2013 Series 7 chronos / Ativ Book 8 15" owner's lounge (NP770Z5E / NP780Z5E / NP870Z5E / NP880Z5E)

Hi sorry couldn't find a previous post on this topic but can anyone recommend a decent modern monitor, maybe around 24+ inches. What happen if I use a 4k monitor. Would the 8870 graphics card be able to handle it. Would the monitor have a downscaling Display. Sorry don't know much about this stuff!

Thanks

 

4k is no problem for normal usage, even for the Intel GPU.

However, for 3D grahics and gaming, giving the GPU more pixels to process will result in proportional reduction in the refresh rates.

John

 

Thanks! Any recommendations for a decent brand?

 

Hi,

My Ativ Book 8 Battery in the last month or so had swollen to the point that it pushed the cover of my PC and open it a little bit in the front of the PC and also it pushed the trackpad and I couldn't use it anymore. I decided to change the battery so I bought the same battery in Amazon Germany, I received the battery. It seemed exactly as the one I had so I replaced it. And it seamed fine, the PC recognizes it but it either says its full or empty. and the LED that is orange when charging and green when is full it just keeps changing every two seconds from green to orange and viceversa.

If I unplug the AC adapter it runs with the battery for some minutes and then the computer shuts off. I've tried the calibration from the bios but it shuts down after less than 10 minuts.

Does anyone know if I have to do something special to be able to use this battery or it is just that the battery is no good?

EDIT: I've shutdown my computer and press the "reset" button you need to click to discharge? the battery before adding RAM and then plugged my computer again and boot it. Now it seems to show the real status and is charging. The LED is only orange so it seems to be working fine. If I don't post anything else after this is because that was the solution. It might be useful for someone else

Thank you.

 

I would suggest you look for a panel with good viewing angles, both horizontally and vertically and good brightness. This can use wither IPS or various other technologies. Other features, such as speakers built into the monitor are options.

The better known brands usually make several ranges with different qualities and different prices so I would recommend that the specifications take precedence over the brand name. A few months ago I bought a Hanns G monitor for some friends. It had an IPS panel, a competitive price and didn't disappoint.

John

 

Hey guy. My Ativ Book 8 battery got swollen and I am going to replace it with a new one. However, it will be a little longer to wait to get the new battery. So should I keep the old one in my laptop or take it out and use the AC only until the new one arrives?

P/s: Look like there is another person that got his battery swollen too .

 

Hi everybody, there is a problem if I keep using my computer connected to the source after it has been loaded battery?
I read something about extract the battery, but in this model (770z5e) the battery is'nt removable

 

A question for the experts out there . It is a rather large thread and I apologise if this question has already been answered.

Has anyone tried upgrading the i7 CPU processor in the NP870Z5E to a higher version of it? For example - upgrading the i7 3635QM to the i7 4000QM as these processors are not soldered onto the motherboard and are of the same family?

 

I'm fairly certain the cpu is soldered. There is no socket.

 

@pranktank - Thank you for your reply.

I have been researching on numerous threads and apparently the MQ processors are socketed and not soldered like the HQ processors , but I checked the information on the i7 3635QM here :

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/13...3635QM_vs_Intel_Core_i7_Mobile_i7-4700MQ.html

You are right. That processor cannot be upgraded despite being a QM. Strange....

So should I try and purchase the Np870Z5E or the Samsung ATIV Book 8 870Z5G? The Np870Z5E seems a little easier to find on ebay, but I dont think I really need that much graphics power, as I dont game and will be using it for 2d/3d animation work. I wont need to render or model. However - it does seem to have good sound qualities with the JBL that is not present with the 870Z5G.

I am trying to look at best bang for my buck here and the Np870Z5E seems cheaper, where as the 870Z5G has a faster i7 4700HQ processor, which is good for the programs I use, but I dont know how much difference it will make. Also - some have had the screen issues with the Np870Z5E. Is this issue mainly on the touch screen or non touch screen versions?

Help

 

I'm not sure because I don't know what your specific needs for a laptop are. It all depends on budget,programs used,mobility needed,... For the best advice I'd suggest making a "what notebook should i buy" thread. Don't forget to fill out this sticky of that forum for the best advice: http://forum.notebookreview.com/index.php?threads/29271/

 

Once again - thanks!
I will post a thread in the laptop needs.

My question on the display issues: Is it just on the non touch screen panels or both?
Are they IPS?

 

I think it occurs on both. For me it really wasn't all that noticeable, I only really saw it on a dark gray background. The display type is PLS, basically the same quality as IPS as far as I can tell.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I have also posted on the laptop need thread.
One more question if you dont mind as I really appreciate your help so far:

How does the sound compare between the 870Z5E and the later 870z5G without the JBL? Are there any differences between the two?

 

You're very welcome but I'm afraid I can't help you with this one. I've never listened to the non-jbl version. My np770Z5E had the best sound I've ever heard for a laptop though, even capable of some bass, but I'd always prefer headphones or big speakers over laptop speakers.

 

Thank you for your patience.

I will try and find more info on the 870Z5G or the refreshed "NT870Z5G-x28"version on that particular thread, but that thread seems rather small and not so active.
I am guessing it maybe due to the machines availability or it's less powerful performance compared to the 770Z5E/870Z5E machines.

Wish me luck

 

Has anyone been running Windows 10 on their laptop? If so, how are the drivers working for you all? I know the Windows 8.1 drivers were a mess for a while and I really don't want that again!

Windows 10 is coming out soon, hope Samsung didn't already drop support on this laptop!

 

Sorry - another quick question from the newbie.

Is the differences between the 770z5E and the 870Z5E just the ram configuration and colour? Or are there other differences?

 

Someone further back in the thread (about the time that the Win10 Tech Preview released) said that they installed it and just about everything worked from the word go. I think that they said that they did revert to 8.1 though. I think the takeaway here is that it doesn't seem to completely hose your installation the way the 8.1 upgrade did, but obviously that may change with different builds. After my experiences blindly going to 8.1 and then having to rebuild from scratch, I have decided to stay away from the preview builds on this laptop and wait until Samsung says that it is supported (or until someone here confirms it). If it goes too long then I might go ahead and try it, but I generally don't have the time to rebuild systems that I use so often.

 

See the first post of this thread.

RAM, CPU, storage drive and Windows version can vary between different versions of the basic models.

John

 

Yes - I saw the first post about the colour colour configurations, but I was not sure if it was the same case RAM. You also stated the CPU? Looking on the web, I have not seen any other type than the i7 3635. I take it that there must be a lower spec version than this, or is it higher?

 

I really should update that first post and my signature after I've finished my exams. Sadly I won't be able to test anything anymore since I sold my NP770Z5E and worked to buy the 980m powered gigabyte P35X.

I do however still have a unit with a dead motherboard. If I can find a motherboard for the right price I think I'm going to try and fix it. I recently saw one for only 100GBP. Should be a very fun project. It'd be awesome to get it to work again. While the P35X is a great performer the NP770Z5E still is a beautiful, fantastic powerful all-rounder.

I'm not sure whether the battery is dead too though, and I'm afraid that if I plug that into the replacement mobo it might fry it.

 

My comment about the options was general and I don't know if if there are other CPU versions. One way to discover what might be available in your country is to browse the SW Update database which lists each version for each country. Make a list of the versions and then search the www for web pages listing the specifications.

John

 

Country is UK: NP870Z5E-X01TR
(as expected impossible to find it anywhere)

I have also found versions that have i5 core processors instead of i7. These are US.

 

In regards to the wifi issues, does upgrading to a new wifi module mean having to flash to a new bios update? I remember that I has to flash my T60p with a new bios that enabled you to fit in a wifi of your choosing.

 

The UK had a very limited selection of these models and Samsung stopped shipping new stock when, about a year ago, they decided to discontinue selling notebooks in Europe. There are some UK versions listed in SW Update, such as the NP930X5J, which never got shipped.

Samsung don't whitelist the WiFi in the BIOS. However, before thinking of changing the card, try the latest Intel driver. Many of the problems have been fixed by driver updates while weak signal problems may be caused by the antennae location (Samsung may have put the antennae in the chassis as on the Series 9 notebooks).

John

 

Ahh, I didn't realise that there were so few in supplies in the UK. I definitely need a matte verison and not the touchscreen version of either the
NP870Z5E or NP770Z5E.

Exchanging the wifi card would solve the weak signals? It's an older wifi card in these laptops I believe?

 

Hello again (your probably sick of hearing from me now).

I'm close to buying something, but I would like to know some information on the touch screen. It's not really the version I want as I'm not interested in that ability, but the price seems okay.

1) How much more power does it use compared to the non- touch matte version? Does it affect heat and battery consumption?
2) Can I stick an anti glare/gloss cover onto it?
3) Can I replace the lid with a matte display version?

I know that the touch screen versions have bigger and heavier lids.

 

I have the US version of the Ativ book 8 with the touch screen. I don't think the screen uses an unusual amount of power, but you can turn off the touch function and look at the wattage it uses. I guess you could put an anti-glare coating, but it might dim the display. The blacks and contrast are actually very nice, but expect some temporary image retention. I wouldn't bother changing the display because there are so many choices of laptops, why not just buy one with the display you want on it. The weight of the glass does make the screen bounce around a little bit. it's a great multimedia laptop, movies in a dark room look very nice. The speakers are not very loud and have a very good quality of sound.

 

I would add that a complete display unit of the type you want may be available as a spare part. But it won't be very cheap because the panel is probably built into the cover and you may have a colour difference between that and the chassis. Samsungparts.com has a useful list of part numbers that can help any search for a part.

Regarding the WiFi, a newer card might help a little, but if the antennae are in the chassis (as on the Series 9 - I can't remember the details for this Series 8 notebook) then they are half surrounded by metal and electronics which reduces their ability to send / receive a good signal however good the WiFi card. See here for discussion of WiFi issues.

John

 

I really do appreciate you guys replying.

I've been trying to find other laptops similar to samsungs in terms of battery, noise, matte displays and weight(touch screen seems heavier), but there doesn't really seem anything similar out there. I also need it for a 3d animation job starting in 3 weeks.

It seems that the touchscreen versions are easier to find than the matte versions, but it's nice to know that you can turn it off.

I dont mind the colour difference. In fact - I think it would look pretty cool.

Also the touchscreen version I spotted is an i5 which is probably why it is cheap. However - I know that I'll definitely be better off with the i7 quad core version for my needs. I guess I could always buy an i7 moherboard and stick it in, but if I do that I would go with the top spech version for my troubles. Some of these boards are on ebay, but I don't know if I would be getting the 8870m/8770m or 8570 version, so it seems rather risky due to the variety of different configurations.

Sounds like too much arsing about unless it actually states on the motherboard which graphics card it has.

 

That's strange! I looked on Smasung parts for 870z5e/770z5e top unit parts and that they dont exist. It actually has no information on those particular models. It has parts for the touch screen variant and the latest 870Z5G nvidia models only.

 

Did you consider the Dell XPS15-9530 (or the business equivalent, the M3800)? If bought from Dell Outlet it can be reasonably affordable.

John

 

I looked at the dell m3800, but it seems to run hot and loud. The things is, I wasn't really too bothered by these things before, but now that I'm freelancing again, I get concerned about disturbing the people around me.
For example - i have borrowed my friends MSI GE DX 620, is good for my needs, but man - that thing heats up! I took it to the library and when those fans kicked in - I had to walk out of the library, but I founda corner in a noisy cafe so it wasn't to bad.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Samsung-ATIV-Book-8-Touch-880Z5E-X01-Notebook.102303.0.html

Seems that it uses more power than the matte and the battery life is shorter as it's a slightly heavier machine. However - it's still quite and doesn't heat up so much which is good.

 

Yes, this laptop is a good one if you're good at upgrades to 8.1 and removing bloatware. The battery charge lasts a long time, it's very quiet in silent mode, and the touch pad is very good, but the keyboard is awful, the feet are too short and I couldn't get along with the glare on the screen even though it does look great in a dark room. (and it was a bit heavy for me)

I got an alienware 13 for a lighter laptop with a better keyboard, better graphics card and no glare screen, but the touch pad sucks, the ports and plastic are cheap, the screen is a bit small and the battery charge never lasts more than 4 hours.

Each one is better at some things than the other.

Any choice will have compromises, but I think you would be better off buying something that is still being produced and supported.
I can't believe this thread is still going.

 

Well - I just purchased a 880Z5E model a few minutes ago. They got my money so no turning back

Should be coming arriving sometime next week.

My thinkpad T60p is rather heavy at over 6 lbs with the 6 cell battery. It was around 6.4lbs with the 9 cell, but the weight is a bit much and it also did not sit flush in the machine. my friends MSI GE DX 620 is lighter and I can really feel the difference.

As for the thread still going - it's great and I hope it continues.
I'm also on the thinkpad forums and the T60p section (T60p came out in 2006) Is much alive and kicking.

 

Does anyone know the type of panel that is used on the 770Z5E?

I just read somewhere that the touch screen on the 780z5e/880z5e are not digitized. Or rather, they do not have touch screen technology. Instead, they have a touch screen digitizer that is placed over the screen. If this is the case, then I could always buy a 770Z5E matte screen to replace the glossy version.

Do any current owners of the 770Z5E have any info on the part number/fru/make/specs of this panel?

 

I think the panel used in the 770Z5E might be this one:

http://www.panelook.com/B156HAN01.2_AUO_15.6_LCM_parameter_19049.html

I was looking at the notebook review of the N550JV ( http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Samsung-Series-7-Chronos-770Z5E-S01DE-Notebook.91341.0.html) and the screens brightness, contrast and brightness distribution ratings are extremely similar to the ratings on the notebook review screen of the 770Z5E.

Both of these panels are matte and may have came out 2012 or before?

Information: N550JV (LG LP156WF4-SPB)
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 302 cd/m²
Average: 277.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 296 cd/m²
Black: 0.21 cd/m²
Contrast: 1410:1

Information: Samsung 770Z5E (TN????AUO9003) (maybe AHVA B156HAN01.2?)
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 296 cd/m²
Average: 273.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 300 cd/m²
Black: 0.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1435:1

However - the B156HAN01.2 is heavier, has a much lower response time and uses less power when comparing the data sheets on the panelook website.

I also emailed samsung parts about the 770Z5E, not being listed in their database and I got this reply back:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for contacting us.

Unfortunately, we were unable to find your correct part number in our database due to unit having multiple versions. If you could please email the full model code and serial number then we would be able to look up the part you are inquiring about. Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I emailed back saying that my machine arriving next week is the Ativ 8 series. The look up wont work. Has anyone ever ripped out one of these screens?

 

I agree, it's like laptops have basically broken into two camps these days: super lightweight ultrabooks in the 12"-13" size range with integrated graphics, and super heavyweight gaming/mobile workstation devices in the 15"-17" size range with powerful discrete graphics and no battery life. That's why my Series 7 was such a great idea, you get the sleek appearance, relatively low weight and high performance graphics at a reasonable price ($1100-$1200 USD).

I just took a look at what Samsung is offering in the U.S. these days. Most of them are 12"-13" class machines. They offer only four ATIV9 laptop models that are 15.6". All of them have 1080p touch displays, all have integrated graphics. The only differentiating factors are Core i7 vs i5, 256GB SSD vs 128 GB SSD, or Window 8.1 vs 8.1 Pro. Prices range from $1499 to $1999. It's amazing to me that they would offer so little variety and power, especially at such a high price.

 

The Series 7 (Ativ Book 8) would have satisfied me despite the >5lbs weight, hard to read and type keyboard, and glare screen, if the US version had the HD8870 video chip. The HD8770 just didn't cut it for me. As for what Samsung offers in the US now - nothing! Samsung no longer makes laptops.

 

Hi folks,

I recently clean-installed Win8.1 core on my Ativ Book 8 (NP870Z5E) basically according to the guide given here (didn't have to type in any generic key though since it was directly read from the UEFI) and downloaded the drivers via Windows Update and SW Update. Seems to work fine and fast in general with many Windows services disabled and almost all Windows features and apps deleted with payload removed (the whole system partition is <15 GB). Still, I found two annoyances:

First things I noticed:
There are way less drivers and utilities for Win8.1 available via SW Update than for Win8. Most things seems to be working though. Except for the touch pad driver, which seems to not support two delightful details in the configuration settings, which were available in the Win8 touch pad driver: reverse scrolling when using two fingers and not to "lock the left click" during "tap and drag".

Second: The silent mode does not seem to work properly. Though the laptop is almost completely idle (only listening music via VLC and webbrowsing/downloading) with maxed out energy saving settings and the cores remain at about 50°C (HWiNFO) on an unregular basis the fans kick in. This seems to be happening when the cores reach a temperature of about 55°C. I think the threshold in Win8 was about 70°C, is that correct?

Can anyone confirm or disprove these findings? Does anyone know how to solve this? Is it possible to use Win8 drivers instead of the provided drivers for win8.1?
Thanks in advance!

 

I have the Series 7, and while I would have preferred the HD8870 I've found that HD8770 adequate for my needs. I also would have liked a matte, non-touch display as well. But the worst problem of the bunch for me is that bad keyboard color combo with no easy way to change it. I found a replacement keyboard that should work that has the darker color keys, but the last time that I had the case open I didn't see an easy way to remove the keyboard and install the replacement.

 

Hi Kedryn, I had exactly the same problem with you. Your problem is not related with the OS or AMD driver. Your problem is that your notebook need more power than your AC adaptor actually produces. I had the original 60 W (19 V, 3.16 A) AC adapter supplied with the notebook. Now I have 90 W (19 V, 4.74A) AC adaptor and my problems are all gone.

 

The keyboard is sold as a part complete with the keyboard surround and palmrest and called "unit housing top". Changing it requires almost complete disassembly because, upside down, it is base for the assembly process.

Why Samsung thought it a good idea to use silver keys, which reduces the legibility of the backlit lettering, is a mystery. Presumably a victory of styling over common sense.

 

Due to he lack of participation, I tried it myelf. For those who might be interested:

1) It is possible to use the Win8 touchpad driver in Win8.1, however just overwriting the insalled Win8.1 driver does not work. I'd recommend deinstallation, reboot, and installation of the Win8 driver.

2) Silent mode in Win8 (factory image) also activates the fans at 55 °C.

I found those trivial things to the cost of my whole newly installed system, recovery partitions and 2 days of trying to reset the laptop to the factory settings. Still trying actually. Couldn't recover my recently created Win8.1 backup. Then, somehow I, or the F4 boot time recovery program, or the Win8.1 clean install pen drive managed to **** up my partitions, so at the end I found 4 recovery and boot partitions. I started erasing all but the first recovery and boot partition, which destroyed F4 boot time recovery but allowed the installation of a clean Win8.1 again. However, it did not allow the installation of the recovery program. I copied the recovery and boot partitions of the pre-installed (now in an external case) HDD to the internal SSD via GParted/Ubuntu live system - didn't boot. Also couldn' get the local copy of the factory image (install.wim) to be used - don't know how it works. Don't have a pen drive with 16 GB for a recovery disc, only external HDDs and I fear using one of them will erase all their content. Then erased these last two partitions (boot, recovery) on the SSD, too, and now the installation of Win8.1 *and* the recovery software is possible, restoring the F4 boot time recovery function. Now I am right where I started: Can't restore my Backup because " There is no recovery partition or the path is not valid."

EDIT: Second try: F4 recovery is processing my backup. I wonder if it will work this time.
EDIT2: It did. Still have no idea what was different this time. Maybe the active "CSM and UEFI OS" boot setting? Or nothing but just another reboot? I assure you I am not going to find it out. I will calmly install the old touch pad driver. For now everything seems to be working again, except my boot partition is only 100 MB instead of 300 MB as it was before this trip to hell. I think I can live with this.

However, if somebody managed to modify the fan activation temperature, please report back in. As demonstrated, I never fear ****ing up my system.

 

Did the old touchpad driver work okay?

I'm not pleased about hearing this! The one I ordered has a US keyboard and I thought I could just swap it out for a UK version just like my current Thinkpad. I can deal with the plug adapter, but the keyboard =

 

Yeah, the "old" driver works perfectly fine. Just de-install the Win8.1 driver, reboot, and install the the Win8 driver by executing the setup.exe. I'd say it's even way better than the Win8.1 driver in terms of input recognition and configurability. Just happy

 

I'm 99% sure that the fan rules are codes into the BIOS so any change in fan behaviour is likely to be result of a difference in CPU / GPU utilisation.

After my last encounter with a US keyboard layout, which left my fingers confused, I resolved to keep to UK keyboards.

If you are feeling adventurous then you try to remove and swap only the key caps (although you won't have a new £ key). I believe they can be unclipped although the mechanism is quite fragile.

John

 

I looked on Samsung parts, but thinking about it, they may only deal with US components.

Quotation/punctuation marks will still be out of place even if I were to try that? I'll change the keyboard settings to UK english in windows and see how I get on, or maybe I'll just have to get used to the US layout. If not - then a UK top housing unit hunt!

 

someone try latest windows 10 insider preview ?
I can't use the brightness control... :-(
When it's started it works, but it start automatically downloading new drivers, after that, brightness control disappear
I've tried so unistalling the "new drivers" installed, but haven't fixed... Anyone have tried it and share his experience ?

PS. never find another supplier as Samsung with these bad driver management.... I can't say I will never buy another Samsung Laptop, they stop selling here in Europe