Introducing The 2013 Series 7 Chronos with AMD HD8870M!

Probably missed it in the 555 pages of the thread but does anyone have any photos of the laptop? I'd like to see what shade of metal the laptop is, the previous series 7 was a lot darker than I expected and product shots of the 2013 model show it as being very light in color.

 

I'm thinking about buying this computer. However, I'm in the US and would like to get the 8870M version. Does anyone know of any non-US retailers that would ship this to the United States? Maybe Canadian shops?

Thanks.

 

There are some pictures by pranktank in this thread, in the first and third posts: http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/713079-new-samsung-series-7-8870m-review-test.html
However, I don't think they'll help as the pictures show the laptop being darker than what it actually is. My opinion is that the Chronos is quite a light shade of grey, though I'm not sure how it compares with the previous Series 7. I recommend you go and actually look at it in real life, as I wasn't a massive fan of the brushed metal design from the pictures but I love the design when actually looking it.

Quite a few people have bought the 8870M model from the Canadian retailer Futureshops, which seems to be the only one offering 16GB of RAM. Only downside is that it has a Bilingual keyboard.

Samsung Chronos 15.6" Laptop (Intel Core i7-3635QM / 1TB HDD / 16GB RAM / Windows 8) : 15" Laptops - Future Shop

I should also point out that the Chronos on Futureshop is the 'Deal of the day', with $200 off to give a price of $1500. Deal ends today if anyone's interested.

 

I checked it out. Unfortunately they only ship to Canada.

I guess I'll just have to wait for a US release.

 

You may die of old age first

 

I found this to be harder than expected too. You have to be pretty tactile with it as the plastic marks easily. I would use soft plastic like a thin credit card. I stuck at it for a while before making an opening and found it easiest to start on the right front corner. Use your nails first, if you can, creating a gap to get a plastic card in. Once its in you can move around to the ports gently twisting and pushing the card as you prize the casing off. The catches should pop apart as you go and once you have got the first few off it gets easier. Be careful around the hinges as the catches are bigger here and you need to use a bit more force. This is definitely one of the hardest devices I have had to take apart that's supposed to be 'user' upgradeable. I imagine Samsung will be selling lots of replacement backs for these laptops in the future.

 

^^^^^ This!

 

Hey guys, I just received my Ash Black NP880Z5E-X01AU today! It's absolutely gorgeous, will test it sometime later to see if it is any different compare to the Silver Chronos, besides the obvious keypad colour different.

Here are some of the laptop photo.

Front view, gorgeous screen, have yet to notice any graininess, will test it out soon.


Side views, very slim profile




The keyboard backlit, it's definitely much much better than the one on the silver keypad. The backlitt-ed keys are still very readable even under bright light. (Sorry for the blurry photo, camera shake a little)


Under dark enviroment.


So far the first impression is excellent, hopefully it stays that way.

 

I REALLY want to persuade Samsung to send me a set of black keys for my silver Chronos so I can actually see my keyboard. Petition maybe? I don't know :/

 

@Xaphier
is it the touch model? as far as I can recall I am yet to come across the touchscreen variant of ativ book 8 on the net

 

Must admit I prefer the black ash colour and the black keys to my all silver one but scratches on black painted aluminium show up like crazy so put me off.

 

Ash black material is the same as the one used for some parts of np 350 series. As I suspected it looks cheaper and less elegant/exclusive than grey. A different topic is the one about readability of keys. Actually grey keys are less distinguishable than black, but a tweak by Samsung on borders of letters would be more than enough without the need to switch to a less cool color.

 

Congrats! It looks stunning!
I personally like and prefer the black color over the silver as well.

 

Yes, it's the touchscreen model!

 

The black looks great. I know you said you have yet to notice graininess, but could you please look very closely? The graininess we are concerned about is the sparkly effect similar to a matte screen. You see a texture instead of just smooth white. It's most visible if you move your head and if you scroll through a white web page like this forum.

And can you see the sparkle on your silver Chronos?

 

Xaphier, can you please check the following:
- What is the display hardware id ? [device manager, monitors, right-click and choose properties, details tab, Property drop-down: select Hardware Ids
- Can you run yours at its highest brightness for about 5 minutes or so (disable adaptive brightness first, under power settings), browse the internet, etc - then go to a dark grey screen with no pattern on it - and see if there are any after-images of any open windows/icons that you had displaying for those 5 minutes. (I included some grey pictures in the last link below).

(In a nutshell, I'd like to know if Samsung is still using the same flawed MVA panel or not, (AUO9003) and if so/not, if there is still an image-retention problem with it)

Here's some links to catch you up a bit on the issue:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-480.html#post9162613
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-487.html#post9164668
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-490.html#post9165219
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-491.html#post9165604
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-501.html#post9169019
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-502.html#post9169304
http://forum.notebookreview.com/samsung/702308-introducing-2013-series-7-chronos-amd-hd8870m-502.html#post9169362

I sure hope Samsung has been "listening" to its fans in this forum and have updated their panel in the new ATIV line. I am anxiously waiting to buy one...

Thanks !

 

The ATIV Book 6 actually looks nicer than the silver color of the Regular Best Buy Chronos with the 8770m. I would return the best buy one now and order the black one had I not gotten the best buy model for 900 bucks (open box).

If anyone here is reading this and going to best buy, ask for a discount on the laptop and they can give you 10%

 

I would echo this request.

Also, does anyone know if the Ativ Book 6 has the same panel as the Ativ Book 8, or is it just a basic TN?

 

I'm in hehe. I noticed there's a new software in SW Update called "Online Chat Consultation Service", has anyone tried it? Maybe it would be possible to ask for the keys there..?

 

Now that you mention it, I can now see the some graininess from the screen, looks like the problem is inherited from the Chronos 7.

Sure! Hardware ID is MS_9003, not sure if they're identical with the AUO9003 mentioned previously. However, I do notice the graininess of the screen.

I tried produce the image retention issue, but I see no after-image in the grey screen. I will try to leave it on for longer time and confirm again.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm glad it's grainy. That means I can forget about Samsung and all their weird issues and non-availability and just settle for a lesser laptop with a decent screen

 

Don't they have a 4 gb ram soldered on the mb, making only 12gb max

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

ATIV 6 is at the microsoft store and on newegg.com in the US. I think it is the BB Chronos model if I remember correctly.

 

Hi all,

Long, long time lurker. I'd really like to know how the battery life is for those who've picked up the ativ book 6? This will determine whether I purchase this, or the BB Chronos version. I've gathered that those with the Chronos are seeing 8+ hours under normal usage.

Also, are you finding the trackpad responsive?

Thanks in advance!

 

I've been following this thread for sometime, and finally bought the 8870M version (touch screen) from Hong Kong about 3 weeks ago. HK is offering the laptop with 16GB RAM with the standard keyboard layout. (QWERTY). Bought mine for exactly USD1620.

 

Where did you buy it? I'd be interested in picking one up from there seeing as they're so bloody slow releasing it in the UK.

 

got it through a friend from Broadway Fortress

 

Wait so you asked for a 10% discount off the open box discounted ($1050) 8770 chronos? How did that conversation go?

 

The Chronos/ATIV Books were featured on Gaming Laptops Junky
New interesting gaming laptops - the Samsung Series 7 Chronos 770z5e and 770z7e (and the 780z5e) - Gaming Laptops Junky

 

Does anybody else's hinge creaks a bit?

 

What with the arrival of Haswell and summer just around the corner, I was wondering: Are there any clues or confirmations that other manufacturers will release models similar to the Ativ Book 8 in the upcoming weeks? I noticed that retailers appear to be selling off the last of their Asus N56 and N76 models but so far, I haven't a clue as to what Asus, Sony, etc. are up to. They must have something in the works right?

I tried ordering an Ativ Book 8 some weeks ago but so far, Samsung has not delivered any to retailers in my region, even though a Samsung rep informed me that they'd start shipping them out on May 14th. Has anyone in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium or France actually seen the Ativ Book 8 irl? Samsung's customer service isn't helpful in the least and now I'm wondering if I'd be better off canceling my order and waiting for another week or two to see if the competition will offer something similar or better in early June.

 

of course things are in the works. the slow release of the ativ book 8 in the US has all but convinced me to just wait on a haswell machine.

i was looking at the Acer Aspire V7:

Acer brings options galore to new Aspire V5 and V7 laptops (hands-on)

 

John Lewis are now selling the silver NP770Z5E for 995 pounds (100 pounds reduction).

I was holding off until the black version was released but may just buy this now as the Ativ 8 could be more expensive.

 

Here's the link for John Lewis if anyone is interested:
Buy Samsung NP770Z5E-S01 Laptop, Intel Core i7, 2.4GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6", Metal online at John Lewis

I went into the local PC World store on Saturday (we don't have a Samsung shop on the island), and spoke to the brother of a friend. He said they've not had any information on the 16GB RAM version, so wasn't able to help me.

It's getting to either biting the bullet and getting the 8GB version, or finding a similar spec'd laptop ... which I've yet to find.

 

FYI, the black ATIV books are not 'painted' as people have been saying. The aluminum parts are anodized, which is a very different process. The silver-gray Chronos laptops go through the same process with a different color dye. However, if you manage to scratch all the way through the anodized layer of aluminum, it might be more noticeable on the black because of the higher contrast against non-anodized aluminum.

 

~NWHIDDEN:

Cheers. Any other options out there? And is there any indication that Samsung is simply delaying the release of its Ativ Book 8 only to offer it with a Haswell next month?

 

we are hearing rumblings of a lot of new laptops from competitors with high end specs and haswell. these will all be coming soon. it seems foolosih for samsung to hold the ativ book 8 and NOT include haswell, but i wouldnt put it past them. as a savvy consumer, it may not be the best move to pick up an ativ book 8 at the tumored cost if haswell is not present.

 

Any reason left to prefer a glossy touchscreen to a matte non-touch?

 

Good luck with that! 10 minutes max with your hand doing those gestures and you'll be reaching for the painkillers. It looks nice in promo videos and demos but is TOTALLY impractical. When will companies realize this.
The most efficient movement from A to B is via the shortest possible distance using the smallest possible movement. Using an arm like this is like putting straight edges on a wheel.

 

I agree with you when you say that doing those gestures on a laptop isn't comfortable (and that's one of the reasons I don't want a touchscreen), but what's the difference between using leap motion and a touchscreen? The movement is the same, so the pain would be the same... BUT with leap motion you can benefit from the matte screen and the absence of fingerprints on the screen, even though at the cost of having a device plugged to a USB.
Sorry for the OT, but I wanted to share it since the argument touch vs non-touch came up a few times

Sent from HTC HD2 with Tapatalk

 

Sorry previous comments off topic!
I have followed this thread since day one and if available would buy the Ativ book 8 with touch now, but in a way I'm glad it wasn't available when I pressed the button back in April at PCWORLD as I'm going to get a far superior machine... But when??.... Ah well I'll keep checking the thread. ..... PS any thoughts on samsung adding their new eyeball popping 276 pixels per inch display?...... (source CNET)

 

The Three Precogs of the Pre-Crime Division just notified me that a harmless discussion about gesture technology in this particular thread would turn into a serious forum rule violation sometime within the next 24 hours. The Precogs report that probability of this incident occurring is HIGH.

So far, all I see is alfling posting a video and asking what other members think. Surely he is not the perpetrator.

I ask members to stay vigilant and watch out for any signs of such an impending violation. But above all, to remain calm in case the violation SHOULD occur and simply report it to... well, that would have to be the Crime Division, since Pre-Crime failed to intercept.

Pre-Crime Division thanks you for your cooperation in this matter, and for being a loyal citizen.

Edit: Fortunately the Precogs were wrong (admittedly they were not in complete in agreement) and the threat of violation has vanished. There are no problems here

 

Can I fit 12 or 16Gb of memory into the 770Z5E? I know I can put an SSD in there, but I'd like to increase the memory beyond what it comes with by default.

 

Because I've seen plenty of model numbers with different configs, I'll say this ...

If the laptop is factory fitted with 8GB, then chances are it'll have 4GB soldered to the board, and a 4GB stick. This means you could swap the 4GB stick for a 8GB stick giving 12GB total (8GB max per RAM slot). If it's a 16GB model, then you're at the limit of RAM.

 

The new HP Envy 15 and 17 have recently leaked, with both Haswell and nvidia 750M within their specs. Assuming from the leaks they look like high-ends notebooks in an Ultrabook body, putting them in the exact same category with the ATIV Book 6/8 and Chronos 7.
I expect them to get official probably early next month.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...vy-15-jxxx-envy-17-jxxx-notebooks-2013-a.html

 

Looks promising, thank you! Unfortunately, HP is no longer a viable option for me, I aim to replace a pretty high-end HP laptop which has given me nothing but trouble from the start and it's dying on me after a mere 15 months. Still, it's good to see what the near future may bring in terms of comparable laptops.

 

Hello I live in the US and I'm interested in getting the NP780Z5E-S01UB from Bestbuy. I was wondering if it is a good time to buy the laptop or if it is going to be refreshed soon because I can wait a month or 2. Another quick question is the model with the 8870m graphics available anywhere in the US or is it even coming?

 

if you CAN wait, i would highly suggest you do so. At least to see what happens with these haswell machines, and for details and pricing to FINALLY come to the US. Im in the mindset that Ive waited this long, might as well wait a bit more. Im worried we will be buying a high end priced laptop that will be a generation behind very quickly.

my dream scenario is that the ATIV Book8 gets released in the US, with Haswell, and 8870, for under $1400.... thats not looking likely however

 

Same situation here.

However, HP made it official today and introduced a whole refresh and new products with laptops and All in Ones, ALL based on Intel 4rth Generation processors Haswell. Prices and availability information were also set for next month with all new products shipping in June-July, with the new high-end Haswell based Envies start shipping in June 5th, thats in two weeks(!)

HP refreshes its laptops for back-to-school season, one has a 3,200 x 1,800 screen (updated)

HP redesigns Envy and Pavilion laptops for 2013, including one with a 3200 x 1800 screen | The Verge

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...vy-15-jxxx-envy-17-jxxx-notebooks-2013-a.html

I expect Lenovo and all others major PC manufacturers to follow with the same refresh/announcements very soon, hopefully Samsung is about to do the same as well.

At this point it is GAME OVER for the high-end Ivy Bridge based ATIV Book 8, in my opinion you do not buy this even if it was available today, especially the high-end options of $1500+++ unless you are totally aware that you are giving your money to buy a high-end laptop based on the old/outdated generation of CPU and of course you are sure that the (now)old Ivy Bridge meets your needs and standards, even two of my friends that knows nothing about computers and I referred them to ATIV Book 8/Chronos 7 called me today after reading the HP news asking me when Samsung will have the same new processors on their notebook line.

Sad, but at least in the US market, Samsung played the Chronos 7/ATIV Book 8 card all wrong, in each way possible.

 

Read carefully. To get the GPU you have to give up the touchscreen.

"If you're looking for a little more power under the hood, HP will also ship heftier Envy 15 and Envy 17 laptops without the "TouchSmart" or "Ultrabook" monikers, trading the touchscreen for faster processors, more storage, more speakers, and discrete Nvidia graphics options. We don't have all the details yet, but the Envy 17 will start at $699 on June 5th."