewing angles are brilliant.

 

I want to get this laptop but I will not have time to read this entire thread by the time the BB.ca sale ends. Could anyone tell me what the difference is between A01, A02 and A03? I know A04 is the core i7.

Also, retailers in Canada seem to carry only the 01CA, does this mean I'm stuck with the Canadian multilingual keyboard?

Is the micro HDMI port a standard one that I can get a cheap dongle for? What about the VGA?

 

There are all sorts of adapters for the micro HDMI port on the Samsung. I bought the Monoprice adapter. See Micro Connector male to HDMI® Connector female - Black | HDMI Port Saver.

The different model numbers usually differ by the amount of RAM, CPU and amount of storage. In some cases the model has the Pro edition of Windows and a TPM security chip. Check the specs carefully.

 

Yes, you're stuck with the multilingual. I ordered from Amazon.com for cross-border pickup for this reason. The A01CA is otherwise the same as the A01US, and is the only option in Canada. The A02US has Win7 Pro (and perhaps a TPM chip).

 

Is the SSD and RAM upgradable, as a DIY? I though I read that it is but it just seems too thin to allow for that so I would like to confirm.

 

The SSD is upgradeable (see this thread). The RAM on the X3C is not upgradeable - it is a soldered dual channel module. There has been confusion about the RAM upgradability because the original X3A did have two RAM slots, as does the X4C's bigger sibling, the X4C.

John

 

I’ve been doing some research on the "Battery Life Extender" setting in EasySettings where it only charges the battery to 80%.

Apparently, this is only useful if you leave your computer on the charger all of the time. But when planning on using it on battery, you should charge to 100%.

The article here: How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University recommends “When running on extended AC mode, the user could select the “long life” mode and the battery would charge to 4.00V/cell for a standby capacity of about 70 percent. Before traveling, the user would apply the “full charge mode” to bring the charge to 100%.”

They also indicate: “Should I disconnect my laptop from the power grid when not in use?” many ask. Under normal circumstances this should not be necessary because once the lithium-ion battery is full the charger discontinues charge and only engages when the battery voltage drops. Most users do not remove the AC power and I like to believe that this practice is safe.”

Based on all I’ve read, I don’t see any reason to use the “Battery Life Extender” setting.

BTW, some of the “best practices” I’ve found for prolonging li-ion life is:

1) Not to discharge below 20%
2) running intensive apps for a couple of hours while unplugged is worse for the battery than depleting it over several hours while e-mailing or Internet-browsing
3) Shallow discharges are ideal for a Li-ion battery.


Another good article is here: Ask Ars: What is the best way to use a Li-ion battery? | Ars Technica

Any thoughts on why you should use the “Battery Life Extender” in Easy Settings??

bert

 

I see that you have picked up the point about avoiding full depletion (apart from the need for a periodic recalibration) because it involves significant wear. However, I would add is that filling the last 20% of the battery capacity (particularly the last 5%) also causes significant wear. The need to charge to 100% before travelling (ie planning to use the computer on battery) depends on how many hours of run time you want. If, for example, you only expect to need to use 50% of the full charge run time then starting at 80% and dropping to 30% is probably less stressful for the battery than that charge to 100%.

It would be useful if Samsung provided additional functionality in the battery life extender option. Perhaps they consider that the sophisticated controls available in Lenovo's Power Manager are too complicated for the average Samsung user but a medium setting on the BLE enabling 90% charge could be a compromise. The other useful variable is the % charge loss before triggering a recharge cycle.

John

 

That would be nice. As for not charging to 100% before using it on battery, it would be nice if you always knew you weren't going to need all the battery you can get! But sometimes, the battery gets depleted faster than you expect. Plus, if you choose not to use the last 20%, then a max charge of 80% only gives you 60% of the battery life. So far, I'm rather dismayed at the short battery life I'm seeing - no more than about 5.5 hrs.

I've not found an option for re-calibrating the battery - is that possible on the NP900X3C?

bert

 

7 hours on battery is about the absolute maximum with dim display and no WiFi / Bluetooth. There are other tweaks to reduce power consumption such as keeping BT disabled unless you are using it. Also, I use Firefox with FlashBlock to prevent unwanted, power consuming, Flash activity. For me, the 50% extra capacity of the X4C's battery is one if its benefits.

The battery calibration option is in the BIOS. Run it if your battery starts showing significant wear (you can check the wear in HWiNFO's battery properties).

John

 

My NP900X3C does have slight light bleed in 2 spots on the right side but I don't really notice it. The only time I saw it was when the game I was running had a completely black screen.

 

Got an odd one for you guys. I just want my computer to suspend when I shut the lid, resume when I open the lid, and shut down when I push the damn power button.

I have already gotten rid of the Intel Rapid Start since it only takes like 12 seconds to boot up anyways and that's not much longer than it takes to "fast start." Maybe I never got it working correctly, I dunno. Anyways, I ditched the Easy Settings because it only has 2 options for when you push the power button; suspend or fast boot something or other. I want it to shut down. Thing is, now that I've removed easy setting, when I open the lid the computer doesn't automatically resume. Any way around this that anybody can think of?

 

Not that I know of, you have to push the power button.
You can define what closing the lid does, but not opening it.
That's why I decided on Rapid Start, and jumped through the various hoops to make it work.

 

Windows doesn't appear to include a lid open action, probably because of historical concern for a notebook opening slightly while in a bag and then cooking itself to death. IRST works outside of Windows (although I've yet to get Samsung support to agree with me but how else could it skip both BIOS and Windows passwords). I presume that the willingness to allow automatic resume on lid open is linked to the the lower power CPUs which are less likely to incur fatal overheating inside a bag. [I would also note that the magnetic latching that holds the displays shut is quite effective.]

John

 

I've owned three of these, the x3a (1.6 8gb RAM Win7 HP), the x3b (ditto but obviously only 4gb, then up to Win 8) and now the x3c-A02 (1.7 4gb Win8 pro TPM). I monitored the battery life carefully on each. I'm a writer and like all writers prone to distraction so my day typically consists of working on a script in Final Draft, occasionally making notes in Word 2010 and distracting myself every few minutes with any one of half a dozen websites open in Internet Explorer. My results are pretty consistent, day to day. All power options unless shown below were standardised and common sense.

x3a Win 7 - 5.5 hrs wifi on screen 2/8
x3b Win 7 - 5.0 hrs wifi on screen 2/8
x3b Win 8 - 5.0 hrs wifi on screen 3/8
x3c Win 8 - 7.0 hrs wifi on screen 3/8

There's no question that IB is more efficient. It's much smarter about dealing with idling time (where I'm staring at a page wondering what to write!). It's also much more efficient with video. I don't have hands on experience but reviews that use video playback as a battery tester show a big jump over SB. Win 8 is also much more efficient and probably worth at least 30 mins. You can see that it balanced out the increased brightness when I installed it on my x3b.
As a footnote, I tested with TPM enabled and without and couldn't see a difference in either performance or battery life.

 

Hi all,

I just bought this expensive but amazing laptop. I love it. However I detected some backlight bleeding on the left side. This is not very intense. But with black backgrounds is perceptible though not annoying.. No complaints I have read in this forum about this issue, so I do not know if it is normal a bit of backlight bleeding in this type of premium laptops¿?. I still am in time to return my unit if not.
What is your experience in regard backlight bleeding on Samsung Series 9 900x3c Screen?. Is it normal a bit of bleeding?.

Also my screen seems a little bit unhomogeneous. The right half a little bit brighter.

Thank you very much.

 

What is "IB" and "SB"??

bert

 

Thanks for that info. I was reading a review yesterday which showed no significant increase when using Win 8. Were your Win 7 numbers for the Samsung factory installation or a clean installation?

Is that at full brightness or the 5/8 brightness I would consider appropriate for normal usage.

Ivy Bridge (the current Intel platform) and Sandy Bridge (the previous one).

John

 

Clean installs all round. FYI, the only proper comparison review of Win 7 and Win 8 that I've found tested using three or maybe four different laptops and a variety of conditions. They found improvements of between 10% and 20% across the board. My findings with the x3b notwithstanding, I wouldn't be surprised if there were further synergistic savings to be had out of Win 8 and IB, given the close relationship between Intel and MS.

 

thank you John...

In a Low light environment (desk lamp) at 3/8 brightness begins to be slightly noticeable. It's on the right edge. It's not disturbing in fact. But due this laptop is expensive & premium (for me at least) I would want to be sure that I get one unit meets quality standards.

On the other hand I wouldn't want to get a replacement unit even worse... But if I have the certainty that most units do not suffer from backlight bleeding. I ask for the change now.

Thank you.

 

Well, today I returned my series 9. My second and third, actually (the first one I bought went back on day 0 with a faulty trackpad, but thats a different story).

I noticed that running an external monitor (via HDMI) at anything above the native 1600x900 resolution caused an intermittent flicker. Spent a few hours tinkering with software before I finally advance-exchanged the machine via the microsoft store. I tried everything - replaced the HDMI cable, used different monitors, installed a fresh copy of windows 7, windows 8, current and past video drivers. Nothing fixed the flicker.

Samsung's response? They said it was a known issue and to just restrict any external viewing to the native resolution or below. A no-go for my work, and a pathetic excuse for a fix on any laptop supporting HDMI in the last 5 years, much less a premium machine.

I loved the machine's form factor, display, and battery life, but after the -poor response I received from Samsung I'm afraid I won't be purchasing another machine from them. Releasing a machine with a clearly inferior SSD and shameful graphics limitations is just not acceptable.

Hope you guys aren't planning to watch 1080p video any time soon :[

 

That's really odd that Samsung would say that. I tested the NP900X3B with the Intel HD 3000 using a $3.43 HDMI® Micro Connector male to HDMI® Connector female and it worked fine on my Dell U2711 at 1920x1080.

It seems strange the would cripple it in the 3C with the Intel HD 4000. If Samsung ever ships the 3D in the USA, I'll buy one and test it again. My children stole the 3B's I purchased.

I still think the HDMI decision was bad. It should be mini DisplayPort and higher resolution support.

 

Hey guys, great thread. I purchased the xc3 for $1200 from JR (via Amazon) over Labor Day weekend and have now been playing with it for a week or so. Here are my issues and I wanted to see what your thoughts are.

1. I have one dead pixel on the far right that shows as red when the screen is extremely black.
2. As of today the L-shaped power adapter seems to easily fall out when gently pulled.
3. While my wifi speeds are consistent on my Vaio Z590, my wifi does seem to not connect as easily to the same sites (XDA).
4. There are updates sitting in the Easy Software Manager that will just not update do to "no connection" warning.

While my trackpad, battery, and overall other experiences have been fantastic. I am running the risk of keeping the computer and have the issues degrade further or returning the computer and receiving the return with more/different problems. Any opinions? Thanks in advance everyone.

 

I bought 3 of them for various family members at Best Buy and one had a stuck pixel. I returned that one.

 

I've been following enough of this thread to know that backlight bleed in this model is unusual.

I'm surprised to have not read about this "known issue" elsewhere in this and the other Series 9 threads. People have connected to FHD panels without problem. However, the miscro-HDMI specification doesn't support resolutions higher than FHD.

1. I doubt if you can get a replacement on account of one bad pixel near the edge of the screen, but you can ask.
2. Is the power plug completely plugged in so it clicks?
3. Get the latest Intel WiFi driver. It seems a bit better.
4. Easy Software Manager seems to have server problems. Either keep trying or go to the Samsung download site. Note that to get the newest BIOS you need to run the bios update program. It will check for, and then download any newer BIOS.

John

 

I thought I remember you finding a page at hdmi.org or something that spelled this out in black and white. But I also remember reading the HDMI 1.4 spec allows for resolutions above 1920x1080. I was always hopeful the little dongles I was trying were the culprit and eventually I'd come across a combination that would drive my U2711 at it's native 2560x1440 resolution.

Maybe Samsung will have an updated model for the Windows 8 launch with mini DisplayPort. That would be a welcome surprise.

 

This page (part of the HDMI 1.4 spec) says "Featuring a full nineteen-pin array like other HDMI connectors, the HDMI Micro Connector can handle video signals up to 1080p, bringing state-of-the-art HD resolutions to the realm of handheld devices."

Someone once found a photo of a Series 9 with what looked to be a displayport connector but no clue as to whether it was a prototype for the past or the future. Could the mini-HDMI port be an alternative?

John

 

Im considering this laptop, and I started reading through this page but quickly realize it would take me forever.
Sorry if I seem lazy but if there is anyone who has read through or know alot about this laptop that could could tell me of any problems that would dissuade me. I know the ssd is not top quality but I can live with that.

How long battery time do people get? (light surfing)

Also I really want it with more than 4 gig of ram, is it possible samsung will release this laptop with that configuration? (the 15inch is to big for me)

 

Thanks John! I didn't realize I had to muscle in the power plug as hard as I did to get it to click. Turns out I had the latest Intel Wifi driver so I added a flash blocker and that seemed to do the trick. BIOS updated from the Easy Software Manager (surprisingly) and I updated the rest of my software as well. We will see how the next few days go. Thank you for all of your help!

 

Probably not till Q2-Q3 2013. That's when 8GB DDP/QDP will be produced.

 

I'm also surprised that the problem hasn't been mentioned, but two machines later I have no doubt its something inherent to the hardware. The panel I was attempting to run was FHD - Samsung advised that nothing over 1600x900 was supported. Very disappointing issue to have :/

 

Yep, that was it. Thanks for finding that.

 

This post gives some battery time info.

We know that output up to FHD works - people have done it. Perhaps Samsung support meant that you couldn't run at more than 1600 x 900 when cloning the internal display.

John

 

I was extending the desktop, not cloning it. Everyone should be getting 1920 x 1080 to work over the microHDMI, I agree with you that by all means the machine should be able to do it. Perhaps some machines can. However, multiple clean OS installs, drivers of all versions, multiple cables, monitors, and two brand new NP900x3c's have shown that this is not the case for many of the new series 9's out on the market now.

Samsung's support tech explained to me that the fix for the flicker was to reduce any external viewing to 1600x900. He told me not to send in the machine because it wasn't something they could fix, that they were aware of the problem, and that he also thought it was a completely unacceptable problem to be having. My ticket was promoted to their internal driver team, who simply wrote back to tell me to keep external viewing at or below the native resolution of the internal screen.

Intel is aware of the intermittent flicker problem with the HD 4000 graphics in specific situations, but those have been resolved with bios patches from the independent manufacturers (how this is a bios problem I haven't the slightest). They can't fix the samsung's problems.

I appreciate that this problem is such a glaring issue that its odd no one else has mentioned it. However, weeks of frustration testing every component has simply proven to be the case.

 

Has anyone experienced this sound quality issue? After listening to audio (music, videos, whatever) and I pause, there's a very unpleasant metallic ring echo that follows. It's very bad on higher volumes.

 

I believe I encountered a similar issue. It was a very odd, annoying sound that would pop up suddenly and then end at random intervals. I have not encountered the issue since I installed the latest sound drivers.

 

When I did my testing, I tested both. I was running the 3B notebook at it's native res, and a Dell 2711 LCD panel at 1920x1080 when I did the extended desktop testing.

Clone was at 1024x768 and 1280x720 or 1280x800 which is what we usually have to use for projectors.

 

Hey guys, I just got my NP900X3C-A04US today...sweet unit. However, I noticed that the spacebar is incredibly loud, especially compared to the other keys. Is this typical of this and other Series 9s, or did I get a bunk one that I should return? Sorry if I'm repeating a question that has previously been answered, but this is a LONG thread. Thanks

 

I think the issue is whether there is a bug with Ivy Bridge graphics. You tested the X3B with Sandy Bridge.

A few people have commented on this. I suspect that the springs have to be stronger for the bigger key.

John