2015 Ativ Book 9 13.3" Broadwell NP900X3K

Samsung introduces the 8th generation of the 13.3" Ativ Book 9 (former Series 9) based on the Broadwell platform.

Key features *

• 13.3" 3200x1800 QHD+ non-touch panel

• Intel Core i5/i7-U Dual Core with HD5500 iGPU Broadwell platform

• 8GB RAM

• 128/256 GB SSD mSATA

• WiFi ac / BT 4.1 Atheros QCA6174/NFA354 M.2

• USB 3.0 (2x)

• SDcard Reader

• 313.8 x 218.5 x 13.5mm

• 1.07Kg

​

Evolution
NP900X3A First appearance of ultra sleek Amor
NP900X3B New Chassis Amor2, HD+ panel
NP900X3C Ivy Bridge
NP900X3D Budget Sandy Bridge model
NP900X3E Full HD panel, re-branded as Ativ Book 9 (From X3E-K on )
NP900X3F Magnesium chassis, soldered Atheros WiFi, WWAN
NP900X3G Haswell, soldered Intel WiFi
NP900X3K Broadwell, back to Aluminium, Atheros WiFi, silver finish

 

Great summary of the history there. I am surprised this is named AB9/NP900 not AB9+/NP930 given the QHD screen.

 

There are some photos here which sho it is the previous chassis (which could explain why they kept the old numbering).

Also there's an i5-5200U 128GB SSD version (but not the 4GB RAM).

So far, I can see listings for this model in SW Update for Korea, China and Hong Kong.

John

 

I am sure you are right, it's the chassis that determines the naming. Although the NP940X5J and NP940X3G don't have the same chassis -- nor the same screen resolution.

Anyways, this is effectely a Broadwell version of AB9+ without touchscreen, and presumably less weight. Looks like a sure hit to me

 

The content is no longer showing at the link I gave above (perhaps the retailer had jumped the gun) but I'm sure it said the weight was 1.07kg.

John

 

The + stands for bloated

I guess it's simply the traditional naming scheme of that model, not the chassis. The 1st generation came with a complete different chassis but shares pretty much the same name. I tried to make some sense of it:

NP notebook pc
9 series: 9
00 panel type: 00/05/10/30=non-touch, 15/40=touch (other series might not apply)
X ?
3 panel size: 3=13"
K generation
-
K version within generation
01 configuration (country dependent)
US country code


But why isn't it called X3H?

 

H got lost somewhere between G (eg NP900X3G) and J (eg NP930X5J). Perhaps they thought people would think H would stand for Haswell so they skipped it.

John

 

Is this QHD+ screen pure matte like all previous models in the AB9 series?

If so, I wonder who makes it. Don't believe we've seen such a screen anywhere prior.

 

IGZO, I believe, fits both glossy touch and matte non-touch QHD+ panels in the Fujitsu Lifebook U904.
For this model I bet it'll be matte, whether it's really QHD+ remains to be seen


edit:
Here are some stores showing a silver finish:
NT900X3K | gmarket.co.kr
NT900X3K | ssg.com

Hopefully they got it wrong and the chassis continues to be black.

 

Any indication this model will make it to the USA, or Asia only?

 

Yes, here is the indication John posted in the NP940X3K thread:

 

Yeah, those pictures in silver could be old stock (from model NP900X3D), but maybe not. Their idea could be to better differentiate the AB9 and AB9+ by chassis color going forward.

The current NP900X3G was disappointing in that it was all black without the brushed aluminum edges. They're apparently reserving that finish for the AB9+ only now.

 

Is there any info regarding the 15.6" version also getting the Broadwell refresh?

 

There's nothing in Samsung's SW Update and no reports from CES.

A significant price drop on the current model to make it more competitive might be a better move.

John

 

What you folks think about Samsung apparently still holding on on the chassis?

It's been 3! years that Samsung introduced this chassis (aka Amor2) with the release of X3B. I can't recall any laptop chassis being out there for so long. In this time we've seen 4 platform upgrades but apart from switching from aluminium to magnesium (since X3F) including some minor framing changes the chassis remains unchanged.

I'm not really unhappy about this as it is still absolutely stunning and arguably the most beautiful laptop out there. In fact I think if not done very cautiously it might even get redesigned for the worse. Was Samsung simply way ahead of the times to have no reason for a change? Are resources held back regarding further development? Is there simply not much room for improvement?

I for one would at least like to see display port and USB Type-C connections stamped out lol. I like the reduced footprint of the 2015 XPS13 made possible by the "infinity" screen bezel. Fitting in a 16:10 screen would get into this direction w/o changing too much. Oh and of course antennas should eventually go into the bezel where they can work as intended!

 

Salieri, in awe after seeing Mozart's perfect originals, with no corrections, brought to him by Mozart's wife Constanze:

"And music, finished as no music is ever finished. Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase and the structure would fall."

OK, that may be an exaggerated comparison. And certainly the ports need a generational update. But still

 

You and me both. I guess USB3.1 is not yet standardized, have to wait for apple to intro it. I'll probably sit this generation out, as my next laptop must have that one plug that charges as well as drives an external 4K display and ports. I'm tempted to move down to a 12" fanless featherweight, but I think Core M needs to get a little more powerful first.

Anyway, it's good to see cooler heads have prevailed at Samsung and they're back in the game. Sticking with a tried and true chassis should really cut down R&D costs. Hey the macair has hardly changed in a decade.

I find it interesting that there are so many "non-touch" laptops this generation. I guess that MS/Intel edict is off the table, maybe why the X3G got so little pub, wasn't exactly "street legal". I hope they fix the light bleed though as that's one thing that irks me for the split second I'm booting up, also I prefer the aluminum edge on my X3B.

 

I would note that it is reported that Samsung have pushed the Core M in the NP930X2K beyond the normal speed and power limits while remaining fanless.

And I'm pleased that my X3B is an early edition of what seems to be turning into a classic notebook. However, I doubt if it will be like an old car and start going up in value.

John

 

Intel hasn't released any Broadwell Ultrabook specification (they used to do so with every platform upgrade before).

The Ultrabook™ is dead, long live the laptop!

 

It does indeed appear that Samsung has gone back to a silver chassis for the 2015 NP900X3K models..

Samsung

Samsung

The silver chassis last appeared on the X3D model. Just has a very dated look, especially because it's not a brushed aluminum finish, just a flat silver color.

Samsung hasn't used the true "Amor2" chassis for the AB9 since the X3E model. Both the X3F and X3G were all black with no brushed aluminum edges.

It looks like the "Amor2" chassis will only be used on the AB9+ models now.

 

AB9+ is Amor3. The codename is just about the chassis, not the finish (material/color) imho.

 

Perhaps there's an attempt to give the notebook a new image. It's predecessors couldn't have sold in the numbers that Samsung would have liked (although pricing was a major factor that Samsung still haven't learnt - people will most likely compare this with the Dell XPS13).

The specs show that the RAM is 8GB x 1 (ie single channel) and the SSD is mSATA.

John

 

Ah, gotcha. The premium "mineral ash black + aluminum edges" finish is what I mean then.

I guess it makes sense since the X3E was the last model in the AB9 series before the AB9+ line was created.

Since then, the premium finish has been reserved for the AB9+ only.

 

Why would you call that premium? In fact the Magnesium chassis (X3F, X3G) would be the "Premium" as it has superior properties over Aluminium and is the more costly.
The color/framing is just a matter of taste. I like the all black finish of the predecessor best but can't stand the new silver finish.


Anyway according to Samsung USA we're back to Aluminium

 

True, matter of taste.. I just think the ash black with aluminum edges has the most premium look to it. The aluminum finish around the edges of the trackpad is also very slick.

True about the magnesium of the X3F and X3G chassis, but I didn't like the rather flat looking black finish throughout.

One interesting thing about the X3K is that its weight is down to 2.36 lbs whereas the new AB9+ is up to 3.1 lbs.

 

Is there any indication whether the screen is matte? As the screen resolutions increase, it's getting more difficult for manufacturers to provide anti-glare coating that does not excessively affect the screen clarity...

 

http://www.samsung.com/us/business/computing/laptops/NP900X3K-S01US

http://www.samsung.com/us/business/computing/laptops/NP900X3K-S02US

Any day now....

Priced at $1450-1750

Windows 7

"In a word, the QHD + (3200 x 1800p) LED display is astounding. Imagery is sharp and vivid with rich detail, even in direct sunlight thanks to the 350-nit brightness."

But is it glossy or matte???

3 years warranty, much higher than my previous Samsung laptops

10 hour battery life < 12.5 hour of 940x3k

... waiting to see if screen is matte... if it is, I might bite.

 

The 13.3" Series 9/ATIV Book 9 models have always had non-touch matte screens.

This particular model is now considered a "business machine" by Samsung, whereas the Book 9+ models (glossy touch screens) are more mainstream consumer focused.

 

Newly released NP930X2K is non-touch glossy... so I have doubts that this will be matte until confirmation from a unit.

 

That's a different model and has a 12.2" display.

There was also a 15.6" model from last year that was non-touch glossy.

However, the 13.3" models ( NP900X3_ series) have always been matte.

 

The 15.6" NP930X5J (Ativ Book 2014) was nearer glossy than matte (I think it claimed to be non-glare) but not as glossy as some notebooks.

While I still prefer a matte screen, it is less of essential with high viewing angle panels with strong backlights. One can tilt the display to get rid of any particularly strong reflections without any serious loss of display quality as would happen with the normal TN LCDs.

John

 

I wonder how well display scaling will work on Win7. I don't think I've seen a 3200x1800 Win7 machine yet. Because aside from that concern this looks like a great machine.

 

Display scaling problems are more to do with the programs than windows itself. See this discussion.

The fallback is to change the logical display resolution. 1600 x 900 is a x2 multiplier so 1 logical pixel = 4 physical pixels and 1600 x 900 gives very legible default font sizes on this size of display. You could also use 1920 x 1080 (1.67:1 scaling) or whatever else you want to try.

John

 

CDW appears to be the first retailer to have the i5 and i7 models listed:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/SAMSUNG-ATIV-I5-5500U-128GB-8GB/3609336.aspx

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/SAMSUNG-ATIV-I7-5500U-256GB-8GB/3609333.aspx


Hopefully we'll see a new owner here shortly. Very interested in a report about the QHD+ panel.

Warranty is now 3 years on the AB9 and the weight is down to 2.36 lbs!

 

Availability:Call ... they probably don't have it in stock yet either

 

Intel itself has issues though with the drivers, and has existed since HD 3000 days, but only exacerbated itself with the advent of 3k and 4k displays. Like this thread that started in September 2013 and still nothing. Just search Intel HD 4400 Scaling issues or substitute 4400 for 4600 or 4000... same result.

 

Will this come to the European market or is it aimed at the Korean and US market only?

 

You can add China / Hong Kong to the countries who are getting this notebook.

It is very unlikely that Samsung would do a U-turn only one year after discontinuing notebook sales in Europe. We can only hope that they do have the situation under review. Skylake + Windows 10 could provide a noticeable boost to notebook sales if there is pent-up demand that was supressed by Windows 8 and that might cause Samsung to resume sales of their premium notebooks (ie Series 7, 8 and 9) to more countries.

John

 

Anyone have this laptop? Hows the display? Any backlight bleed? thanks

 

This is interesting. SW Update is now listing 6 different US model numbers for the NP900X3K:

S01US
S02US
K01US
K02US
K03US
K04US

Both of the "S" models come with Win 7 Pro and a 3 year warranty. These two models have been listed on different retailers' sites for a few weeks now, but stock availability is a question.

The "K" models might be less expensive than the "S" models, but they're not being shown online anywhere yet, just in SW Update if you search by "NP900X3K".

It would be nice if the "K" models came in the mineral ash black color, but that's probably wishful thinking.

 

^^ bump

 

It seems like no one here has got the notebook. Perhaps waiting for the full range of versons and prices to appear.

Also, if any non-members have bought it then they have not encountered any major problems which would bring them here looking for help.

John

 

Hi John. I'm curious how this compares to the MacBook Pro Retina. Hopefully there will be one lucky user that reports back!

 

1Lb lighter, less-powerful processor, Windows vs. OSX.

 

1.1 lbs lighter to be specific

 

The i5 model is in stock on CDW and by a few small sellers on Amazon:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/SAMSUNG-ATIV-I5-5500U-128GB-8GB/3609336.aspx

 

Yup, a few places have them in stock now... waiting for confirmation on matte or glossy screen.

http://www.samsung.com/us/business/computing/laptops/NP900X3K-S01US-buy

http://www.provantage.com/samsung-np900x3k-s01us~7SAM91FL.htm
http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/SAMSUNG-ATIV-I7-5500U-256GB-8GB/3609333.aspx
http://www.pcconnection.com/product...-qhd-w7p64/np900x3k-s01us/18458263?cac=Result
https://www.insight.com/insightweb/search#ProdInfoMtrId=NP900X3K-S01US
http://www.pcm.com/p/Samsung-Electr.../product~dpno~13390838~pdp.jaadehc?src=search"%20class='ga'%20data-action="Link roduct%20Detail%20Page"%20data-label="prod-13390838

 

Quick follow-up to this post from a few weeks ago - Models K01US and K02US are now showing on Samsung's website. They're $50 cheaper than their respective S01US and S02US counterparts while having the same specs except for their shorter warranty period (1 year) vs. the "S" series 3 year.

Question is, who wouldn't be willing to spend $50 more on an additional 2 years worth of warranty? Makes little sense. Buyers will need to be very careful which model they choose.

 

Seems like many online retailers have this now. Any confirmation on matte or glossy screen yet?

 

Just got the NP900x3K-S02US. It's freaking GLOSSY!!! I'm MAD