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

Mine has 4GB soldered and a single 4GB stick.

 

I have recently fitted an SSD drive and installed a clean copy of Windows 8 x64 and have used the SW Update to get the latest drivers. Everything seems to be working except for the built-in speakers (JBL). The headphones jack works too, which I thought was odd, but not the speakers.

I have tried removing the dirvers and re-installing, but it makes not difference. I have tried testing them in 'Sounds' but no sound. It is like the software is always sending the signal to the headphone jack, even when there are no headphones plugged in.

In 'Sound' I have 'Digital Audio (HDMI) as one device and 'Speakers, Realtek High Definition Audio' as the default.

In 'Device Manager > Sound, video and game controllers', I have 'High Definition Audio Device' and 'Realtek High Definition Audio'

Can anyone compare what they have and see whether I'm missing something at all?

Thanks

 

Re-creating your Recovery after wiping the disk is VERY hard, unless you have a BOOTABLE Recovery backup on a USB stick -- which had to be made while your recovery was still working. It's NOT just a file. Even if someone uploaded image backups of their recovery partitions (it's two of them, 20-26 GB depending on model) and you restored those partitions onto your disk, you wouldn't be able to boot them, because your F4 link is gone.

It's not completely impossible, just a lot of hard work. If you insist (and are able to get those backups from someone) I can help you with pointers to relevant procedures.

Edit: There is also an issue of legality about sharing Recovery backups, which means we cannot discuss it on the forum. Please see my note in the post below.

 

Wouldn't a clone of a USB stick recovery work?

Sent from HTC HD2 with Tapatalk

 

Yes. If someone can upload an image of their bootable 32GB USB stick backup (assuming they have the exact same model) AND if mattdub can restore that to a USB stick of his own -- and still make it boot right -- then that should work.

OR if he can get hold of a USB Admin Tool (much smaller) and full file and folder contents of the SAMSUNG_REC2 partition, that should work too -- again, assuming it's the exact same model.

Everything on the disk will be wiped in the process, regardless of which procedure is used.

Edit: I must have been brain dead when I responded to this earlier: The Factory Image on that Recovery Partition contains Windows 8, so sharing it as suggested may not be legal, and discussions about it are against forum rules. Yes, it's true that a backup still requires the Product Key stored in the BIOS (or another legal key), but as long as Microsoft doesn't provide publicly accessible Win8 downloads (like the ones for Win7) we cannot have that discussion here. That's already established in other threads.

I am supposed to catch and moderate such discussions when others post them, not participate in them myself

@mattdub: If you have a legit recovery backup (like the ones mentioned above) we can help you re-create your Recovery. Or help with a clean install if you have legal Win8 install media. Otherwise Samsung can re-image your drive for a small fee (less than a new Win8).

Now please don't continue the sharing part of this discussion. Otherwise I'll have to clean it all out.

 

Just got new BIOS update from SW ,but failed, it show up bios version wrong,

current version : 870Z5E(ABU)
new version : 870Z5E(ADH)

what happen?

 

Same.

Also I have issue with brightness adjustment. I've made a fresh Windows 8 install with manufactures drivers and now I can't change brightness! I've tried Fn key, changes through Settings app and windows settings.
Any thoughts how this issue can be fixed?

 

Same exact thing with mine.

 

Try using the stand-alone BIOS Update program. See this post for a link to where you can get it.

John

 

Any thoughts how I can fix brightness adjustment? Thank you!

 

Hi feskey,

Could you tell me if your 870 has 8gb soldered?

Also, do you think that the black ash finish can easily scratch showing up the grey aluminum color? I'm asking because I'm wondering if I should buy the 770 or the 870.

I like the looks of the 770 but the 870 possibly comes with 8gb soldered and also will have better support I guess since the 770 is kind of discontinued.

Thanks!

 

I don't advise trying to manually update unless you have an 870Z5E. I have a 780Z5E and this bios update is being offered up to me and the bios program is complaining:

 

I have an 11 month old NP900X4C in the volcanic ash black and it is almost like new except for one scratch which I touched up with a dark blue fine tipped marker pen. Avoid putting anything metal against the painted surfaces and you should be OK. Personally, I prefer the black to the silver because the backlit letters on the keyboard show up much better.

That's a mistake by SW Update which the new BIOS installer is detecting. The last 3 letters of a BIOS number are unique to a particular notebook model (can be more than one if they use the same mainboard). Does the standalone BIOS Update program also offer the wrong BIOS?

John

 

Same problem with the standalone bios update program linked to in your earlier post.

 

Thanks for the help. I do have a legit win8 copy, I have it installed right now. I ran the SWupdate and pulled all of the drivers, but it is still running funny. It was more consistent with the default set up, which is why I would like to go back. Unfortunately I do not have a copy of the default recovery on a drive. I did... that's how recovered everything after putting in my SSD, but I formatted that usb stick before doing this.. thinking I could use the hidden partition. I don't mind paying Samsung to re image, I just would rather not incur the wait time. My backup computer is a dinosaur. I already tried the admin tool route, but Samsung wont give it up. They insist on me sending it in and I have not been able to find the file elsewhere. I figured anybody with the best buy u.s. version could do a recovery and I could take the files and run them through a boot enable program like the win7 utility and hope it would recognize my key in the bios. I do understand why that might not be an option to discuss or move forward with here. Any other alternatives that comply with your terms I am willing to give a try. Let me know what you suggest. Thanks again.

 

I'm thinking about getting the Ativ Book 8 instead of the Alienware 14 I initially wanted to get as it is incredibly bulky and has bad battery life. I need an allround laptop for work (Photoshop, PHPstorm) and college (good portability) and while I'm no hardcore gamer I'd like to be able to play most new games on at least medium settings for some years, While I'm sure that the Ativ Book 8 is good for the first two things, I'm wondering whether it performs well enough for gaming, especially since it seems like they still haven't released a proper driver for the 8870m. The Alienware has a 765m, which is better for sure but I'm wondering whether the 8870m in the Ativ is still decent enough, can any one of you owners give their opinion on this? Do you guys think that a proper driver will be released in the near future? and what about thermal throttling, I'm seeing mixed messages about that, is it throttling while gaming or not? Thanks!

 

Thanks for the clarification.

I suggest you inform Samsung support.

John

 

Hi guys!

I just got my 770z5e (8870m) and I'm very happy. Only one problem, I get the same refreshrate on my external display as I could with my last laptop (Asus ux51vz).
Has anyone managed to get like, say 100hz @ 1080p, yet? With my asus I could do 110hz in fullHD through HDMI -> DVI-D adapter -> 120hz monitor. Now I just can't get it to work.

I have had som problems with the drivers, I know about the steps at the beginning but haven't had the time yet. Many options are missing from my Cataclyst menu, including those regarding custom resolution and HDTV-settings. Are all of you guys able to access those? RMRC (Radeon Custom Resolution Manager) wouldn't work so I suspect somethins with the drivers.

Thank you in advance

 

Got it, thank you for the update.

Yeah, Samsung isn't going to give you an Admin Tool, you would have to create that yourself while the Recovery was still intact. The benefit of the Admin Tool is that it's only a few hundred MB, and it's a bootable USB stick that can be used to re-partition the drive with working Recovery partitions. However, you will still need the full contents of the SAMSUNG_REC2 partition which contains the Factory Image. Otherwise it's just a working Recovery, but no image to restore.

To be honest, I think your time is better spent getting that clean installation working right. You already have the Win8 install media (which is a hurdle for many) and it'll be a leaner installation once it's working.

Let me just sum up the drivers you want to let SW Update (download here) install after a clean install:

Settings
IntelliMemory (ONLY if you desire that)
Multi Memory Card
Windows 8 Critical Updates
Touchpad
Display Color Profile
AMD Graphics (or AMD beta and HD4000 drivers, see OP)
TPM Host SW
Intel Wireless Display (ONLY if you use that)
Chipset
LAN
Intel Rapid Storage
Sound
Airplane Mode (if offered by SW Update)

This is the order they display in my SW Update, NOT the order I would install them.

Here are some I would avoid:

- WiFi / WLAN / Intel PROSet Wireless: I would leave leave it at the built-in Win8 WiFi driver. If you have WiFi problems that are not resolved by steps in this post, I would then try the latest Driver Only package from Intel Download Center instead.

- Bluetooth / Intel High-Speed BT: Windows 8 has basic Bluetooth built-in, although the Samsung driver does add some features (and bloat). It also supports enabling/disabling Bluetooth in Settings.

- Intel ME Interface: The basic driver for this device should be included with Win8 and/or provided by Windows Update. The Samsung package includes other bloat which you will never need.

Really, that's all you need, and should give you a smooth installation.

Let us know how it goes.

 

Has anyone seen the ATIV Book 6 on Amazon? Amazon.com: Samsung ATIV Book 6 15.6-Inch Full HD Touchscreen Laptop (Mineral Ash Black): Computers & Accessories

It has the same specs as the ATIV Book 8 so I was wondering what the difference was if any (price is same too as ATIV 8).

I was hoping for a Haswell refresh but might pull the trigger and buy the current version from BestBuy.

Thanks.

Edit: Nevermind. The ATIV 6 has a much weaker battery if anyone is wondering. That's the main difference that I saw comparing specs.

 

Guys, my touchpad has stopped working! I can only use the mouse to move the cursor! I'm pretty sure it's active from the settings, and the Fn keys to switch it off is not active. What can I check to see if it's a software or hardware issue?? If the screen is off to save battery and I touch the pad, the screen goes back on..

 

It's most likely software. Have you done the basic debug step of restarting Windows? If so, next try starting Windows in safe mode and see what happens there.

John

 

Yes, cause the bug was present last night and it's still occurring today, and I'm pretty sure I restarted the machine rather than shutting it down and powering it on again.

 

Reinstall the driver. Also see what happens if you disconnect the mouse.

The definitive action would be to backup your existing installation using Samsung Recovery Solution and reload the factory image. If the problem still happens then it's hardware and you've already done what Samsung would ask you to do to confirm this. You can then restore your current installation using SRS. [Note: I've not tried this myself and would recommend separately backing up all user files before you venture down that path.]

John

 

I'll try to reinstall the drivers. I have enabled an option that allows to switch off the touchpad when a mouse is connected, but now, after removing the mouse the pad won't activate. Omg, I don't want to end up restoring my laptop to the default... Anyway I'll try the drivers reinstallation when I get home, thanks

 

New BIOS update is showing up on SW Update for the NP780Z5E yet when i try to run it it says the laptop isn't the right one - good SW Update again Samsung!

 

Same here .

 

That was yesterday's news, if you go back a few posts.

Can a few of you report it to your Samsung support so it can be rectified as a priority? In the mean time be thankful that the checking process prevented your computer being flashed with the wrong BIOS.

John

 

I emailed Samsung Support Canada about the issue just now. I am trying to get a live chat going as well but "there is no available chat agents". LOL

 

i'm really undecided to buy the touch version or not (880z5e). Do you tink the future is touch? do you use it a lot? is it confortable? is the display so different? too many questions??

 

Same questions here ^^

I wanted to asked you guys a couple of questions too. I'll be living in the USA starting this summer (i'm from spain) and I planned to buy this pc when i get there. I was doubting with Samsung NP780Z5E and the ASUS UX51VZ, but I think the samsung's one is much better.

I have read a lot of posts here to know that Samsung took a long time to make this pc available in the US. More specific, I would like the model 780, silver with touchscreen with 8gb (is it possible 8gb soldered + freeslot?) and the 8870M (is this the one being installed in US models??). Do you guys know if it will be difficult to get? Also, same questions as quoted, is the touchscreen cool?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

Drivers reinstallation fixed the issue. Thanks!

 

Sit at your current computer and decide whether it can be more easily operated by touching the screen than by using the touchpad / mouse. In my case I would have to lift my hand from the keyboard and stretch my arm a few inches more than from the comfortable typing position in order to touch the screen. In my experience touch makes sense for phones / tablets where one is looking down on the screen but is not a more efficient way of using a laptop (where I like to have a clean screen free of fingerprints).

Thanks for the update and reporting the fix.

John

 

I think that's far too subjective, the best thing would be for you to try one and see if you like it. Personally, I've had the laptop for a couple of months now and have rarely used the touchscreen, I've always been more of a keyboard type of person, so I usually learn a lot of hotkeys and shortcuts instead of using the touchscreen. In fact, if I ever get the chance to sell it and get an anti-reflective screen version I might do it.

 

Speaking of anti-reflective screens, does anyone know if adding an anti-reflective matte finish film over top of the touch screen will interfere with the touch functionality?

 

Sorry for repeating myself, but I'm thinking about returning my 770z5e tomorrow. I just cant get 100hz in 1080p to work. It used to work with my ux51vz with the same cables. I just don't know what the problem is.
What I have tried:
3rd party software, like Powerstrip, ATT etc.
Installing W7
All possible drivers, leshcats and many others.

So, have anyone heard of someone getting 100hz+ on an external monitor with this laptop?

Desperate for answers
Billain

 

I find myself going back and forth depending on where/how I am sitting relative to the screen and what I am doing. I do think that the ideal touchscreen notebook is one where the screen can fold backwards and be used like a tablet. It feels weird to reach over the keyboard. I am surprised, on the other hand, that my fingerprints aren't smudging up the screen. Ahhhh progress!

 

Sorry for the ignorant question, but what is the value of running an LCD or LED monitor above 60hz?

 

The only time I've felt like the touchscreen is useful is while laying like this ... Far from ideal. I'm not saying a touchscreen is useless, I just prefer a good old keyboard and mouse and, as someone else said, leave the touchscreens for tablets and smartphones.

 

thanks for the help. I ll get the 870. I have also another question: when i put the ssd inside the nothebook do i have to modify some settings? I think i ll copy the entire system in the ssd.. Do you think is also better doing a fresh installation or not?

 

please give me the solution .
i have np770z5e-s01sg

i have a problems with my graphics card , it shows pop-up "device driver stopped responding and has recovered" every time i play a game with High performance in CCC.but it works normally if i use power saving mode . . i've already update my drivers and using leshcatlabs .but that error still happens , and now i use 13.6 beta 2 from official amd , but still same..

 

Just read the last few pages...half of the thread talks about this proecdure..... :/

 

sorry but its difficult for me to read many pages with my telephone\an old samsung). I cant use a computer in this period

 

Your best bet is to rebuild the system to the SSD by creating a USB (32gb drive required!) factory image before installing the SSD. Then rebuilding from the USB after installation. There are no settings you would need to change to be able to use the SSD, but you do need to change a couple of settings in the BIOS to be able to boot from the USB stick and then back again once you've done the rebuild.

It's a really simple process, with instructions in the first post of this thread.

I've had the 780z5e S01UK (i7, 8870, Touchscreen) version of this since February, it's a great laptop, and flies with an SSD!

 

thanks for the tip. So i can copy the system in a pen drive or i can do the same copy in the ssd in a external box. Are there any differences?

 

I wouldn't do any "copying" of the system at all. The recovery software provided with the laptop lets you build a bootable image onto an external USB (not sure if you can also do this to an external drive), which also includes all the recovery partitions and essentially an "as new" build. The recovery software provided also lets you create backup snapshots of your files to an external drive.

I personally went down the Recover Image to USB route and used the image to put my SSD to a condition as if it were brand new in the machine, with Windows pre-installed. It worked perfectly and I was up and running in less than an hour from installing the SSD.

 

Check post number 1 of this thread. Also, if you can install Tapatalk on your phone, it makes everything much easier

Sent from HTC HD2 with Tapatalk

 

unfortunately tapatalk is not compatible with my i8910 (symbian)

 

You should really make a trip to xda-developers.com then. I'm sure they have a custom rom for you that will enable that.

But, like alfling said, in the first post you'll find one of the best tutorials for installing an ssd, written by black83.

 

(
I have a custom rom with qt installed but i don't know how to install tapatalk
Anyway i've just bought the 870z5e version online .