2012 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3B NP900X3C Display Quality?

When testing a Samsung NP900X3B at my local store, the display brightness never seemed "comfortably right" to me even after using a forum member's display calibration file. It was either too bright ("washed out" color appearance) or too dim and a 2011 Macbook Air 13" (Samsung panel) was much easier and comfortable on our eyes to look at even though it's a TN panel.

So, I want to ask the rest of you Samsung NP900X3B and NP900X3C notebook owners: how are you finding the visual comfort when using your np900x3# for extended periods of time? NotebookCheck.net 's review reported a 118 cd/m^2 brightness difference on the display screen at the same brightness level :

 

The display on my X3B is the best I have ever used. I thought my eyes wouldn't like the 1600 x 900 @ 13.3" but the excellent contrast means no problems. I would, however, point out that I've got it at 5/8 brightness when used indoors (that's equivalent to almost full brightness on my Lenovo T420s). Any brighter and I find the white is very hard on the eyes. 400 nit is only needed when sitting in bright sunshine.

I also did a Spyder calibration which changed the settings slightly. The .icc profile is in the X3B thread.

John

 

John,

5/8 brightness was the only setting that was decent for my eyes, but the image quality never seemed "right" or acceptably balanced overall. I was surprised that the older macbook air 13 had dare-i-say better image quality than the Samsung's PLS display. Do you have anything that can measure brightness on your np900X3 by any chance?

 

I don't have anything that can measure screen brightness. The various photos I have taken of the screen also didn't show obvious brightness variations - I have found that cameras tend to pick up brightness variations more than the human eye. I can't see any obvious contrast variations even at full brightness

I would also note that the Samsung Easy Settings also contains some display settings options. I don't know whether updates to this or the graphics driver or the BIOS may have included some tweaks that are unlikely to have been implemented on a display model.

John

 

Does anyone know why the new Samsung Series 9 notebooks ( np900x3b & np900x3c ) have such uneven distribution of brightness across the display screen? Even though the newer Asus UX31a & UX32VD have their share of problems, they showed much better brightness uniformity across the display screen.

 

I wonder if the panel notebookcheck tested was defective. I have not seen any other review cite the problem you keep bringing up.

Do you have a 13.3" Series 9 with this issue, or is this a pre-purchase concern?

 

I've played with the np900x3b in person for a few hours testing different color profiles and programs, etc. One thing my friend and I noticed comparing it to a 2011 Macbook Air 13" (Samsung panel) is the macbook air was much easier on the eyes whereas the Samsung always appeared either too bright or too dark and we found our eyes more "strained" when using the samsung np900x3b regardless of color calibration file type. The Macbook Air's display felt more "uniform" and like I didn't have to always search for that "sweet spot" of shade/color blend.

There is also a German review showing poor brightness uniformity on the Samsung Series 9 13" 2012 model (np900x3c) and I wouldn't be surprised if that is one of the reasons my eyes felt more strained on the Samsung. Ergonomics wise, the Samsung is good, it's just too bad I need a better display screen to go with it .

 

The 13" macbook air has a glossy screen that is at a 16:10 ratio 1440x900 resolution.
The 13" series 9 is a matte screen that is at a 16:9 ratio running 1600x900 resolution.

Those screens are very different.

There's nothing wrong with the Mac screen, that is for sure. And most of the world would love the PLS screen on the Samsung. Most of the world isn't going to find a flaw with either.

It sounds like you are either a pro photographer or engineer and want precision in the screen to meticulous requirements. I don't think either machine is built with that in mind. If they were, they would certainly cover a higher color gamut.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the screens on the Samsung. I think there are other flaws in the Samsung design that pertain to MY needs, but they aren't applicable for the vast majority of the people. The vast majority of the people buying the Samsung want a Windows machine that is small, runs well, and has an above average screen to go with the above average looks for the Series 9. It fits the persona of those customers perfectly.

 

After clicking through 168 pages in the X3B thread, I found the ICC profile you created ( link).

When I apply it on the X3C, colors (e.g. whites) get a lot warmer. Are you positive that the X3C screen is the same as on the X3B? I don't have a calibration device so I can't tell if the results are right.

 

HWiNFO reports my panel as SEC0100. Applying the profile on my display changed the appearance of white so it less harsh on my eyes. Anyway, if you think the display looks better with the new profile then use it. If not, leave it at the standard settings.

John

 

I would agree with Captainrad that the profile for John's X3B looks too warm on my new X3C. My Spyder should arrive in the next few days and I'll come back and post my profile.

I think it is going to take a while for me to get used to this screen. I'm coming from a Sony Z1 screen where the colors were richer and the contrast seemed better. However, the viewing angles on this Samsung are superb and the lack of any glare is a huge relief. Its just a very different screen from the Z1, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Compared to the vast majority of other laptop screens, both are in the upper echelon.

 

I absolutely despise uneven light distribution. It drives me crazy on cheapo displays and TVs. I am typing right now in the dark on my X3C at 5/8 brightness (which is way too bright) and I just don't see any problems. Its definitely more uniform than my old Sony Z1 and that was also a great screen.