2016 ATIV Book 9 with Skylake: 13.3" and 15.0" Silver versions

Announced today at CES. Models do not appear yet in Samsung Update, as some specs are still being finalized according to the report.

No aesthetic changes in the chassis from previous ATIV 9 generations except for a new 180-degree hinge.

They've gotten lighter, though battery life appears to suffer as a result..

15.0" - 2.84 lbs/1.29 kg
13.3" - 1.85 lbs/0.84 kg

Display: 1080p Glossy, Reflective non-touch (YUCK! WHY SAMSUNG?)

Like a mirror..



More photos & details here:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/1/5/10...dows-10-laptop-announced-ces-2016/in/10483423

 

Very interested in the 15" (in a 14" chassis) if it has acceptable battery life. But I don't like the color or gloss.

 

yeah, the Broadwell version was silver and glossy as well. i'm guessing only the 9 Plus/Pro models will be black going forward.

the 15" at least has USB-C with quick charging, whereas the 13.3" doesn't.. why not is anyone's guess.

 

Impressive how they brought the weight down by ~25% for the 13". What material is it made of?

Glossy is a no-go though. My X3E will be happy about another life extension.

 

It's a matter of preference, but I prefer glossy screens so this is a definite contender for me so long as they don't skimp on quality like they appeared to have done for the skylake quad core 15" versions with the 4k screens.

Keyboard layout is good on the 15" and the color of the laptop is fine (imho). Waiting on reviews for more information about real world battery life, touchpad quality/responsiveness, and ease of replacing SSD with one of higher capacity.

 

That's a shame. Also don't understand why they didn't go with type c on the 13" instead of the same old mvga/mhdmi. No way to connect a 4K 60Hz monitor.

 

it's made of magnesium. combining that with a smaller battery reduced the weight.

yeah, this won't replace my X3E either. i'm not necessarily looking for a replacement, but like to keep my eye on the market.

at this point, it doesn't appear that Samsung will ever make a matte display again, so the next best option would be the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or Dell XPS 13 which both have that option.

 

I still love my series 9. With 16Gb of RAM in mine, i wonder if these will be upgradable in any way to more memory. Much to my own surprise, the 2013 model Series 9 15" i'm using is still adequate. I'm just glad the rumors of discontinuing these (ie: Samsung getting out of the market) are UNTRUE!

 

I'm hoping that there will be a matte option for the Pro versions.

 

on pre-sale now at both Amazon and B&H.

$999 not bad price for the 13.3" i5/8/256 version. but again, battery life and screen quality will be two huge issues..

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Electronics-NP900X3L-K06US-Notebook-Laptop/dp/B01AWGXN00

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1219380-REG/samsung_np900x3l_k06us_13_3_notebook_9_silver.html

 

Ugh. Glossy and Iron Silver. Samsung really has no clue.

 

hmm..anti-reflective doesn't sound like glossy to me

 

I am planning to change screen panels with my Np900X4D with this latest 15" model. Would it fit if in case the parts come available? Thanks

 

Nice idea: If both are 15.0" then it could work although there are some potential obstacles including: (i) The X4D display is glued together and not built for convenience of changing the panel so the final product might not look like new unless you buy a new bezel; (ii) the display connector on the mainboard may be different; and (iii) Samsung have probably hard coded the display resolution in the X4D BIOS (this is confirmed for the X3C which is the same BIOS family) so you need to edit the BIOS for the new resolution. However, a similar upgrade of the X3C has been done by a few people so it might work and would address one of the shortcomings of the X4C / X4D.

John

 

Yes, A bezel is what I am talking about. If the 2016 fits the 2013 model then that would be good. That's what I want to know since the I have not seen the new models yet (I'm from Manila, by the way). I already found a 2016 13" bezel on a Chinese marketplace site and they may have the 15" model soon. Regarding the compatibility issue, I think the intel 4000 Graphics can support the resolution but the BIOS Coding is another one. I'm thinking of getting the Bios flashing software from the 2016 model (or earlier that supports 1080p res.) from the Samsung support site and flashing it into the 2013 model. Hoping not to brick the unit.

 

There is discussion in another thread about the BIOS edit (just a couple of entries) needed to get the X3C to work with the FHD panel. The same should apply to the X4C / X4D. However, a potential complication is that this family of notebooks had two BIOSes: P**AAC for the Windows 7 machines and P**ABK for the Windows 8 machines. These BIOSes are not interchangeable.

Something else to check will be the screen cable connector position on the panel which will need to be same on both the old and new panels. A clue will be which hinge the cable passes through.

John

 

Oh, I see. Thanks for the information. I might be sticking to the original screen. I've been watching ebay but has not found parts yet. Any sites you can suggest?

 

I've found the NP900X4C bezel in the UK. This is a used one which suggests that it may be possible to remove it carefully without significant damage. Someone is also selling a new one. The X4C parts are much easier to find because many more were made. Parts will be physically compatible with the X4D.

It may be some time before the new 15" panel shows up as a part. This is one place to watch. I would also like a better engineered fan for the X4C - it can get a bit noisy. My current Dell E7450 has demonstrated how much better a properly designed fan can be at providing more cooling and less noise.

John

 

Yeah, I saw that site, too. I'm on a low budget so I'm looking for a used rather defective np900x4c unit (I also like the aluminum casing since magnesium cracks most of the time) with a working screen. It would be easier to transfer the whole motherboard than to switch screens. Thanks Again

 

Yeah, glossy is yuck. Need matte.

 

another one...and exactly what do you think anti-reflective means?

 

Don - they can use marketing words like 'anti-reflective' all they want, but it's indeed glossy and highly reflective.

Here's a side by side with an older generation ATIV Book 9 which is pure matte.

 

ok, odd they would go that route with a display that isn't touch.

 

no one knows why, but a truly horrible decision IMO.

the last matte display from Samsung was on the ATIV Book 9 (NP900X3G) with Haswell.

only current Skylake ultrabooks i'm aware of that offer a matte display option are the Dell XPS 13 and ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

 

I'm sure that the Skylake Dell Latitudes also have a matte display option although I can't see firm evidence to that effect. They may not be the thinnest and lightest notebooks but should be an option for anyone who isn't in a hurry and can wait for something suitable to appear in Dell Outlet.

John

 

Outlet still has some xps 13 9350s at 30% off.

 

Engadget 15" review, but I'm suspicious of the claimed 8 hours battery life. Also, did not realize they didn't include a keyboard backlight, very disappointed as this had so much potential.

http://www.engadget.com/2016/04/20/samsung-notebook-9-review/

 

If Engadget measured 8 hours of video playback then that should be realistic. However, Skylake includes an improved video decoder which would help the battery to last the 8 hours.

If the Samsung notebooks were still sold for the UK market then I would be taking a very close look at them. I've just taken delivery of a 15.6" Dell E5570 which weighs 2.35 kg (about 5.2 lbs). However, it does have an 84Whr battery (and quad core CPU) so more in line with the old Series 7.

John

 

A review on Amazon indicated about 5-6 hours usage, which sounds about right given its 37Whr (down from 54?). Engadget does a video looping test with wifi on so the gpu will make a difference. I am not really in the market for a 15" but at $1200 for the i-7 this would have been hard to pass up with a larger cell, matte display and grey finish.

 

No review on the audio?

Also - I didn't realize that it's using a "U" processor. The processor doesn't seem as powerful as the 3635QM's in the 770z5e or the later Ativ 8 according to CPU Boss.

Hopefully they'll come out with another configuration that wont be using integrated graphics.

 

Yes, it's an ultrabook (Series 9 vs Series 7/8) so uses ULV dual core cpu and integrated graphics. This will be fine for typical users, but will come up short on rendering, crunching, gaming, and other intensive tasks (which I would personally prefer a remote workstation). I believe the 9 Plus has the QC and discrete graphics and is comparable to the XPS15, but I'm not sure if it still has the screen issues.

 

I think you mean the Book 9 Pro which has Nvidia graphics.

BTW, I have on my desk what could be a successor to the old Series 7/8: It's the Dell Latitude E5570 from Dell outlet. One inch thick 15.6" FHD with quad core (which I've got) and dGPU (which I didn't get) options. Dell does make a thinner / lighter 15.6" (the Precision M3510 / XPS15 9550) but those come with a much bigger price tag.The E5570 is more reasonably priced.

John

 

I read a few reviews of the Pro versions. Not really too sure what to make of them; has anyone here purchased one?

 

Any news about come back to Europe market?

 

Nothing I've heard and nothing in the SW Update database (I would expect Germany to be the first play they would try as it appeared to be previously their biggest European notebook market). Also, Asian culture would suggest that the management would consider a return to be a loss of face (so when is the next change of top management likely to happen?). However, I would not be surprised if some of their European marketing offices would like to see the now limited notebook range return to their inventory.

John

 

thanks for the comparison pix glossy/matte.
glossy really sucks, why did they do this??

is there a (professional) way (company) to make it matte, without stickers (i heard they suck) and keeping the same display sharpness/quality?

 

It's an unfortunate fact that any anti-glare surface coating, which works by diffusing reflected light, also diffuses the light transmitted through the screen. I am now using a Dell Precision 5510 with FHD "Ultrasharp" non glare display. I have found that it looks sharper than a normal FHD non-glare display. However, it is also more reflective, but not to the extent that reflections are annoying. This is illustrated in photo below with the 5510 in the centre (note the lighter area on the bottom left part of the screen) and the Latitude E5570 (also a 15.6" display although a much bigger notebook) on the left. The notebook on the right is the Samsung NP900X4C (much the same size as the 5510 although it has a 15.0" display).



Glare is less of an issue with displays which have high viewing angles as it is possible to adjust the angle to minimise reflections without suffering any reduction in contrast / colour as occurs with cheap TN LCD panels.

John

 

Thanks for the pic John. Yeah, your X4C has the best panel of those 3 from what I can decipher. Colors appear richer and panel has better uniformity, the Dells just look a bit washed out. I love my X3E 1080p panel.

I've considered buying an X1 Carbon or XPS 13, but their matte options (made by LGD or Sharp) aren't as good as my X3E. Their build qualities and designs don't look/feel as premium either.

 

The X4C display looked good in that photo because it was taken at the optimum angle and possibly the anti-glare coating suited the lighting conditions. However, it's not an IPS/PLS or similar panel with wide viewing angles and in everyday use it's not as good as the Dells (particularly the 5510 in the middle) which appear washed out in the photo because of diffused glare (photo taken in diffused sunlight with the sun behind the camera).

I still have my 4+ year old NP900X3B which has an excellent PLS panel although the 1600 x 900 resolution is becoming unfashionable. This notebook still gets used when I want to travel light and don't need to much performance (the 4GB RAM is the major constraint - it was upgraded to a 512GB SSD some time ago).

John

PS: I've just come across these photos comparing the reflectiveness of two non-glare screens.

 

im working a lot on the balcony or outside, so matte would be my priority.
if the sharpness drops like 5% or so, i totally wouldnt mind, because working on a glare screen ouside i dont see anything,
and reflections are annoying as hell, also when i see my face, when watching a movie or similar (not that i dont like me)..

so coming back to the question, is there a way to make the display matte, maybe through a company, that does it as good as if you´d buy a matte screen notebook?

 

Thanks for that link. I could definitely live with both of those LGD and AUO displays for a 14" model. In the first photo, the display on the right appears to be almost 'dead' matte (if you will), like how really old computer monitors use to be made.

 

From an earlier post in this thread, the current silver colored Skylake (and upcoming Kaby Lake) models of the ATIV Book 9 series appear as such:



I highly doubt that any third party could produce anything that could essentially turn the silver notebook's display on the left into the black notebook's display on the right. You WILL see the reflection of your face and other background objects on dark content and likely other content as well.

FYI - the last ATIV Book 9 model that featured the matte PLS display was the NP900X3G (Haswell processor). You can find used ones on secondary markets.

Or, a potential(?) other option might be to buy an older model matte display (from the X3E, X3F, or X3G models) and swap it into the current silver model. However, you'd have to know beforehand if such a swap would be compatible and whether there's something in the BIOS that would have to be adjusted. I don't have the answer for you on this matter.

 

well, if i needed a 13" the whole thing would be no problem.
NP900X3G is the 13" modell i guess. there isnt one in 15" with an matte pls/ips screen as far as i know?
so switching displays would be almost impossible regarding bios etc..

 

I got my 15'' for a week now, imported from US to Europe (DHL + 20%VAT paid on top of US price). Very happy. As I read a lot of other posts before making my choice without having the possibility to touch nor test I write here a couple of things so others may find info useful.
I was looking for a light laptop with 15" ish screen so I compared it with: XPS15 & MBP15: heavy and expensive (I know that they have 4 core cores and hires screen), X1 Carbon 14'': nice & expensive, LG Gramm 15": interesting but thicker, not so rigid and not shipping to Europe. So I got my NP900X5L. Is not much to say about it that's not already online in the reviews. One of them suggest that built quality is much lower than MB Air. I disagree!. I was also concerned about having other than matte screen, but I trusted Samsung that they also know a thing or two about display an usability. So: the reflexions are on par with or slightly lower than iPad Air 2, the laptop has an orange and the iPad a blueish hue. Its fine for me I did however not use it outdoor yet. The brightness is enough, I have yet to use it on max setting, maybe outdoors (I suppose that If I would have chosen the X1 Carbon specified to 250 nits vs Samsung's 350 nits I would not be so happy). I installed Chrome on day one but I was unhappy about the touchpad performance of inertia and pinch to zoom. Soon I found out that's Chrome fault so I became Edge user where all these work very smooth. I also like the screen to bezel ratio, the small power supply, fast charging. In my usage style: desk and long meetings I did not manage to discharge the battery. I'm thinking to replace my wireless mouse dongle with a Bluetooth mouse.

 

I don't know anything about Ipad Air 2 screens
Is there any chance of you using it outdoors to check the glare please? My 770z5e was absolutely fantastic when I was Ghana a few months back and it really convinced me that a matte screen laptop is important for my needs.

I did hear that some of the anti glare stickers are supposed to be okay, but they end up dimming your colours. Not good if you use your laptop for artwork and photography.

 

that would be great, and also with pictures?
maybe you could do three pix like they always do on notebookcheck for comparing direct sun/sun/shadow
eg: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-ATIV-Book-9-2014-NP930X5J-K02DE-Ultrabook-Review.117595.0.html

 

as i understand the 900x5l is coming with a sata ssd.
is the connection also only sata or can one install a nvme drive?

 

If there is support for PCIe /NVMe then there should be a PCIe option in the BIOS if anyone can check. Also, I understand that a dual core CPU won't give the full speed potential (see here for some relevant comments) and there is the risk of thermal throttling unless the SSD has a thermal pad or similar to dissipate any heat. PCIe SSDs tend to draw more power and run hotter when under load compared to the SATA SSDs.

John

 

so can anyone with the notebook please have a look?

i dont think an i7 is slowing down the speed, even with an totally old pentium dualcore i got full speed 500mb/s with a (sata) ssd.
also there shouldnt be a heat problem with normal usage, if youre not running the ssd in fullspeed for minutes..
but thats also kinda OT in this thread.

 

I had a look, no luck. The BIOS very basic, only a few items may be set such as: time, boot sequence, passwords, TP related, touchpad on/off, wake on touchpad, ...