2013 Ativ Book 9 Plus owner's lounge (NP940X3G)

No idea, it was in my Bookbook in my laptop bag, had been out in the cold for a couple of hours.

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Got it. I look forward to what you find out, as this comes up regularly.

Edit: At my PC now. It's not completely the same since mine is a different model with HD3000 and fullsize HDMI and a 1920x1200 monitor. But if I and open Screen resolution - (select external monitor) - Advanced settings - Monitor tab and uncheck Hide modes that this monitor cannot display that allows me to select more resolutions and refresh rates. Maybe if you do this in combination with a custom resolution created with the Intel Control Panel.

I apologize if you already tried all that

Edit2: Never mind, you already fixed it

Good stuff, thanks for sharing!

 

You were right gizzmoffm, my refresh rate was set too high! I now have achieved 2560 x 1440 resolution via a cheap micro-HDMI to HDMI cable and attaching to a Dell U2713HM. :thumbsup:

I created a custom resolution by using CustomModeApp.exe at 2560 x 1440 at 40Hz , with the Timing Standard set to CVT-RB. (The reason it didn't work for me earlier was because I neglected to change the Timing Standard)

FYI, Nothing higher than 40Hz would work. I've attached a screenshot to help anyone in the future.

 

Excellent work, thank you for that update!

It still sucks that we cannot do 60Hz at this resolution, when the Intel HD4400 pixel clock is more than capable of driving it, and so is the HDMI 1.4 standard. I really wish Samsung would bite the bullet and replace their (mostly hated) proprietary mini-VGA with a DisplayPort on these new models.

 

Good to know that it worked. I found that site a couple of days ago while doing some research because I heard that HDMI has problems with high resolutions.


Gesendet von meinem Nexus 4 mit Tapatalk

 

May have been the result of temperature difference contractions. But still, I would think those two thick layers the laptop was in would sufficiently insulate the laptop to prevent something like this from happening.

 

It could be the digitizer which reacted to the cold temperature. Interesting to say the least and would love to see a photo of it if possible.

 

If there's no warning in the User Manual about letting the computer get cold then I would demand repair under warranty.

The official standard for the micro HDMI port is only 1080p.

The refresh rate tweak seems to be a way to get higher resolution through the port within the bandwidth limitation.

John

 

HDMI 2.0 supports 4096×2160p60 according to Wikipedia.
I wonder if the HDMI port can be upgraded by a firmware+driver upgrade to 2.0... if it's just a frequency thing, this might be possible.

But hey, they want to sell new stuff... so why bother?

 

Full-sized HDMI has a higher bandwidth. It's the micro HDMI which has the limitation but the people who wrote it were thinking of tablets and smartphones, not computers.

Samsung have put a full-sized HDMI port on the 15.6" Book 9 (2014 edition). However, they must have seen (and ignored) the innumerable user suggestions about replacing the mini VGA port with the much more versatile mini DisplayPort.

John

 

Just had a proper look in the light for the first time and I'd say it looks like it's had a ding...

Any clues as to where I could get a US model repaired in the UK without shipping it back would be appreciated.

 

That's the first time I've seen a picture of that happening to a Series 9 / Book 9. Is there any hint of a depression on the back of the display where it might have been hit? If not, Samsung might have difficulty in arguing that it is accidental damage. Don't touchscreens have a layer of strong glass on the front side to prevent damage if poked?

Contact Samsung UK support. You might have a US model but all Samsung notebooks have a one year international warranty. And, although yours is a US model, the display will be the same as the UK ones so they should have a replacement unit in stock.

John

 

Those gorilla glass overlays are great against scratches but they are still brittle. Good against scratches and scuffs but not as much against impacts.

Looking at your case over there I notice a black band holding your lid in place, allowing you (I assume) to use the laptop without having to take it out of the case. With that black band on each side of the lid, the lid itself would not shut fully, where it would, as engineered, evenly rest against the rubber gasket along the inside of lid.

With the lid shut resting against those two bands on each side of it, you have added flex/give in the middle of the display. Think of it as a trampoline effect. Any protruding object (charger perhaps) that was placed against the case inside the backpack may have flexed the lid to the point of cracking the glass.

That's my theory. I'm not sure it's the best idea to use these cases.

 

The problem is now solved... After I updated all new updates from windows update... it works again

 

That's an excellent theory. I hadn't noticed the band until you mentioned it.

The mechanism you describe effectively puts the glass layer under tension which is not one of sheet glasses strengths although glass fibres handle tension quite well. A non-touchscreen display without the glass layer would probably survive the bending without any distress which could explain why those cases have got into common usage.

John

 

There's no indication of impact, although it's clearly failed at a specific point as you can see in the photo. The black band isn't an issue as I have a thin layer of packing between the keyboard and screen to protect the glass when the lid is closed, so the bands never come into play.

I've been sent to Samuel King in Angel and I'll see what they come back with. If it's not silly then I'll swallow it, but if it's extortionate then I'll fight them.

 

I noticed the same for the first time yesterday, only after it had been working hard. Went away when the machine cooled down. Still, concerning. I've had the A9B+ just under a month now.

 

I see that Intel has updated graphics drivers but Samsung is not offering them. When I try to install them, I am told the install will cancel and that I need to get the drivers from the manufacturer. So.. how can I install these? Do we really need to wait for Samsung?

 

Is anyone having issues with the trackpad that sometimes when clicking it will jump to the bottom right corner where the Windows start menu is located? Sometimes or occasionally the mouse will lag and when I click it'll just jump to the bottom left corner. Happens more so when browsing or while a file is downloading. Really annoying. All my drivers are up to date. I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling the drivers, played with the mouse and track pad setttings. My model is the NP9403XG-K04US with 8.1. I've searcher this thread on many occasions hoping to find a solution to no success. I've also noticed that for an i-7 and 8 gigs or ram there's often a lot of lag. Anyone else have this problem or HAD this problem. Considering returning this, but would like to try to remedy this as I need the laptop for school. Hoping I don't have a defect.

 

Can others confirm that there is no trusted platform module in this computer? I wanted to enable it in BIOS but don't find that option anywhere. Would be nice to use bitlocker without resorting to USB security key.
TPM
Truecrypt
encryption

 

They're most definitely not that brittle. Even the first iteration of Gorilla Glass was really quite flexible and later versions are very much so.
For example, here are some of the testing procedures that Corning put Gorilla Glass 2 through - and that's dating back to 2012, by the start of 2013 Gorilla Glass 3 has started to hit the market and it's even tougher and can flex much more.

What you're describing there is pressure damage but the actual damage the other user has experienced is the complete opposite.

With pressure damage, the top-most layer of the screen is very unlikely to be damaged, with the display panel underneath far more likely to be cracked - the reason being that the protective top layer of the screen is the most flexible and will be able to bear the load, whereas the substrates within the display panel itself are generally much thinner and more fragile and will crack under sustained pressure. With the damage shown in the photo there is a clear point of impact that has caused the glass to break, which is the hallmark of a short, sharp shock instead of any sustained force.
It's the exact same with phone screens, you see a lot of pressure-damaged screens where the top layer is fine but the panel underneath is ruined, caused by (for example) people putting phones in rear trouser/jeans pockets and sitting on them; whereas phones whose screens have the top layer cracked have invariably been dropped or knocked in some way.



As an aside though, I can't see any mention of Gorilla Glass on the ATIV Book 9 Plus's product pages on either of Samsung's US or UK sites, nor are they listed as using Gorilla Glass in laptop products on Corning's site.
That is most likely an oversight given Samsung and Corning have a very close relationship but, even if it were true, I'd expect whatever alternative type of glass Samsung were using to behave in a similar manner anyway.

 

got my new laptop from amazon and WOW. There was def a fault with my old one.. Even the power button is different on this (it sticks out) the old one was depressed. the touchscreen is awesome and works perfectly after going to 8.1

woohoo

 

Good to hear...
It is an awesome ultrabook.

 

Just back from Samuel King, cost of replacing my cracked display, £429.

*Wince*

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Ouch! The new lid / display units of the other Series / Book 9 models is less than half that.

You didn't manage to persuade them it was a manufacturing defect?

John

 

I guess it's because it's a touchscreen. Still, got the feeling that I was being taken advantage of. But it isn't like you have a choice. Perhaps I should ring Samsung again and check what the cost should be.

 

While that's certainly going to be a factor, even if it weren't I'd expect a QHD+ panel to cost more than an HD+ one.

 

Anyone using WiDi? I have an old Netgear PTV2000 and not have any success connecting to it from my AB9+. Anyone know a better WiDi adapter to get to replace Netgear? Or what about new Samsung TV's.... anyway to send my AB9+ display to it wirelessly?

Thanks.

 

How do I do a clean install on this machine? I saw some people in this thread saying they just used their product key in the win 8 setup tool, but I keep getting a message that my product key is invalid because it is not a retail key. How do I bypass this? There has to be some way to do a clean install.

I wanted to upgrade to pro anyways, if I do that, will I get a product key that will act as a retail key? That way I may be able to do the clean install.

 

I have the same issue on my 770Z5E. I reported it here. Would be great if a solution was found.

 

One of the old fixes for some of the issues with this pad was to disable Drag and Drop. Give that a try if not already disabled.

There may be other suggestions in this thread.

John

 

If you install the same version of Win8 as the one delivered with your computer (base vs pro and same language) and use clean install media, it should automatically pick up the Product Key in your BIOS. If you upgrade to pro and get a new key, you should be able to enter that during install.

There are also tools that can extract the Product Key from your BIOS. I forget the names, but Google should help.

In any case have members reported that Microsoft was helpful when called about activation issues after new installs.

 

I tried using the windows8setup.exe file from windows for retail codes, however, it does not appear that the Generic Keys are valid anymore (at least the ones that I found) so I can't even get that far at this point. I already extracted my product key, but they will not work when I manually enter them into the setup screen. Basically it just says I need to use a retail code. I have talked with MIcrosoft several times (I am conducting a chat with them right now) and they do not seem to budge on this. I gave them my key and they just keep saying it's OEM and I need to contact the manufacturer about recovery. I even bought an upgrade key before I called for win 8 pro and they still arent helping. Is it a better idea to actually go to a Microsoft Store?

 

A clean install using the factory image or your own Install files (ISO)

1. Factory -- Type RECOVERY in Metro and press RECOVER

2. your own files -- Download the ISO and put it on a flash ( http://images2.store.microsoft.com/prod/clustera/framework/w7udt/1.0/en-us/Windows7-USB-DVD-tool.exe) . Restart and boot to the usb.

 

The problem is, where do I get the ISO from. I know of some less than legitimate sites for this, but I would really prefer a windows legit site. According to the Microsoft rep, there is no online source for this. I just got in contact with Samsung and they are shipping me a Windows 8 disc which they claim is a clean install disc, but idk if that's true.

 

On a different note, did anyone notice that when the screen goes from a darker background to a whiter background that the screen does a slight brightness shift and vice versa(maybe contrast). It seems to happen in like a 3 step shift, not really that noticeable or bothersome, just curious why that is. I'm not referring to adaptive brightness if anyone was thinking that.

 

Lately, 940x3g version KO6 US is being offered in usa. I fail to find any difference between this and the original ko1us, any body has any idea what are the differences between the two ?

 

Samsung "Recovery Media" is usually a clean Windows install DVD. That should help you.

As for those less than legitimate sources, our forum rules have a zero tolerance policy in this area, so please avoid discussing those on the forum. And you didn't, so you're good

 

is there any docking station that is compatible with this laptop? I had my business order one for me and now it appears that I may have to return it unless there is a docking station. Any help is much appreciated.

 

Its the sansung utility doing it. Best way to tackle this is to remove auto brightness from Samsung utility and use Windows instead.

 

Samsung do not make a specific docking station and provide a docking connector. The old X series had this facility but I doubt they sold many because the price of the docking station was so high.

The best alternative is a USB 3.0 docking station.

John

 

Any feedback on the USB 3.0 docking stations? Are they any good? Any input is appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

Hi, did you purchase the K05US version from the microsoft store?

 

This one is the no. 1 seller on Amazon in it's category and has great reviews: Amazon.com : Plugable UD-3900 USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station with Dual Video Outputs for Windows 8.1, 8, 7, XP (HDMI and DVI/ VGA to 2048x1152, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 2 USB 3.0 Ports, 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 4A AC Power Adapter) : Laptop Computer Docki

I don't have any experience with it, but if I were to buy one, it would probably be this one.

 

I went into some of the settings to check it out. It was actually the Intel power saving setting which was doing it. The samsung utility might have an option to do that too, but I think changing the Intel driver overrides that anyways.

Another display question I had. I noticed when the display is darker (mostly black), it looks like there is some screen bleed in the corners of the screen, primarily in the bottom right corner of the screen. However, I can't tell if this is from the backlight or from actual screen bleed. The reason I say that is because I only notice it when I am in a dark room and the screen has a black background. When I am in a well lit setting I can't see it. I went to a local best buy to see if they had the same thing on their screens, but I didn't notice it. Best Buy is very well lit though and like I mentioned, I can't see it in a very well lit room. Has anyone noticed something similar to this on their ab+? I just got this machine, and it's obviously not cheap, so if there is anything wrong, even this small, I would rather exchange it.

 

Hey Guys

Amazon is selling the i7 version at only $1079. I don't know why!!!!! Hurry if you want it.

 

Holy crap!!! How is that possible?? Since I had the screen bleed problem on that other one I just received (I had already filed the RMA) I'm just going to return that one and get this one for hundreds cheaper!. I hope this Computer Brain company honors this.

 

Yeah any adjustment made with the sansung utility will reset the Intel utility and vice versa.
As for backlit bleed it's there but use two or three brightness adjustment from minimum to reduce the green yellow haze on black screens. It's visible on boot up too with black screen auto adjusting the brightness.
I wouldn't worry about it personally i bought two of these ultrabooks and they both have some minor backlit bleed which seems inherent in these panels. If the bleed is very bad take it back for replacement.
Good luck.

 

Sorry, stupid question but which Samsung utility are you talking about?
The settings program you access using Fn+F1?

 

That Settings program is an entire package providing several hardware related features on Samsung laptops - including support for Fn-keys beyond the basic ones (volume, screen mode etc, which are handled directly by Windows).

Outside of core device drivers, Settings is the only Samsung software needed to deliver the basic functionality of the laptop. Not that it doesn't work without it, but some features just won't be there or work right.

Check the thread linked below for more details:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/729139-settings-easy-settings-what-you-need-know.html