2016/17 ATIV Book 9 with Kaby Lake COMING SOON: 13.3" and 15.0" versions

These two Kaby Lake models are now appearing in the Samsung database for the Hong Kong and China regions. No guarantee of course, but USA models should eventually appear as well:

NP900X3M
NP900X5M

No other info available at the moment, but will update once more is known.

For reference, here's the thread from the current silver-colored AB9 Skylake models from earlier this year:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/thr...skylake-13-3-and-15-0-silver-versions.786450/

 

Let's hope they make some improvements...backlit keyboards, larger batteries, matte screens (yeah right) and no iron silver.

 

I hope they put in a full sized keyboard. Preferably one that doesn't get destroyed too quickly by humidity

 

Very likely the US versions will look like the Korean versions: NT900X3M and NT900X5M.

John

 

Argh...it looks like the 15" keyboard is still not backlit, that is a deal breaker.

 

interesting though Samsung got out of the laptop biz ?

they sure neglected their own ATIV Book 8 range quickly

 

There is a Book 9 Pro which has a dGPU and is the nearest that Samsung make as a successor to the Book 8 range.

Samsung's problem was that they aggressively expanded their notebook range just as the market started to shrink. Problems created by the arrival of Windows 8 + UEFI (which took Samsung a while to debug and pushed up the support and repair costs) plus the AMD dGPUs provided more than their fair share of headaches. Someone on high must have decreed a major retreat which had to be implemented even though a more modest retreat (eg continuing with their bigger European markets but dropping the smaller ones) would have made more sense.

John

 

It's too bad. My 780Z5E has been a great notebook and it looks like the successor will be an Asus based on the availability of Samsung notebooks in Canada. Will keep my fingers crossed that I can get another year out of my 780Z5E.

 

Maybe US models will start showing soon, nothing thus far. Just not sure what Samsung's plans may or may not be outside of SE Asia at this point.

 

My ATIV8 just conked out and I was thinking of buying either the Notebook 9 pro or the Dell xps 15. After careful weighing I decided to go for the Samsung. Everything was set til I saw this...

http://www.samsung.com/hk_en/consum...notebook/NP900X5M-K05HK?subsubtype=notebook-9


This is an upgrade right? Has there been a review? How is this comparable to the Notebook 9 pro? I'm leaving for HK soon and I hope you guys could help me out. Thanks

 

It's very likely a minimal change and uses the latest generation of Intel hardware. Compare the photographs and specifications to see if there are any other significant differences.

John

 

I've seen some reports that the RAM could be upgraded in previous editions of the 15 inch model, although it isn't officially supported. Is that still the case or is the RAM soldered on? If an aftermarket upgrade is possible, what kind of RAM would it take?

 

The 2016 15" Samsung reviewed here has soldered RAM as does the Book 9 Pro.

The NP900X4C has socketed RAM, but that's 4 years ago.

John

 

Any idea on when these Kaby Lake versions are going to make it to the U.S. market?

 

There is nothing (M series notebook in USA) listed in Samsung Update so they are not imminent. Maybe on show at CES in January and available to buy a month or three later, at least for the lower power chips - the upper part of the Kaby Lake range isn't yet being shipped by Intel.

John

 

Any news about Kaby Lake version of Notebook 9 13.3" in Europe and USA? I wish it would have Thunderbolt 3, bigger battery and DDR4-for more battery saving.

 

Would consider if it had an active pen.

 

Samsung today launch new Notebook 9 with new rounded chassis, DDR4, Kaby Lake, USB C in 13,3" version, FHD display with 500 nit outdoor mode and HDR built in, now with fingerprint scanner and full HDMI port

What you think guys?

 

Do you have any model numbers? At the moment Samsung Update doesn't list any "M" series notebooks for the USA. Korea has both "M" and "P" (which leaves me confused because I thought M was for Kaby Lake. Samsung Hong Kong lists an NP900X3M with i7-7500U CPU but I see no mention of USB C.

John

 

Here you are
http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/19/14004914/samsung-notebook-9-intel-kaby-lake-processors-features

 

Thanks for the link. It looks like Samsung's continued objective is to offer the thinnest and lightest rather than offering notebooks actually capable of running all day without needing a power socket. I've also no fan of the silver colour. Black keyboards with backlit white lettering are much easier on the eyes.

John

 

I want to replace my old NP900X3F, but the new silver color is isn't doing it for me. Bring back Ash Black!

 

I'd be a buyer if it had 8+ hours battery life, matte screen, backlit keyboard and black like the original (even if it pushed the weight close to 3lbs). I think it will be 0/4 on those points though.

 

It'll be 1/4 with a backlit keyboard:

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-updates-new-notebook-9-line

 

Hmm. Well that's something at least. If the SSD is upgradable, they somehow squeeze 7 hours out of the 15" and keep the price low...
Just wish they added 30-50% more battery and gone all the way with TB3. Is there any way to drive a 4K display (HDMI 2.o/ DP)?

 

Some more info on the NP900X3M (Chinese versions) here and here. "USB 3.0 (3.1 Gen 1) Type-A ports". The Hong Kong version is here and claims 0.86Kg (1.90lbs) and has black keys on a white notebook.

Also some details of the NP900X5M here which includes "1 USB-C™ [up to 5Gbps*, 4K display out with optional adapter]". That notebook has a 15.0" panel (same as the old NP900X4C) and claims 1.29Kg (2.84lbs) but has a 39Whr battery.It's all white, including the keyboard.

John

 

It appears the U.S. model doesn't have an ethernet port. Is the expectation that wired internet would happen over USB C?

 

There appear to be two different kaby lake 15.0" models (not sure if they will show up in the same regions):

The X5M has 39wh, 2.84lbs, no backlit keyboard, ddr3, tapered edges (HK only?)
The ### announced yesterday has 30wh, 2.19lbs, backlit keyboard, ddr4, nvme, rounded edges

Each has at least one deal-breaking design decision IMO.

Maybe they will offer a hub? Otherwise there are usb dongles.

 

Yesterday's press info might have muddled the battery capacity between the 13" (which has 30Whr) with the 15" but it's more difficult to explain the weight difference unless it is actually a different battery and the difference in weight is more than I would expect for the difference in capacity. Or maybe there is a different notebook with different basic specs.

Another look in the Korea section of SW Update reveals entries for NT900X3M, NT900X3N, NT900X3P, NT900X3q and NT900X3W so Samsung are moving away from the letter codes being aligned with the Intel platform generation. For the 15" there are NT900X5M, NT900X5P, NT900X5W and NT900X5Y. Any of those might appear in other countries and we sholdn't forget the possiblity that NP930X5* might be resurrected.

The specs for both the HK models mention an included ethernet adapter and "1 mini Ethernet (Adapter type)". The older Series 9 notebooks also had this special adapter and it's probably the same small port. There isn't room within the chassis thickness to include an RJ45 socket (which would also spoil the appearance).

John

 

The U.S. press images show this model does not have that port:
Left side: power, USB 3.0, USC C, headphone jack
Right side: HDMI, USB 3.0, MicroSD slot

 

In which case it is likely a significantly different model to the Hong Kong notebooks.

If the US version is even thinner and lighter then it's reasonable for the designers to assume that the likely users wouldn't want to use a wired network connection. Or they might put a USB-C to RJ45 dongle in the box (which is what I recieved with my Dell Precision 5510 but i don't use it as it wakes up the power-hungry Thunderbolt controller which makes the fans come on).

John

 

Here's the Samsung page about the new notebooks (thanks to member @huberth who had posted it here).

John

 

I am so disappointed that the new 15 inch Kaby Lake Samsung Model 9 will NOT be available with 16 GB of RAM (The 13.3 inch model will have it as an option).

That makes no sense. I hope it is a mistake.

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-updates-new-notebook-9-line

 

Are all these using "U" processors and integrated graphics cards? Is there any info on something that has a bit more power in the graphics department? What about the speakers on these models?

 

If you are somewhere where you can shop at the Dell Outlet then by looking for the XPS15 9550 / Precision 5510 you can probably get better hardware (and warranty) at a better price than Samsung will offer.Some info about the Kaby Lake XPS15 9560 has appeared in the past few days - looks to be the existing model with a mainboard upgrade. Samsung seem to be focussing on thin and light, not performance, and the batteries are inconveniently small.

John

PS: It's possible that Samsung might also produce a new version of the Book 9 Pro with more powerful specs. I would expect anything to be shown at CES which is only 2 weeks away.

 

XPS15 9560 will have Pascal Nvidia 1050

 

According to the Korean Samsung site, the nt900x5m-k716 15-inch (38.1cm) model DOES come with 16GB RAM:
http://www.samsung.com/sec/notebook/nt900x5m-k716/

 

Nice find. And that web page also lists the 39Whr battery and a plausible 1.29kg (2.84 lbs) weight. The 2.17lb on the Samsung global web page is only 0.99kg which is, I think, implausible. CES might provide clarification.

John

 

Here is a video from Korea (which also mentions 16GB and 1.29Kg in the description)



I think this will be my next laptop: 15 inch - i7 - 16GB RAM - 512GB NVMe SSD - 1.29Kg (2.84 lbs) - exactly what I am looking for and Samsung is the first one that has all these specs!

 

Are you looking to replace your NP900X3G for some reason?

 

The 2017 Samsung Notebook 9 does have a backlit keyboard and a fingerprinter reader.

I desperately need 16GB.

(With a lot of Chrome tabs open I constantly run at 95% of the currently available 8GB RAM.)

 

Coming Soon: NP900X5N:

http://www.samsung.com/us/computing/windows-laptops/15-18/notebook-9-15---8gb-ram--np900x5n-k01us/

System Memory 8GB (Onboard)
Memory Type DDR4 (2133MHz)
Max. System Memory 16GB
Number of Slots: 0
(Can anyone explain how to get the 16GB???)

LCD Size: 15.6"

System Weight (w/Std. Battery, lb.) 2.16lbs


https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Samsung/ci/9053/pn/54/N/4232858965

"preorders start Januar 4, 2016"

 

I presume that the "Max. System Memory 16GB" means that Samsung can make it if the US office orders a batch. They probably will, and add $200 to the price for the extra 8GB. Or maybe they will add $400 and include a higher capacity SSD as well.

I would be more worried about the inadequate battery. "Up to 7 hrs battery life" means 4 to 5 hours of actually doing anything. An external USB-C battery pack would extend the run time, but I would much prefer to have a bit more notebook weight and thickness (which would enable a keyboard with a bit more travel) with an internal which is good for 10 hours aways from a mains outlet. Anyway, there's no hint of Samsung resuming notebook sales in Europe so I'm not a potential customer.

At the moment there's no listing of these new models in Samsung's SW Update which, if the system still works as it did in the past, is an indication of readiness for production.

John

 

I was actually asking go45cvi who has the X3G.

 

Maybe I'll wait until March to get the just announced Lenovo T570, a 15.4 inch Kaby Lake laptop (2kg/ 4.5lbs) with up to 32GB RAM, up to 2TB SSD and 16GB of "Intel's Optane" caching storage that runs 10 times faster than conventional SSDs:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3153...ill-be-ready-for-intels-superfast-optane.html
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/non-volatile-memory.html
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10932/kaby-lake-systems-with-intel-optane-ssds-coming-soon

 

I suspect that you would need to be reading / writing large quantities of data to notice the performance difference in everyday usage. My Precision 5510 came with a 256GB NMVe SSD which gave good benchmark results but was swapped out in favour of a 1TB Sandisk X400 SATA SSD and I haven't noticed any significant performance difference.

If you are going to consider the T470 then also check out the Dell XPS15 9560 / Precision 5520. However, there's no mention of Optane in the specs which have so far emerged but the pricing might be more competitive particularly if, like me, you wait for something suitable to appear in Dell Outlet.

John

 

A couple of points/questions about the new NP900X3N model:

1. The wireless card (Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235) in my old NP900X3F is not amazing. Anyone know how the NP900X3N wireless card (Intel Wireless-AC 8260) might stack up?
2. Can anyone explain what's going on in this image of the charger? Because I have no idea
3. From the product description: "Add to that a low-reflective feature that makes everything look brilliant—even in midday sunlight or in dimly lit rooms." More marketing gibberish, but here's hoping for a matte display.

 

The old Series 9 notebooks had the WiFi antennae under a plastic cover along the back edge of the chassis so the signal tended to be blocked. I would hope that Samsung have, by now, figured out how to avoid this problem (my Dell Precision 5510 has the antennae somewhere in the thin, metal backed display but I've had no signal strength problems. The Intel 6235 might also be the generation of WiFi card where it took a year of so for Intel to acknowledge and fix a driver issue which caused dropped connections.

There might be more than one charger in the illustration to reflect that charging can be done via the USB-C socket as well as by the normal DC adapter socket. My current best guess is that the adapter marked "fast charge" is the normal adapter and the other one(s) are lower power rated and connect to USB-C (which could also be used to run the notebook from an external battery pack).

The "Ultrasharp" panel in my Dell Precision 5510 highlighted the compomises which have to be made between image quality and glare reduction (which inherently causes image diffusion). This panel has less anti-glare coating than my previous notebooks and does give a sharper image but still does a very acceptable job of diffusing any reflected lights. I recall this characteristic being reported in the discussion of the X5J elsewhere in this forum.

John

 

BH Photo is listing a 15 inch option with 16GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, with 256GB SSD and a backlit keyboard.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1304857-REG/samsung_np900x5n_x01us_15_6_notebook_9_ext.html

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note5.

 

The NP900X5N-X01US is now listed in Samsung update (but currently no downloads). There's also the NP900X5N-K01US (8GB RAM, no dGPU and $200 cheaper) which isn't yet listed in Samsung update. One work-around for the small battery may be to use an external battery connected to the USB-C port. However, low capacity batteries tend to be worked harder and don't last as well as big ones.

Samsung Update also lists an NP900X3N-K01US and NP900X3N-K04US while Hong Kong has 9 versions of the NP900X5N.

John