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

Anyone tried the latest (other day) AMD Catalyst 13.x (13.150.100.1) OpenGL 4.3 Beta Driver for mobility devices yet - wondered if it all went smoothly

 

I have the Core i7 780Z5E and I love it - but I guess you've read at least some of this forum and have seen some of the issues people have had with their Chronos/Ativ machines, particularly around screen image persistence (don't get me started!), the HDD/SDD debate, keyboard travel and driver issues, etc so really you will get different advice from different people as to whether you should buy it.

Having said that, for the money they're asking at the moment and for the overall quality and configuration of these laptop, I would HIGHLY recommend it (though I am slightly biased and quite defensive of this laptop). If it's available in your nearest John Lewis, it would be well worth going in, if you can, and asking if you can have a play with it - check out the screen, see how you feel around the speed of the HDD, the general keyboard feel and overall experience, look at the build quality, weight, etc and see if they suit your needs and lifestyle - if you like it, buy it. If you can't get to a John Lewis or they don't have one locally, then it's worth a go anyway, pretty sure the consumer act means you can return it if you're not satisfied, provided it's not damaged.

A final thought, if it makes a difference, these machines do NOT have a DVD/Blu-ray drive, in fact they only have an SD slot, USB2/3's and Wifi/LAN to get data into the machine, so if you need anything other than that, you'll either have to buy external devices or a different laptop. Mostly these days, disc drives are redundant but some people still need them (I got a cheap external Samsung DVD burner for about £35 from Maplins, which is more than enough and I only carry it with me when I know I will need it).

 

I'm having trouble interpreting these results from 3D Mark 11. It looks like the AMD card is not being used at all. These images are from the high performance test. Switchable graphics was configured for high performance for 3D Mark 11. I have everything set for high performance, and the computer was plugged in. Can someone tell me if I am neglecting something?

 

Ok cheers, I had a look at external DVD drives incase and found some for £20 so that's no problem. And ill take your advice to go to JL soon just hope the deal doesn't end


Thanks for yer help!

 

Hey, it's nearly the weekend:smile:, I doubt they'll stop before then! Get yourself over there and good luck!

 

Most (I reiterate "most", before I get attacked) benchmarking tools report they're using the Intel on these laptops, even though they are actually using the AMD, though I vaguely remember that with 3DMark '11, you need to go and configure EACH executable in the folder to use the High Performance graphics - I think it still reports the Intel, though. I had the same concerns at first. If you want to be absolutely sure, get yourself a decent but cheap game and force it to use the intel, then the AMD, both on High settings in the game, you should instantly see and feel a huge difference in the way it behaves! I posted my scores for 3DMark '11 a LOOONNGGG time ago, over in the Chronos Mega-thread, but I can't find them for looking now.

 

Hehe, I doubt it would run out that quick but I don't get money until September! May need to look at other options just incase

 

You might find the Chronos offers have finished by then (though it's quite an expensive, high end laptop, so they're not flying off the shelves - even when on offer - so you will probably still be able to get one), but the ATIV range should be available in the UK more widely by then and will no-doubt have come down in price from the introductory price.

Pretty sure you'll be able to get one or the other in your price range

 

I have just installed them and they seem to work fine, no brightness or fan issues. Haven't really tested performance with the original driver so I cannot make direct comparisons. Judging from playing a few games it seems like it's not considereably better, maybe a few frames but not more than that I guess.

 

I've actually been playing a pretty graphics-intensive game and it runs fine. Occasionally, it will crash with an "insufficient graphics" error, so I've stopped playing until I can figure this out. I haven't tried it while forcing it to use the Intel yet though.

Don't those scores look really low though, or are they as expected for this computer? I know it's a really demanding test, but it seemed like it was on the very low end. I'll try to find your old post so I can compare.

 

Check your scores against these, (assuming you have the 8870 GPU version, if you have a different version, try googling/searching that site) I don't think this test uses the same exact laptop configuration, but its close enough. if your scores don't look similar, then the test isn't picking the switchable graphics.

Note that there are comments from Futuremark on their forums around the issue of it reporting the wrong card - basically 3DMark '11 only gets the GPU reported by the system which before it runs the 3D tests is only reported as the Intel.

 

So has anyone done a gaming review of the 8770m version? It seems impossible to find in the many threads here.

 

Hi, I've been reading on this forum since I bought the Samsung Chronos 7 NP770Z5E-S01SG in April. And has benefited from the many posts. I'd like to share what could help with the jumpy touch pad issue. I've been using the MSI GE60 2OC touchpad driver which is similarly using the Elantech touch pad, but they have a better version of v11.13.3.3 released on July 22, 2013, and yes even though it states there for Windows 7 64-bit, but it works flawlessly on Windows 8. You guys can try it out. MSI Global GE60 2OC

 

I remember seeing several threads back in the spring. Googling site:notebookreview.com/samsung 8770m game performance review brought up quite a few. I didn't dig deep to see how much information was in them. But that's generally how I find stuff here -- even old posts of my own, when I don't remember where they are.

 

The ones that I did see were very basic with someone saying they played league of legends or something. There is no indepth review of this which is weird a lot of people must have this laptop here....why has no one posted anything in depth except on 8870m which isnt even in the states?

 

I have the 8750. I couldn't find benchmark scores for that one. But if the minimum GPU score for the 8870 is 2986, then the 660 that I got seems crazily low. I also thought it was odd that the core clock and the memory clock were both 0 MHz.

If the AMD card really isn't being used, is there anything I can do about it?

 

Hey that's clever haha, I might give it a try. I see on that page that there's also a driver for Win8 although it seems to be older, I just wanted to ask why you preferred the Win7 version instead.

 

Windows 7 and 8 driver framework is similar, if not exact, thus it would be better to use the driver with a higher version regardless is it tagged for Windows 7 or Windows 8.

 

Recently bought the Ativ 8 from Best Buy, was disappointed that they advertised Mineral Ash color on their website. Even the box had that color, but the color of the laptop is silver.

 

Yeah I noticed that too. I went in expecting to only have the option of light grey, was pleasantly surprised to see it in dark grey on the box, and then disappointed that it was actually light grey. I've actually come to like it, still annoying though.

 

Yeah I was surprised that the box had a picture of the wrong color on it, since I expected the bare metal one. I like it though.

 

to those who just got to unbox a new 880z5e...is this computer really slow all of a sudden? i'm not connected to the internet, so it's not doing sw update in the background, but it's seriously struggling trying to uninstall all of the bloat.

the f11 fan light is off so i don't think it's in powersave mode...did i miss something again? definitely don't remember the original being this bad.

unless the HD is just caching again.

 

Did you uninstall Intellimemory?

 

The stock HDD makes the whole system painfully slow (though Intellimemory helps a lot speeding up things a bit)... I was really disappointed by its performance, but thankfully with the SSD the music changed completely

 

Hi guys, I need your help.

I must install on my NP870Z5E a clean install of Windows 8 PRO version.
I tried in every way according to your guides but all the times, after installation, the system is NOT PRO version and the product key is the original Win8 pre-installed in origin!

Note:

• the target disc is a new Samsung SSD 840Pro (I installed this in place of the original 5400 HD)
• before installation I disabled FastBoot and SecureBoot; I tried to install with OS Mode Selection = "UEFI and CSM OS" and "CSM OS" only
• my version of Win8 is the original Windows 8 Pro 64bit OEM so I have a original product key (but windows doesn't ask me to insert it!)
• I followed all the instructions of Dannemand post (on the first page "How to perfom a clean install")

Please help me to resolve!
Thanks
Fabio

 

F11 fan light? Not aware of either the ATIV or Chronos having this, are you sure? Check Fn+F1 to go to settings and check if you ARE in "silent" mode. This could explain it.

If you do have an F11 fan light, then you're lucky, I've turned this on a few times by mistake and its taken me a while to realise! But none of the manuals, previous experience or photos of these machines show an "on" indicator light for F11. F5 and F12 (and on some models, F6, according to the manual!) are the normal ones.

 

Yeah same here. I actually really wish there was a fan light because sometimes I think "hey the computer's hot, is the fan off" and then I press Fn+F11 and think "Wait did I just turn it off or on."

 

Bump!!!
Availability in U.S.
The 8870m version.

 

So I ordered my SSD a few days ago and I have a question about clean installing. When I follow the guide on the OP to clean install, does this get rid of all the Samsung stuff like Fn+F1 setting and SW update? And if so how do I get them back? Would I be better off just installing it like normal and erasing all the bloatware? How would I even do that?

 

As far as I know it isn't available in the US.

 

Hello i have the NP880Z5E - touchscreen, black but i have mager fps issues i turned silent mode off, pluggid my pc in and set the game on high preority. i got max 60fps on minecraft all max, fullscreen but i should be getting 112fps :S same with simcity with everything tuned down i get 40fps but u should be getting 80. i did update my AMD driver to 13.6 beta2 and then turned it back to 13.1(also my intel driver is now at the begging version when you buy this laptop) that helped with some games like skyrim before i cant go above 21fps(diddnet matter what settings i picked) but now in 13.1 i get 45fps on high. i also tryd reinstalling java, windows updates etc.
and my dxdiag says that there is a error with direct3D but when i tried to reinstall directx11 it says that i already have the most updated version. only BF3 runs pretty good (dx9) but better at the 13.6 driver. and i get only 10fps on "3DMark11Workload1" with is weard i think
i got insurande for this laptop so i dont want to overclock it but still at the stuck settings is should be doing better than this dont you think?

 

To be honest, a clean install really doesn't give you anything. Your best bet is just to do a recovery and uninstall the stuff you don't want. There isn't much of it on this laptop compared to most manufacturers. If you must do a clean install, you can download the SWUpdate from the Samsung page for this laptop and then choose all the drivers you want.

 

Basically, every install disc /version of Windows is identical. It's the key you enter that defines what's enabled. Because your installing this on a laptop with the Windows 8 key built into the bios by the manufacturer, it's using that as the first key it sees and not even prompting you for your pro key?

The simplest way to get Pro is to install the normal version, using the bios key, which it sounds like is where you are at and then, with your Pro key at the ready go to the start screen, type "add features to windows 8", click settings. Click "add features to windows 8", and choose "I already have a product key". Enter your key and let it do its thing. After a few minutes, you should be all Pro'd up!!!

Hope that helps?

 

Hello Gokuraku, welcome to NBR.

I am glad I finished reading through this thread today before responding to your post, because damouk nailed it in his response to you: Since Win8 insists on reading your Product Key from BIOS, you have to accept its installation, then upgrade once it is finished. I wish Setup would ask you to enter it, with an option saying Use the Product Key that came with my PC. How difficult could that be?

In your case, installing on a brand new SSD, I would probably do an UEFI installation, since it provides a few extra features and slightly faster boot time. That would require that you leave OS Mode Selection=UEFI OS or UEFI and CSM OS when you perform the installation. SecureBoot must be disabled while you install, but can be enabled afterwards (if you do an UEFI install).

If you already installed in non-UEFI mode (so your SSD is now MBR) and want to re-install in UEFI mode, you may have to convert your SSD to GPT first. You can do that from within Setup, using the DISKPART CLEAN and CONVERT commands. Let us know if you need more details on that. I suggest you restart Setup after the conversion so that UEFI can see the new GPT disk before loading Setup.

That said, if you're already up and running with a non-UEFI installation (BIOS/MBR), it's probably not worth it to re-install. What you have now is nice and simple

I personally like clean installs, because it allows me to strip Windows down to its bare minimum. But it takes more work and requires more understanding on your part. Once you have Windows running, you need to install SW Update to get the necessary drivers, including Settings which controls the Fn-keys (a few Fn-keys are handled by Windows internally, the rest by Settings).

The steps in the OP are really just a rough overview, the real meat is in the post linked in step (5) that lists which drivers to install using SW Update, which to install manually, and which to avoid.

Alternatively, you can just clean out bloat from the factory installation as damouk described. No doubt that is a simpler and safer approach. You can use this post as guidance. Make sure to follow the links in that post.

 

I have the same problem when using an external display. I haven't figured out the exact circumstances but there are times when the system just crawls and only when connected to external monitor. Next time I will check task manager and see what system process or app is chewing up all the cpu cycles.

 

after having this 780z5e for a few months, i just realized some how i'm not getting USB 3.0 speeds through its ports.. not sure if its drivers related. I have used it before and i was getting 100Mb writes.. now im barely breaking 22. USB 2.0 ports are giving the same speeds. Anyone else has this issue? Yes im using a USB 3.0 Flashdrive

even my USB 3.0 External HD is capped at 25-30Mbps

 

COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THIS!

Thank you!

 

Any chance the 8870 version will get in to USA? Maybe a haswell refresh? I want to buy one on August 21 .

 

Well they just rebranded the Series 7 Chronos to the ATIV Book 8 so I don't think they're in any hurry to refresh the line again. I'm going to college and was waiting and hoping for them to add Haswell to the line, but I just ended up giving in and getting it. The main benefit of Haswell is better battery life, but the ATIV 8 already has around 7-8 hours which is way longer than the longest amount of time I'll be away from a plug.

I have no idea about the 8870m, though. So far, any gaming that I've done on this system has run great. But that's just Minecraft, LoL, various Steam games. I haven't tried BF3 or anything massive like that so I'm not sure how it'd handle those, but so far for me it's handled games perfectly.

 

Hows the 8770 in comparison to the 8870? Is there much performance difference?

 

For anyone reading this thread possibly looking for a laptop for college, I honestly think I hit the nail on the head with the ATIV 8. It's compact, especially for a laptop with this power, has long battery life, and so far has done everything I've asked of it perfectly. The hard drive is a pain, but it really isn't terrible once you use it a bit. I'm personally getting an SSD to replace it with, but I would've still chosen this laptop had I not been able to get one. I looked for a longggg time for a 15" laptop that was compact, had a dedicated GPU, long battery life, and a 1080p display and this was the only one I could find that wasn't a $2800 Macbook Pro.

 

840 Pro and 7260AC Install went flawlessly But damn... If I have to take this thing apart again I might develop arrhythmia.
Also installed my windows 8 pro while I was at it... It wouldn't let me do it since it denied the CD key in the bios and aborted setup, anyone with the problem has to follow this answer.

 

This is going to be my first time switching out any computer part, let alone a laptop hard drive. Should I just give it a go following the instructions in the OP or get someone to help?

 

It's not hard, just keep track of what screws go in which hole, and make sure you have a pry tool that is really soft so you don't bend or scratch your laptop case. Ultimately, BE CAREFUL! You should be fine on your own. You can find some helpful videos on youtube.

 

The first thing I would do is download some sort of gpu-monitoring tool, like GPU-Z, to see if your gpu is actually running those games. If you get low frames while running the game, and yet the gpu clocks and temperature readings don't increase, the gpu probably isn't engaged. The next thing to do would be to download AMD's Catalyst removal software, run it to completely remove Catalyst from your machine, and then reinstall it through SW update. Through chatting with AMD support staff, I found out that the most recent driver from AMD is not compatible with the hardware of the ATIV Book 8. According to AMD, the ATIV Book 8 can only properly run Samsung-provided drivers. I've personally had a lot of trouble with the dedicated gpu of my ATIV Book 8 and will be exchanging it for a new one tomorrow. The last possible cause I can think of for your low frames would be GPU throttling due to excessive heat. I hope others on this forum can give a more accurate threshold, but I would say if your gpu is breaking 65 celsius, the fan is probably not doing its job. Press fn+F1 and check to make sure you don't have silent mode on. If your problems persist, trying chatting with both Samsung's and AMD's support staff, and if they can't resolve your issues then you may want to consider an exchange.

 

For anyone interested in replacing the internal HDD of the Chronos with an SSD, I made a very small video guide + speed tests: Quick guide to install SSD in Samsung Series 7 Chronos + Test run - YouTube

I'd recommend checking the lifehacker guide I posted in the description for the software part of the operation (cloning Windows to the SSD). For the hardware part (prying out the back), you can check the pics I posted. You need to be firm, but gentle, like you would for a girl. Yes, the back can break if you apply a lot of pressure, but it's still hard plastic, so it won't break THAT easy, so it shouldn't be a big problem as long as you don't get frustrated and start using a jackhammer. I'd recommend using expired credit cards as they are stiff enough and don't scratch the laptop. Be patient, it can take a while.

@Skyton, yes, follow the OP's guide and check my video for some visual aid, if you need any. Good luck!

 

I agree, I would much rather have control over the choice of SSD. However, I do wish that Samsung would get the hint and put an access panel in so that we can easily switch drives.

Making the drive not user accessible is one of the dumbest laptop design choices I have come across. I have sensitive client data on my drive. I cannot send this computer in for servicing without removing the drive. I doubt I am unusual in this respect.

 

The Minecraft figure makes it look like it is being capped by vsync, but that doesn't explain the lower results for the other games. I am getting between 35 and 60 fps in skyrim (capped by vsync) on ultra settings, depending on the scene. Have you checked your power management settings to make sure the graphics are switching?

 

That's what I'm having a hard time figuring out. Quite sure it's the 8770m. The main game I've tried is Diablo III on max settings, I would say it averages around 30fps but some will drop down a fair bit. I've tried to look up graphics benchmarks on the web but there doesn't appear to be much on this particular card.

 

Hi, is anyone else experiencing a problem with high cpu usage when plugging in or removing a usb 3.0 device after resuming from sleep. I get the problem everytime, with CSRSS.exe in the task manager shooting up in cpu usage and causing the fans to get really noisy and the laptop to get really loud. The only way to fix it has been to reboot. It seems like it is a problem with Samsung USB drivers on Windows 8 based on this thread:
High CPU after using USB3 after sleep/resume cycle - Microsoft Community