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

I have the Best Buy version and absolutely love the screen. Tbh, the reviews you read about low brightness were probably just because they weren't aware of the automatic brightness. I was confused at first too as to why it was so dim, but once I figured out to turn it off I had no problems. I've seen other posters on this thread talk about a similar problem, but out of the box it should be fine since most of those problems were from messing around with drivers and getting something messed up.

 

Hello fellow Series 7 owners,

Got my NP770Z5E-S01UK a few days ago and installed fresh Windows 7 64-bit install. Everything appears to look and function just fine but I'm a little considered that all my games are not seeing a VGA adapter called ATI Radeon 8500 series, instad all games how Intel HD 4000. Performance feels like it's 3D accelerated but I'm not certain.

I followed some instructions on here that said to install the Intel VGA software after installing the Catalyst package but that broke the Catalyst panel and I could not get into it until I reinstalled it. When I go into 'Configure Switchable Graphics" I get the Hydra Grid control settings page. So all in all I'm not comfortable I have my setup right.

Can anyone give me some simple steps to perform to verify if all is good?

Thanks

 

Hi guys, I just recently (2 days) got my NP770Z5E and I've been having a few webcam issues,

Firstly in programs such as Skype, as well as on online webcam sites my webcam is not detected. So I checked Device Manager and I can't seem to find any webcam at all...



Unless I've missed something all I can find which could possibly be the webcam is the unknown device under 'Other Devices'. I've scanned for new hardware, and considered updating the driver but I can't seem to find it. It's entirely possible I'm missing something as I'm a bit novice with computers in general, but any ideas chaps?

EDIT: This also appears under problem devices in the system summary bit

Device PNP Device ID Error Code
Not Available USB\VID_0000&PID_0002\6&9E781B3&0&4 This device is working properly.

 

Anyone need a case for theirs? I bought this for mine Amazon.com : Incase CL57979 Terra Sleeve for MacBook Pro & Retina 15-Inch - Blue Denim : Laptop Computer Sleeves : Computers & Accessories

Fit perfectly, and looks great. Unfortunately I returned my chronos so I have no need for it. Anyone want it for $15 shipped to the east coast before I return it to Amazon? Still has tags and in the box. PM me.

 

as i know,, 13.9 beta 3 is not the one provided by samsung, and if the third party driver is installed, it could not perform maximizely, and even affects other parts of the laptop badly;; so drivers given by manufacturer are recommended.

 

"to peepbeen" something wrong - i made like you/first time perfomance was good. after two days it drop. i clear system and install samsung drivers but it not fix problem. it looked like throttling but not CPU. I plan to uninstall all intel drivers, and clear registry from ati software and reinstall all. Cant recovery system.

 

Hi Guys,

I really need your help. I have this odd bug where the trackpad starts acting erratic randomly. Usually after I use the dj software traktor pro which is CPU intensive. It also appeared after I did a complete virus scan using windows defender. It has happened several times in the past few weeks. When just browsing the internet it doesn't seem to happen at all so I am assuming it is after I perform any cpu intensive tasks.

Another weird thing is that it seems to completely disappear when i open up chrome or a few other programs like musicbee. Yet when I go back to the desktop or control panel or start screen it starts acting erratic again. When I tap to click it jumps all over the place and even just moving the pointer around is erratic. I have reinstalled the elan touchpad drivers and even rolled it back yet it still happens.

I am completely stumped as to why it disappears completely in certain programs. When in the desktop, control panel, settings or start screen it re appears. I can repeat this behavior over and over again when switching from chrome to other environments. I have also noticed using the cpu graph in a rainmeter skin, that cpu usage seems to jump when the trackpad is erratic. However these spikes do not show up in the task manager graph. Any help would be appreciated. I do not want to completely restore my laptop so suggestions would be great. I’m thinking it has to do with the fact that it is running out of cpu power when it is erratic. However when in chrome or musicbee there is more power demanded by the program and so it helps as more power is on tap? I have no idea. After a restart it is always back to normal. Sometimes even a short sleep completely fixes it.

Thanks in advance. Sorry for the long message but it’s driving me nuts and I hate having to restart after using traktor. It never happens while in traktor either. Only once I close the program.

 

Try using the Elantech Touchpad driver from MSI. MSI Global Download Center Released August 6, 2013, v11.13.3.3.

So far it solved all my touchpad erratic issues. hope it can solve yours as well.

 

dear all

i noticed there were some updates on the sw updates available. However, I dont know should I do it since my notebook is running pretty good and powerful (dont wanna update something and ruin the system.

should i update below updates for better performances? or i jsut should leave it.

can you also advise what each updates do to the system?

thanks.

 

guys any idea where to buy one of these in the uk online? was hoping john lewis had them for sale but could not see it listed.

Review Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770Z5E-S01DE Notebook - NotebookCheck.net Reviews

 

Hi guys,

I have an issue with my Samsung Ativ Book 8 (NP880Z5E), the Radeon 8870 is not activated by any browser, ever.

I'm checking things with GPU-Z which shows me which GPU is active.
When I play a desktop game, the Radeon is activated just fine, but when I run some WebGL or 3D Flash in chrome or firefox it's only using the Intel HD 4000.
Ofcourse I went to the Catalyst tool and at Switchabe Graphics Application Settings I changed all browsers to run at High Performance, and also the global settings are on High Performance.

When I go to chrome://gpu in Google Chrome it shows all kind of GPU statistics, but it only shows the intel HD 4000 / GPU0.. the Radeon is nowhere to be found (nor any second GPU as "GPU1" as some people with different systems have told me)

So it seems non of the browsers see / recognise the discrete Radeon GPU!

I've installed all updates from SW Update, and didn't do anything else.

So far I have found 1 person who can confirm the exact same issue in a dutch thread.

Can anyone here confirm they have the same issue?
Or if not: which drivers do you use??

Should I perhaps try the 13.5 beta 3 / 13.6 AMD Mobility Catalyst Graphics drivers?

 

If you game (using the AMD) you may want the PX Profile List.

As for the other four, I would leave them alone. In fact, I don't keep any of those installed on my system at all (an older Series 7). See this post for general bloat cleanout.

Leaving alone what works well is a great approach!

 

Same here. I only see GPU0 on Chrome, and no other graphics card. I have Chrome set to "based on power source" in the switchable graphics settings, but I'm almost always plugged in.

I'm using all the stock drivers, but I'm getting pretty impatient with Samsung not releasing official drivers for the graphics card.

I can't get GPU-Z to run even as an administrator.

I don't play games too often, but when I do, I frequently have trouble getting the game to use the 8870 card.

 

The DE as the last two letters means that it is a German model. You can probably buy it from a German source such as notebook.de but be forewarned that the keyboard is different from the UK keyboard.

Samsung Germany have been giving their customers more choice than Samsung UK for as long as I've been watching Samsung notebooks.

The nearest UK equivalent is this from John Lewis.

John

 

thanks john. think i have spotted the uk version. is this it?

Buy Samsung NP770Z5E-S01 Laptop, Intel Core i7, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6", Metal online at John Lewis

i'm after the uk version of the model in the notebook check review

 

That is the 2013 Series 7 with 15.6 inch non-touch matte display. It's the same base model as the one in the review you linked -- although different countries vary in which RAM configuration (4+4 vs 8+0) and GPU (8870 vs 8770) they offer.

The silver keyboard of this model (as well as the NP780Z5E touch-version) has caused some frustration because the low contrast makes it difficult to read in certain combinations of lighting. Otherwise it is mostly the same as the re-branded Ativ Book 8 NP870Z5E.

Edit: John already linked the same

 

cheers guys for the clarification. i prefer a non touch version. is the uk model linked above still fairly recent in terms of release? or is there a newer model looming? re the keyboard frustration: i thought the keyboard had a backlight so not sure why it would be difficult to read?

bit annoyed with myself as i think that model at john lewis had £100 off just recently.

 

It's still a 2013 model, and the newer Ativ Book 8 is mostly a re-branding (at higher price) with the black keyboard being the main difference. The lack of contrast between the silver keys and the letters on them was a big issue for some users, exacerbated by the fact that the keyboard backlight has a mind of its own and often would come on when users didn't want it.

Everybody is expecting that a "real" Haswell update will come at some point. But you can expect those to be expensive for a while. Getting the model you are considering seems to me to be a good sweet spot: You're not paying for the re-branding, but basically get the same specs, except that keyboard.

Owners of model (NP770/780/870/880) please add to or correct what I am saying here

 

One of the cons of this laptop is that it doesn't have a num lock status light. I really like this program, it's simple and really convenient: TrayStatus | Binary Fortress Software It looks like this: when numlock's on and just a 1 when it's off.

The annoying thing that it boots with numlock off can be solved:

Spoiler

1. Search and run regedit. This is the registry editor. If you fail to find it it should be in this folder: C:\Windows

2. Do a backup of your registry in case something goes wrong. You can do this with regedit. Click file -> export and save it where you'd like to save it.

3. Go to this folder: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard

4. Go to InitialKeyboardIndicators, double click it and set its value to 2.

5. Close regedit

I'll put it in post #1 but that needs some restructuring. The current division of the tutorials and FAQ doesn't make any sense anymore. Does anyone have some suggestions?


Last question, what's the latest AMD beta driver and does anyone have a link to the .exe download? I'd like to test it now I've finally got a bit of time.

 

EDIT: just noticed you're in Hitchin... Just round the corner from me

I have the touch model (NP780Z5E) of this, in the UK, so will add my tuppence worth to this conversation!

The keyboard backlight frustration is actually a little counterintuitive; The keyboard backlight having a mind of its own has been fixed by the latest BIOS update. The problem with the keyboard is that when the keyboard is lit up, the light reflection from the screen on to the keys can mean that they can be difficult to read - this only occurs under dim lighting conditions in the room and is now easily fixed by turning off the keyboard backlight to make the letters stand out again. It's a minor annoyance in what is otherwise an amazing laptop.

My only other frustration is also with the keyboard, where sometimes pressing a key doesn't always register. I think this is more my touch/speed typing style not hitting the keys fully enough as they have pretty low travel - basically i'm only hitting the corner of some of the keys as I type. I'm slowly adjusting but it's taken quite a while as I use a traditional style keyboard at work which is ultra sensitive to any key press.

It's a fantastic laptop,which only came out in late-march 2013 in the UK (much later in many countries) and is well worth the money. I don't think we'll see a reasonably priced Haswell version until mid-2014. - it will probably come out sooner but will be much more expensive due to Haswell supply levels at the moment and the fact that a motherboard redesign is required for Haswell.

 

guys I've seen a few YouTube videos showing either the NP770Z5E-S01 or the NP770Z5E-S02. what is the difference between the 01 and 02?

this is the 02

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45mAmnjvmOA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

but looks just like the 01

Nexus 4 via Tapatalk 2

 

I've just read post 1 again, I actually think your current Drivers/FAQ/Additional Tutorials structure works fine. Everything's easy to find and logical, I'd suggest only changing it if it ends up with dozens of extra hints/tips from where it is now.

Anyone with problems or questions can glance through that post for answers quickly and intuitively enough - if they can't find a solution there then we can easily help out in this forum (or point them to that post if the answer already exists!)

 

+1

/10 chars

 

They look the same but the S02 is lower power CPU and/or GPU. I think only Amazon sell the S02 (notice the description and web-address are totally different, even referencing the German model! At this price, the description of core i5 etc is correct). There's also the T01 (which JL also sell), which is basically the same as the S02, with the lower power.

I'd recommend sticking with the S01, the extra power is worth the money.

 

Very true, thanks

 

The intel GPU should be fine for all but the most intensive graphics (games/CAD/etc) - the AMD GPU doesn't turn on for browsers because its not designed to or needed to (flash/html5/etc will never overload the Intel). Setting high performance on with this wont make any difference hence why it still only reports the Intel.

Having said that, you might be able to force it to switch to the AMD by switching the browser to full screen mode, but I can't test that at the moment as I'm not at my laptop.

 

installing 13.8 beta, seems to be installing like a charm.

 

Some folks may be interested to know that upgrading the HDD to an SSD does not violate the warranty. Can I Upgrade The Hard Disk Drive On My Notebook? : Notebooks | Samsung

 

Hey all, I am a new owner of an ATIV Book 8. It is a really cool laptop.
Only one problem, I think I have a GPU problem. It is supposed to have a good graphics card (Radeon 8 thousands something) listed 84th out on 400 on a GPU comparison list. My problem is that I have just installed an old game: Diablo II LOD, and I am experiencing lag in single player when theres a bunch of monsters... I was breathless. How come it can do this? My old 17'' Toshiba Satellite bought in 2010 for 600$ is running Diablo better. I did check in the battery settings and in the Catalyst something, and everything is at high performance when plugged. Would it be a problem with the two graphics card? I think that there is an Intel one and the ATI one (the main). Thanks already for your help.
I have searched the thread with ''lag'' keyword and found nothing, so that's why I am writing a reply.

Vincent

 

You might consider manually switching graphics to Radeon, assuming by default the Intel graphics is being used for games. Also try updating graphics drivers see if that helps.

 

haha yes straight down the a600

so from what i can see, for an extra £400ish you get

ativ branding
the black keyboard
touchscreen display
a heavier product

is it really worth the extra outlay?

 

How you can use your chronos / ATIV 8 and do not see the terrible image retention?
I've been in a few shops and all the copies were with this defect.

 

I agree with damouk, but I'd add a few useful links, even though they aren't all specific for this only laptop:

- Trackpad thread
- Wifi Remedies thread
- Bloatware List ( Dannemand)
- Driver suggestions ( Dannemand)
- How to fix Metro Apps problem ( MENTAL1ST)
- Linux thread

What do you think?

 

well took a trip to my local john lewis today. went searching for one of thier top selling laptops on their website

Buy Samsung NP770Z5E-S01 Laptop, Intel Core i7, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6", Metal online at John Lewis

none on display. and apparently just a few months after release, now discontinued

 

Thanks for the answer, I gone again in ATI Catalyst, and I am already on high performance setting for game.exe (when I put my trigger on it, it shows me the Diablo II LOD source (in program files)). So what can I do for be sure that Radeon will run the game (Diablo II LOD) and all the future games I will install on it? For now it is still lagging on single player, its terrible... a 1300$ laptop! Btw, my drivers are up to date.

 

Does anyone know where I can find any webcam drivers for the NP770Z5E? Mine's not working or showing in device manager.

 

So I bought this NP870Z5E, matte silver, and changed the hdd for a samsung 840 pro 512 GB SSD and installed W7 on it.
Everything works except that the keyboard light will not work if its not dark around, but thats not a problem. =)

I want to install ubuntu 12.04 on the machine, anyone have any experience of that? Will Wifi work flawlessly, and can the discrete gpu be turned off? If the amd gpu can be disabled maybe I will get the same batterylife as in windows 7.

Please share your experience

Best regards

 

Thanks Shinji. The trackpad issues seem to be solved. Is there a reason why Samsung doesn't push these drivers to SW update?

Another issue I have is the "client server runtime process" using about 20 to 25% CPU at all times, until i put the laptop to sleep and wake it back up. Any ideas why this may happen? Usually happens after using the laptop for a while and running demanding applications. It seems to slow everything down.

Thanks!

 

Make sense, but I often run into problems when the website uses hardware rendering for videos and w/ WebGL. In order to play most tumblr videos, I had to disable the "Disable hardware-accelerated video decode" option on the experimental Chrome options page here: chrome://flags/

Maybe this is unrelated to GPU drivers, I don't really know enough about web hardware acceleration.

I think I will try to install the latest beta GPU drivers and see how that goes.

 

Not really discontinued, just rebranded to the ATIV 8 (and upped in price). Even some of the ATIV's are sold in the same colour as the 7 (and are therefore just the 7 with a different label as the specifications are IDENTICAL!). You can still order them at John Lewis online - they have loads in stock. If you're serious about one, order online. You can always return it if it's not what you're expecting (I think you can even return it to your nearest store) - But I am pretty sure you'll like it!

Ah this one again... The "Client server runtime process" using loads of CPU and making the machine crawl is caused by a USB device being plugged into the USB3 ports while/after putting the laptop to sleep. There's an easy fix, head to your BIOS settings (F2 on boot), go to Advanced and change the setting labeled "USB S3 Wake-Up" to ENABLED.

That should be problem solved. (See here for more information if you're interested). If you still have issues, post back.

I'm sorry, you are incorrect in your statement here. You need to read the details at that link again. Specifically the 2nd section entitled "Important", which states:

The Series 7 and 8 laptops do not have an HDD panel, you have to remove the entire base, which they clearly state DOES void the warranty.

OMG - AGAIN!!!! This is NOT image retention, but is a phenomenon called "Image persistence" and is a trait of ALL IPS type panels. The Chronos is an MVA screen, which is a variant of IPS, particularly good for high resolution, wide viewing angles and low power consumption.

The drawback of these types of panels is that they all experience some degree of "Image persistence", particularly when left on full brightness and on the same image for some time (in days, usually). When this does occur, it fades back to normal within about 2 minutes, usually within 30 seconds. If you want another example of a screen noticeably experiencing the same phenomenon under the right conditions, see the Retina Macbook Pro!

These screens do NOT suffer from image retention, which is a more long-term issue and only fades (if at all) after some considerable time.

It stands to reason that a shop model would suffer from this especially, as they are typically permanently on full brightness and the same image, usually with power saving screen-off disabled. But if you change the image, you'll see it go back to normal very quickly.

In real life, you rarely keep the screen on full brightness, usually have power saving on to dim/turn off the screen (or even use a screen saver) and don't leave the screen on the same image for very long.

Can you give a few links to some of the sites you're talking about? I will do some investigation and see if I can work out what's going on for you?

AND just as an aside...

Before anyone complains that I don't multi-quote and so have lots of posts in a row, it's because I only multi-quote when the issues I'm discussing are related to each other, I think it makes it easier for you to find my replies to your queries if they are kept as separate responses!

 

LOL

I do that myself, even though we're generally supposed to multi-quote. I've had series of my posts merged by other mods when they come across it, and you may find that happening from time to time. But mostly, I am not going to touch it.

The exception is when members post a question or a problem in one post followed by one or several follow-up posts with additional information. Such information should really just be added to the original post. And I generally merge such posts when I see them.

 

WebGL on Google Map never works (using Chrome browser), and I get the same error with the Google Maps/earth Preview.

Tumblr hosted/processed videos don't work unless I have the hardware acceleration disabled.

 

MacBook users consider this a serious problem and returned or changed their displays.
What will happen if you constantly work in a one program for 3-4 hours at a stretch every day?
This effect becomes worse with time?
I like this laptop, but I am afraid that this effect will constantly annoy me.

 

Does anyone know how to make the light in the f12 key indicating airplanemode is not on less bright or better even make it come on when airplane mode is activated?

 

Sure webgl will overload the intel. Try running chrome aquarium webgl experiment with a 1000 fish.. I'm getting 20 Fps, it's not smooth at all, and this demo is not that demanding. The Radeon will do a much better job at that... I'm a developer of 3D games / apps in webgl, so if I can't somehow make Webgl run on the Radeon I will probably have to return or sell this otherwise beautifull peace of technology

and nope, full screen mode didnt force it to switch ... any other things we can try?

will also try latest beta drivers soon if no other options left.

Edit: tried installing beta drivers, only to find out this doesnt really work for switchable graphics systems. Installing Catalyst 13.8 beta didnt give me back the switchable graphics options, so all I could do is go back to SW Update and reinstall the drivers provided by Samsung (right?).

Also, after a bit more testing, I really hope this to change. Playing 1080p content on youtube only uses the Intel 4000 HD, in any browser. It's playing back at 10fps, 19 frames are dropped. Altough the Intel is indeed doing an 'ok' job, knowing there is a Radeon 8870 inside I'd really like to be able to use it (in the browser too) if I want.

I guess my only hope is for samsung to release new drivers that include some catalyst functionality that let's me configure that right?

 

UPDATE: Installed and everything works great. So yeah, it was an error on my side by not discharging the battery before replacing the hard drive.

 

What every MacBook user? I think not. Wouldn't be very good for apples business model, and only a few users of this Samsung laptop have reported it as being a problem.

Nothing will happen if you're constantly in one program unless you have it static (ie not using it), on full brightness, for a very long period (Ive tested mine by leaving it on for long periods and it's not had any image persistence, after quite a bit of testing it took around 2 full days before there was a shadow, which then vanished in about 40 seconds).

This won't get any worse over time, if anything the effect diminishes as the screen becomes more established.

It's each to their own, but I don't think you'd ever really see this problem. Risk is increased by 100% brightness with long periods of static images on screen (again if you're using it, the pixels remain active so you don't get the persistence - even in title bars etc which don't change), but you shouldn't need it that bright unless your in high sunshine.

 

I guess Samsung isn't as active in driver related stuff as other companies. For MSI in this case, the GS70 is their flag ship gaming laptop, thus they will have to put more effort in having the latest driver.

Try setting the USB Wake feature in the UEFI to Enable. That should do the trick. =)

 

So first thing is sometimes when the computer randomly slows down (probably because of the stupid slow HDD), the computer starts to beep out of control. Well it beeps like a couple of times, and it is annoying. Also, the control button gets stuck or something, and it will do weird functions as if the button is stuck, when it is clearly not. Next, are the two vents on the bottom of the computer intake or exhaust? Because if they are exhaust, that is a really dumb design. Finally, has anyone solved the USB 3.0 problem where the computer freezes when there is something plugged in? I am reading through the posts but i don't see any solutions, if any exist. Oh and also how hard is it to take off the bottom of the laptop, the clips scare me because I'm pretty sure i will break them. Ok lol i have more questions... is there anyway to tell if the numlock is on without actually pressing it and testing it, how can you make the battery percentage pop up (cool colored battery in the middle of the screen) when the laptop is shut off and plugged in. It initially pops up but can you make it come back without unplugging and re plugging?

 

1. Probably get a SSD and install in that will definately solve the HDD slow down you are facing.

2. CTRL button gets stuck? Make sure you don't have sticky keys enabled. Go to Control Panel, Ease of Access, Change how your keyboard works, Disable what you don't need.

3. Not sure about the USB 3.0 issue when plugged in and the system freezes, probably update to the latest BIOS, enable USB S3 Wake up in the BIOS, there's nothing much to fiddle around with that actually.

4. Taking the bottom off is easy, well in my context, I've dealt with more brittle laptop covers, just be gentle, apply strength only when necessary, and apply it with gentleness. Yes, strength can be used with gentleness.

5. As for the numlock, I used AutoHotKey to set the numlock to always enable whenever I press it regardless of its state, for those who uses AutohotKey, the script is as follows:

NumLock::SetNumlockState, On

6. Never seen that cool battery pop up in the middle of the screen before, possibly because I never turn off my laptop unless I'm boarding a plane.